Author Topic: Microtrack II -- can you use it as an all-in-one device at a live concert? (Read 13805 times)

antsyashley · « **on:** January 12, 2009, 12:03:16 PM »

Hey y'all. I posted this in another thread, but thought I might get more replies here.

This is my first post. I am BRAND new to taping. In fact, I am not even a taper yet. I am learning and doing research quickly so I can get some equipment before a show at the end of January. I need some stealth gear and I'm very interested in the Microtrack II. As a beginner, I don't want to buy much just to get started. I was wondering if I can do it all with just this one device? How good will a concert sound if I record it using only the MT2 and its mic that comes with it? No extra mics, no extra power, just the MT2. Does anyone have a sample recording of the PURE MT2 live concert experience? Or any input?

I've found it new on ebay for about $230. Does anyone know a better price? Or perhaps I should check for a used one at the yard sale.

I know this is probably a simple and basic question, but I appreciate any thoughts! Thanks!!

J.Maye · « **Reply #1 on:** January 12, 2009, 12:56:34 PM »

I dont know anyone who uses it as an all in one. Im guessing the provided mics wont be able to handle the high SPL of most live rock concerts, but it might be ok for something quiter.

There have been some people satisfied with their zoom H4 pulls. About the same price point. If I was looking for a budget all-in-1, I would look at the zoom. There are probably some recordings on archive.org, you can decide if the quality is what you are looking for or not.

Welcome, and good luck.

taperwheeler · « **Reply #2 on:** January 12, 2009, 01:01:55 PM »

Welcome to taping! I can offer a lil' insight into the MT2 as I've been running mine for just over a year. A lot of people knock it because: A. internal battery B. Noisy preamp

For me, I've learned to use it and am happy with it. I bought it primarily to use with my main rig to capture digital spdif output from my v3. With that as a 'bit bucket' it works flawlessly. I've recently been working out the kinks of also using it to capture analog.

For starters, I don't think that you'll want to use the included t-mic. If you're recording loud shows, the mic will overload and result in a distorted recording. Check out church audio and sound professionals for some good mini mic solutions that are inexpensive and well worth the additional cost. For any of the handhelds I would suggest using some type of external mic upgrade.

An issue with any mic will be whether-or-not they get sufficient power to make a quality recording. 9V of power is typical for the mini mics, church's may require less. The mt2 like most handhelds offers 5v plug-in power. A 9v battery box will remedy this.

My suggestion to you...pick up some church audio cards and a battery box to go along with the mt2.

Let me know if I can help you further.

taperwheeler · « **Reply #3 on:** January 12, 2009, 01:31:18 PM »

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,110558.0.html

This is a steal...good 16 bit intro recorder. Spend the same you would buying this plus decent mics...think you'd be much happier.

jeromejello · « **Reply #4 on:** January 12, 2009, 02:10:48 PM »

i wouldnt suggest the mt2 for an "all in one"... bit bucket, maybe.

get an r-09 (around $250 used) and then drop about the same on some mics [at853/933/church audio/ or borrow john dude's] and a battery box (or better yet, a pre amp) and you should be happy with your results...

you will be able to enjoy the r-09 well after the intro stage, and if you get a fairly decent set of mics, you should be good for a while.

i would venture >$500

edit to add:
here is a set of at 853s, shortened to stealth lenght, the card caps, and a sp pre (not the best, but should do nicely)... for $230. not affiliated with the seller.

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,112794.0.html

antsyashley · « **Reply #5 on:** January 12, 2009, 05:30:04 PM »

Thanks for all the replies! So, if there is a choice between recording with one device and not recording at all, will the MT2 suffice? Or is it completely not worth it?

rhinowing · « **Reply #6 on:** January 12, 2009, 06:39:03 PM »

if you're going to all-in-one route, go for an r-09.

sunjan · « **Reply #7 on:** January 12, 2009, 07:05:02 PM »

Quote from: antsyashley on January 12, 2009, 05:30:04 PM

Thanks for all the replies! So, if there is a choice between recording with one device and not recording at all, will the MT2 suffice? Or is it completely not worth it?

