ADAT

An acronym for Alesis Digital Audio Tape. Taken from the acronym DAT (see also R-DAT), ADAT is the name Alesis chose in the early 1990s for their groundbreaking product, which records eight tracks digitally on a standard 1/2″ SVHS video cassette. The ADAT has been arguably the most significant technology/price breakthrough for recording studios in the last 20 years and has undoubtedly changed the face of modern recording forever. The ADAT has gone through several generations and is currently a 20-bit digital format. The ADAT optical connections for transferring digital data 8-tracks at a time have become a standard of the industry and are used in a wide range of products from many manufacturers.