ALESIS AI-1 Reference Manual
TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION 1.0 ABOUT THE AI-1 ......................................................................1 1.1 IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS MANUAL..................3 1.2 OVERVIEW OF MAIN FUNCTIONS.....................................3 1.2A Digital Interface ............................................................3 1.2B Digital Audio Synchronization ....................................4 1.2C Sample Rate Conversion ..............................................4 1.
.2D BRC Synchronization ...................................................26 3.2E Output ADAT Tracks to AI-1.......................................26 3.2F Bouncing Tracks While Outputting To AI-1 ...............28 3.3 CONFIGURATIONS.................................................................29 3.3A ADAT to AES/EBU (48kHz) .......................................30 3.3B AES/EBU to ADAT (48kHz)........................................30 3.3C AES/EBU to ADAT (44.1kHz to 48kHz) ....................31 3.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.0 ABOUT THE AI-1 Congratulations! You’ve just purchased a powerful tool that will enhance your ADAT system with incredible digital audio routing flexibility. The AI-1 Digital Interface and Sample Rate Converter provides you a way of routing any two ADAT tracks to another digital recording system, or the other way around, and will convert the sampling rate as needed.
track(s) and the sampling rate…and you’re up and running! With the BRC Master Remote Control, it’s even easier since all AI-1 controls are available from the BRC’s Digital I/O edit menu. • Optic digital interface. ADAT’s Proprietary Multichannel Optic Digital Interface carries up to eight tracks simultaneously via optic cable, allowing for perfect, degradation-free digital dubbing between ADATs.
digital recording terms that may be helpful as you read this manual. 1.1 IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS MANUAL This manual has been designed as a reference to assist the recording professional in learning the basic operation of the AI-1. All functions are explained in a clear manner, using step-by-step instructions and illustrations for setting up and performing various operations. However, it is assumed that you already have some understanding of multitrack recording and digital audio in general.
leaving the digital domain. The AI-1 can be used to transfer digital audio back and forth between DAT machines, CD player/ recorders and digital audio workstations. Whenever you transfer digital audio through the AI-1, the result is a perfect, exact duplicate of the original with no degradation or change in audio quality. 1.
When you play back the audio once it is on ADAT, it will adjust back to its normal speed and of course sound sharp…roughly 147 cents sharp. If you want to hear the audio on ADAT at the original pitch and speed, bring the ADAT’s pitch setting down to -147. Doing so will temporarily show “44.1” in the ADAT’s LED display, indicating that you are now running at the equivalent to the 44.1kHz rate. 1.
device is connected, and the AI-1 is receiving its clock information. If the selected Source button’s LED flashes, it means that either no device is connected to the selected input, or the clock information is not being provided by the source to the AI-1, or the clock information being provided by the source is neither 48kHz or 44.1kHz (see section 1.3D) 1.3B Destination The three DESTINATION buttons (ADAT, AES/EBU, and S/PDIF) are used to select the digital destination.
all eight channels of the ADAT digital bus are transferred. When using the BRC Master Remote Control, any two channels can be selected, in which case the ADAT CHANNEL button(s) corresponding to each selected channel will be lit. Example: if the BRC is used to select channels 2 and 5 as the ADAT channels, two of the AI-1’s ADAT CHANNEL buttons (the 1/2 and 5/6 buttons) will be lit indicating the groupings which contain the selected channels. 1.3D Destination Rate The DESTINATION RATE buttons (48kHz and 44.
indicated by the fact that both the 48kHz and 44.1kHz LEDs will be turned off.
CHAPTER 2: HOOKUP 2.0 POWER The AI-1 works with any AC voltage from 90 to 250 volts, 50 to 60 Hz. This eliminates the need for transformers or voltage switches. The AI-1 comes with a line cord for the destination to which the AI1 is shipped. The AI-1’s IEC-spec AC cord (do not substitute any other AC cord) is designed to feed an outlet that includes three pins, with the third, round pin connected to ground.
optic digital input; Note: If the other end of a fiber optic cable is disconnected and a signal is being sent through the cable, you will be able to see a red light at the output. This is an LED and not a laser light, so you don’t have to worry about damage to your eyes. 2. Connect one end of a fiber optic cable to the AI-1’s “ADAT” optic digital output, and the other end to the ADAT’s optic digital input.
In the meantime, you may be tempted to reconnect the AI-1 to a different ADAT when you want to route digital audio to tracks on another machine. However, to avoid a lot of cable swapping, we recommend swapping tapes instead. For example, let’s say you have two ADATs, the AI-1 is connected to and from ADAT #1. When you wish to record from an S/PDIF source onto tracks 9 and 10 (ADAT #2), the best and quickest solution is to swap tapes between the two ADATs and record onto tracks 1 and 2.
