Topic: M-Audio MicroTrack I/II as Bit-Bucket Survey

[Chris K]

I bought the MT 1 when it first came out using that guitar center receipt that was floating around so my local gc would match the price. I have used it line in (from nbox, jklabs box, and various venue soundboards) and as a bit bucket (from V3 and Yamaha 01V digital mixer). It is a bit finicky, but you can get quality results. IMO the most important things to remember are:

1) be patient with it...what I mean is...it takes a while to boot up and it takes a while to "react" after pushing record, play etc.
2) reformat the card before a new recording session, but only after transferring your audio files of the MT and onto your computer, and after making a backup copy (dvd/cd etc)
3) when going DIGI IN make sure your preamp is on and feeding a spdif signal PRIOR to turning on your MT
4) if you need to change the bit rate on the device (from 16 to 24) then you should reboot the MT
5) do not keep presing the record button...it takes about 3 to 5 secods for it to start recording (again be patient)...soon you will see the timer ticking up and you know you will be good. Again be patient.
6) make sure you have a quality external battery pack

My pet peaves...non replaceable internal batteries. Slow reaction time, not a good music player. I have lost some sets but mainly user error, although battery life and full non-reformatted cards have also been culprits.

I voted that it was reliable, but I would get a new device to use as a bit bucket once it comes out and I can afford it.

[popskull]

I use my Microtrack II for archiving tons of DAT and Cassette as well as live music, being fed by a SBM1 and Apogee Mini Me.

I have recently noticed something in regards to DMA

If I am using the MTII as a 16 bit bitbucket, I need to turn DMA on to avoid an occasional spdif not detected message.

If I am going 24bit 96 or 44 with the apogee, I need to turn DMA off, as the MTII will lock up.

Any one else notice similar experiences??

cheers- Mike

[jsfrank]

I just updated my firmware on my MT 2496. I was still using 1.2.3.

 

[chrisdavis]

"Very reliable once I understood its idiosyncrasies"

- describes my experience with the jb3 & MT-II.  i just started experiencing issues with the mt2, mostly its been very consistent.

after a year of flawless service, the mt2 burned me good...
http://www.archive.org/details/furthur2010-02-10.ca11-partial.colGeorge-davis.106030.flac16

[chrisdavis]

I just updated my firmware on my MT 2496. I was still using 1.2.3.

 

thanks jeff, i hadnt thought about updating the firmware      just did it  :fingerscrossed:

[jsfrank]

Anyone have any experience running 32 gig Kingston elite pro 133x cards in the MT2496? I got one before 10K Lakes last year and after recording Gomez it wouldn't start the next set correctly. I pulled it out and haven't touched it until yesterday when I transferred that set and reformatted it. I am hoping the update from 1.2.3 to 1.4.5 will solve the problem. I also had a problem with it stopping during the Tea Leaf Green set using an 8 gig Sandisk Ultra II card and haven't used that since. I went back to using my trusty 4 gig Kingston elite pro 45x that I got in Fall of 2005 when I got my MT2496. I have been toying with the idea of getting a new recorder, but I want to give this one last chance.

[piperedworm]

Still have the original and never had a problem with it.  Today I use it mainly as a Digi in to patch from others to get a different recording, but in the past I used it Direct in TRS in with PH power on. no issues.  From what I hear, I may be very lucky.

I have seen many people have troubles with this unit and the Battery.  When I bought the MT originally I also bought a Beacon 5 Lith-ion battery that runs it for almost a day straight. 

Jeff

[Gil]

I'll let yinz know after tonight 

[gratefulphish]

My poor experiences were with an MT I.  I bought it in the Yard Sale, and it never worked properly.  Error messages, no file, etc.  It is a paperweight.  I am looking for another small digi-in bit bucket, so I was hoping that this thread would be full of positive reviews of the MT II.  While it does seem to be a little better, that is "damnation by faint praise."  Anyone have any other small decks with digi-in, preferably coax or AES, as opposed to optical?

[Todd R]

If you want to stay away from a MT and want to go coax in, the Marantz PMD661 seems like the best/smallest/cheapest option.  If you have an opti-modded V3 though, I'd really recommend the Sony D50.  I've had nothing but great experiences with mine, and I used it successfully quite a bit with my opti-modded V3 when I had it.  You can probably pick up a used D50 for $300-350.

[gratefulphish]

If you want to stay away from a MT and want to go coax in, the Marantz PMD661 seems like the best/smallest/cheapest option.  If you have an opti-modded V3 though, I'd really recommend the Sony D50.  I've had nothing but great experiences with mine, and I used it successfully quite a bit with my opti-modded V3 when I had it.  You can probably pick up a used D50 for $300-350.

Is there such a thing as an opti-mod, but still word clock enabled V3?  I actually use the word clock to sync the timing of the output of the V3, to the recording on the 722, so I intentionally did not buy an opti-mod.  Do you know whether Grace can put in the optical port, without disabling the word clock function, as the D50 is a lot smaller (and thus preferable) as the end bit bucket.  Thanks for your response.

[Todd R]

The grace opti-mod does get rid of the word clock out, I don't think there is any way around it.

That said, you don't need an actual word clock out to sync the 722 to a V3>D50 rig -- I did it all the time using the regular coax/spdif out of the V3.  V3 optical out to the D50 with what you want to record on those channels, then V3 coax out (or AES out) to the digital input of the 722/702.  Set the 722 to take analog input (I think the choices are digi-in, analog-in, or auto-select which selects the digital input if it is present or analog otherwise).  Something like that anyway, it's been awhile since I owned the 722 or 702 (owned both). You can't use the auto select option, but if you put a regular coax/spdif output attached to the digital in and select analog input on the 722, the 722 will strip the clock info from the incoming spdif signal and use it as it's clock, so the V3>D50 channels will be synced to the channels you're recording on the 722.  If you do this, an "L" or something like that shows up on the 722 LCD.

I don't know if this works to clock sync with a 744, but it works with both the 722 and 702.

[Gutbucket]

Never knew that was possible, cool feature.

+T

[willndmb]

The grace opti-mod does get rid of the word clock out, I don't think there is any way around it.

That said, you don't need an actual word clock out to sync the 722 to a V3>D50 rig -- I did it all the time using the regular coax/spdif out of the V3.  V3 optical out to the D50 with what you want to record on those channels, then V3 coax out (or AES out) to the digital input of the 722/702.  Set the 722 to take analog input (I think the choices are digi-in, analog-in, or auto-select which selects the digital input if it is present or analog otherwise).  Something like that anyway, it's been awhile since I owned the 722 or 702 (owned both). You can't use the auto select option, but if you put a regular coax/spdif output attached to the digital in and select analog input on the 722, the 722 will strip the clock info from the incoming spdif signal and use it as it's clock, so the V3>D50 channels will be synced to the channels you're recording on the 722.  If you do this, an "L" or something like that shows up on the 722 LCD.

I don't know if this works to clock sync with a 744, but it works with both the 722 and 702.

a similar thing can be done with the tascam unit (model hdp2??)

[goodcooker]

I bought ToddR's MT a few years ago and ran it with a V3. I saw a lot of similar rigs during that time.

If I kept myself to a routine...fully charging internal before show, establishing digi signal before powering on, etc I never really had any probs out of it. It locked up on me when I was recording Daniel Johnson (which I had to get special permission to do) and I  lost that one....if he had not been ill and put on a kinda rough show I would have been pissed.

The spdif connector being so close to that other port (usb port IIRC) was a MAJOR design flaw but an Apogee Wyde Eye spdif cable fits perfectly.