Topic: M-Audio MicroTracker details **PART II**

[Rick]

I would never think that the microtrack would stand up to the 722, but a V3>microtrack might certainly stand up to it, and may well be better to some ears.  It might stack up as well as V2>722, esp depending on your tastes, and would be smaller and cheaper.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to V3>microtrack if it works like I hope after ACL fest.

[nickgregory]

That to me is pretty exciting, since it may well mean that 24-bit taping becomes the typical standard, not just done by the few with a 722 or the few that have the stomach to figure out how to reliably record 24 bit on a laptop or PDA.

apologies if I came off as some 722 snob...not the case at all....I am like most in that the more 24 bit recordings the better...and honestly if this thing works as billed, I can see myself getting one for stealth situations.  Only point I was trying to make is that for it to even be the modern day DAT replacement, at the price point it is at....I am guessing either corners were cut, which may not affect anything that is in a tapers feature set, or they found a new way to do things...

but I was definitely not disparaging the unit or folks that intend to get one...just a general comment.

[Todd R]

No problem Nick, I didn't take you as a 722 snob, but I was wondering if you somehow thought folks were thinking that the microtrack in some way fit the same niche as the 722.

At any rate, I'm not sure this needs to be cutting corners to reach the level of a Sony portable, even at $399.  The sony portables were designed awhile ago when this type of audio electronics were not in widespread use -- the ICs and esp very large scale microcontroller integrated circuits it used were not only new to portable audio, they were a somewhat new technology overall and were relatively expensive no matter what the application.  The guts of the Sony DAT used very small scale and very precise mechanics and metal work in the transports, and all that R&D and production capability was only used for the small market portable DAT recorders.  Compare that to today when A/D codec chips and other ICs that the MT uses are in widespread use and are cheap.  The transport has been replaced by a Compact Flash card and associated electronics that have markets in the hundreds of millions of units and are thus incredibly cheap compared to a DAT transport.  Plus add to that the fact that the high end mic preamp components (eg op amps) and A/D encoder chips in the days of the Sony portables are now considered old school and out of date.  Meaning the bottom line, cheap A/D codec chips of today are better than the expensive, high end ones of 10 years ago (probably more like 12-15 since the D100/M1 was designed).  All of which may well enable M-Audio to make a recorder with a front-end as nice as an M1 for half the cost.  It may well not be that good, but I think there is room in the price to accomplish it.

[nickgregory]

I was wondering if you somehow thought folks were thinking that the microtrack in some way fit the same niche as the 722.

no, not at all...in hindsight the use of the term giant killer probably didnt do the best job of conveying what I was trying to say....by giant killer, I was referring to it that it would have the same impact on our market as the JB3 did...knowing that what this box has to do is a bit more complex than the JB3. 

Interesting input on the electronics though...never considered that perspective though you would think I would have given the fact I am working around product designs every day that are integrating cheaper/faster/more durable components...

as stated before though I have nothing buy high hopes for this unit...at an absolute minimum, it means more 24 bit tapes out there for us all to enjoy!

[plucks]

well said todd!
yes, i am just hoping the digi-in works as it would with a DAT.  V3>MTR will rule!

[wbrisette]

Len makes a basic mistake in that this is not M-Audios first portable DC mic pre/phantom device.
<cut>
this is a pro-sumer device, no one should be expecting this to be a serious competitor to the 722/744, CantarX, Xeva, etc...it's not and doesnt pretend to be.

First Len is an idiot. Basically his take has always been if you don't buy his gear, you're buying crap. But usually it's the other way around.

Second, I've never seen the Deva referred to as the Xeva. I'll have to remember that one. 

[nic]

Len makes a basic mistake in that this is not M-Audios first portable DC mic pre/phantom device.
<cut>
this is a pro-sumer device, no one should be expecting this to be a serious competitor to the 722/744, CantarX, Xeva, etc...it's not and doesnt pretend to be.

First Len is an idiot. Basically his take has always been if you don't buy his gear, you're buying crap. But usually it's the other way around.

Second, I've never seen the Deva referred to as the Xeva. I'll have to remember that one. 

 

[greenone]

Second, I've never seen the Deva referred to as the Xeva. I'll have to remember that one.

It's a custom piece only available for Warrior Princesses.

[F.O.Bean]

Second, I've never seen the Deva referred to as the Xeva. I'll have to remember that one.

It's a custom piece only available for Warrior Princesses.

 ;
D

hoping this thing pans out, i NEED to jump into 24-bit, but im letting ya'll be the guinea pigs

[Cooker]

len's sanctimonius bullshit makes my blood boil. there's a reson i unsubscribed to dat heads 8 years ago!

