Topic: Microtrack II - Part 2

[NOLAfishwater]

continue.

old thread here:
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,88437.0.html


****YOU WILL NEED A SPECIAL CABLE WHEN RUNNING INTO THE TRS INPUTS FROM AN UNBALANCED SOURCE***

FWIW, GuySonic got back to me and said the wiring drawing I posted a few posts ago is the way to wire the TRS plugs for use from an unbalanced source into the MTII.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=106690.0;attach=94665

Thanks GuySonic!

[silentmark]

...

[dactylus]

 

[DSatz]

I'd just like to check in, having bought a MicroTrack II this week. I haven't had much time to check it out yet, but it seems to work when driven via its S/P-DIF input from a Grace Lunatec V3 at 44.1 kHz, either at 16- or 24-bit resolution. That alone makes it more versatile than a DAT or MiniDisc recorder.

It's very nice that it offers a volume-adjustable headphone output while recording from the digital input. If the analog line outputs are also live then, as the instruction book seems to say, that will be very convenient for master class recording, in which I make a digital recording for the instructor's archive and simultaneous cassettes for the students.

Strangely, when I tried (just from curiosity) to verify the 48 Volt phantom powering, all that I could measure at the mike inputs was about 4.2 Volts DC. I'll try that again another time. I may never use the analog inputs, but it would be nice to know what they're actually capable of.

--best regards

[taperwheeler]

Question for any who have run an analog recording to the MT2. 

I was advised to convert my current mini mics from the 1/8" jack to a TR connection (told that the TRS modded will prevent the noise prob) because the 1/4" in is a better connection.  From looking over Guy Sonics wav's, it appears the 1/8 input's less noisy than the 1/4 even with a balance signal?  Is there any real benny to using 1/4 instead?

[rav]

Which is the biggest compact flash you have used with success (details please) ?

Has anybody tried transcend 32 gb 133x Cf card?

How well microtrack II deals with remaining time in big storage cards?

Thanks in advance.

Best.

[rustoleum]

Question for any who have run an analog recording to the MT2. 

I was advised to convert my current mini mics from the 1/8" jack to a TR connection (told that the TRS modded will prevent the noise prob) because the 1/4" in is a better connection.  From looking over Guy Sonics wav's, it appears the 1/8 input's less noisy than the 1/4 even with a balance signal?  Is there any real benny to using 1/4 instead?

I've only run 1/8" in, but I thought it sounded pretty good... It's no apogee, but for stealth gear I'm happy with it.

How well microtrack II deals with remaining time in big storage cards?

I would expect based on my experience that all cards, 8GB and over will incorrectly report the time remaining based on a 96khz sampling rate even if you are sending 44.1 or 48.  It sucks, but what can you do?

EDIT:  the above is only the case for SPDIF... if you're not using SPDIF, then you would never know this problem existed.

[flintstone]

Looking at Guysonic's test results, the difference in noise floor between the 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch balanced inputs is small.  Depending on the noise floor of the mics you're using, you would be unlikely to hear any difference between the inputs.

The advantages of the 1/4-inch input are that it's more durable, and less prone to adding electrical noises than the 1/8-inch jack.  Put another way, the 1/8-inch jack is consumer grade, while the 1/4-inch jack is closer to pro standards.  These days, pro gear use locking connectors with balanced cable, such as XLR.

Of course you can make a good recording with a 1/8-inch jack.  I'm just saying that the 1/4-inch jack will last longer and give more reliably good results.

Flintstone

[guysonic]

Looking at Guysonic's test results, the difference in noise floor between the 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch balanced inputs is small.  Depending on the noise floor of the mics you're using, you would be unlikely to hear any difference between the inputs.

The advantages of the 1/4-inch input are that it's more durable, and less prone to adding electrical noises than the 1/8-inch jack.  Put another way, the 1/8-inch jack is consumer grade, while the 1/4-inch jack is closer to pro standards.  These days, pro gear use locking connectors with balanced cable, such as XLR.

Of course you can make a good recording with a 1/8-inch jack.  I'm just saying that the 1/4-inch jack will last longer and give more reliably good results.

Flintstone

While true for MT1, MT2 inputs do vary in noise performance with the minijack input far quieter than TRS input.  See MT2 noise plot graph below.

[taperwheeler]

+T Flintstone, Rustoleum, and Guy Sonic...

I love taping.  Think it's a pretty common characteristic among tapers to become too much of a perfectionist.  Hate working the kinks out of new gear or new chain and having early recordings not come out.   This forums priceless and I'm sure has saved me countless headaches.  Thanks, thanks, thanks...

[flintstone]

We're talking about the green and dark blue plots on the graph, right?
Looks like a difference of 2 to 3 dB to me. 

However, both mic inputs are noisier than the line input, and by a
substantial amount.

[Carlos E. Martinez]

While true for MT1, MT2 inputs do vary in noise performance with the minijack input far quieter than TRS input.  See MT2 noise plot graph below.

Is there a similar curve for the MT1 anywhere to look at?

[DSatz]

Hoo boy. I just finished five days (10 hours/day) live recording, using the MicroTrack II as the bit-bucket for most of it. I have some things to report ... but I need a night's sleep first.

A quick summary, though: In general it worked very well, but because of a few glitches (one of which may have cost me nearly three hours of a valuable recording) I don't quite trust this recorder yet. Still, it seems close to being a rather great little recording device, I think.

And a request: Somewhere on this board there was a discussion in the past month or two of how you can perhaps recover a file that was written to a CF card but not closed. I read that discussion, and now I need to re-read it, since I'm in that situation myself. But I couldn't find it--can someone steer me to it, please?

--best regards

[Brian Skalinder]

DSatz -- I'm not sure from your description the current state of your "bad" data.  It seems there are two symptoms when people have trouble with the MT:  either the file is gone completely, or it's present but shows 0 bytes.  There've been discussions around both issues.

Here's the one that stands out in my memory on the 0 byte file issue:

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,53521.0/all.html

And a bunch on recovering files from cards when the data seems completely gone:

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,83947.0.html
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,53521.0/all.html
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,71939.0.html
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,53423.0/all.html
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,83947.0.html

And here's a discussion on WAV header repair, which may or may not be an issue for you depending on your exact problem:

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,72936.0/all.html

[DSatz]

Brian, many many thanks, and a (superfluous in your case, but still heartfelt) +T for your kindness in listing out those threads.

[What I have is a card that shows no files at all.] Wrong! I looked again--the file I need is shown, but appears as a 0-length file. With any luck, most of the cluster chains will be neat and consecutive.

The newest (v.1.0.4) firmware from M Audio claims to resolve the "media lock-up issues during record," but in the absence of any further detail, I have no way to know whether they mean this particular problem or not.

--best regards

P.S.: I got up the nerve to run chkdsk /f on the drive, and it correctly restored the entire 2 hour, 3 minute, 50-second WAV file up to the point where the recorder froze. Whew! (Now, if it only hadn't frozen ... but that turned out to be OK, too, in its own way. This time.)