Topic: quick microtrack help

[jkeats]

Hello,

So after buying a microtrack about 8 or 9 months ago and leaving it unopened in a drawer until now, I will finally be taking the wrapping off and using it tonight.  Since I haven't had a chance to play/experiment with it, and will be getting home from a business trip about an hour before I need to leave for the venue, I apologize for asking a question that has probably been answered a million times.  I am typing this post on my blackberry from the road, which is pretty cool, but searching the archives for an answer wouldn't work on this thing.

Anyway, what is the best way to run the microtrack with a pair of AT853s?  I have a little SP preamp, but have also not played with that yet, so probably will not use it.  My main questions are what settings assuming I use the 1/4 " TSR inputs?

L/M/H?
Db boost?
Okay to run mics directly in, or should I consider using that pre even though I haven't screwed around with it yet?

I will update the firmware when I get home.

I know I should have found time to experiment with it before now, but life has been hectic.

Thanks for any help advice.  About to get on a plane and will check back in later on.  Assuming all goes well, I'll torrent tonight's recording this weekend.

[neutrino]

Honestly - I'd would highly suggest leaving the MicroTrack sealed and sell it off on ebay...

Pick up a Edirol R-09 or R1 and you will be much happier in the long run. IMHO, the R-09/R1 has a better sounding mic pre, better A/D conversion, runs on just two AA batteries for four+ hours and can handle recording from a line-level source, unlike the Microtrack.
dB-

[sleepypedro]

Honestly - I'd would highly suggest leaving the MicroTrack sealed and sell it off on ebay...

motion seconded.

[jeromejello]

would you even have time to charge it up before you need to go to the show?

if not, i would leave it sealed and sell it.

[anhisr]

no he wouldn't. 

[dallman]

Assuming you do have time to charge it, which will take more than an hour, I would use the pre into the 1/4trs jacks L/M/H on L no boost. The MT loves the 853's and with the newest firmware it runs just fine. If the battery is dead though, it may need to be plugged in for 1/2 hour before you see any signs of life.

I use the MT all the time, and I know a few others that do too. None of us have had any problems other than getting used to the deck. I find it pretty easy to use and the recordings have been great.

[jkeats]

Well - hadn't checked back here and called my wife and had her open it and charge it this morning, so that isn't an issue.  Too bad I guess.  So no that I am at least keeping it to tape tonight, anyone have any advice on the settings?

[dallman]

Assuming you do have time to charge it, which will take more than an hour, I would use the pre into the 1/4trs jacks L/M/H on L no boost. The MT loves the 853's and with the newest firmware it runs just fine. If the battery is dead though, it may need to be plugged in for 1/2 hour before you see any signs of life.

I use the MT all the time, and I know a few others that do too. None of us have had any problems other than getting used to the deck. I find it pretty easy to use and the recordings have been great.

Follow the above you will be fine. Set the input for TRS, and you will find all the menus very easy for other settings. Make sure to update to the newest firmware. There are plenty of happy MT users, but there is no need to post when everything is working fine. You may want to put the hold button on when recording. It is easy to grab the unit and hit a button by mistake. Also if you don't keep the backlight on all the time (which I usually do), it is a good way to light it without changing anything. If I record and do not have the hold button on, and want to light up the backlight, (again if not set to be on always) another way is to press the output level button.

[jkeats]

hey thanks guys.  i screwed it up last night having not played around with the microtrack, but it was my fault.  left the +27 dB boost on accidentally and it totally distorted.  rookie mistake for sure.  the only thing that annoyed me is that the monitor showed the levels as fine while recording, then played back and they were totally jacked (presumably from the 27 dB boost).  So, am I correct in assuming the levels shown while recording are what is coming in, and the 27 dBs are boosted "on top of" the levels shown?  too bad too, because it sounds like it would have been a great pull otherwise.  the band was wolfmother, by the way.

just reading through the manual - i think i was wrong in my interpretation of the db boost.  so anyone who has used this thing...why would my levels appear fine when recording, but in actuality be totally overloading?  Pretty strange...thought I was pulling a great tape only to get home and have it totally distorted.  user error or mictrotrack bug?

