Topic: MicroTrack 24/96 Beta 1.2.0

[jcrab66]

Len?

  It's gotta be.

hehehehehehehehehe

[frankho]

Sorry for being off topic of this thread. Posted here just because ghibliss mentioned Mic2496, which I was considering. Hopefully my question is or nearly concluded.

With a good preamp, the MT should work very well for nature recording.  But the MT preamp is noisy when adding gain and you'll want to use the lowest gain setting.  Based on the info on the core-sounds site, the mic2496 isn't well suited for quiet sources...

i would get a sound devices mp-2 or mixpre which are basically the same. good gain stage, works on AA batteries, portable and light and can run line into the mt2496. it also has a very good headphone amp. the mp-2 can be had for a reasonable price.

Thanks for you tips and advices. That almost concluded I'm going to get a SD MP2 or MixPre. One last question: does line in bypass the internal preamp? Freelunch, while you say using the lowest gain setting does that mean always keep the rec level full left, and adjust the gain from the ext preamp?

[it-goes-to-eleven]

One last question: does line in bypass the internal preamp? Freelunch, while you say using the lowest gain setting does that mean always keep the rec level full left, and adjust the gain from the ext preamp?

That's exactly it - you would use line in mode on the 1/4" inputs.  The MT isn't true line in because it always adds a min of 14 dB of gain.  Line in does not bypass the internal pre.

[John Kelly]

Which also means you'll still encounter the high noise floor, which could be a problem for quiet sounds.

[John Kelly]

I haven't seen the actual diagrams of it all, but I would assume that going line in DOES bypass the mic preamp.  However, if it adds 14dB of gain, it looks like the line input may be expecting a consumer level (-10dB) and automatically bumping it up to pro level (+4dB). 

Of course it is entirely possible that the MT is just using the mic pre to do that as well, but most devices don't.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

I haven't seen the actual diagrams of it all, but I would assume that going line in DOES bypass the mic preamp.

I'm fairly sure it hits the preamp. The level buttons still add the same gain as the other switch settings and the noise floor suggests it is going through the same pre.

However, if it adds 14dB of gain, it looks like the line input may be expecting a consumer level (-10dB) and automatically bumping it up to pro level (+4dB). 

I don't follow.  Send it -10db and it WILL clip.  It cannot handle a consumer level line signal. I don't expect them to fix that.  It would be nice if they would "clarify" it.  Have they documented the amount of gain added by each switch position yet?

[John Kelly]

I haven't seen the actual diagrams of it all, but I would assume that going line in DOES bypass the mic preamp.

I'm fairly sure it hits the preamp. The level buttons still add the same gain as the other switch settings and the noise floor suggests it is going through the same pre.

Cool.  I hadn't run it line in but one time so I never did a lot of testing.

However, if it adds 14dB of gain, it looks like the line input may be expecting a consumer level (-10dB) and automatically bumping it up to pro level (+4dB). 

I don't follow.  Send it -10db and it WILL clip.  It cannot handle a consumer level line signal. I don't expect them to fix that.  It would be nice if they would "clarify" it.  Have they documented the amount of gain added by each switch position yet?

-10 is the standard consumer line level signal - +4 is the standard pro level signal.  I'm not sure how else to explain it.  Under normal circumstances it *should* take a consumer level signal just fine, however I don't think there are many pieces of gear we use that output a consumer level signal.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

In my testing, sending it a -10 signal will result in severe clipping.

[John Kelly]

In my testing, sending it a -10 signal will result in severe clipping.

Yes, but a -10 signal sent over a pro line level is a little different than a -10 signal sent over a consumer line level.  There is a difference.

[cpatch]

Could somebody post brief noise floor tests from both the 1/8" and 1/4" inputs with nothing plugged in, the levels all the way up, and no gain boosts? MP3 44/320 is fine. Thanks.

Craig

[plucks]

no problems last nite 24/48!!

[udovdh]

Yes, but a -10 signal sent over a pro line level is a little different than a -10 signal sent over a consumer line level.  There is a difference.

But the point is.. It *cannot* handle a line level signal, whether consumer or pro.

Did anyone test and/or verify this statement?
If the MT cannot handle line-in, doesthis contradict the statement on their site saying it can?

1/4" Mic/Line Inputs
Maximum Input Level:   +4.3dBu, balanced; +2.1dBV, unbalanced

If so: Why not write to M-Audio?

[Ed.]

did anyone notice if the channel swapping thing was fixed in this update.  was that ever an issue?  i think i can hear it in my recording, but never really tested the theory to be able to tell easily.

[Scooter]

As far as I can tell, no, it hasn't.  I ran it on Fri, and the chans were swapped...

[SonicSound]

Yes it still flips chanels. When I was recording this weekend m/s, I had configured backwards and was running mid on the right channel.
Serendipitously when I went home to swap channels and mixdown, the channels were already swaped.