Being your first show, I agree that setting up mics and cabling/powering/external boxes could be too stressful.
So if you're dead set against external mics, I agree that R-09 is the best bet for your money ($295 new):
http://www.ccisolutions.com/StoreFront/EDR-R-09.prod?origin=GoogleBase

Or if you want to keep it on an even tighter budget ($130), H2 does give decent results with the internal mics:
http://www.audiolines.com/product.php?productid=18906

Unless you have any specific reason for it, drop the idea of getting an MTII for your first pull. It's a great bit bucket, but to benefit from it you should use external mics and AD. IMHO, the JB3 suggested above is out for the same reason.

After wetting your feet, you can build on your R-09 rig with externals and spend more money. But you have a greater chance of succeeding with the first show if you keep it simple.

antsyashley · « **Reply #8 on:** January 13, 2009, 12:49:20 AM »

It seems folks on the archive who have recorded with the very inexpensive Zoom H2 are getting pretty decent recordings all by itself. At a price of $160 new, it might be the best way to get my feet wet. I'm a student! No income here! Tight-a$$ budget! For a little while longer. I love the idea of mics and pre-amps and all that good stuff; I just think it will have to wait a while. Perhaps the Zoom H2 is the way to go?!

Gr8ful98 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 13, 2009, 07:56:26 AM »

Ash,
Go for the R-09(check the yard sale)...I've seen many folks use it as an "all in one"(but I haven't heard a recording)...hit me up, I've got some external mics/battery box you can borrow so you can learn about how it all works.

fmaderjr · « **Reply #10 on:** January 13, 2009, 09:20:06 AM »

R-09 with its built in mics would make a horrible all in one. I tried the built ins once to record a friend's cover band and the sound was immediately noticeable as way way worse than using an inexpensive mic such as CA-11s. Not even enjoyable to listen to.

If you let Chris Church turn it into a Micsketeer by installing CA-11 card or omni caps, it's a whole different story. Sounds every bit as good for recording loud stuff as using a battery box and external CA-11's and will not distort at ear crushingly loud volumes. For very quiet stuff, you still need externals & a preamp or it will be noisy due to the R-09's preamp.

I gather that the H2 would be a far better choice than the R-09 if you are recording stuff that is not too loud. However for loud stuff, as is well documented here, you will probably have problems with clipping.

Way better than the H2, now for $280 shipped on E-Bay, would be the Olympus LS-10. Several respected taperssection members have recommended it for point & shoot stuff when you only want to carry a small all in one. Others have recommended the Tascam DR-1 which is considerably cheaper ($200 on E-Bay) and also, I think, a lot better than the H2 for recording live concerts.

sunjan · « **Reply #11 on:** January 13, 2009, 01:39:50 PM »

Quote from: fmaderjr on January 13, 2009, 09:20:06 AM

If you let Chris Church turn it into a Micsketeer by installing CA-11 card or omni caps, it's a whole different story.

Quote from: antsyashley on January 12, 2009, 12:03:16 PM

...doing research quickly so I can get some equipment before a show at the end of January.

Given the timeframe, ordering a Church-mod R-09 is most likely out of the question, unless you find it used on the YS or gear loaner program.

If you know for sure that the upcoming venue/gig is loud, go with fmaderjr's suggestions!
The R-09 would provide a convenient upgrade path for future gigs. But if the first gig is important for you, it's true that DR-1 has better stock internal mics.

dorrcoq · « **Reply #12 on:** January 13, 2009, 08:07:44 PM »

Quote from: antsyashley on January 13, 2009, 12:49:20 AM

I'm a student! Tight-a$$.

Helloooooooo, Ashley!

