A16Ultra - can it be used to convert Z-Link <-> ADAT?

[hesnotthemessiah]

Ali Fawaz. Creamware Audio USA & Canada:-


"in the A16 Ultra you either use the ADAT or the Zlink

you can't come in digital ADAT and leave digital Zlink

this converter is an AD/DA not DD converter box

so he can't come in ADAT and take Zlink out."



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Page 81 Scope Platform Creamware Installation Guide. Section titled "A16 Ultra as Z-Link Slave". This section then goes onto explain the two settings available when in Z-Link mode, ANLG and ADAT:-



"ADAT:- indicates that the A16Ultra is configured as a Z-Link<-> ADAT interface."



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So I am confused. Mr Fawaz says you can't use the A16Ultra to convert Z-Link <-> ADAT but the Scope Platform Creamware Installation Guide seems to suggest you can.

[Ralf]

i don't know exactely, but i think you can go in with adat and go out with Z-link.
Do you have an A16 available ?

Ali Fawaz. Creamware Audio USA & Canada:-


"in the A16 Ultra you either use the ADAT or the Zlink

you can't come in digital ADAT and leave digital Zlink

this converter is an AD/DA not DD converter box

so he can't come in ADAT and take Zlink out."



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Page 81 Scope Platform Creamware Installation Guide. Section titled "A16 Ultra as Z-Link Slave". This section then goes onto explain the two settings available when in Z-Link mode, ANLG and ADAT:-



"ADAT:- indicates that the A16Ultra is configured as a Z-Link<-> ADAT interface."



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So I am confused. Mr Fawaz says you can't use the A16Ultra to convert Z-Link <-> ADAT but the Scope Platform Creamware Installation Guide seems to suggest you can.

[Shayne White]

And *I'm* wondering whether the analog inputs can be sent to ADAT and Z-link at the same time, not just one or the other. Doesn't anyone know around here?

Shayne

[hesnotthemessiah]

i don't know exactely, but i think you can go in with adat and go out with Z-link.
Do you have an A16 available ?

Hi there Sir Ralf No I don't have an A16 or A16U? The A16 and A16U are different models aren't they - the A16 is the original model but the A16U has extra teatures?

[Ralf]

i thought, we are talking about A16 Ultra, because only this model has Z-Link.
Yes, i have an A16 available, but that'snot relevant ( the old model doesn't contain Z-Link ).

i don't know exactely, but i think you can go in with adat and go out with Z-link.
Do you have an A16 available ?

Hi there Sir Ralf No I don't have an A16 or A16U? The A16 and A16U are different models aren't they - the A16 is the original model but the A16U has extra teatures?

[hesnotthemessiah]

i thought, we are talking about A16 Ultra, because only this model has Z-Link.
Yes, i have an A16 available, but that'snot relevant ( the old model doesn't contain Z-Link ).

Yes, I was originally refering to the A16Ultra in my question. The A16 was mentioned in your reply and I couldn't remember what the differences were!

[ScofieldKid]

[ urp more info below]

[ScofieldKid]

Urp.

[hesnotthemessiah]

Hi there ScofieldlKid. My original aim was to purchase an A16Ultra so that I could connect the ADAT outs on one PC (using a Frontier Design Dakota card) to the Z-Link connectors on my other PC (using 2 Scope Professional Z-Links). But I seem to have conflicting information from the Creamware Scope Installation manual and from Ali Fawaz (at Creamware USA & Canada) as to whether this is possible. I must admit, I have found a way around this problem as I no longer need an A16Ultra to connect the PCs - I just bought a Pulsar2 to cascade with the Professional Z-Links, so I now have extra ADAT in/outs to use. But it would be useful to know, for future reference, if I could use the Z-Link connectors to connect to ADAT via an A16Ultra.

[ScofieldKid]

Cool. I'm glad you got it worked out.

[Shayne White]

I may be able to get an A16 Ultra soon, so I'll let you all know what's possible! (And my own question was answered by the manual.)

