Topic: M-Audio MicroTracker details **PART IV**

[OFOTD]

Part I, II and III down and now part IV of the M-Audio MicroTrack discussion.  There has been alot of information and speculation and we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

If you have any new factual information or have a report on vendors and their prices please PM me with them and I will update this page.

Here is what we know so far as FACT:

Dimensions:
2.25" X 4.13" X 1.13"  ->   57.2  x 104.9 x 28.7 mm

Media:
The MicroTrack will be able to use BOTH CompactFlash cards as well as Microdrives

Power:
5v - Internal Battery with an expected run time of 3 hours with the 48v phantom on and 8 hours with the phantom off.
      External Power will be via the USB port
      The internal battery while replacable DOES NOT seem to be removable for in the field use

Price:  MSR $499      Looks like street price will be $399 with several dealers attempting to undercut that.  Lowest current price (as of 8.18.05)  seems to be $350 from Cascade Media.

Mods:
None yet. 

User Manual:
http://m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.manuals&PID=196cc4c35a380d800a80448f139bcfe7&language=en&x=36&y=9

Arrival date:
According to several sources it's looking like a mid September release date.  Actual shipping date will vary depending on who you order from.

Vendors:
(these prices are reported prices, please check with these vendors for their latest prices)

Cascade Media -  $350 + shipping   http://www.cascademedia.net
Sweetwater - $399 + free shipping   http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MicroTrack/
B&H Photo/Video - $399 + free shipping   http://www.bhphotovideo.com
J&R - $379 + shipping     http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4050702
Crap-Sound - $369 + shipping    http://www.core-sound.com/microtrack_2496.html
Audiomidi.com - $399 + free shipping (preorders only)  http://www.audiomidi.com
Sound Professionals - $398 + free shipping (use coupon code free_shipping_promo) http://www.soundprofessionals.com/
DJMart - $360 + shipping  (must use coupon code AUGUST10 or price is $399)  http://www.djmart.com
Sam Ash - $399 w/ free shipping    http://www.samash.com

Marketing Video:
http://sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=2287#
This was a demo video from MAudio at NAMM 2005

M-Audic MicroTrack Homepage:
English
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MicroTrack-main.html

German
http://www.m-audio.de/microtrack.htm


The latest pics as of 8.23.05












 


 




 




Specs as posted on the Oade Brothers site Note these have not been confirmed by M-Audio yet
# 1/8" Mic Input
# Input Level: -14dBV
# Signal-to-Noise Ratio: -98dB, A-weighted
# Dynamic Range: 98dB, A-weighted
# THD+N: 0.003% (-90dB) @ -1dBFS, 1kHz
# Channel-to-Channel Crosstalk (Bal): < -100dB
# Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz, +/- 0.5dB
# Preamp Gain: >34dB
# Stereo electret condenser power: electret condenser power enable

1/4" Mic/Line Inputs
# Maximum Input Level: +4.3dBu, balanced; +2.1dBV, unbalanced
# Signal-to-Noise Ratio: -100dB, A-weighted
# Dynamic Range: 100dB, A-weighted
# THD+N: 0.003% (-90dB) @ -1dBFS, 1kHz
# Channel-to-Channel Crosstalk (Bal): < -100dB
# Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz, +/- 0.3dB @ 48kHz sample rate
# Pre-amp Gain: > 55dB
# Phantom Power: switchable phantom power

Line Outputs
# Maximum Output Level: +2dBV, unbalanced
# Signal-to-Noise Ratio: -102dB, A-weighted
# Dynamic Range: 102dB, A-weighted
# THD+N: 0.00265% (-91.5dB) @ -1dBFS, 1kHz
# Channel-to-Channel Crosstalk (Bal): < -100dB
# Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz, +/- 0.3dB @ 48kHz sample rate

Headphone Output
# Maximum Output: -2.0dBV at THD < 0.02% into 32 ohms
# Working Range: 16 ohms to 600 ohms


Here is the link for the first part of this thread:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=45556.0

Here is the link for the second part of this thread:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=47014.0

Here is the link for the third part of this thread:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=48419.0

[nic]

Wayne, when did Avid purchase DigiDesign?
guess this is the reason there has suddenly been alot of M-Audio/ProTools collaborations...

[Brian]

avid also owns m-audio as of august 16th, 2004.  hmmm i can't seem to find when they bought digidesign actually.

[Nick's Picks]

cascade has $399 listed on their site?

[OFOTD]

cascade has $399 listed on their site?

I saw that as well but have gotten several recent PM's about Frank still giving the good deal.  If someone is quoted higher than $350 from Frank now then i'll change that real quick. 

[mmedley.]

I get why everyone uses FAT32, because its most prevelent and compatible with most apps and OS's. NTFS filesystems has no file size restrictions and no file splits are needed on any type of file. I wish these portable recorders would take other filesystems into consideration when being made. Especially $2K-$10k ones.

[BayTaynt3d]

Guys, I'm wondering something maybe you all might be able to help me with. As some of you might know, I'm more of a "video guy" than an "audio guy," but I'm looking to change that. I've been also pondering purchasing the MT as are many of you. Beside using it for audio-only projects (with or without a pre & a/d), I'm expecting to use it in concert with video. Now sometimes, I'd just cap the audio with the MT completely seperately from the video, then sync with video in post. But at other times, I'd like to do something more like I'm about to describe, which will help with sync later and still give me another source of audience sound too.

