First off, welcome back to taping, Gene.
There are some good suggestions here in this thread, and running SKM-184s > PS2 > SBM-1 > Microtrack seems like a fine option since the SBM is a solid A/D. You might want to PM
hi and lo and compare notes as he still runs one from time to time (the "Super Battery Muncher" as he calls it, lol). The part of the signal chain that gives me pause is the Microtrack. While some tapers have run them without problems, there are others who have had reliability and battery issues, and there are even
reports here on TS and elsewhere of the battery overheating and exploding. Otherwise, it could be fine as your bit bucket.
Speaking of "bit buckets", this topic has been beaten to death elsewhere on these forums but it bears repeating here. A true bit bucket is a device that bypasses it's analog stage (if it has one) and acts strictly as a repository for the digital signal from another device (the 1's and 0's) that has already done the A/D converting. The Sony M10, Roland R-05, Edirol R-09HR, Tascam DR-05/07/40/60, etc.? All nice decks but they ain't bit buckets.