Topic: Two MicroTrack 2496 quirks and workarounds I've encountered

[Brian Skalinder]

Everyone's probably already aware of these, and I covered at least one of them in another thread, but I wanted to post my experiences in a dedicated thread.  Two quirks I've encountered when running off internal batteries, S/PDIF input at 24-bits (no idea if these same symptoms / workarounds exist running in other configurations):

<1>  The recording stopping prematurely due to an incorrect Time Remaining calculation

My MT's seem to report the proper Time Remaining for the very first recording started after powering on.  But not for any subsequent recording, which leaves open the possibility of the MT stopping prematurely due to an incorrect Time Remaining calculation.  So for each new band or set, I simply power off the MT, and then power back on - and it always reads the proper Time Remaining so I don't have to sweat a premature record stop.

<2>  The unit locking up when starting a recording

Two comments on this one:

• My MTs lock up consistently if I do NOT have both <a> the coax S/PDIF plugged in, and <b> the ADC transmitting a signal over S/PDIF at the time of power-up.  Not doing <1> seems to cause a lockup more frequently than not doing <2>, but tehy're both flaky, IME.  So...plug in that coax and turn on that ADC before powering up the MT.  IME, this prevents the occasional lock-ups I've encountered so far in my testing.  On a related note...
  
  
• Seems waaaaay more likely IME to freeze up if it's been sitting on and idle for N amount of time.  I'm trying to narrow down if there's a specific time threshold (N) after which point it freezes up when starting a recording.  But so far, if I power-up and start recording within a minute or two, I can't seem to get the sucker to freeze up on me.

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Solutions?  No.  Workarounds?  Definitely yes for <1>.  Can't guarantee <2>, though so far in all my testing I can't get the sucker to lock up if I follow those two recommendations.

Please, let's not have this thread deteriorate into a free-for-all about how much the MT sucks, or how great it is, etc., and stick to the topics noted above - whether you've experienced the problems, and whether the above recommandations work for you, etc.

[mmedley.]

I noticed the same thing this past weekend. If the SPDIF signal is 'hot' before powering the MT on there were no issues. I had absolutely no issues this weekend with mine at 16/48.

[pfife]

f skalinders opinions on the MT




 

[silentmark]

As I wrote in one of those earlier threads that it is a good idea to power down after each set. When I didn't and left the MT powered up, it would freeze upon returning to record. I hadn't thought about having the ADC already turned on and plugged in (which I usually do anyway), I'll have to see if I can get mine to lock up without that  

With that said I still get the incorrect 'time remaining' regardless of powering down. What I notice is the wrong total time from the get go. If I set it to analog in, it will display the correct time remaining, switch to the digi in and it displays correctly some of the time. I thought I could trick it by inputing the settings I wanted, bit rate, frequency, etc.. through the analog ins and then switching over to the digi, Sometimes that seemed to work, other times not so. Sigh. I didn't have your incorrect display on subsequent recordings, it was either right or wrong on all of my recordings.

[Brian Skalinder]

As I wrote in one of those earlier threads that it is a good idea to power down after each set. When I didn't and left the MT powered up, it would freeze upon returning to record.

Ahhh, must've missed it.  Glad to see I'm not the only one figuring out the quirks and finding ways around them.  Wish I'd caught your post first time around!

I hadn't thought about having the ADC already turned on and plugged in (which I usually do anyway), I'll have to see if I can get mine to lock up without that 

Curious to see your results - my testing locked up the MT *very* consistently if I didn't have the coax cable in plcae during power up.  And less consistently - but still frequently - if the ADC wasn't outputting signal. 

With that said I still get the incorrect 'time remaining' regardless of powering down. What I notice is the wrong total time from the get go. [snip] I didn't have your incorrect display on subsequent recordings, it was either right or wrong on all of my recordings.

Huh, go figure.  Seems odd, but I guess not surprising.  BTW, I'm on FW 1.1.5 beta and suspect you are, too.

[cmoorevt]

With regards to problem #1, I have had the exact opposite problem when recording at 44.1 and 48(doesn't seem to matter if I am running line or spdif in). 

The first recording after powering up has an incorrect time remaining, any other recording after that show the correct time remaining.

I have nothing that sends at 24, so I can't test that from here.

[Brian Skalinder]

The first recording after powering up has an incorrect time remaining, any other recording after that show the correct time remaining.

Hah!  That's three variations, it seems.  Curiouser and curiouser...

[BC]

Good tips Bri, silentmark, and others. Thanks for sharing. +t's to y'all.

Hope everyone is forewarding these tips to MT tech support for that next firmware release.

Freeze-ups when starting are definitely a pet peeve of mine WRT recording devices, I like to stealth and frantically rebooting hoping it will work before the first note of music sucks.   

[chitaper]

The first recording after powering up has an incorrect time remaining, any other recording after that show the correct time remaining.

Hah!  That's three variations, it seems.  Curiouser and curiouser...

I've been able to coax a correct time by simply starting a new file (press "record" twice) until it gets it right. Quicker than a power down, but I've noticed you run a risk of it freezing up if you start too many new files.

[cmoorevt]

The first recording after powering up has an incorrect time remaining, any other recording after that show the correct time remaining.

Hah!  That's three variations, it seems.  Curiouser and curiouser...

I've been able to coax a correct time by simply starting a new file (press "record" twice) until it gets it right. Quicker than a power down, but I've noticed you run a risk of it freezing up if you start too many new files.

Ditto on both accounts.  One new file seems to be fine, more than that occasionally freezes it up, but I've yet to figure out how many exactly is need to cause the freeze.

I sent this problem to M-Audio a while back and got the standard "we're working on an updated firmware" response.

[rodeen]

Hmm.  I taped 3 sets to my MT last night.  First two 1-hour sets worked great.  The last set stopped recording after about 35 mins into it.  I powered down between each set and delivered signal to the MT before recording.  Not sure if it was getting signal before turning it on.   I was recording SPDIF in, plain ol' 16/44.1.  I assumed the time problem was only related to 24 bit recording.

[Ed.]

if its the first recording that is always showing the incorrect time, would it be possible to set it up at home, and record a short 3-5 second blip and save it as a recording? then when you get to the show, the recordings you make there will all show the correct time.

[reesey]

this thing SUCKS!!  just kidding... so thanks for all these tidbits.  i had ALL kinds of problems at vegoose, and after awhile they started to be user errors.  exhausting.  one thing that was strange, i had this crazy glitching during the phil set that is just nuts.  sounds like the mt was testing different mic configs, really, and they were all these different spatial horizons.  crazy shit.  but besides that, i think the things i learned here, will be helpful my next time around.  i found the sonosax line in to the mt was the most manageable option.  user errors only when i did that...  i will be giving the spdif another go however, just to see how i do.  <<break out the mini-me again>>