Topic: M-Audio Mictrotrack battery life

[hijoq]

I have upgraded from PCM-M1 to Mictrotrack, and I have bought a 5 Gb Seagate Microdrive.
Here are the battery tests for the unit I've bought:

Taping at 24 bit 96 Khz:
   57 minutes (2 Gb limit)
+ 57 minutes (2 Gb limit)
+ 14 minutes
Total: 2 hours 8 minutes

Taping at 16 bit 48 Khz:
2 hours 36 minutes

Taping at 16 bit 44.1 Khz:
2 hours  35 minutes

Do you think this is the standard battery life for the Microtrack?
I am a bit, just a bit, disappointed. I know I would get problems only at a Bruce Springsteen show 
Do you think it's the Microdrive that sucks more battery?
I have yet to test a Compact Flash card, I was wondering what is your experience. Please let me know, thanks!

[hijoq]

sorry, I've just been pointed to the battery thread...I'll buy a Kingstone CF to stay safe, and keep the microdrive for long festivals, along with a battery pack.

[Pokey1]

I'm assuming that you are recording in the wav. file. The mp3 file is really hard to tell the difference in the recording quality. Which one wav. or MP3 eats up more battery I don't know. I'm a novice in recording. I have the MT but have not downloaded any new firmware since I got it for christmas. I get info. from this site and know what to look out for. Like the L/M/H being backward.The Firmware upload.Yea, Maybe that would make a difference. I really do like it for recording my gigs. Have had no problems yet. I ordered the SP-micro track mic with battery built in and external mic input. Headphone jack works also when recording. Maybe that will prolong the battery life. I'm interested in the same question about how much recording time the MT actually gives you. I read 6- 8 hrs in the manual but that may be playback time. Good Luck

[ghibliss]

I am guessing that you are powering your microphones directly from the Microtrack as this will cause various loads on the battery based on the microphones requirements.  You could use an external battery box and have several additional hours of recording time for next to no cost!  I use an external a/d converter which powers my microphones so I am getting approximately five hours of recording time per charge on the Microtrack which is plenty for any concert I plan on attending.  I have recently conducted tests at 24/96 via spdif with the backlight "always on" and had no appreciable reduction in recording time.