Topic: PART V: M-Audio MicroTracker details

[cmoorevt]

What is everyone using for SPDIF cables to connect to this thing?  My Canare cables won't completely fit into the SPDIF input as the housing on the MT is too tight around the plug.  I am hesistant to shave the plastic off the MT to allow for more room. Any ideas?

[JasonSobel]

What is everyone using for SPDIF cables to connect to this thing?  My Canare cables won't completely fit into the SPDIF input as the housing on the MT is too tight around the plug.  I am hesistant to shave the plastic off the MT to allow for more room. Any ideas?

a while back, I wanted right-angle RCA connections for my S/PDIF cable, so I bought some right angle switchcraft connectors.

http://www.switchcraft.com/products/534.html

all of my cables have the "3502RAAU", but all of them look to be the same shape/size, just whether or not it's gold-plated or nickel-plated.

With these connectors, they fit perfectly nice and snug into the MicroTrack, but you don't have to force them or anything.  a perfect fit.  If you don't mind soldering your own cables, I recommend these.

edit to add - you can buy them from markertek.com and probably other places as well.

[neutrino]

What is everyone using for SPDIF cables to connect to this thing?  My Canare cables won't completely fit into the SPDIF input as the housing on the MT is too tight around the plug.  I am hesistant to shave the plastic off the MT to allow for more room. Any ideas?

That plastic plate around the in rca/spdif inputs separates from the other plastics of the housing when you disassemble the unit. So, if you were to open the MT to widen the spdif opening it could be done very neatly, and away from the other components of the unit.
dB-

[cmoorevt]

Thanks guys.

Not afraid of soldering at all, but I've never done it with a coax cable.  To what part of the right angle Swtichcraft plug do I solder the coax?

[JasonSobel]

Thanks guys.

Not afraid of soldering at all, but I've never done it with a coax cable.  To what part of the right angle Swtichcraft plug do I solder the coax?

for a coax cable, there is only one conductor and the shield.  the center conductor connects to the center "pin" on the RCA plug.  the shield goes to the outer part of the RCA plug.

I hope that was clear, or clear enough, anyway.  let me know if you'd like a more detailed explanation.

and as far as cabling goes, what I did was bought a 12-foot orange radio shack S/PDIF cable.  and then I bought lots of those right-angle connectors.  then I hacked up the orange cable, and made 4 or 5 short S/PDIF cables, or varying lengths.  some with the right-angles on both ends.  and two cables with a right-angle on one end, and the original straight RCA on the other end.  that worked for me very well.  or you could probably just buy some 75-ohm coaxial cable from markertek.com as well.

[cmoorevt]

for a coax cable, there is only one conductor and the shield.  the center conductor connects to the center "pin" on the RCA plug.  the shield goes to the outer part of the RCA plug.

I hope that was clear, or clear enough, anyway.  let me know if you'd like a more detailed explanation.

Thanks Jason.  I've made regular non-soldered spdif cables before, so that makes sense.  I was just unsure what part of the conductor went to what part of the plug.

I actually just went to Radio Shack and found a right angle RCA plug.  Basically an RCA plug extender.  The female end of the plug accepts a male rca, so I plugged my canare spdif cable into it and then the male end of the Radio Shack right angle plug into the MT.  Perfect fit.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=274-915

[TenoRichards]

Need to read more closely to see if this has been covered, but....

Someone asked wtf could be draining the batteries so quickly....Is the headphone/line out whatever active while recording? I remember Sony telling people to 'MAKE SURE to turn DOWN the MD units while recording as this will much more quickly drain the internal batteries."

FWIW
Andrew

[it-goes-to-eleven]

FWIW, I always try and remember to turn down the headphone output on any recorder because it could cause noise in the pre-amp.  I figure the less signal floating around the better.

[MarkyMark]

Need to read more closely to see if this has been covered, but....

Someone asked wtf could be draining the batteries so quickly....Is the headphone/line out whatever active while recording? I remember Sony telling people to 'MAKE SURE to turn DOWN the MD units while recording as this will much more quickly drain the internal batteries."

FWIW
Andrew

I haven't tried the line outs yet, but yes, the headphone jack is active while recording.

[mmedley.]

Need to read more closely to see if this has been covered, but....

Someone asked wtf could be draining the batteries so quickly....Is the headphone/line out whatever active while recording? I remember Sony telling people to 'MAKE SURE to turn DOWN the MD units while recording as this will much more quickly drain the internal batteries."

FWIW
Andrew

I haven't tried the line outs yet, but yes, the headphone jack is active while recording.

From my quick test last night, I did not get anything from headphone out recording from SPDIF at 24/48.

First chance I've gotten to mess with it though since I got it.

[mmedley.]

What is everyone using for SPDIF cables to connect to this thing?  My Canare cables won't completely fit into the SPDIF input as the housing on the MT is too tight around the plug.  I am hesistant to shave the plastic off the MT to allow for more room. Any ideas?

FYI...go to your computer store and look for alternate USB cables. I have one that came with my Canon digicam (exact same as the MT's), but the USB cable housing on the MT end is MUCH smaller and allows fatter SPDIF cables to be plugged in concurrently.

You might be able to order from Canon. It is the best option I have found so far.

Edit:

Link to Canon site for cable.

http://www.canoncompanystore.com/epages/annex.storefront?ProductDetail=9370A001AA

[clarson]

From my quick test last night, I did not get anything from headphone out recording from SPDIF at 24/48.

Same here

[coloartist]

What is everyone using for SPDIF cables to connect to this thing?  My Canare cables won't completely fit into the SPDIF input as the housing on the MT is too tight around the plug.  I am hesistant to shave the plastic off the MT to allow for more room. Any ideas?

I have 4 digital coax cables. The only one that fits the MT is my right angle coax from www.kindkables.com . It fits very snug, and my external usb power cable fits next to it with a little trimming on the spdif side. I don't see the one on the KK site, but I'm sure Ed would have no problem making some.

[ShawnF]

That's Todd's larger version of the juice box, with the pass-through in addition to the 5V, right?

[jbraveman]

Notes on 1st MT (upgraded firmware) recording experience (and 1st 24 bit). 

Scofield 10-12-05 at Stone Church in NH.  Ran 4022 > Sonosax > MT.  I was about 8 ft from the stage clamped to the ceiling, about 9 ft up.  I ran the sax on low gain with the levels at one or two clicks from the lowest setting.  The MT was line in (1/4 TRS) and the recording level was about 40%.  I was recording to a 6gb apple microdrive at 24/96.  The levels were good and only a few points at the very loudest did I get the red indicator lights to come on.  I used a usb battery pack just to be sure that I didn't have any battery issues.  I was able to start and restart the recording at around 45 mins during applause.  I did it again before the encore.  The restart process only took a few seconds.  I had no hangs or freeze ups.  As others have mentioned, the meters become useless after a while.  The good news is that the red indicator lights still come on for high levels.

On first listen the recording sounds incredible.  24 bit is definitely the way to go.  However, I've already found 3 glitches.  One sounds like a skip and the other 2 sound like short static bursts (0.2 seconds or so).  I checked them out in goldwave.  One of the glitches looks like the diginoise I sometimes see on DAT transfers with the wave sqared off.  The other one that sounds like a click does not show high bursts in the wave editor.  Could these be related to the microdrive and the sample rate?  I'm tempted to grab a 4gb CF card before my next 2 shows which are this friday and saturday.    Thoughts    It was a great, great show.