[dallman]

hey thanks guys.  i screwed it up last night having not played around with the microtrack, but it was my fault.  left the +27 dB boost on accidentally and it totally distorted.  rookie mistake for sure.  the only thing that annoyed me is that the monitor showed the levels as fine while recording, then played back and they were totally jacked (presumably from the 27 dB boost).  So, am I correct in assuming the levels shown while recording are what is coming in, and the 27 dBs are boosted "on top of" the levels shown?  too bad too, because it sounds like it would have been a great pull otherwise.  the band was wolfmother, by the way.

just reading through the manual - i think i was wrong in my interpretation of the db boost.  so anyone who has used this thing...why would my levels appear fine when recording, but in actuality be totally overloading?  Pretty strange...thought I was pulling a great tape only to get home and have it totally distorted.  user error or mictrotrack bug?

Sorry that you did not succeed. The MT will show the actual recording levels. Is it possible you were reading them wrong? When the MT clips, you will see red LEDs light up around the recording controls. Did you experience that at all? It should have been happening. The meters show a bunch of different things at the same time. There was a link that showed the meters broken down in depth, but I have forgotten it.

[jkeats]

i don't know...i'm confused now...but yeah, the red lights were going on and off.  was clearly because the dB boost was on, but can't figure out why the meters looked fine (never went higher than about 3/4 of the way to the right).  i'll have to try to find that page you mentioned.  i'll play with it again tomorrow and see what happens.  seing a friend's band and taping with my open rig so the ATs and MT will just be secondary to test.  just pissed because i haven't seen many wolfmother tapes out there and the show was really good.  in fairness, i probably just should have used the D8 until I had time to play around with the MT.  That said, once I figure it out...I'm definitely not with the naysayers...seems like it will work quite well and it is very nicely stealthable.  hell security more or less grabbed it on the entry patdown and didn't say shit (was tucked into the small of my back).

[rodeen]

i don't know...i'm confused now...but yeah, the red lights were going on and off.  was clearly because the dB boost was on, but can't figure out why the meters looked fine (never went higher than about 3/4 of the way to the right).

Thre are a couple of things going on with the meters.  The solid line is the average (RMS?) levels.  The floating peak indicator is the fast response peak indicator.  I've been able to maintain extrordinarily good levels by only watching the fast update peak indicator and getting that to stay as close to the top as possible without going over.  The post Cliff is referring to is a review at Sonic Studios that explains the metering as well as any I've seen.  At least it helped me make sense of them. 

Good luck with your MT.  Despite all its perceived and real warts it is still an amazing value for what it does.

http://www.sonicstudios.com/mt2496rv.htm

[dallman]

Thre are a couple of things going on with the meters.  The solid line is the average (RMS?) levels.  The floating peak indicator is the fast response peak indicator.  I've been able to maintain extrordinarily good levels by only watching the fast update peak indicator and getting that to stay as close to the top as possible without going over.  The post Cliff is referring to is a review at Sonic Studios that explains the metering as well as any I've seen.  At least it helped me make sense of them. 

Good luck with your MT.  Despite all its perceived and real warts it is still an amazing value for what it does.

http://www.sonicstudios.com/mt2496rv.htm

I am grateful that one of us has some memory left.

[china_rider]

Although I never really had any problem with my MT that was not user induced I ended up leaving Team MicroTrack to help fund an R-4 since I don't stealth much anymore.  I may come back some day but am slumming it with a iRiver for stealth for the time being.  Don't be daunted by all the posts to sell yours.  Mine proved very stable and I got some great recordings with it.  I'd still have it if mmMatt did not have such a good deal on his r-4 and I did not want to play with 4chan recording.

Anyway... Yep... the sonic studios review is good.   When I had my MT I hardly used the LCD levels and relied on the the red LED which seemed very accurate.  If you want to add some DB levels here is a link from the sonic studios review.  It's actually the middle of the previous link but things can sometimes be hard to find on the site.  You can print out your own label or they will send you one for free.  Give Guy Sonic a T+ if you see him.

http://www.sonicstudios.com/mt2496rv.htm#tip2

[jkeats]

thanks guys.  very helpful stuff.  i'm going to play around with it tonight while seeing a friend's band.  i'm definitely keeping the thing.  i don't tape enough anymore to justify selling it, finding something else to buy that will be more expensive, etc.  It's been over three years since I taped a show and I have maybe three things to tape the rest of this year.  Honestly, the small and light nature of the MT kind of has me back into it.  I still wish I didn't screw up the Wolfmother pull the other night though!!