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Author Topic: Microtrack mods?  (Read 17612 times)

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Offline udovdh

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Microtrack mods?
« on: April 02, 2006, 08:02:32 AM »
Hello,

Who is doing MT mods?
Doug Oade doesn't do them anymore.
Who does a few magical tricks to the MT hardware?

Udo

Offline cybermansrev

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2006, 10:43:33 AM »
I don't think Oade ever did MT mods for the public he only played around with his own one.

However I'd agree I'm surprised no one is doing the mod Oade described, having the 1/8" socket modded to avoid the inbuilt gain and to reduce noise. Altough maybe there's  no interest in doing MT mods as people have their hands full with AKG actives and modding the R4. Plus I have the suspicion many people have their fingers crossed the R9 is going to be a cheap 24 bit recording solution with none of the MT's problems and that the MT's will go the way of 8-tracks.

Offline udovdh

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2006, 01:35:31 PM »
I would like to lower the ever present gain somewhat (by 6-8 dB?).
Maybe change the signal path so 1/8" and dual 1/4" do the same?
Maybe install a slightkly bigger Li-Ion pack? (see thread about battery mod)

It's no rocket science. With some research, I could point out the resistors that need change. (there's pics, we know the opamps...)
Just someone with SMD-skills and some business sense?

Offline udovdh

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2006, 01:40:47 PM »
Plus I have the suspicion many people have their fingers crossed the R9 is going to be a cheap 24 bit recording solution with none of the MT's problems and that the MT's will go the way of 8-tracks.
Did anyone review the R9 yet?
What is so much different and/or better/worse?

Offline drewloo

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2006, 06:38:07 PM »
Plus I have the suspicion many people have their fingers crossed the R9 is going to be a cheap 24 bit recording solution with none of the MT's problems and that the MT's will go the way of 8-tracks.
Did anyone review the R9 yet?
What is so much different and/or better/worse?

I think a lot of people here are betting that the R-9 will be less problematic than the MT, most likely based on Edirol's track record w/ the R-1, R-4, and UA-5. 

Offline cybermansrev

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2006, 06:25:06 AM »
It's no rocket science. With some research, I could point out the resistors that need change. (there's pics, we know the opamps...)

I would not describe myself as anything other than a bodger but I've opened my own MT to poke around the boards and despite knowing the pin outs of the opamps I still couldn't be certain of the resistors in the feedback loop to give the gain. Personally I would prefer to completely bypass the opamp and go straight to the ADC if possible, any rocket scientist out there going to give anyclues?

Just someone with SMD-skills and some business sense?
I think that "business sense" may be the biggest stumbling point, despite many on TS having MT's I doubt there would be a huge market for this very fiddly work, not to mention needing to charge enough to cover any "accidents" that may occur doing this kind of work.
It would also appear that many people are just using the MT as a bit-bucket so line input mods really wouldn't interest them.
I really think a solution to this is more likely to come from people tinkering around rather than those who could sell on their expertise. After all Oade has decided not to sell this mod and I think from previous posts Bussman planned on doing something but ended up selling his MT to concentrate on the R4.

Of course the other factor is M-Audio may release a revised version MT2? since I already think they have altered the component design without telling anyone.

Maybe install a slightkly bigger Li-Ion pack? (see thread about battery mod)
I think this is the most plausable mod at the minute since bigger mAh batteries are coming along all the time with smaller form factors for other devices like the ipod, so eventually we'll get one to fit even if it means removing the ?voltage regulation circuit on the original battery.


Offline udovdh

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2006, 01:28:39 AM »
M-Audio did change the design of the MT?
How can I tell?

Offline cybermansrev

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2006, 06:06:21 AM »
M-Audio did change the design of the MT?
How can I tell?

One of the problems with the MT info on TS is how fragmented it is. In your posting about battery mods http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=59809.msg790146#msg790146 tooldvn linked to his MT internal pictures http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=61044.msg810498#msg810498 and they don't look like previously shown pics by neutrino http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=50750.msg660192#msg660192 as I stated in this post http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=61044.msg812063#msg812063

Then from the uber long Microtrack 24/96 firmware 1.3.3 postings Vismars brought up the issue of s/n ratio varying from left to right (L -78db R -97db) channel http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=60666.msg812872#msg812872 as Guy Sonic noted previously in his review http://www.sonicstudios.com/mt2496rv.htm
This seemed to be contradicted by jtessier (L and R both -99db) http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=60666.msg815430#msg815430

Hence i deciced to check my own, I don't have audition or wavelab which the others used so instead used SF 7 and came up with a disappointing -78db left and right (but hey at least I guess it's the same).
I then decided to open up my MT to poke around inside and discovered at least some of the components have different ident numbers from those pictured by tooldnv.
Compare tooldvn's internals
http://www.dvnaudio.net/ts/10.jpg


With mine
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h208/Cybermansrevenge/CIMG0469.jpg


Its evident that in mine the capacitors near the TRS sockets are labelled 5g 4.7 50V while tooldvn's are ?458K 6.8 50V I wonder if this change has been done to improve the s/n ratio.

Now I don't know what tooldvn's results for noise are I'll pm him now and my bet is it'll be near those of neutrino. I also don't know when my MT was manufactured as I bought it from the yardsale in Feb but the serial number is 2452079000775 for what it's worth.

Sorry if this posting is complicated and difficult to make sense of, in that way it's similar to all the other MT postings and indeed the MT!
« Last Edit: April 04, 2006, 06:14:24 AM by cybermansrev »

Offline udovdh

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2006, 07:11:22 AM »
So maybe I'd need to measure the SNR performance and start a return if the performance is worse than 90 dB?  ???  :o  ???
I mean: quite a difference, without any mention by M-Audio.

Offline cybermansrev

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2006, 09:22:25 AM »
Post up those noise figures.

Offline udovdh

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2006, 11:07:29 AM »
When just recording silence from 1/4", no mics attached, I get -80/-84 dB (L/R) from the SF stats.  ???
Is this an acceptable way of measuring?

Offline scoper

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2006, 11:41:30 AM »
When just recording silence from 1/4", no mics attached, I get -80/-84 dB (L/R) from the SF stats.  ???
Is this an acceptable way of measuring?

This brings up a valid point - how can we (the taper) measure the noise floor for our gear?

Run it with nothing attached, and check the various RMS values shown a la Audition or CEP? Or do we need to generate some kind of signal into the input? To measure the mic preamps, it seems we would need something attached to either the 1/8" or the TRS input.

Techie advise needed
AT853U cardioid (low sens mod)| Countryman B3 Omni (low sens mod) > CA-UGLY II > Sony PCM-M10

Former: Sony MiniDisc/JB3/MicroTrack/R-09HR

Offline Busman Audio

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2006, 11:48:02 AM »
I am going to work on a mod for the microtrack in the next 2 weeks since I just finished the R4. I will keep you guys posted on what is to come. I know that just a few small mods will make this thing sound a hell of a lot better. The aim is to make it a viable tool for stealthing without a separate pre A/D.
My mods will be available through Cascade media and we will offer them to those that already one the microtrack as well as new units.
Busman mics of all kinds>some type of busman modified recorder.

"Just Mod It"

Offline udovdh

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #13 on: April 04, 2006, 12:10:09 PM »
Sounds interesting!

Offline it-goes-to-eleven

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Re: Microtrack mods?
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2006, 02:19:18 PM »
Good info...   I can't help but wonder if simply extending the shielding to completely wrap the 1/8" and 1/4" sockets would help.

 

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