Lil Kim Jong-Il · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:39:17 AM »

I'm going to go a different way with this.

You might want to hit the southern thread in the teams forum and find out where some of those guys will be taping, then go check out their rigs and have them show you gear and how to set up. If the show you want to record is important to you, you can probably find someone who already has gear and will come to a show just to record. The dirty south guys get out to a lot of shows and might already be going.

If you just have to buy a recorder, I have an MT2 and it's OK. The internal battery won't make it through any show I record. External power isn't expensive but it's one more thing to manage at the show. If you really want a MT2, get a used one from someone here. If you are thinking long term, R09-HR.

Also check the gear loaner thread. You can probably find some mics there and that would let you focus on buying a recorder now and trying some different mics before committing the extra money.

edit:

Finally read the rest of the thread. Get a recorder and take Gr8ful98 up on his offer.

bugg100 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2009, 04:11:38 PM »

Where are you located?

antsyashley · « **Reply #15 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:34:05 AM »

I'm in North Louisiana. Thanks everyone for all the replies and suggestions. I might go with the cheap-o Zoom for now. Hopefully I can borrow some items from Gr8tful98 and make a decent recording (let's talk, JD). I'll upgrade to some nicer equipment in the future if I enjoy taping!

sygdwm · « **Reply #16 on:** January 19, 2009, 01:16:25 AM »

what show?

antsyashley · « **Reply #17 on:** January 19, 2009, 03:10:31 AM »

JJ Grey & Mofro 1/28 in New Orleans and 1/29 in Baton Rouge -- to start!

sygdwm · « **Reply #18 on:** January 19, 2009, 04:24:18 AM »

damn.

taperwheeler · « **Reply #19 on:** January 19, 2009, 10:02:52 AM »

JJ Grey and Mofro allow open taping and are some super nice guys. There will likely be at least 1 or a few tapers at the show. My .05...pick up a decent deck that you can patch into and a handful of patching cables. If you'll be wanting to record in mostly open situations, you'll likely find people helpful and willing to let you patch. You'll get a chance to hear a variety of recording setups, see how to setup, and build a valuable base of information to help you decide down the road if you wanna plunge in further and what gear really floats your boat. I started this way and found it to be the best route for me.

Whatever you decide, enjoy taping!

antsyashley · « **Reply #20 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:04:11 PM »

I know about Mofro's taping policy, but I am sharing the device with my mom who wants to tape in a stealth situation. She's actually paying for it. We have just decided to buy the brand new Tascam DR-07 mini for $200 with free $69 mics at http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/TAS-DR-07. We want to be able to place this tiny device in a bra!! Yep -- that's right!! You guys have a woman on the board! Thanks y'all for the assistance!

Quote from: sygdwm on January 19, 2009, 04:24:18 AM

damn.

Damn, what? Are you a fan?

fmaderjr · « **Reply #21 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:47:57 PM »

GREAT choice on the DR-07 over the zoom! I assume its built in mics will be as good as the DR-1 which are well regarded and I doubt that you'll have the problem of not being able to turn the levels down low enough to avoid clipping at a loud show (which is a major fault of the zoom).

Note- Josephine is a very prominent member here-up to 5000+ posts by now. So you & your mom have company. That's pretty cool, starting a taping career with your mom. I bet at least one of you gets hooked.

mmedley. · « **Reply #22 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:51:46 PM »

Quote from: sygdwm on January 19, 2009, 04:24:18 AM

damn.

NOLAfishwater · « **Reply #23 on:** January 19, 2009, 12:55:30 PM »

Quote from: antsyashley on January 19, 2009, 12:04:11 PM

I know about Mofro's taping policy, but I am sharing the device with my mom who wants to tape in a stealth situation. She's actually paying for it. We have just decided to buy the brand new Tascam DR-07 mini for $200 with free $69 mics at http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/TAS-DR-07. We want to be able to place this tiny device in a bra!! Yep -- that's right!! You guys have a woman on the board! Thanks y'all for the assistance!

