ALESIS M20 REFERENCE MANUAL 1.06 1-1
CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW, SETUP, AND
BASICS
The Alesis M20 is an 8-track digital tape recorder that records on S-VHS videotape
cassettes. It is compatible with the ADAT format used with several other digital recorders
(Alesis ADAT, ADAT XT, LX20, and XT20; Studer V-Eight; Fostex RD-8 and CX-8; and
Panasonic MDA-1).
1.1 M20 HIGHLIGHTS
• Direct-drive full-servo S-VHS transport, designed for continuous shuttling and heavy-
duty professional use
• Two available bit resolutions: 16-bit standard ADAT Type I, and 20-bit ADAT Type II
• 24-bit A/D and D/A converters
• +4 dBu balanced XLR and ELCO (multipin) connectors
• Selectable 16-bit dithered output for transfer to 16-bit systems
• Jog/shuttle wheel for fast navigation
• Analog Aux track for superb scrub and jog monitoring
• ADAT , SMPTE, video and word clock synchronization capabilities
• Dedicated SMPTE time code track
• Optional EC-1 8 channel AES/EBU digital audio interface
• Two custom vacuum fluorescent displays
• Extensive error reporting capability
• Optional CADI remote control
• Optional RMD remote meter display