Topic: Microtrack and Core Sound Cards with Batt Box....Anyone run this rig?

[Craise Finton Kirk]

I've been stealth taping with a Sony D-8 and Core Sound Cardiod mics with batt box for 7 years...
I'm happy with the sound but i'm looking at the MT. Anyone else run CSC into a MT?
How does it sound? anyproblems?
thanks!

[timewasajoke]

I've been stealth taping with a Sony D-8 and Core Sound Cardiod mics with batt box for 7 years...
I'm happy with the sound but i'm looking at the MT. Anyone else run CSC into a MT?
How does it sound? anyproblems?
thanks!

i have been running that same rig as you and recently started using the MT. I have not captured a quality recording like i consistently did with the D8 and have run the MT for three shows the past month. I can not get the levels right.  i have yet to try recording a show with the new update that was supposed to improve the levels.
I think once i get used to this machine it will be fine. The parts of my recordings that the levels are proper the sound is outstanding.

The problem with any equipment change in this hobby is not being familiar with it. It takes trial, error and time. unfortunately in a live concert  setting
you only get one chance to capture the magic.

[mikey10123]

I've no idea if this is a useful comparison for you, but I run CSB>SPSB-1>MT and I'm mostly happy with it.  The MT was an upgrade from a Sony NZ-505 MD recorder, and to be honest, I like the way the bass sounds on the MD better than I do on the MT.  Don't get me wrong though, the 24/48 recordings I've been making on the MT are incredibly rich-sounding and accurate, and they affect my ears the same way eating chocolate cake affects my mouth.  I sure wouldn't say I have the most critical ear, though, so take that for what it's worth.

I was lucky in that I got to record the same big-name act in the same venue twice within three months, and I purchased the MT betwixt the two, so I have a real nice large show comparison between the two recorders.  First one was taped on the MD and the bass is absolutely thunderous...three months later, same band, 20 feet further away on the coliseum floor, and the bass is nonexistant.  Could be a lot of factors I guess, but the MT just doesn't seem to capture the really thunderous stuff the same way the MD did.

........And then there's the spontaneous battery discharge bug that has happened to me twice (!) now before important taping events...but that's for another thread and a real nasty email to M-Audio.

[greenone]

timewasajoke/mikey10123 - Are you going in the 1/4" inputs or the 1/8" inputs? The 1/8" input isn't a line in, really...if you're going line-in, it's pretty much essential that you use the 1/4" inputs, as I understand it.

[mikey10123]

My understanding was that the extra gain-for-no-reason was on both (all maybe, I haven't used digi in at all) inputs, and that was the problem for most people running mic>bat>1/8", in that the gain was clipping everything they tried to record.

For some reason (I'll have time to figure this one out soon) my CSBs (1/8" trs male) into the 1/8" jack directly absolutely won't get a signal.  No clue.  But, with the SPSB1 betwixt 'em, and the switch on "L" (which I recognize may/maynot make a difference on the 1/8" jack anyway) my levels are fine; loud club recording/coliseum recording doesn't clip at half gain on the unit, so I hadn't worried about it much.

Now, having said all that, if there's a sound quality reason to not do it this way that I'm unaware of, I'll go buy an adaptor right now.

[potsy]

i have made the switch from CSC>BB>D8 to CSC>BB>MT.  with the firmware update, and an adaptor to plug the mics into the (2) 1/4" jacks, i'm pretty happy with the results.  when i first used the 1/8" jack and original firmware it was a ngithmare and the levels were way too high.

[vox humana]

I have the original CS omnis and battery box. I record classical choral and pipe organ music with them and used them always with a D8. I've used the MT for six weeks and have recorded in a variety of spaces. The convenience is great, transferring 2 hours of recording to the computer in 4 minutes, and not having to worry with tapes.

Both Doug Oade and Len Moscowitz told me that the MT would be a step up sonically from the D8. I'm not so sure. The MT seems noisier (hiss) in similar situations than the D8, though the difference is small. I'm not itching to go back to DAT, but I think I've given up a bit of sonic quality.

I'm running the mics into the 1/8", and unlike what many other here people have said, I need to run the gain at about 7/8, even with loud pipe organ music. The only time I've backed down to about 3/4 was recording a large and very loud organ in a huge space in Seattle. I'm surprised by this - I never ran the D8 gain at more than about 4 of 10 with these mics.

I'm curious - will I get better results going into the 1/4" inputs?

[Craise Finton Kirk]

wow...yeah after reading about all the problems with the JB3/MT/R-1  I think
I'm going to just keep on doing DAT for a while longer. I mean who needs the
hassle ! If it ain't broke don't fix it, right? I would think that in 6 months or so
they hopefully will have the kinks worked out on the MT? Or maybe not...
the internal battery thing still scares me. I don't understand why they can't
remake the D-8 or M-1 and have it record onto a CF card...with all the other inputs
preamps/ect.. the basicaly the same.  Or even better make one the size of the old
Sharp 702 MD... That would be my dream setup... Mics with NO battery box >CF or Harddisc
recorder the size of a MD with a backlit remote that you can start rec and set levels.
Does anyone think they will make something like this in the next year?
thanks for all your thoughts!
BTW I'm so glad I found this fourm....thanks for all the info!
I"ve been steath taping since 1986... I just found a link showcasing my first recorder
a Sony W800 Dual tape deck (Yes Dual! it could hold two tapes in it...very cool for 86!)
check it out for giggles....my how far we've come! 
http://www.walkmancentral.com/products/wm-w800