Quote from: sygdwm on January 19, 2009, 04:24:18 AM
damn.
Damn, what? Are you a fan?

Probably b/c he doesn't like JJ Grey. My girl was talking about possibly going to the show, but it is during the middle of the week and its the HOB, which is the suck. He has traditionally played Tipitinas, but I guess he is now on the HOB circuit.

antsyashley · « **Reply #24 on:** January 19, 2009, 01:12:14 PM »

Yeah, I guess it might have something to do with the HOB featuring JJ Grey & Mofro for their radio hour, and whatever other praise they've been layin' on 'em. They're my absolute fave band. Can't wait to see them in my home state. And soooo excited to become a taper!

I just completed my order for the DR-07. SP is expecting the shipment from Tascam by Friday. I hope to receive it by next Tuesday, then will try it out Wed and Thurs!!

Wow, now two ladies on the board :-) Cool!

dorrcoq · « **Reply #25 on:** January 19, 2009, 03:43:19 PM »

Quote from: antsyashley on January 19, 2009, 01:12:14 PM

Wow, now two ladies on the board :-) Cool!

There are a few more than that, but always nice to see more!

John R · « **Reply #26 on:** January 19, 2009, 05:01:10 PM »

pics please.

sygdwm · « **Reply #27 on:** January 20, 2009, 08:55:38 PM »

antsyashley · « **Reply #28 on:** January 20, 2009, 10:23:59 PM »

What do y'all want pics of? Me?? Or my DR-07?

sygdwm · « **Reply #29 on:** January 20, 2009, 10:34:22 PM »

we know what the dr1 looks like.

/mom too

newplanet7 · « **Reply #30 on:** January 20, 2009, 11:34:34 PM »

Quote from: sygdwm on January 20, 2009, 10:34:22 PM

we know what the dr1 looks like.

/mom too

antsyashley · « **Reply #31 on:** January 23, 2009, 08:38:19 PM »

Seriously? I'm considering it....

dorrcoq · « **Reply #32 on:** January 23, 2009, 11:19:15 PM »

Quote from: antsyashley on January 23, 2009, 08:38:19 PM

Seriously? I'm considering it....

YES!

antsyashley · « **Reply #33 on:** January 25, 2009, 07:40:04 PM »

Ok ok -- here's a pic of my mom and me catching Eric Lindell last night.

dorrcoq · « **Reply #34 on:** January 25, 2009, 09:21:27 PM »

WOO HOOOOOOOO! Did you guys tape? And if so, did the "hide it in our bras" plan work?

antsyashley · « **Reply #35 on:** January 25, 2009, 10:06:54 PM »

Wish we had had our gear to tape. I am tracking UPS, and the Tascam will arrive tomorrow. I did find out why you don't want to try to tape with an mp3 player, though!!

NOLAfishwater · « **Reply #36 on:** January 29, 2009, 10:15:45 AM »

Congratulations to Ashley on her first open taping experience. She ran her binaurals>tascam DR07. I put together a mount of H50 stereo bar with all hardware removed + the riser from my Vark bar + new Busman 20mm shockmount. She clipped her mics to the end and we hoisted them up along with MK8/MK21 and MK41's.

stirinthesauce · « **Reply #37 on:** January 29, 2009, 12:15:10 PM »

Congrats on the first DS tapergirl

chrisdavis · « **Reply #38 on:** January 29, 2009, 12:23:01 PM »

Quote from: stirinthesauce on January 29, 2009, 12:15:10 PM

Congrats on the first DS tapergirl

indeed, nice work! now wheres the upload?

