How to sync three adat tapes (24 tracks) into one audition multitrack?

[hdp_rene]

An audio friend of mine re-found svhs adat tapes with original recordings of his own shows in the nineties. They synchronized three adats machines to make a 24 track recording possible. I only have one adat machine and an eight-channel analog/digital (adat/spdif) interface and which brings these eight tracks separated in real-time to audition perfectly. So I could do this copy action in three parts in a row to get the 24 tracks into one multitrack session. My question is how do I get these three tapes 100% synchronized into one Adobe Audition Multitrack session? How is the copying/synchronizing of the timecode or any other sync code done? Where/how can I read (about) this?. Does anyone has some experience with this? Thanks for reading and answering. Regards, René

[SteveG_AudioMasters_ · Accepted solution]

I'm presuming that this was originally done with three machines and a BRC to lock them and provide sync points. Now personally, if I had to do this, I'd get hold of an old BRC, because you can feed sync into that, and assuming that your sound device has a word clock output, everything should stay in sync if you do it this way - meaning that all you'd have to do is line up the three groups. There have been all sorts of conversations about this on the web, but nobody seems to have come up with anything other than a sort-of 'suck it and see' methodology for when you can't get three machines and a BRC together.

Other things to note; Audition doesn't handle time-code, so you are absolutely relying on clock sources being locked, however you do this. But time-code locking was always a bit of a hit and miss affair at the best of times, and you'll probably get just as good a sync outcome just by eyeballing the tracks, quite frankly - which is what a lot of people seem to have done. But finding a way to lock the ADAT clock to your sound device is the key to this.

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

I did a quick Ebay check - you can pick up working BRCs for silly money!

[hdp_rene]

Wow, quick answer Steve thank you! Yes I saw them too today, due to an answer about this on ADAT tape transfer question - Avid Pro Audio Community about the same problem. Transport costs to Europe are much more expensive than the brc itself. Will check your world clock question and if it does, I need to buy one. 😉  Thanks again René

[ryclark]

What is the 8 channel audio interface that you are using? We may be able to supply a few more helpful pointers if we know which one it is.

[hdp_rene]

Hi Ry Thank you for your reaction. I hope you have some experiences with this. I own this very simple behringer umc 1820. However it has no word clock. But a cheep extention, the behringer ada8200 does have it. Together with the alesis brc would the synchronizing work you think? Thanks for answering René

UMC1820 | Interfaces | Computer Audio | Behringer | Categories | MUSIC Tribe
ADA8200 | Interfaces | Computer Audio | Behringer | Categories | MUSIC Tribe

[ryclark]

I don't necessarily believe that a BRC would be much help in this instance without actually having three ADAT machines. However if you connect the ADAT optical out into the UMC ADAT input then I would think that you would have a pretty good chance of getting reasonable sync between the three tapes' audio after transfer into Audition since the ADAT machine is providing the wordclock to the system on all three passes of playback. The UMC, and therefore Audition, should be using that clock for sync at all times I suspect. Anyway it's worth trying and see how close the sync is. It may very well work out OK IMHO. it would have been different if you had to come out of the ADAT as analogue and then into Audition via A/D converters in an unsynced audio interface. But as you are always in the digital domain I think that it will work.

[hdp_rene]

Hi Ry! Thanks again! OK This makes me happy and eager at last to give it try. I will ask my friend to send his tapes. I understand your thoughts on this wordclock thing. Will study on that subject today. I used to use these Creamware cards (tripledat ect.) they have wordclock also but I never used it (I think 😉 ) I will keep you posted on this, since your answer and my action might help others too!  Thanks for answering!  Regards, René

[hdp_rene]

Hi Ry,

To make a long story short; I got it synced and working. Had to do it manually but the best trick to do this is look and listen for a specific short sound/ beat/click on the recordings. Group the eight tracks per tape first so that they move altogether the same. Put one source (solo) on the left channel and the other (solo) on the right and listen/judge with your headphones. It's not easy to do since you have to zoom in as close as possible to make the sync steps. and you can't how many time frames you move the other eight clips. But I managed to do it. 🙂

Question: Where to read or look for the best lessons for using mixing with the mixing faders module? Thanks again for reading and answering. Regards, René

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

You can get hold of the basic idea involved here: Audition CC tutorial: Using the mixer for track-level automation | lynda.com - YouTube

As far as learning to mix is concerned, there are any number of tutorial videos on YouTube, and some of them might even give you a few ideas! It's too broad a question for the forum, though.

[Richard M Knight]

hdp_rene  wrote

Put one source (solo) on the left channel and the other (solo) on the right and listen/judge with your headphones.

The years I spent listening with split cans when syncing analogue tape machines.........

[hdp_rene]

Hi Richard,

Any tips, do or don'ts from your experience with these svhs tapes to 24 tracks?

Regards,
René

[Richard M Knight]

One of the greatest advantages of modern NLEs is the ability to see the waveform down to sample level, as you have found it makes syncing files much easier. Unless you have a stereo source split across two different tapes absolute sync might not be required.