Topic: Poll: Are you sorry you bought A Microtrack?

[Aaron41]

I'm still drooling over this thing even after all the "complaints". I am currently running a second-hand JB3. While it gets the job done, spending $300 on a recorder that records at 48/24 sounds pretty damn good to me STILL. After they bring it to 96/24 I'll be all over it.

I've heard some tapes done with the MT and they sound great. I love Skalinder's Nickel Creek set with the unit.

It is still a wonderful stealth tool too from the looks of it.

I still think this is a case where everyone thought this unit would totally change taping for the better. It is just a great alternative to a MUCH more expensive recorder. I'd love a 722 but can't justify dropping $2300 for it.

A firmwire upgraded MT will most likely be a part of the massive upgrade I do in a year or two.

[danlynch]

I'm still drooling over this thing even after all the "complaints". I am currently running a second-hand JB3. While it gets the job done, spending $300 on a recorder that records at 48/24 sounds pretty damn good to me STILL. After they bring it to 96/24 I'll be all over it.

I've heard some tapes done with the MT and they sound great. I love Skalinder's Nickel Creek set with the unit.

It is still a wonderful stealth tool too from the looks of it.

I still think this is a case where everyone thought this unit would totally change taping for the better. It is just a great alternative to a MUCH more expensive recorder. I'd love a 722 but can't justify dropping $2300 for it.

A firmwire upgraded MT will most likely be a part of the massive upgrade I do in a year or two.

You can have my practically-new only-used-it-twice  MT for $250.  I'm serious.

[George]

After last weekend, I couldn't be happier with my new DPA 4061's > MMA6000 pre > MT stealth rig!   I recorded my very first two U2 shows last Friday and Saturday nights in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand.  Friday night FOB, dead center.  Saturday night in the seats at the back of the arena, a few rows off the floor just to left of the mixing board.  Both recordings turned out great, at least to my ears!   I recorded at 24/48.  The only glitch, which happened Friday night, was my fault.  I somehow accidentally hit the L/M/H switch and set it to H as I was stopping/restarting the recording before the encore to avoid the 2GB limit.  Probably as I was sliding the MT back into my pocket.   So the last 4 songs were heavily clipped.  Once they add the auto-restart feature in the next firmware upgrade to address the 2GB limit, that should help prevent any more mishaps like this one.  In the meantime, I now have a glob of epoxy in that L/M/H switch to keep it from moving from the L position.

Here are some sample FLAC (24/48) from the two U2 Vegas recordings:

11/4  "Love and Peace or Else.flac"  -  http://s6.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=23TIDW0ZT4GHB0L0VSA4XOCRMI
11/4 "Sunday Bloody Sunday.flac" - http://s29.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2Z8GWM21XH1IH0TVJSIWTKLLQH
11/5 "Bullet the Blue Sky.flac" - http://s32.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0RH737Z4PS9DF0RTLXWOLH6YJG
11/5 "In a Little While (wth Brandon Flowers of The Killers).flac" - http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=30QS4X9LN1PQU281OQ0NM0ULYD

Wow, i just listened to sunday bloody sunday and that bass reponse is killer.  Very nice stealth tape, boy am i jealous!

As for the Tracker, i'm just waiting till they get all the bugs worked out so i wont have any issues in a stealth scenario and i'll jump on one asap.  The meters thing would freak me out too and yes, i would consider that a showstopper is i can't tell if i'm clipping or not.

[RumoredToTheSN]

You can have my practically-new only-used-it-twice  MT for $250.  I'm serious.

i'll take you up on that!

 

[Nick Graham]

Are you sorry you bought A Microtrack?

Well, in the 7 hours I've owned one, the answer's no....

I'll report back further after Mule Wednesday night.

[oldwave]

OK I bought the microtrack with an open mind even after reading the growing pains that might be fixed with firmware update. However, either I have a bad one or there are some very serious design faults.  I flashed the firmware immediately and began to try to record.  First problem an old slow compact flash card that could not keep up, I figured that out pretty quick, I used a newer one and it cleared up some of the issues there.  I then tried a spidif recording from my computer interface and that worked ok.  The I tried some analog recording witht the 1/8 input.  I found that the shielding on this thing is so bad that when I put my thumb over the lcd screen the level of self noise increased to an unacceptable level, just the electricty from my body was making this thing noisy.  Next I heard of problems using the 1/4 inputs.  I sent a -10 consumer level signal from my cd recorder and the inputs where immediately over level, not a +4 balanced level mind you but a -10!  While the inpurs are marked mic/line, I expect what is happening is that all signal is being routed through the mic preamp, which will make in useless as a line level recorder without major external pads. It also froze a lot as has been reported.  I am calling them tommorow to speak with tech support about the signal input design and see if what I suspect is correct or if the firmware is so bad that the audio is mis routed.  I have been a recording engineer for many years, and in fact worked as a live recording engineer for the Rock Hall for 5 years, I understand levels, impedence, and basic signal flow.  I have beeln hoping for a small minature device that would double as a mp3 player as well as record high quality audio.  It is not quite there yet, it needs a more robust build, line and mic level inputs, (ala the pro walkman from many years ago) and a mature level of dsp progamming before release.  I hope that Tascam or Panasonic steps up to the table and gives a truly pro quality piece at a decent price.  
While this is not meant to rant, I am open to the posiibility that the unit is bad, any body else been able to record -10 line level inputs with out problems ?

[it-goes-to-eleven]

"You're obviously not an early adopter."   

[oldwave]

Hey all I asked was for some feedback on whether anyone else has the same issues with the line level inputs, not a generic flame. 

[it-goes-to-eleven]

It wasn't a generic flame. It was originally directed at me for bitching about *my* microtrack.

[Zaphod]

Hey all I asked was for some feedback on whether anyone else has the same issues with the line level inputs, not a generic flame. 

Someone wrote to M-Audio and recieved a reply that they are aware of the line-in issue and are going to address it in the next firmware. It's in another thread here: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=52968.15

[plucks]

25 hours of use in 2 weeks using the  MT2496 recording SPDIF in..only 16/44.1, Thats a lot of use in a short period of time IMO.  NO Complaints!!  will be changing sample rate in about 2 weeks when i get a new comp.

[cmoorevt]

Got an email from M-Audio today that said a new firmware will be out this Friday.  Considering almost all their other firmware upgrades for other devices come out on Mondays I'll believe it when I see it, but at least it is more promising than what they had been saying previously, which was not much.

[L Ron Hoover]

Woooo!! Good news!

[mmedley.]

Awesome! Looking forward to it.

[SClassical]

Got an email from M-Audio today that said a new firmware will be out this Friday.  Considering almost all their other firmware upgrades for other devices come out on Mondays I'll believe it when I see it, but at least it is more promising than what they had been saying previously, which was not much.

Went to the M-audio website today (Friday), I did not see a new firmware.