Topic: [PT 2] M-Audio MicroTrack 2496 - *actual* real-life experiences thread

[plucks]

16/48 from SBM-1 to spdif on MT.  4gb microdrive.  Stops exactly at 57:53, 651,189kb each time (3times in a row).  Files confirmed to be 16/48 in goldwave.  Very bizzare.

What kind of flash card were you using??
I had the same thing happen to me

[jbraveman]

16/48 from SBM-1 to spdif on MT.  4gb microdrive.  Stops exactly at 57:53, 651,189kb each time (3times in a row).  Files confirmed to be 16/48 in goldwave.  Very bizzare.

What kind of flash card were you using??
I had the same thing happen to me

hitachi 4gb microdrive.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Soundboard sample from the MT:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=52150.0

[jcrab66]

ok, finally had a chance to actually use this thing in a real situation and unfortunatly i let someone use my JB3 who promptly messed it up by injecting 48v into the line in so i had no backup. Heres what happened:

10/12 - recorded 3 bands, all at 24/48 analog in (C4's > UA5 > MT). The first thing i noticed is the meters seemed to act normally for the first 10 minutes or so of each set but then started acting real buggy so as has been mentioned they are pretty worthless, i just set the input to where the red lights would flash( i did get varying intensities)  every once in a while which put all three recordings at around -3db when i looked at them with CEP. The biggest problem is all 3 have some rather annoying noise that is especially noticable during quiet times, almost like some hardrive noise even though there is nothing mechanical going on there. Its not overbearing but its definitly there.

10/13 - same room, mics in exact same  place (never took them down from night before), got there early enough for soundcheck because i wanted to try some different 1/4" adapters and rca cable, i also wanted to try recording at 16/44.1 and 24/48 to see if there was a noise problem as there was the night before. I recorded part of the soundcheck at both settings and when listening afterwards there was no noise present so i chocked up the night before to a bad adapter or something. When the show started i decided to record at 24/96, nothing including level adjustments were changed from soundcheck earlier. The thing recorded fine, level meters did the same as the night before. I got bitten by the 2 GB bug but fortunately it was right after the "thank you, good night" so i just started another file to get the encores. The big problem was after i transfered it later. This thing is unlistenable, sounds like they are playing underwater and its all broken up and distorted. I am thinking that maybe this Dane-Elec 4GB CF card cant keep up with the write speed required for 24/96, thats the only thing i can think of unless there is an actual flaw recording analog in at that sample rate. I have to do some testing of this now with a diff card to see if thats the problem, anyone else have this happen yet?

[JasonSobel]

ok, finally had a chance to actually use this thing in a real situation and unfortunatly i let someone use my JB3 who promptly messed it up by injecting 48v into the line in so i had no backup. Heres what happened:

10/12 - recorded 3 bands, all at 24/48 analog in (C4's > UA5 > MT). The first thing i noticed is the meters seemed to act normally for the first 10 minutes or so of each set but then started acting real buggy so as has been mentioned they are pretty worthless, i just set the input to where the red lights would flash( i did get varying intensities)  every once in a while which put all three recordings at around -3db when i looked at them with CEP. The biggest problem is all 3 have some rather annoying noise that is especially noticable during quiet times, almost like some hardrive noise even though there is nothing mechanical going on there. Its not overbearing but its definitly there.

10/13 - same room, mics in exact same  place (never took them down from night before), got there early enough for soundcheck because i wanted to try some different 1/4" adapters and rca cable, i also wanted to try recording at 16/44.1 and 24/48 to see if there was a noise problem as there was the night before. I recorded part of the soundcheck at both settings and when listening afterwards there was no noise present so i chocked up the night before to a bad adapter or something. When the show started i decided to record at 24/96, nothing including level adjustments were changed from soundcheck earlier. The thing recorded fine, level meters did the same as the night before. I got bitten by the 2 GB bug but fortunately it was right after the "thank you, good night" so i just started another file to get the encores. The big problem was after i transfered it later. This thing is unlistenable, sounds like they are playing underwater and its all broken up and distorted. I am thinking that maybe this Dane-Elec 4GB CF card cant keep up with the write speed required for 24/96, thats the only thing i can think of unless there is an actual flaw recording analog in at that sample rate. I have to do some testing of this now with a diff card to see if thats the problem, anyone else have this happen yet?

I'm curious to know why you didn't run S/PDIF from the ua-5 into the MicroTrack?  With the digital input, you wouldn't have had to worry about the noisy analog stage of the MicroTrack.  You would have been able to run 24/48 (although not 24/96 yet).  and also, from what I understand of the UA-5, the analog outputs are not pass-thru.  that is, the signal goes through the a/d converter, and then through the d/a converter to output the analog signal.

