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

[mmedley.]

I emailed. Here is the response. Jesus. Someone please tell her to spellcheck! I'm not in  a rush for mine really. As long as I have it by Panic/Truckers in Nashville 10-14 I'll be a happy camper. I was on Cloud 9 for a while thinking I was getting it Monday. Oh well, shit happens. Not like I can't record until I get this.

Hi Martin,
The Microtrack is goint to ship directly form the vendor. M-audio is having some problems with the availability. The product will ship from M-audio the 26th. As soon as your order ship I will email or call you with the tracking number.

If this will create any inconvenience for you and changes need to be made to the order please let me know.

Best Regards,

Natalia Bomio

[bconnolly]

correct, but who knows what kind of quality it'll be or if there'll be added noise from the 1/4 phantoms

Am I also correct in assuming that running your mics through a battery box (and disabling phantom power) would eliminate this potential noise?

[WiFiJeff]

I tried to use my Microtrack tonight, but had some issues, hope to get them ressolved soon.

#1) Setting levels.  I tried to calibrate to my DAT to try to get some idea of what levels to use.  Ended up calling tech support, which told me of one bizarre glitch.  The L/M/H switch is apparently backwards, should be H/M/L at least on the early models.  This seems right, but I'll have to play around a bit more to be sure.  I ended up setting way too low, can't figure out the scale used on the meters.  Tech support told me to email on this, the live guys had no idea whether the scale is linear or not, where -12 dB might be, etc.  Also had to email as to whether the line-in volume set is trim only or boost.  I set in the middle and got levels that suggest I should have maxed it as I do on my R1 for line-in.  They are supposed to get back to me on where to set for unitary gain on line-in.

#2) Battery life.  I charged it for the suggester 6 1/2 hours, after fooling around for a couple of hours I set it to run at 24/44.1 (concert to run 1 1/2 hours without intermission, also good to compare to Edirol R1) and went to tape.  Glanced at the battery meter and freaked when it showed 1/2 down, switched to the R1 for the concert but left the Microtrack running.  It was still going 2 hours later, with the battery level doen to around 1/4, so I guess this will be okay once I get used to what it's telling me.

The unit takes longer to power up than the R1 (maybe 20-25 seconds), and also takes a while to start a new file (firmware is version 1.0.2, no 2 GB rollover yet I think, though the time-left reading sees my whole 8 GB CF card).  I haven't figured out yet if it's possible to run it with USB powering, when I plug it in to charge it seems to freeze out the switches, but I'm going to try changing the sequence of turning on and plugging in as soon as it's recharged to see if this can work.

Sorry to post such meager info, but it's what I've got and there doesn't seem to be too much else yet.

Jeff

[hyperplane]

+t for the info, Jeff, and another in 12 hrs! i appreciate you, and everyone else, who is quickly testing out this unit and posting your findings/results.

[udovdh]

#1) Setting levels.  I tried to calibrate to my DAT to try to get some idea of what levels to use.  Ended up calling tech support, which told me of one bizarre glitch.  The L/M/H switch is apparently backwards, should be H/M/L at least on the early models.  This seems right, but I'll have to play around a bit more to be sure.  I ended up setting way too low, can't figure out the scale used on the meters.  Tech support told me to email on this, the live guys had no idea whether the scale is linear or not, where -12 dB might be, etc.  Also had to email as to whether the line-in volume set is trim only or boost.  I set in the middle and got levels that suggest I should have maxed it as I do on my R1 for line-in.  They are supposed to get back to me on where to set for unitary gain on line-in.

Get your old recorder with good scales.
Give it a signal where you can read the levels.
Now plug that level into the MT.
Reiterate for different levels to get an idea.

#2) Battery life.  I charged it for the suggester 6 1/2 hours, after fooling around for a couple of hours I set it to run at 24/44.1 (concert to run 1 1/2 hours without intermission, also good to compare to Edirol R1) and went to tape.  Glanced at the battery meter and freaked when it showed 1/2 down, switched to the R1 for the concert but left the Microtrack running.  It was still going 2 hours later, with the battery level doen to around 1/4, so I guess this will be okay once I get used to what it's telling me.

So the discharge curve display could have some adjustment.
How many hours total did you get under what condition? (Phantom?)

The unit takes longer to power up than the R1 (maybe 20-25 seconds), and also takes a while to start a new file (firmware is version 1.0.2, no 2 GB rollover yet I think, though the time-left reading sees my whole 8 GB CF card).  I haven't figured out yet if it's possible to run it with USB powering, when I plug it in to charge it seems to freeze out the switches, but I'm going to try changing the sequence of turning on and plugging in as soon as it's recharged to see if this can work.

