Microtrack II - Part 2

[nathan_g]

O.K. folks - got a question for you. This may well be a no-brainer but I'm new to recording and simply don't know what to do here.

I have a Microtrack 2, a pair of SP-CMC-8 omnis and a Sound Professionals battery box - not sure the model, it's older and not sold on their site anymore, runs on a 9-volt battery. The mics have 3.5mm plugs and run into a Y connector which I've been running into the MT2 1/8" mic in. The bbox has a 3.5mm jack and plug as well. I want to run mics > bbox > mt2 via the 1/8" mic in but i'm just a little scared to plug it in after reading this:

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.faq&ID=9a237a0b77a1865fb5f66e14d146b6c6

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.faq&ID=069ce733df6a2782d6212893fc4a431d

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.faq&ID=5d99c9ee03fa5f70bac4c743877145a7

Is it necessary to use the 1/4" inputs if I want to run phantom power? Can I fry the MT2 if I run the bbox straight in to the mic in? Any help on this will  be greatly appreciated.

[dallman]

O.K. folks - got a question for you. This may well be a no-brainer but I'm new to recording and simply don't know what to do here.

I have a Microtrack 2, a pair of SP-CMC-8 omnis and a Sound Professionals battery box - not sure the model, it's older and not sold on their site anymore, runs on a 9-volt battery. The mics have 3.5mm plugs and run into a Y connector which I've been running into the MT2 1/8" mic in. The bbox has a 3.5mm jack and plug as well. I want to run mics > bbox > mt2 via the 1/8" mic in but i'm just a little scared to plug it in after reading this:

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.faq&ID=9a237a0b77a1865fb5f66e14d146b6c6

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.faq&ID=069ce733df6a2782d6212893fc4a431d

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=support.faq&ID=5d99c9ee03fa5f70bac4c743877145a7

Is it necessary to use the 1/4" inputs if I want to run phantom power? Can I fry the MT2 if I run the bbox straight in to the mic in? Any help on this will  be greatly appreciated.

From my limited knowledge...

You would use a battery box or use phantom power. I cannot think of any situation where you would use both. The mics you mention would be best used with battery box not phantom power.

As far as I know the phantom power is for the 1/4" TRS jacks, but again even if I used the 1/4 jacks with your set up, I'd use the battery box. If you had an MT1, you would actually be adapting the mics to go into the 1/4 jacks as the 1/8 seems to run too hot, but my understanding from reading various threads here on TS, is that this is not the case on the MT2.

[nathan_g]

Wow, that was fast! Thanks for the quick reply...

As to phantom power I think maybe I gave the wrong impression. I'm not trying to use both - someone referred to the battery box as a phantom power adapter and left me thinking they were one and the same. I just want to know if it's safe or for that matter if it's proper to run the battery box into the 1/8" mic jack on the mt2 or do I need something like this:

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-MICROTRACK-MINI-TRS

to safely run the battery box.

[taperwheeler]

I run sp-cmc-8's to my MT2 going 3.5mm in as well.  The 48v phantom power is for the 1/4 inputs.  It won't affect your mics at all.  Still shouldn't turn it on...will pro'ly drain the batt much faster.  Keep running the batt box in the chain.  I made 1 recording going sp-cmc-8> mt2... sounds pretty distorted.  Needs the extra voltage.

[taperwheeler]

The only way to go in thru the trs requires a mod to the cabling.  I would stick with the 1/8th in.  It is actually less noisy anyway.

MY .02

[nathan_g]

I run sp-cmc-8's to my MT2 going 3.5mm in as well.  The 48v phantom power is for the 1/4 inputs.  It won't affect your mics at all.  Still shouldn't turn it on...will pro'ly drain the batt much faster.  Keep running the batt box in the chain.  I made 1 recording going sp-cmc-8> mt2... sounds pretty distorted.  Needs the extra voltage.

THANK YOU - That's what I was hoping to hear. I had this picture in my head of plugging in the bbox and sparks shooting out...

[taperwheeler]

Wanted to check in and see if there are any fellow MT2 users who have run a CA-9100 pre to 1/8th input on the device.  I'm expecting one in the next couple of weeks and would love any input from anyone who has used the combo.

[nathan_g]

I don't own a preamp...sorry. Any MT2 users ever use the 'Limiter' (Main Menu>Record Settings>Limiter) function? If so, what were the results? From what I gather it acts as a hard limiter of sorts which could be useful I suppose but I don't want to do anything that might degrade a recording. I've been afraid to use it for fear that it might 'squash' the louder sounds. Any ideas?

[popskull]

I don't own a preamp...sorry. Any MT2 users ever use the 'Limiter' (Main Menu>Record Settings>Limiter) function? If so, what were the results? From what I gather it acts as a hard limiter of sorts which could be useful I suppose but I don't want to do anything that might degrade a recording. I've been afraid to use it for fear that it might 'squash' the louder sounds. Any ideas?