[jcrab66]

I'm curious to know why you didn't run S/PDIF from the ua-5 into the MicroTrack? 

that would be because i have a known bad coax, i never worried much about replacing it because i had been using opti out with the JB3, I tried to go buy one before the shows but the only option on this Island is rat shack and the only cables they have are monsters which have those big flared connectors which wont fit into the MT. I have never used the UA5 to do any 24 bit stuff though. I wonder if it will automatically record at whatever bit depth is selected on the recorder at whatever sample rate is selected on the UA5, guess another experiment is in order, need a new coax though....

[Brian Skalinder]

I wonder if it will automatically record at whatever bit depth is selected on the recorder at whatever sample rate is selected on the UA5, guess another experiment is in order, need a new coax though....

Not sure what you're getting at with the above, but if you're running UA5 digital out > MT, you should set the bit-depth (via the rear ADV switch, off = 16b, on = 24b) and sample rate (via the front knob) on the UA5.

[John Kelly]

I'm curious to know why you didn't run S/PDIF from the ua-5 into the MicroTrack?

that would be because i have a known bad coax, i never worried much about replacing it because i had been using opti out with the JB3, I tried to go buy one before the shows but the only option on this Island is rat shack and the only cables they have are monsters which have those big flared connectors which wont fit into the MT. I have never used the UA5 to do any 24 bit stuff though. I wonder if it will automatically record at whatever bit depth is selected on the recorder at whatever sample rate is selected on the UA5, guess another experiment is in order, need a new coax though....

I picked up a coax cable from rat shack (not monster) that fits the MT perfectly.

[jcrab66]

Not sure what you're getting at with the above, but if you're running UA5 digital out > MT, you should set the bit-depth (via the rear ADV switch, off = 16b, on = 24b) and sample rate (via the front knob) on the UA5.

ahh, thks, guess i should of read the book on that switch

[jcrab66]

I picked up a coax cable from rat shack (not monster) that fits the MT perfectly.

unfortunately for me then that i dont live close to the rat shack that your talking about because the one near here carries nothing but monster coax with huge flared connectors, think i'm just gonna order a new one from ebay or something....

[John Kelly]

I picked up a coax cable from rat shack (not monster) that fits the MT perfectly.

unfortunately for me then that i dont live close to the rat shack that your talking about because the one near here carries nothing but monster coax with huge flared connectors, think i'm just gonna order a new one from ebay or something....

I dunno why Radio Shack wouldn't carry their own brand of cables...

[cmoorevt]

I picked up a coax cable from rat shack (not monster) that fits the MT perfectly.

unfortunately for me then that i dont live close to the rat shack that your talking about because the one near here carries nothing but monster coax with huge flared connectors, think i'm just gonna order a new one from ebay or something....

Most radio shacks also carry right angle rca connectors.  Connect your existing coax cable to the female end and connect the male end to the MT.  I had the same problem with a Canare coax cable and the right angle connector solved it.

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

[fuzn]

Hey. So i'm in the finishing touches of a new rig, and i'd really appreciate some help so I can make sure I get the right parts. I have the microtracker, and need to figure out if the phantom power adapters are required for phantom power on the microtracker with cmc-8 mics.

I actually don't even know if SP-CMC-8 mics will work with phantom power with this thing, but I sure as heck hope so. I'm going to be running these mics direclty into the Microtracker.

This is the rig I have picked out so far...
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?item=SP-CMC-8 Cardoid SP-CMC-8 Mics
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-PHANTOM Phantom Power/Plug-In Power Mod

This is where i'm confused, do I need the power modules for Phantom Power for the Microtracker, or could I just use the wire below and skip the phantom power adapters all together?
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-MICROTRACK-XLRF-TRS In other words, do I need this wire, 'DUAL XLRF TO 1/4 TRS ADAPTER FOR USE WITH XLR BALANCED MICS AND MICROTRACK"
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/ISI-SPA-PM4 Or would I have to have them mod my phantom power adapters to be like this?  "ISI-SPA-PM4 STEREO PHANTOM ADAPTER FOR BALANCED ELECTRET CONDENSER MICROPHONES FOR PMD660, PMD670, PMD671, M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96"

Hopefully someone that has used the phantom power on this thing can help me out. I've searched for a long time, and I haven't seen any definite answers. I'd much rather not use the phantom adapters as they're just about as big as the microtracker itself, and i'm trying to keep it as small as possible, but if it's needed, then I guess i'll have to deal. Any help is appreciated, thanks a lot!

[MBHOTAPER]

Aren't MBHOs some of the most power hungry mics out there? 

No doubt! Schoeps and MBHOs draw a lot of power.

[MoFo2]

This is (probably) a extremely newbie question but if you use one of those usb battery boxes to extend the MT's battery life, would you still need phantom power (like fuzn linked to) for the mics if you turn phantom power to ON on the MT? Again sorry if this is a stupid question...

MoFo2