Hmm. Freeze is bad. Why would they do this?
CF card was inserted during startup?

Sorry to post such meager info, but it's what I've got and there doesn't seem to be too much else yet.

Thanks for whatever you can post. If you can verify the L/M/H problem, get some silence at 44.1-96/16 and 24 (FLAC?), measure the 5V presence at the 1/8" plug (under what conditions is it active? is there a resistor?), what about impedance?
Etc, etc.

Thanks!!

[Popmarter]

I tried to use my Microtrack tonight, but had some issues, hope to get them ressolved soon.

#1) Setting levels.  I tried to calibrate to my DAT to try to get some idea of what levels to use.  Ended up calling tech support, which told me of one bizarre glitch.  The L/M/H switch is apparently backwards, should be H/M/L at least on the early models.  This seems right, but I'll have to play around a bit more to be sure.  I ended up setting way too low, can't figure out the scale used on the meters.  Tech support told me to email on this, the live guys had no idea whether the scale is linear or not, where -12 dB might be, etc.  Also had to email as to whether the line-in volume set is trim only or boost.  I set in the middle and got levels that suggest I should have maxed it as I do on my R1 for line-in.  They are supposed to get back to me on where to set for unitary gain on line-in.

#2) Battery life.  I charged it for the suggester 6 1/2 hours, after fooling around for a couple of hours I set it to run at 24/44.1 (concert to run 1 1/2 hours without intermission, also good to compare to Edirol R1) and went to tape.  Glanced at the battery meter and freaked when it showed 1/2 down, switched to the R1 for the concert but left the Microtrack running.  It was still going 2 hours later, with the battery level doen to around 1/4, so I guess this will be okay once I get used to what it's telling me.

The unit takes longer to power up than the R1 (maybe 20-25 seconds), and also takes a while to start a new file (firmware is version 1.0.2, no 2 GB rollover yet I think, though the time-left reading sees my whole 8 GB CF card).  I haven't figured out yet if it's possible to run it with USB powering, when I plug it in to charge it seems to freeze out the switches, but I'm going to try changing the sequence of turning on and plugging in as soon as it's recharged to see if this can work.

Sorry to post such meager info, but it's what I've got and there doesn't seem to be too much else yet.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, can't wait to hear more. How is the mic-in 'crackling' noise that somebody mentioned earlier on?

[udovdh]

OK, they got my payment. 10 days until worldwide release (the official version).

[xxxrec]

Can the 1/8 input used as "line in" or only for microphone?

And how can i connect my DPA 4061 (microdot) to MT ?

thanx ! 

[macdaddy]

has this thing shipped yet..?

is anybody on the board using one yet..?

Can the 1/8 input used as "line in" or only for microphone?

And how can i connect my DPA 4061 (microdot) to MT ?

thanx ! 

contact len at core sound - he should be able to hook you up...

[johnw]

has this thing shipped yet..?

is anybody on the board using one yet..?

Look 6 posts up   

Not long now, but there seem to be some initial problems.

[macdaddy]

has this thing shipped yet..?

is anybody on the board using one yet..?

Look 6 posts up   

doh! +t

[johnw]

Backatcha 

[neutrino]

Jeff- +T for the info!!!

Are you using a 8gb microdrive or compact flash card? I see CF in your post, but I see CF used a lot when it is a CF microdrive. Just curious if large microdrive's are working with the MT so far.
Thanks!
dB-

[Steelcorner27]

Hey how the hell did SoundPro get one out already? I thought Frank was getting the first shipment, I haven't even gotten a email lately from him anyone else? As for the levels wht wrong with just running them up just below 0 who cares where -12 is just a thought.

I wnt mine, I need mine.

Brad

[WiFiJeff]

Jeff- +T for the info!!!

Are you using a 8gb microdrive or compact flash card? I see CF in your post, but I see CF used a lot when it is a CF microdrive. Just curious if large microdrive's are working with the MT so far.
Thanks!
dB-

I am using the Sandisk 8GB CF, but will try a Hitachi microdrive tomorrow.  I will run a battery test today (recharged it last night), maybe try phantom power Monday (I am feeding it line-in with a DPA MMA6000 preamp, into the 1/4" jacks now).  I am pretty sure the inverted L/M/H is as tech support says, since I had it set for the corrected line-in and had the MMA6000 boosting a DPA 4060 hot signal by another 10 dB, if I had it on high gain (H) as the setting said it should have clipped instead of peaking at about 3% of signal max.

Jeff