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Thread: WANTED: Blackface ADAT cable to ILDA

  1. #1
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    Default WANTED: Blackface ADAT cable to ILDA

    I have just purchased a Blackface ADAT and have modified it. I am in need of the cables from the ADAT to my ILDA projector, if anyone has a set they can sell please get in touch with a cost. THANKS Simon.

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    It's nice to have one of those huge funky plastic connectors, but...

    You can use the quarter inch single ended outputs.

    You're better off putting some electronics in there anyway. You will want to have some gain, especially for the color channels. I made a little multi channel op-amp set for mine.

    You can also play ADAT tapes in the machine and use the LightPipe output into another device that might be able to provide more gain; like the Echo Layla 24/96.

    Matt P. of Raven Electronics used to make a direct LightPipe to ILDA signal converter. I don't know if that's still available or not.

    James.

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    Default Confused Down-Under...

    James thanks for the response. I am really confused now.

    I am no electronics whizz - I used to have an XT ADAT deck when I was in the UK with a straight cable to the projector playing back shows and it was totally fine.

    Now I am confuse as to what exactly I need to just play back shows from ne Blackface ADAT that I have just purchased and adapted as per the instructions from Pangolin.

    I am having difficulty in having the cable made for me that is described in the Pangolin document.

    Therefore I am hoping that someone can help me with one of these cables as described in the Pangolin ADAT Modification manual.

  4. #4
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    The big modular connector in the middle of the back of the ADAT has all of the ins and outs in the form of +4dB balanced signals (pro audio XLR type + and - phase signals relative to ground).

    The quarter inch jacks are -10dB single ended signals (common home stereo line level).

    I'm pretty sure there is someone else here who knows the model number of that big connector. I think you can get the other end of it from DigiKey or something.

    I was just saying that it is pretty easy to get to the quarter inch jacks with readily available stuff.

    Don't you want to be able to tweak the signal strength after the output of the ADAT?

    One more thing worth noting: You can play a laser show tape on an ADAT machine that has had no DC modifications at all to the analog circuitry and the LightPipe (pure digital) information will be just fine. But whatever you use to translate that digital stream into a set of analog signals must be DC coupled.

    The Echo Layla 24/96 does not have the big modular connector at all. It has a nice compromise. It uses stereo quarter inch jacks for the ins and outs, but they are not stereo. They are what Echo calls "balanced impedance". If you have a set of cables wired correctly with ring-tip-sleeve phone plugs, you can get to the pro audio +4dB +/- signals. Or you can just shove an ordinary mono phone plug in there and it will short out one side of the signal with no bad effect on the electronics. You can set the levels of the outputs in the driver (remember this thing is a sound card for a computer). You can play a tape in the ADAT machine and send the signal to the Layla via LightPipe. Then use the Layla driver to control the signal strength going from the Layla to the laser projector. This is assuming that the Layla has had it's output caps shorted.

    James.
    Last edited by James Lehman; 05-27-2008 at 21:36.

  5. #5
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    [QUOTE=James Lehman;50343]The big modular connector in the middle of the back of the ADAT has all of the ins and outs in the form of +4dB balanced signals (pro audio XLR type + and - phase signals relative to ground).


    The elco connector on the back of the adat has the signals at the right level for ilda , when I get back home this weekend I can give the you the elco to ilda conversion schematic.

    Steve Roberts

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    Hello Steve,

    Can you post that schematic here or send me a copy as well?

    Best Regards,

    Mark

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    "signals at the right level for ilda"

    Relative to what?

    The colors are correct at 0 to +5 volts.

    But I would suggest putting a stereo pot attenuator on the X and Y.

    Direct out of my ADAT qaurter inch jacks at -10dB is just right for my scanners. +4dB would blow them away.

    I have to attenate the output of my Layla quite a bit (in software).

    James.

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    [QUOTE=mixedgas;50361]
    Quote Originally Posted by James Lehman View Post
    The big modular connector in the middle of the back of the ADAT has all of the ins and outs in the form of +4dB balanced signals (pro audio XLR type + and - phase signals relative to ground).


    The elco connector on the back of the adat has the signals at the right level for ilda , when I get back home this weekend I can give the you the elco to ilda conversion schematic.

    Steve Roberts
    Hi Steve, Thanks for that. I appreciate your help. This is all getting way to technical for me... I want to understand the whole jargon here but I am not up to this level in electronics, I dabble but am no expert here! Thanks.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Lehman View Post
    ............. You can play a tape in the ADAT machine and send the signal to the Layla via LightPipe. Then use the Layla driver to control the signal strength going from the Layla to the laser projector. This is assuming that the Layla has had it's output caps shorted.

    James.
    I know this is an old post yet I try to add some completion to it, here is the wiring on a layla output:
    Click image for larger version. 

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    details on what this 'mod' is about can be found at http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digit...ml#post2047032
    A quote from mixedgas
    "The elco connector on the back of the adat has the signals at the right level for ilda , when I get back home this weekend I can give the you the elco to ilda conversion schematic."
    @Imagelight or @Steve can either of you post this schematic? thanks!

  10. #10
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    This is what the Layla board looks like inside.

    You can see the bare wires I used to jump the output caps. I only did the first 6.

    I was talking to ImageLight about modifying one he got and his was different.



    James.
    Last edited by james; 01-27-2015 at 08:18.
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