NOLAfishwater · « **Reply #39 on:** January 29, 2009, 01:23:21 PM »

Quote from: chrisdavis on January 29, 2009, 12:23:01 PM

Quote from: stirinthesauce on January 29, 2009, 12:15:10 PM
Congrats on the first DS tapergirl

indeed, nice work! now wheres the upload?

she will probably up her source before I do.

antsyashley · « **Reply #40 on:** January 29, 2009, 07:25:17 PM »

Thank you so much, NOLAfishwater, for helping me out! It was lots of fun!! You're too kind. I'm still on the road and won't get the show up for a few days. In fact, I don't yet know how to do all the editing and splitting tracks and all, so I am sending it to a taper friend to do that work. Hopefully it will be up next week. And I hope it sounds good enough to upload!! Lemme get back to ya. Thanks to everyone who helped me figure out what I'm doing!

dorrcoq · « **Reply #41 on:** January 29, 2009, 07:38:40 PM »

Hey, what show was it?

antsyashley · « **Reply #42 on:** January 29, 2009, 09:09:42 PM »

JJ Grey & Mofro at HOB in NOLA!!

dorrcoq · « **Reply #43 on:** January 30, 2009, 12:55:29 AM »

Quote from: antsyashley on January 29, 2009, 09:09:42 PM

JJ Grey & Mofro at HOB in NOLA!!

Alright! One of my favourite bands.

chrisdavis · « **Reply #44 on:** January 30, 2009, 01:48:31 AM »

Quote from: antsyashley on January 29, 2009, 07:25:17 PM

Thank you so much, NOLAfishwater, for helping me out! It was lots of fun!! You're too kind. I'm still on the road and won't get the show up for a few days. In fact, I don't yet know how to do all the editing and splitting tracks and all, so I am sending it to a taper friend to do that work. Hopefully it will be up next week. And I hope it sounds good enough to upload!! Lemme get back to ya. Thanks to everyone who helped me figure out what I'm doing!

naw girl, you gotta do them transfers yourself! (most of) TDS uploads....

Quote from: dorrcoq on January 30, 2009, 12:55:29 AM

Alright! One of my favourite bands.

is that some fancy canadian spelling dennis??

Low Spark · « **Reply #45 on:** January 30, 2009, 07:22:35 AM »

Quote from: chrisdavis on January 30, 2009, 01:48:31 AM

Quote from: antsyashley on January 29, 2009, 07:25:17 PM
Thank you so much, NOLAfishwater, for helping me out! It was lots of fun!! You're too kind. I'm still on the road and won't get the show up for a few days. In fact, I don't yet know how to do all the editing and splitting tracks and all, so I am sending it to a taper friend to do that work. Hopefully it will be up next week. And I hope it sounds good enough to upload!! Lemme get back to ya. Thanks to everyone who helped me figure out what I'm doing!
naw girl, you gotta do them transfers yourself! (most of) TDS uploads....

Quote from: dorrcoq on January 30, 2009, 12:55:29 AM
Alright! One of my favourite bands.

Hes trying to sound southern
is that some fancy canadian spelling dennis??

dorrcoq · « **Reply #46 on:** January 30, 2009, 10:35:59 AM »

Quote from: chrisdavis on January 30, 2009, 01:48:31 AM

is that some fancy canadian spelling dennis??

Yeah, we throw the "u" into all sorts of words - colour, harbour, etc. Although surprisingly MS Word thinks both spellings - favourite and favorite - are acceptable.

chrisdavis · « **Reply #47 on:** January 30, 2009, 11:10:15 AM »

MS Word = Made in Canada eh.

dorrcoq · « **Reply #48 on:** January 30, 2009, 11:22:27 AM »

Quote from: chrisdavis on January 30, 2009, 11:10:15 AM

MS Word = Made in Canada eh.

HMMMMM I didn't think so. It accepts "colour" and "neighbour" too, but not "harbour" for some reason. I know there are a few more, but can't think of them right now. Same with Outlook, although I may have added the Canadian spellings to the dictionary there. And don't forget - the "cheque" is in the mail.

antsyashley · « **Reply #49 on:** January 31, 2009, 07:38:41 PM »

Hey y'all --
Here a sample of my recording. I heeded your warning and am learning how to do it all by myself. I'm in the process of uploading to the archive now.

