Topic: M-Audio MicroTrack 2496 - *actual* real-life experiences thread

[jboyzh]

what were you feeding in on the s/pdif?  what type of cable did you use and does the molding of the case around the spdif jack get in the way?

Motu828, with low quality cable, but it seemed to work. I could actually see the level meters jumping, but not hear anything, even if the Input Monitor was set ON.

[oleg]

what about rca outs , did you try to check if something going out?
another thing , does it have ant int/ext power indicator  , charging indicator?
looks to me that you get what you pay for but i was expecting from maudio make more thinking about end users ,

[John Kelly]

- Battery time: Today I ran a test recording a MP3 file at 192kbps, and the unit recorded for 4 hours 30 minutes before it went off. (backlite off, input monitor on, headphones at low level and the included mic 1/8" plugged in)

Could you try the same thing with line in or digital in?  I'd imagine the 9v power required for the mic would tax the battery as well. 

[Ed.]

sorry if i sound like an ass here, but i think a lot of you are way to quick to judge.  two days ago, this was thought to be god's gift to the taping world by some of you.  now after you've heard reviews by two people, who have hardly even played with the thing, you're already fully discrediting it.

i think all of you should just remain calm.  either wait for yours to come and test it then, or wait for more reviews of the product.  you can't judge something from the few tests that have been done.

[jboyzh]

what about rca outs , did you try to check if something going out?
another thing , does it have ant int/ext power indicator  , charging indicator?
looks to me that you get what you pay for but i was expecting from maudio make more thinking about end users ,

just checked rca, but the same as with phones, no signal while spdif recording.
when charging with unit off, battery symbol constantly "fills" until full, then stays.
power indicator w external usb power shows letters "CHG", else just the battery symbol.

[Zaphod]

sorry if i sound like an ass here, but i think a lot of you are way to quick to judge.  two days ago, this was thought to be god's gift to the taping world by some of you.  now after you've heard reviews by two people, who have hardly even played with the thing, you're already fully discrediting it.

i think all of you should just remain calm.  either wait for yours to come and test it then, or wait for more reviews of the product.  you can't judge something from the few tests that have been done.

+T Ed, I still hope this unit pans out since I've been itching to upgrade for quite a while....

[bconnolly]

Even with these initial rudimentary "reviews" this piece of hardware is worth its weight in solder.  If nothing else, for 400 USD you get a digital/analog recording device that is far smaller than a JB3 and is cheaper and less cumbersome than dealing with DAT.  Moreover, the pre and phantom are there if you need them in a pinch.  400 USD, folks.

[oleg]

just checked rca, but the same as with phones, no signal while spdif recording.
when charging with unit off, battery symbol constantly "fills" until full, then stays.
power indicator w external usb power shows letters "CHG", else just the battery symbol.

that's bad -you know ,that's really bad
i can live with bad battery life but i cant live without knowing if  i have  some trouble with  the signal .
what about the  ph power , does it exist on line input as well or its disappear when you go from mike?
can you check if you still have 5v bias when you on line setting on the 1/8 input?
thanks
 oleg

[John Kelly]

just checked rca, but the same as with phones, no signal while spdif recording.
when charging with unit off, battery symbol constantly "fills" until full, then stays.
power indicator w external usb power shows letters "CHG", else just the battery symbol.

that's bad -you know ,that's really bad
i can live with bad battery life but i cant live without knowing if  i have  some trouble with  the signal .
what about the  ph power , does it exist on line input as well or its disappear when you go from mike?
can you check if you still have 5v bias when you on line setting on the 1/8 input?
thanks
 oleg

I don't see why that's a bad thing.  I can't even remember the last time I monitored my recordings in the field.  I know the V3 puts out a good SPDIF signal and I know the JB3 accepts it fine.  As long as the MicroTrack can do the same I'm all set.  If there's a problem it's definitely nothing I'd be able to fix in the field anyway...

[oleg]

 some people make a living with that stuff 
i'm not saying that is coming substitute the 744 , but ....

[johnw]

- The device can be turned ON (push DEL) when it's charging :-) and then again OFF (Menu > System > Connect to PC)

So does it record while charging and disconnected from the computer? Did you actually test this or just turn it on while charging? Regardless of what it actually gets on the internal battery, I think one of the crucial questions is will it record on external (USB) power.

[jboyzh]

that's bad -you know ,that's really bad
i can live with bad battery life but i cant live without knowing if  i have  some trouble with  the signal .
what about the  ph power , does it exist on line input as well or its disappear when you go from mike?
can you check if you still have 5v bias when you on line setting on the 1/8 input?
thanks
 oleg

hope it's just the FW...
ph power is on the 1/4 input when "ph power" button is put on, regardless of the LMH button.
the 1/8 input is mic only, but this seems to be as advertised on m-audio.com, so that's ok.

[Ed.]

some people make a living with that stuff
i'm not saying that is coming substitute the 744 , but ....

no offense, but if you're doing this for a living, and you're serious about your job/career/what you do for a living.  why would you use this, especially considering what else is available - 722, 744, deva, marantz, etc <-- all proven to work, all pro gear.  not to mention the soon to be released sonosax recorders.  *shrug*

[oleg]

[

hope it's just the FW...
ph power is on the 1/4 input when "ph power" button is put on, regardless of the LMH button.
the 1/8 input is mic only, but this seems to be as advertised on m-audio.com, so that's ok.

sorry  didn't get ,does the phantom still exist if you set to line level ?
did you check if setting to line level  influence on 1/8 input attenuation?
oleg

[jboyzh]

- The device can be turned ON (push DEL) when it's charging :-) and then again OFF (Menu > System > Connect to PC)

So does it record while charging and disconnected from the computer? Did you actually test this or just turn it on while charging? Regardless of what it actually gets on the internal battery, I think one of the crucial questions is will it record on external (USB) power.

Yes, it does, tested.
Right now I have the MT connected with the USB power plug only (NOT with the computer), and am recording from mic at the same time. The battery sign shows now "CHG" (instead of battery level symbol) while the device records and plays just normally.