I have not used the limiter function on the MTII..........but this has me wondering what the deal is with attenuation
for mic and line sources

All my Cassette/DAT decks and SBM1 had line/mic switches and -20db mic pads for those loud rock concerts we
tend to record

Whats the deal with the MTII?

I dont see any switches/settings to differentiate how it handles a line or mic signal.......does it auto attenuate?

I was considering using a 9100 pre, but not sure how to adjust for line in

I see nothing for mic attenuation, other than that 1/8" ext attenuator on the Maudio site
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MicroTrack10dBPad.html

I think the MT1 had a switch on the side to attenuate.......the MTII seems like that switch was replaced to
adjust the brighness of the display.

The manual and FAQ do not address this, so thought I would ask here

thanks

[nathan_g]

I don't own a preamp...sorry. Any MT2 users ever use the 'Limiter' (Main Menu>Record Settings>Limiter) function? If so, what were the results? From what I gather it acts as a hard limiter of sorts which could be useful I suppose but I don't want to do anything that might degrade a recording. I've been afraid to use it for fear that it might 'squash' the louder sounds. Any ideas?

I have not used the limiter function on the MTII..........but this has me wondering what the deal is with attenuation
for mic and line sources

All my Cassette/DAT decks and SBM1 had line/mic switches and -20db mic pads for those loud rock concerts we
tend to record

Whats the deal with the MTII?

I dont see any switches/settings to differentiate how it handles a line or mic signal.......does it auto attenuate?

I was considering using a 9100 pre, but not sure how to adjust for line in

I see nothing for mic attenuation, other than that 1/8" ext attenuator on the Maudio site
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MicroTrack10dBPad.html

I think the MT1 had a switch on the side to attenuate.......the MTII seems like that switch was replaced to
adjust the brighness of the display.

The manual and FAQ do not address this, so thought I would ask here

thanks

To the best of my knowledge there isn't any attenuator function. I've seen the inline M-Audio 10db pad and figure I'll need it. Everything I record seems to run hot if I set my levels above 15% or so. This of course leaves me no other choice (that I know of) than to boost the amplitude in post thereby raising the noise floor. That's what originally got me wondering about the limiter function - if it would be possible to raise my levels without clipping. I don't like the idea of having to add the M-Audio pad into the chain - more than likely it'll wind up unplugging at some really inconvenient time.

[taperwheeler]

I know that  m-audio boasts that the mt2 has "extended input gain range" which I assume is why there is no longer a switch for mic/line-in.  Guysonic tested the range and in a previous post indicated that the mt2's mic in has more room than the h2 line-in. 
I am supposed to be getting a ca-9100 pretty soon myself and am concerned about how my mics>9100>mt2 will play out.  Guess it'll all come out in the wash after some field testing.

[taperwheeler]

Here was the previous post by Guysonic that I was referring to.

Re: New improved microtrack (MT II)
« Reply #360 on: May 04, 2008, 05:39:34 AM » 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote from: taperwheeler on May 02, 2008, 02:34:00 PM
I haven't read anything about how well the unit handles high level spl's when recording through the 1/8" input and am curious if anyone has had any experience with it. I know M-Audio claims that the new unit has more headroom but that's not saying much. Would love to use my sp-cmc-8 mics straight in for stealth recording.


Measured: MT2 TRS inputs ~+4dBu Maximum (with REC adjust level set at minimum), and this ~+0.8dBu more than max on MT1; not much difference.   

MT2 minijack mic maximum ~ -2.4dBu (the ZOOM H2 maximum LINE input!) compared to MT1 -13.3dBu, so MT2 has slightly over 10dBu MORE headroom than MT1; this is a significant improvement.

[nathan_g]

I'm running SP-CMC-8 omnis>SP-SPSB-6>MT2 and recorded a show this past Friday. Stealthed it.  It's up on DIME right now (with mp3 samples) here:

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=218982

It came out pretty nice considering where i was seated. The only issue I really ran into as far as the recorder is concerned is the same thing that I previously posted about low input level/boosted amplitude in post/increased noise. The increased noise floor isn't anything dramatic but it still bugs me.

[taperwheeler]

I'm running SP-CMC-8 omnis>SP-SPSB-6>MT2 and recorded a show this past Friday. Stealthed it.  It's up on DIME right now (with mp3 samples) here:

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=218982

It came out pretty nice considering where i was seated. The only issue I really ran into as far as the recorder is concerned is the same thing that I previously posted about low input level/boosted amplitude in post/increased noise. The increased noise floor isn't anything dramatic but it still bugs me.

So when you increase the MT2 gain you end up with distortion? 

[nathan_g]

I haven't taken that chance, so far. When the red lights come on it's supposedly overloading - so says the manual. Whenever that happens, I lower the levels a bit until they stay off completely. That may be overcautious on my part but I'd rather boost levels in post than have a clipped recording that I can't do anything with. On the other hand, I haven't used any other mics with the MT2 - could it be that cmc-8's are just particularly sensitive?