OUT, and the other end to the third ADAT slave’s DIGITAL IN. Its DIGITAL OUT then connects to the fourth ADAT slave’s DIGITAL IN, and so on; 5. Connect one end of a fiber optic cable to the DIGITAL OUT of the last ADAT in the chain, and connect the other end of the cable to the AI-1’s “ADAT” optic DIGITAL IN; 6. Finally, connect one end of a fiber optic cable to the AI-1’s “ADAT” optic DIGITAL OUT, and the other end to the optic DIGITAL IN of the first ADAT in the system.
BRC. This is required so that the BRC can synchronize to an AES/EBU or S/PDIF source. Both these connections can be made while power is on or off, and the ADATs do not need to be turned on in any particular order (see figure 3). To connect the AI-1 to a BRC and a multiple ADAT system: 1. Connect one end of a shielded dual male, 9-pin D connector to the SYNC OUT jack of the last ADAT in the system, and connect the other end of the cable to the SYNC IN jack of the AI-1; 2.
Figure 3 Note: In a multiple ADAT system, if power is turned off on one of the ADATs in the middle of the chain, all ADATs following it will no longer sync to the BRC, as the sync information will not pass through a unit that is turned off.
2.2 AES/EBU AND S/PDIF 2.2A Connecting an AES/EBU Device Digital routing to and from an AES/EBU device requires XLR type cables. These connections can be made while power is on or off, and the components do not need to be turned on in any particular order. To connect an AES/EBU device: 1. Connect one end of an XLR cable into the AES/EBU XLR output of the AI-1, and the other end to the XLR input of the AES/EBU device; 2.
4. Connect the other end of the fiber optic cable to the S/PDIF optic input, OR, connect the other end of the RCA cable to the RCA input of the AI-1. Note: Both the optic and RCA outputs are active when the AI-1’s Destination is set to S/PDIF. This means you can route digital audio to two S/PDIF devices simultaneously. When the AI-1’s Source is set to S/PDIF, the RCA input has priority over the optic input.
CHAPTER 3: TRANSFERRING DIGITAL AUDIO 3.0 AI-1 TO ADAT Recording from an AES/EBU or S/PDIF source through the AI-1 onto ADAT involves a few very simple steps. First, put the ADAT(s) into Digital In mode by pressing the DIGITAL IN button (the button will be lit). Next, the digital source must be selected. Then, choose the tracks you wish to record to. Finally, adjust the sampling rate, if necessary, to suit your needs. 3.
RCA input for a sample clock reference. If no sample clock is found (because no device is connected, or the connected device is turned off), the AI-1 will then use the fiber optic input. 3.0B Selecting Record Tracks Once the Source has been determined, the next step is to choose which ADAT tracks are to be used to record the information. This is done by pressing one of the four ADAT CHANNEL buttons on the AI-1 front panel: 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, or 7/8.
tape on another ADAT, and you avoid having to reconnect your system. 3.0C Destination To route the AI-1 to ADAT, set the AI-1’s Destination to ADAT by pressing the DESTINATION ADAT button. The button’s LED will be lit indicating it has been selected. 3.0D Converting Sample Rate If the source you are recording from is already using a 48kHz clock, the 48kHz DESTINATION RATE LED will be lit. This is the same clock that ADAT uses, so there is no need to convert the sample rate.
between 48kHz and 44.1kHz. 3.1A Source To route the ADAT to the AI-1, set the AI-1’s Source to ADAT by pressing the SOURCE ADAT button. The button’s LED will be lit indicating it has been selected. Note: When the AI-1’s Source is set to ADAT, the AI-1 links the ADAT optic input to the ADAT optic output, so that digital audio is routed from one ADAT to another.
When the Source is set to ADAT, the AI-1’s Destination Rate will automatically be set to 48kHz, since this is the sample rate of ADAT. If you wish to output the digital audio from the AI-1 at 44.1kHz, press the 44.1kHz DESTINATION RATE button (its LED will be lit). This can be used to route digital audio from ADAT to a DAT recorder or CD recorder which uses the lower sampling rate. 3.2 USING THE BRC The Alesis BRC Master Remote Control can be used to control all of the AI-1’s functions.
