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

[JackoRoses]

" it is not clear if the Microtrackers S/PDIF input is bit accurate or not. "    Doug Oade said this the other day and I don't know what he means by it.  Any quesses?

It means that alot of the less expensive sound cards like the Creative SoundBlaster cards resample the digital signal on input. They do not record the exact digital signal being fed to them.   Other cards like the Echo MIA and M-Audio 24/96 do not resample and receive/record  the exact signal fed to it. 

I thin Doug is just being a little pessimistic about this.  I would be SHOCKED if M-Audio has set it up to always resample but again we will not know until someone has one in their hands.

I would really find it hard to believe they would release the tracker like that.
Like you I would be shocked as well. Seems to make no sense as to why make it work harder.

[hyperplane]

+t for referencing the Peloponnesian War. 

 2448 years ago...

Awesome.  What were you recording, location stuff for the Peloponnesian War? 

Jeff

[Nick's Picks]

what about their other cheap i/o gear?  that might suggest the plotted course here.
we'll see soon enough.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

I've read the manual and kept up with the threads.  Here are some M-audio questions that I haven't found answers to. The specific gain levels of the pre-amp stage seem to be missing from the manual.

1. In what increment can you adjust the input gain?

2. Is the input gain implemented via a traditional analog level increase or is it done digitally?

3. How many dB are added at each L, M, H setting?

4. Are any auto-level control or clip limiting functions planned in the future?

From the manual (page 6), this suggests that the 1/8 input does most of what the TRS input does (other than phantom):

17. L/M/H Switch: Sets the operating mode of the 1/4" TRS and 1/8" inputs. Use the `L' position for line-level devices. The `M' position
    should be used when recording from microphones. The `H' position uses a higher gain stage on the 1/4" TRS inputs, which can
    help when recording quiet signals or using microphones with low output levels. The `H' position does not boost the input gain of
    the 1/8" input.

I run my 4061's with an SP 9 volt battery box..  I need to decide whether they're going into the 1/8" input or the 1/4 input and make the appropriate cable..

What I'm guessing:  L, M and H are analog gain stages.  But is the fine-tuning after that digital or analog?  The menu has an optional 27dB DIGITAL boost in addition to what is available from the LMH settings (page .  That is the only instance where they mention DIGITAL gain, so I'd hope it is otherwise analog.

Every AT8XX, DPA 406X, etc MT taper would like to skip running an external battery box.  I remember Doug mentioning that the dpa bbox is actually 6 volts.  Anyone know?  It would be nice to run it straight into the MT, either with the existing 5volt power or with a mod to provide something more optimal.  That'd be a good mod for someone to work on.

Who will be the first ts.com member to run 4061's into this thing, with and without bbox?

[John Kelly]

what about their other cheap i/o gear?  that might suggest the plotted course here.
we'll see soon enough.

Yeah but it's only their cheapest of the cheap that resamples.  I wouldn't put this on that level.

[F.O.Bean]

and theyre calling it a 'professional' model

[desertsky]

Just finished chatting with someone at DJMart.  They're expecting their shipment of Microtracks to arrive by Wednesday.  Man, that's cutting it close for me.  I'm out of town next week for a couple U2 shows in Chicago and NEED to have this by Friday so I can take it with me and record the shows.  May need to bite the bullet and spend the extra $$ to upgrade the shipping to 2nd day delivery.

   

[Ray76]

Just finished chatting with someone at DJMart.  They're expecting their shipment of Microtracks to arrive by Wednesday.  Man, that's cutting it close for me.  I'm out of town next week for a couple U2 shows in Chicago and NEED to have this by Friday so I can take it with me and record the shows.  May need to bite the bullet and spend the extra $$ to upgrade the shipping to 2nd day delivery.

   

Make sure you hook U2RocksMYworld up with the good audio so he mux it with his video and sell more on ebay.

:kidding:

[prof_peabody]

Ray-
Are you going to roll in mp3 to let us know how good the mp3 encoding is?   

[mmedley.]

Hello Martin,

The M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 will be available to ship by the end of this week. M-Audio is a couple of weeks late on this, but this new product is landing very shortly.

Thank you,

DJ MART - a division of ProAudio America

www.djmart.com

[Ray76]

Ray-
Are you going to roll in mp3 to let us know how good the mp3 encoding is?   

Everyones got jokes today! +T in 12 smart ass.

[desertsky]

The M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 will be available to ship by the end of this week. M-Audio is a couple of weeks late on this, but this new product is landing very shortly.

Wednesday sure sounds a helluva lot better than end of the week.   The earlier the better.   I'd like to take the MT to a bar or other live local music venue and get some recordings done at different settings, getting the experimenting out of the way before I tackle a gig I don't want to mess up badly, like U2.

[MattD]

how would we know

Feed it a digital signal with a V3 or other A/D with multiple digital outs. Record one digital out to the MT and the other to a known good device. Compare in a wave editor.

[F.O.Bean]

how would we know

Feed it a digital signal with a V3 or other A/D with multiple digital outs. Record one digital out to the MT and the other to a known good device. Compare in a wave editor.

wavelab and eac both have nice wav comparers

[Ed.]

i don't know whats been more hyped, this or the 722.