Toslink/Adat question, probably very simple!

[if6was9]

I've got a bank of 8 pre's coming to use with my Fireface 800 and I need to get 2 adat cables to hook it up.

Question is are Toslink and Adat cables the same thing? If I go into a shop and ask for a toslink cable, is it the same thing as the cable I use to hook up my stuff via ADAT. I can't seem to find the answer online as the search terms are too similar and bring up the same things whatever way I word it.

Also, is this the kind of thing I can buy in a generic music shop or hifi/tv shop? It's probably a very noob question but it's just not something I've had to deal with before.

Ordinarily I'd just get this stuff on Thomann but I'm not gonna be doing an order for about another month and want to get using this stuff right away.

 

[006]

Toslink = lightpipe = ADAT = optical. You can get them all over the place.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

TOSLINK and ADAT lightpipe are different formats, but they do use the same kind of optical cable and connectors (JIS F05), so they're often listed with both names. And yup, you'll find them in most stores!

 

[if6was9]

Excellent. Thats exactly what I was looking for. I got that they were different formats but couldn't figure out from reading if they used the same cable or not. Awesome, I'll try pick up a pair tomorrow if I get the chance

 

[tempe]

I wish people would just stick to calling them either Optical or Toslink cables. Its only annoying as ADAT stands for Alesis Digital Audio Tape (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADAT) which isn't really what the format is.

I just hate going into a music store to purchase one, and asking for an Optical cable and then having the whole "don't you mean toslink / adat / lightpipe" conversation.

 

[AudioGeekZine]

These cables are wicked and cheap
http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10229&cs_id=1022904