… or … Digital input: AES/EBU … or … Digital input: S/PDIF 4. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select the digital input that is to be the source for recording: “ADAT”, “AES/EBU” or “S/PDIF” (the corresponding Source LED on the AI-1 will be lit to indicate the current selection); 5. To exit Edit mode, press the EDIT button (the EDIT LED will turn off). Note: If you change the Digital Input setting while the DIGITAL I/O button is off, the AI-1 will not reflect the newly selected digital input.
Digital input: ADAT 3. Press the DIGITAL I/O button again while the digital input display reads “ADAT”; The display will show the following: Select source with trk buttons All the record and input track LEDs will turn off, as they no longer reflect the record/monitor status. The TRACK INPUT LEDs are now used to reflect the current source tracks. 4.
onto any ADAT connected to the digital bus. 5. Press the EDIT button to exit Edit mode; 6. Press the DIGITAL I/O button to enable the digital bus (the DIGITAL I/O LED will go on to indicate it is enabled); 7. Use the TRACK SELECT buttons on the BRC to record-enable the destination tracks; 8. Initiate recording on the BRC. • The source tracks will be recorded onto the destination tracks in ascending order.
on will record the selected Source input from the AI-1. Since only two inputs are available (left and right), these inputs will alternate assignment between all selected record tracks if more than two are selected. To record from the AI-1 onto ADAT using the BRC: 1. Make sure the DIGITAL I/O button is enabled (its LED will be lit); 2. Press the EDIT button (the EDIT button LED will go on to indicate you are in Edit mode); 3. Press the DIGITAL I/O button; The display will read: Digital input: ADAT 4.
5. Press the DIGITAL I/O button twice; The display will show the following: AI-1 Destination ADAT 6. If the AI-1 Destination is set to either “AES/EBU” or “S/PDIF”, use the DOWN button to set the AI-1’s Destination to “ADAT”. 7. Press the DIGITAL I/O button again to access the AI-1’s clock rate; The display will show the following: AI-1 Dest Rate 48K This determines the output sample rate of the AI-1. When the Digital Input is changed, the AI-1 automatically looks for the clock source.
with the incoming source. However, it is important to note that the BRC also requires a 48kHz clock in order to be synchronized to the incoming digital signal (see section 3.2D). Since the BRC has nothing to do with the ADAT’s optic digital bus, you will need to route clock information from the AI-1 to the BRC by connecting the AI-1’s 48kHz output to feed the BRC’s 48kHz input (see section 2.1C). 9. Press the EDIT button to exit Edit mode (the EDIT LED will turn off); 10.
result in clicks in the audio. For more information on 48kHz clock, see sections 2.1C and 2.3. 3.2E Output ADAT Tracks to AI-1 If the BRC is in Edit mode (the EDIT button is lit), and the DIGITAL I/O button is pressed a third time when the Digital Input is set to "ADAT", (or if it is pressed a second time when set to "AES/EBU" or "S/PDIF"), you may select the source tracks that will output to the AI-1.
lit. Pressing the same button again will disable that track and turn off the LED. You may now select a different track. • A maximum of two tracks may be selected at a time, and they must come from the same tape machine. • When a track is selected as a source, any tracks from other machines that were previously selected will become disabled. If no tracks are selected, the AI-1's digital output will be silent.
9. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select the AI-1’s Destination Rate (48K or 44.1K). This determines the output sample rate of the AI1. 3.2F Bouncing Tracks While Outputting To AI-1 The digital output routed from ADAT to the AI-1 will always be active, whether DIGITAL I/O is turned on or off. However, if DIGITAL I/O is on and “ADAT” has been selected as the digital input, you are still capable of performing track bouncing among your ADATs.
after it. However, it is important to note that even though the AI-1’s destination may be set to AES/EBU or S/PDIF, it is still sending all eight channels of the source ADAT back to the first ADAT in the chain. Therefore, it is possible to bounce tracks from the source ADAT onto the same track numbers on the first ADAT, while simultaneously routing two tracks from the source ADAT through the AI-1 to an AES/EBU or S/PDIF destination. 3.
Note: Even when the AI-1’s destination is set to AES/EBU, the digital bus being received from the last ADAT is routed through back to the first ADAT. Therefore, it is possible to bounce audio from the last ADAT back to the first ADAT, while simultaneously routing two tracks from the last ADAT to an AES/EBU device. 3.3B AES/EBU to ADAT (48kHz) In this configuration, the ADAT optic jacks and the AES/EBU XLR jacks are used.