Here's the standard setup, right?

Mics > Power > Pre > A/D > MicroTrack

Now, I would look to do something like this:

Take audio outs from MT > Convert to mono > Feed mono into one channel of video cam with different mic feeding other channel into cam

This leaves me with HQ audio on the MT, then a mono mix of the same thing into R-channel of cam, and another mic feeding into L-channel of cam. This permits me to get a third mic (track if you will) into the mix, plus it'll made syncing the HQ audio from the MT in the video timeline a breeze. That third track/mic can come in very handy when I'm able to take stereo from the board because I'll be able to get audience & room ambiance from my third mic to mix in post (and if I really needed it, I could take two more tracks into the cam instead of the mono mix and just deal with syncing sperately).

Now in my situation, I've got a couple of alternatives, but ultimately, my cam takes a mini mic-level plug. So, I can either convert into mini mic-level or I can bring XLR line level into my video XLR adapter (think beachtek) and then from the ALR adapter into the mic-level mini into my cam. So, considering I really have two options for output from the MT, line-level RCA or mini headphones out, I've got a couple options. It seems to me, one easy solution might be to take the headphones out mini right into my cam making sure to set the headphones out level LOW enough not to clip in my cam (and probably setting my cam's manual gain pretty low so the cam's preamp doesn't get tapped much). Do you guys think that would work at all? Remember, I've caught the HQ audio to the MT, so the quality on this mono mix into my cam doesn't have to be that great, it's mostly there to make syncing easier. The other option I guess would be to take those RCA outs into an XLR connection to my beachteck, turn the beachtek switch to line-level input, then just connect the beachtek to my cam's mini input like always. That should also work, but I'm not sure I've ever seen RCA-to-XLR adapters before? Now the other trick is to tack it down to mono before it hits the cam. That is easy on the headphones route (just use a stereo-to-mono adapter), but from the RCA side not sure. Need to blend the two RCA's, then get it into XLR form? Another possible route is to get a 2RCA-to-1 Mini adapter, and then somehow attentuate the signal down to mic level before plugging into my cam?

Just curious if any of you brilliant audio engineers got any advice on this front because I'm trying to work some of this stuff out in my head before taking the plunge with the MT.

[wbrisette]

Wayne, when did Avid purchase DigiDesign?
guess this is the reason there has suddenly been alot of M-Audio/ProTools collaborations...

From the Digi website:

In 1995, Digidesign became a division of Avid Technology, Inc.

I knew it was a while back, but didn't realize it was that long ago.

Wayne

[prof_peabody]

I get why everyone uses FAT32, because its most prevelent and compatible with most apps and OS's. NTFS filesystems has no file size restrictions and no file splits are needed on any type of file. I wish these portable recorders would take other filesystems into consideration when being made. Especially $2K-$10k ones.

Wasn't Microsoft threatening to enforce their FAT32 patent recently?  Maybe they realized that everyone using MS standards would be good for business.

[The Kilted Taper]

I saw that as well but have gotten several recent PM's about Frank still giving the good deal.  If someone is quoted higher than $350 from Frank now then i'll change that real quick. 

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think we should be taking advantage of Frank's generosity towards those that pre-ordered with him several months ago. The $350 price was for those folks patience and a "Thank You" from Frank for ordering from him. Now, if he's cool with it that's one thing....

[John Kelly]

I saw that as well but have gotten several recent PM's about Frank still giving the good deal.  If someone is quoted higher than $350 from Frank now then i'll change that real quick. 

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think we should be taking advantage of Frank's generosity towards those that pre-ordered with him several months ago. The $350 price was for those folks patience and a "Thank You" from Frank for ordering from him. Now, if he's cool with it that's one thing....

Seriously.  I'd only put advertised prices in this thread. 

In any case, I just needed a post in here to subscribe to it since the other thread got locked...

[silentmark]

The $350 price was for those folks patience and a "Thank You" from Frank for ordering from him. Now, if he's cool with it that's one thing....

Was just getting to post this ...

[OFOTD]

I saw that as well but have gotten several recent PM's about Frank still giving the good deal.  If someone is quoted higher than $350 from Frank now then i'll change that real quick. 

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think we should be taking advantage of Frank's generosity towards those that pre-ordered with him several months ago. The $350 price was for those folks patience and a "Thank You" from Frank for ordering from him. Now, if he's cool with it that's one thing....

Nobody is taking advantage of Frank at all, reallly quite the opposite.  The price listed was reported to me via PM from several members of what has been offered not just several weeks ago but recently as well.  Also the prices listed  clearly state "(these prices are reported prices, please check with these vendors for their latest prices)"

By no means should a price in this or any other thread be regarded final and binding as to what ANY vendor wishes to choose to sell his product for unless that vendor makes his own price post.  I think this is grasping at straws here guys.   

[nic]

fyi, sam ash $399 w/ free shipping...or you could just get it at 1 of their stores.
(for those who need instant gratification of course)

[thegreatgumbino]

ofotd,.... +t for maintaining the MicroTracker threads!

Ditto. +T