After designing what is certainly one of the world's finest stand-alone multitrack recorders, the 20-bit Alesis M20, the company had to address the way such a great recorder would be integrated into a modern studio. Obviously, engineers need instant access to their controls in one place, but sometimes that place might be hundreds of feet - or yards - away from the recorder they're using. Top studios with big name clients can hardly say, "Hang on a minute, I'll just walk down the hall and arm those two tracks for you. Be back in a jiffy." Well, they could say that, but they wouldn't end up keeping many clients. Enter the Alesis CADI ($1499 list), a new remote control (and we do mean remote) and autolocator specifically designed for the M20.

Connecting to the M20 via an Ethernet-style RJ-45 connector, the CADI can be operated at huge distances from the recorder and still offer flawless control of the unit's transport and track arming functions. Even the M20's jog/shuttle wheel can be operated from a remote location using the CADI. A bright, clear vacuum fluorescent display shows machine status and alphanumeric information such as names of location points. What's more, the CADI can directly control up to eight M20s right from the front panel, for a total of 64 tracks (plus time code and eight Aux tracks). Individual M20s may be taken offline from the remote, and individual indicators show when all machines in a system are in sample-accurate sync. For commercial studios that keep recorders in a separate area from the control room (and that's the logical way to set up a major studio, right?), the CADI is the solution for integrating M20s into any professional environment.

Specs and features? Plenty: The CADI sports full front panel controls and indicators, a numeric keypad, illuminated record enable buttons and indicators (64 of them), Aux/TC track enable (8), track status, machine status, editing buttons, a gorgeous vacuum fluorescent display, a jog/shuttle wheel and a bunch of other stuff we don't have room to tell you about. It weighs in at just 10.6 pounds and is remarkably compact.

Top studios are already ordering M20s in record numbers. After all, this is a machine that was specifically created for heavy duty use in commercial audio recording facilities. Its sophisticated full servo direct-drive transport and flawless 20-bit audio capability guarantees sound that unquestionably surpasses even the biggest, baddest, most expensive analog mastering recorders. It was engineered for demanding, around-the-clock use and low maintenance. It has quick response and built in SMPTE/EBY time code synchronization, as well as sample-acurate multiunit sync. Yet it still uses the same inexpensive, readily available S-VHS tape stock as the original ADAT recorders (well, there are just some things you can't improve on).

Yes, we could go on and on about the built-in, high resolution oversampling A/D and D/A converters, the ADAT optical ports and sync jacks and the stunning audio quality of the 20-bit format (which can record an astounding 16 times more audio data than a 16-bit machine), but we'll leave that to your friendly, extremely knowledgeable Sweetwater Sales Engineer. Oh, and he or she will also be glad to give you a special Sweetwater price on an M20 and CADI system that's exactly right for your high end studio. So pick up the phone and make the call right now!