JJ Grey & Mofro
House of Blues
New Orleans, LA
01-29-09

Source: SP-BMC-2 binaurals>Tascam DR-07

Ho Cake: http://www.sendspace.com/file/qf75or
Sit-ins with Big Sam Williams and Mark Mullins on trombone

dorrcoq · « **Reply #50 on:** January 31, 2009, 08:27:30 PM »

Sounds good, Ashley! You might want to FLAC your sample files, makes for a lot faster download.

Dennis

antsyashley · « **Reply #51 on:** February 01, 2009, 02:34:10 AM »

Here's the entire show! I did all the editing, splitting, and uploading myself (per chrisdavis' insisting)! The beginning sounds a little muffled, but it clears up pretty quick. Don't know why that happened. I also taped 01-29-09 Mofro at The Varsity in Baton Rouge, and will upload that when I get a chance.

http://www.archive.org/details/JJGreyandMOFRO2009-01-28.jjgam2009-01-28.NOLA.flac16

JJ Grey & Mofro
01/28/2009
House of Blues - The Parish
New Orleans, LA

Source: SP-BMC-2 mini binaurals > Tascam DR-07
Transfer: Tascam DR-07 > Audacity > flac

Recording and transfer by AntsyAshley.

Disc One:

01. Intro
02. Everything Good Is Bad
03. Circles
04. WYLF
05. Ybor City
06. Lazy Fo Acre
07. Higher You Climb
08. 6 Ways
09. Orange Blossoms
10. War
11. I Believe
12. On Fire*
13. Move It On

Disc Two:

01. Jookhouse
02. Ho Cake**
03. Stagger Lee**

Encore 1:
04. Lochloosa
05. Got My Mojo Workin'

Encore 2:
06. How Junior Got His Head Put Out

* With Big Sam Williams on trombone
** With Big Sam Williams and Mark Mullins on trombone

chrisdavis · « **Reply #52 on:** February 01, 2009, 10:13:26 AM »

great work ashley! taped.transferred. seeded at lma. like a pro!

antsyashley · « **Reply #53 on:** February 01, 2009, 12:48:20 PM »

Thanks! And here's the second show!

http://www.archive.org/details/jjgam2009-01-29.BR.flac16

JJ Grey & Mofro
01/29/2009
The Varsity
Baton Rouge, LA

Source: SP-BMC-2 mini binaurals > Tascam DR-07
Transfer: Tascam DR-07 > Audacity > flac

Recording and transfer by AntsyAshley.

Disc One:

01. Intro
02. Country Ghetto
03. WYLF
04. Mississippi
05. The Wrong Side
06. Everything Good is Bad
07. That Boy
08. Lochloosa
09. The Devil You Know
10. Ybor City
11. Air
12. Dew Drops
13. 6 Ways

Disc two:

01. Fireflies
02. Jookhouse
03. Hoochie Coochie Man
04. Higher You Climb
05. Ho Cake
06. War

Encore:

07. Orange Blossoms
08. Brighter Days

dorrcoq · « **Reply #54 on:** February 01, 2009, 01:59:21 PM »

Man, two shows in two nights in two cities. i would say you are hooked!

spaceboy_psy · « **Reply #55 on:** April 26, 2009, 09:28:20 PM »

Quote from: dorrcoq on January 30, 2009, 11:22:27 AM

HMMMMM I didn't think so. It accepts "colour" and "neighbour" too, but not "harbour" for some reason. I know there are a few more, but can't think of them right now. Same with Outlook, although I may have added the Canadian spellings to the dictionary there. And don't forget - the "cheque" is in the mail.

"Great" *ahem* British spelling alive and well in Canadia?? I had no idea - that's made my evening ^_^

huzzah!