Shayne

[kylie]

and I actually found my A16U in one of the boxes, so chances are good that I could try teh setup myself soon... (as soon as I found the adat interface, too )

-greetings, markus-

[hesnotthemessiah]

I may be able to get an A16 Ultra soon, so I'll let you all know what's possible! (And my own question was answered by the manual.)

and I actually found my A16U in one of the boxes, so chances are good that I could try teh setup myself soon... (as soon as I found the adat interface, too )

Just installed a Pulsar2 (purchased from a friendly fellow Zarian - music251 ). Installation of the driver was just a simple case of pointing WindowsXP to the Win2K file located in the Driver folder of my Scope folder. Now I have an extra 6 DSPs, more ins and outs and some new additional plugins to play with. No need for an A16Ultra at the moment, as I will use the Pulsar2 ADAT connections rather than the Scope Professionals' Z-Links. So I saved money aswell

Would still be interested to find out if the A16Ultra does convert it's ADAT inputs to it's Z-Link outputs though as this may come in handy in the future. I am suprised this topic has not appeared before (as far as I am aware) on Planet Z.

Thanks for your help.

[Immanuel]

I am suprised this topic has not appeared before (as far as I am aware) on Planet Z.

I am not
An A16U is a pretty expensive interface converting ADAT to Z-Link, when instead you could buy an extra card with the ADAT connections and extra DSPs to boot. Or you could buy another I/O plate and swap it for the Z-Link plate and save plenty of money at the same time.

[endre70]

Ok...let me get this right... Can you use both zlink and adat at once from the scope cards ?

I got 2 x A16U connected via z link to Pulsar II and Luna w/extention board giving me 32 inns and outs (and using up all the z link. connections)

This leaves me with free adat connections which I want to use in connection with send/return effects etc. in Pulsar (which already got the z links connected)....So i want to buy a cheep adat interface and use the adat connections as well.

Can this be done?

Endre70

[garyb]

sure, why not?

[kylie]

I am suprised this topic has not appeared before (as far as I am aware) on Planet Z.

I am not
An A16U is a pretty expensive interface converting ADAT to Z-Link, when instead you could buy an extra card with the ADAT connections and extra DSPs to boot. Or you could buy another I/O plate and swap it for the Z-Link plate and save plenty of money at the same time.

I don't think his main focus was the use of the A16U as an adat to z-link converter. he (and me, too ) is more interested in the possibility of multi-purpose use of the unit as a analog to z-link converter while being able to get adat into the computer via the unit as well.

since the A16U does s/mux, one could even overcome the limit of a luna card whose adat ports (if equipped with the extension) are not s/mux-capable and thus feed a 96kHz signal from an adat converter unit through the A16U into the luna. well, this might make sense only if it is a micpre with just adat outs (and there are some), since analog signals could be fed to the A16U itself

just using it for adat to z-link conversion is simply overkill, that's also my opinion

-greetings, markus-

[hesnotthemessiah]

An A16U is a pretty expensive interface converting ADAT to Z-Link, when instead you could buy an extra card with the ADAT connections and extra DSPs to boot. Or you could buy another I/O plate and swap it for the Z-Link plate and save plenty of money at the same time.

just using it for adat to z-link conversion is simply overkill, that's also my opinion

If I am using all my PCI slots and don't want to remove any of the PCI cards to add an extra one with ADAT connections then the A16Ultra would seem to be the route to go. My original intention, when purchasing my 2 Z-Link cards, was to have the maximum amount of ADAT inputs over 2 cards.

As it happens, I have now gone the route as descibed by Immanuel and got myself a Pulsar2 with some nice additional plugins at a good price here at PlanetZ. This does mean I have had to remove a PCI card but it will still be put to good use in another PC. But it would be nice to hear from any users if you can or cannot use the A16Ultra to convert ADAT to Z-Link. If you can't, then I would have thought this would seriously reduce the Z-Links usefulness and I would have purchased the Classic or Plus plate rather than Z-Link.

This has got me thinking now, maybe I should think about buying a couple of Classic/Plus plates. I wonder if anyone wants to swap their plates for a Z-Link? From what I have read, this seems easy to do. Or maybe I should stop farting about upgrading and actually do some music

[endre70]

sure, why not?

ahhhh....an answer to my liking.

Got a Nuendo audiolink hooked up at the moment - but the led "host error" is on and somethings wrong.. Ideas?

(maybe I should make my own topic and not hijack this...negativ feedback makes me move - positive or none at all and I'll stay put)

Endre70

[kylie]

My original intention, when purchasing my 2 Z-Link cards, was to have the maximum amount of ADAT inputs over 2 cards.

obviously I was wrong with my guess.

well, you should have better purchased cards with the adat I/O plate, then. I know you can get them only used these days, but you might be able to get spare I/O plates at crea^W soniccore. you might want to trying to get some, and then sell your z-link plates (as there are still some pulsar xtc around, I think )

the return of the adat plate at the SC site might also suggest they returned to be on the official product list again

-greetings, markus-