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Hey everyone, I've got a question about ADAT recorders (if anyone around here uses hardware or knows what that is). It's an older digital multi-track recording system. I'm looking to buy one for a dub project of mine, but I am unsure of whether or not the playback head can be engaged while it is rewinding. I'm going for that old school dub rewind sound, where you let the track play for 15 sec then pull it back with the tape delay still in effect so you can hear that aweome SCREEECH FLIPPITY FLIPPITY FLI FLIF LIIIIIIizzzz sound! I hope someone knows something about this, for I have little experience with ADAT and am not able to get my hands on one to test this inquiry out. Thanks in advance!

Used to own, and ostensibly still do though it's not in my possession, a second generation adat. The 20 bit version. To the best of my knowledge you cannot do this. I mean, I know you can't do it straight up. As to whether you can get in there and do some mods... I don't know. But with digital... I don't think it's gonna work.

If you want dub, go analog. Just get an old reel to reel. They're really not that expensive at all.

After two failed vcr experiments, I think I'm going to go that way.

my first recording device (for bands) was an ancient 4-track reel to reel. replaced it a couple of years later with a dat, but never tried to do what op requested - wouldn't have wanted to ruin the painstaking hours of recording. but we used to "scratch" with the reel to reel.

if memory serves me right, ADATS (epecially the blackface ones) weren't good at anything involving music, especially the recording thereof.

yeah you definately want 1/4" tape and a reel to reel

Thanks so much for your replies. I would like to go with the reel-to-reel, but they seem to be quite expensive, especially with quality, thick tape that holds 8 tracks. Also I was looking into either a Yamaha MT8x or a Tascam 238, which use regular cassette tapes, split into 8 tracks. I'm not going for the highest quality of sound, since the old dub doesn't really use that particularly. But I have heard all of these models, and the frequency response and noise levels are pretty damn good. As for ADAT, I know Mad Professor uses 2 of them, and he's one of the dub kings. Plus, ADATs are pretty worthless and cheap these days and are all over eBay/craigslist. But I really really want that rewind sound, which I know reel-to-reels do perfectly. Thanks for all the responses about the question... now I know not to get the ADAT. Peace!

If you are just after this effect why not do it on the computer?

saladbar wrote:As for ADAT, I know Mad Professor uses 2 of them, and he's one of the dub kings.

He also uses 2" tape and i think he has 1/4" multitrack as well