[Simp-Dawg]

yeah i read len's whole salespitch there and it's a lot of crap.  i like how he talks about all the great things pdaudio will be able to do soon and speculates on all the new technologies it will be able to use, when they've had so many problems as it is getting it to work as it should and still haven't achieved all of their goals.  while i applaud len and coresound for being one company that is truly focused on the taper market segment, especially in product development...i don't find his contributions to be all that spectacular.

[monochromic]

I'll echo what has been said already -- I don't think any of the folks who are so excited about the MicroTracker believe it will be a giant killer.  I think the great hope is that this will become a modern replacement to the Sony portable DAT.  That is, it will be a good unit to capture digital bits, particularly 24-bit digital bits.  And it can function as a decent stealth recorder.  I'm sure lots of folks will want to stealth only with the Microtracker if it is any good at all, just like there are plenty of people who stealth with nothing but a D8.  But many other stealthers can still use it paired with a modSBM1 to make high quality 16-bit recordings, without (hopefully) the finickyness of DAT decks or the fragility of optical cables (not to mention the size of the JB3).  If the line-in is any good, a 24-bit DPA 4061> DPA MMA6000> Microtracker could be a very nice, high end, and compact stealth setup.

And many other folks like me will want to run the microtrack as a bit capture device.  I would never think that the microtrack would stand up to the 722, but a V3>microtrack might certainly stand up to it, and may well be better to some ears.  It might stack up as well as V2>722, esp depending on your tastes, and would be smaller and cheaper.  Bottom line, the microtracker I don't think is expected to be a giant killer on its own, but it stands a chance to really open up the field of 24-bit taping.  24-bit stealth taping, and 24-bit taping with a MMe, a V3, a modUA5, or a AD2k+, without the need for a laptop.  That to me is pretty exciting, since it may well mean that 24-bit taping becomes the typical standard, not just done by the few with a 722 or the few that have the stomach to figure out how to reliably record 24 bit on a laptop or PDA.

well said todd -- i see the microtracker in the same light, as a bit-capturing replacement for the portable dat decks. running it along side a v3 etc. will allow me to capture 24/96 recordings in a small, tight little package (and for me, seeing off the real-time transfers -- finally!). i'm looking forward to it's release.

[anhisr]

I wrote M-Audio's tech dept about the 2gb limit on file size.  This is the response I got back from them. 
1.We'll have full audio specs posted soon.
2.I believe the total amount of files allowed on one piece of media is
9,999.
3.There is no limit to the size of CF or Microdrive that you can use
with the product.  We will make a list of approved media and ones that
we know to have issues upon release.
The battery is an internal lithium ion.  It can be charged via USB from
the computer or from the included power supply.  No other batteries can
be used.
4.capable of 24/96 recording. However, its 24/96 recording is done as
PCM Wav files; not as MP3 format. For MP3 format, it is limited to 44.1k
or 48k recording.
5.Battery charging time is unknown at this time.

Product has a tentative ship date of early SEPT.


Does not have these features:

Will it feature an 'autopause' option
That is will it pause after a
track is played and cue the next track?
Will it feature some sort of track list or folder menu so that you
can establish a sequence of tracks to be played?
Is it possible to attach a footswitch to it for play/stop function?

Did he answer my question?  I don't think so.

[Ray76]

I wrote M-Audio's tech dept about the 2gb limit on file size.  This is the response I got back from them. 
1.We'll have full audio specs posted soon.
2.I believe the total amount of files allowed on one piece of media is
9,999.
3.There is no limit to the size of CF or Microdrive that you can use
with the product.  We will make a list of approved media and ones that
we know to have issues upon release.
The battery is an internal lithium ion.  It can be charged via USB from
the computer or from the included power supply.  No other batteries can
be used.
4.capable of 24/96 recording. However, its 24/96 recording is done as
PCM Wav files; not as MP3 format. For MP3 format, it is limited to 44.1k
or 48k recording.
5.Battery charging time is unknown at this time.

Product has a tentative ship date of early SEPT.


Does not have these features:

Will it feature an 'autopause' option
That is will it pause after a
track is played and cue the next track?
Will it feature some sort of track list or folder menu so that you
can establish a sequence of tracks to be played?
Is it possible to attach a footswitch to it for play/stop function?

Did he answer my question?  I don't think so.

no mp3 24 bits??were fucked.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Not sure of the design on the wall-wart for this thing, but a battery can be used.  If anything you could do 12v SLA> power inverter (12vDC>120vAC) > wall-wart > MTracker.  I'm sure there is a better solution as well... 

As for a remote, that would be a nice addition, something similar to the D100/M1 remote with record button and meters...

I'm looking forward to seeing this beeyatchie in action!!!

Terry