Behringer ADA8000 ADAT chip issues?

 
I had recommended one of these a few months ago and yesterday I got a call about a job where I might want one.
 
I quickly found out that there is a overlap period happening where the ADA8000 is being phased out and replaced with the ADA8200, but there is a problem. The supplier that makes the chips that talk to the ADAT started sending over chips that don't work with MOTU... or at least that's what Uli himself has explained on many websites.
 
Apparently the last few runs of ADA8000s are effected and the first run of the ADA8200 were shelved because they are trying to solve it before putting it o the market.
 
I'm seeing some people say it's only on some MOTU PCI based gear.
 
I'd like to add 8 inputs to my firewire based Traveler for this particular job.
 
Has anyone been working with the Behringer ADA8000 and MOTU?
 
 
Thanks.
 
best regards,
mike

Thanks for your insights.
 
I don't have an answer for you. I found copies of an open letter that Uli Behringer addressed to the public at large stating that their chip supplier wasn't forth coming with a solution and that they are in the process of fabricating their own controller chip. Some folks describe a situation where there are piles of sub assemblies waiting for this particular chip.
 
If you read carefully you can see that the problem was discovered with a late run of the ADA8000's and while the problem was acknowledged it hasn't been fixed yet. Presumably a recently built ADA8000 includes the chip that has issues with some gear.
 
The problem has been described as "sync" issues. 
 
I need something for a specific job and there would be no chance for a retake... so I need a solid solution.
 
I have heard people say that the issue happens with the MOTU 2408MkIII and with MOTU firewire gear.
 
I have 3 MOTUs and 2 of them are semi permanently installed so I'd like to find something to use with the 3rd one.
 
I may give up and just yank my MOTU stuff from the rack as the next price points (Focusrite OctoPre or Mackie 800R) make it too a price range where I'd rather just skip it and save that sort of budget for something I'm likely to like a week after the gig.
 
The ADA8000 pricing almost seems like an expendable so it was ideal for this particular job.
 
Thanks.
 
best regards,
mike
 

Agreed, old ADA-8000 worked fine with MOTU 2408 here for years.
 
If you must use ADA-8000 then try to source older used ones. Although they had a crappy power supply and were prone to overheating and failing in a rack (ADA-8200 supposedly fixes that "issue" among others).
 
FWIW, last I saw Behringer hadn't actually developed their own ADAT chips yet but were shipping the ADA-8200 with a warning.