In this configuration, the ADAT optic jacks and the AES/EBU XLR jacks are used. In the figure below, ADAT #1 is receiving from an AES/EBU device using a 44.1kHz sampling rate being converted to 48kHz. The proper control settings for this operation are as follows: Source = AES/EBU Destination = ADAT Destination Rate = 48kHz Figure 7 3.3D ADAT to AES/EBU (48kHz to 44.1kHz) In this configuration, the ADAT optic jacks and the AES/EBU XLR jacks are used.
3.3E AES/EBU to ADAT (44.1kHz) In this configuration, the ADAT optic jacks and the AES/EBU XLR jacks are used. In the figure below, ADAT #1 is receiving from an AES/EBU device using a 44.1kHz sampling rate without conversion. The proper control settings for this operation are as follows: Source = AES/EBU Destination = ADAT Destination Rate = 44.1kHz Figure 9 3.3F ADAT to S/PDIF (48kHz) In this configuration, the ADAT optic jacks and the S/PDIF jacks are used.
Source = ADAT Destination = S/PDIF Destination Rate = 48kHz Figure 10 Note: Even when the AI-1’s destination is set to S/PDIF, the digital bus being received from the last ADAT is routed through back to the first ADAT. Therefore, it is possible to bounce audio from the last ADAT back to the first ADAT, while simultaneously routing two tracks from the last ADAT to an S/PDIF device. 3.3G S/PDIF to ADAT (48kHz) In this configuration, the ADAT optic jacks and the S/PDIF jacks are used.
3.3H S/PDIF to ADAT (44.1kHz to 48kHz) In this configuration, the ADAT optic jacks and the S/PDIF jacks are used. In the figure below, ADAT #1 is receiving from an S/PDIF device using a 44.1kHz sampling rate being converted to 48kHz. The proper control settings for this operation are as follows: Source = S/PDIF Destination = ADAT Destination Rate = 48kHz Figure 12 3.3I ADAT to S/PDIF (48kHz to 44.1kHz) In this configuration, the ADAT optic jacks and the S/PDIF jacks are used.
for this operation are as follows: Source = ADAT Destination = S/PDIF Destination Rate = 44.1kHz Figure 13 3.3J S/PDIF to ADAT (44.1kHz) In this configuration, the ADAT optic jacks and the S/PDIF jacks are used. In the figure below, ADAT #1 is receiving from an S/PDIF device using a 44.1kHz sampling rate without conversion. The proper control settings for this operation are as follows: Source = S/PDIF Destination = ADAT Destination Rate = 44.
3.3K ADAT to ADAT In this configuration, the AI-1 becomes a transparent link in a daisychain. In the figure below, ADAT #2 is transmitting all 8 tracks to ADAT #1, in addition to all 8 tracks of ADAT #1 being routed to ADAT #2. The sample rate is fixed at 48kHz, and cannot be changed to 44.1kHz.
from another digital source: 1. Press and hold the SET LOCATE button; 2. Press the DIGITAL IN button; The ADAT’s display will momentarily read “int” indicating it will use its own internal clock at all times, even when the DIGITAL IN button is enabled. When you wish to record from the AI-1 again (from an AES/EBU or S/PDIF source), you must set the master ADAT back so it synchronizes to the incoming digital source’s clock.
In this configuration, either the S/PDIF fiber optic jacks or RCA jacks (or both) are used to connect two S/PDIF devices through the AI-1. In the figure below, S/PDIF device #1 is connected to the RCA jacks of the AI-1, while S/PDIF device #2 is connected to the fiber optic jacks. This scenario would only occur when you wished to use the AI-1 to perform sample rate conversion between the source and destination devices.
CHAPTER 4: APPENDICES 4.0 APPENDIX 1: SPECIFICATIONS Number of Digital Audio Channels: ADAT: AES/EBU, S/PDIF: Sample Clock Input range: 8 2 48 kHz nominal. User variable from 50.8 to 40.4kHz (+1, -3 semitones).
Dimensions (H x W x D): Weight: Shipping Weight: Accessories Included: 1-3/4" x 19" x 6-1/4" 4.5 lbs (2 kg) 7 lbs (3.
4.1 APPENDIX 2: MAINTENANCE/SERVICE INFORMATION 4.1A Cleaning Disconnect the AC cord, then use a damp cloth to clean the AI-1’s metal and plastic surfaces. 4.1B Maintenance Here are some tips for preventive maintenance: • Periodically check the AC cord for signs of fraying or damage. • Unplug the AI-1 when not in use for extended periods of time. 4.1C Servicing DO NOT ATTEMPT REPAIRS YOURSELF. THERE ARE NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE THE AI-1. Refer all servicing to Alesis.
