Topic: Okay, my Microtrack is still fxxked up....

[Nick Graham]

Most of you have read about my tribulations with the Microtrack in the last few months. Stopped working, tok forever to get Tech Support to acknowledge me, sent it in, took forever to get back, etc.

I upgraded the firmware last week, buthadn't tried recording with it yet. Here's what happened when I did:

I only get one freakin' channel! It only has a L channel when recording.

Here's the setups I've tested:

1/8' mini >to SP Microtrack dongle (http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-MICROTRACK-MINI-TRS)

When running this correctly, I only get a L channel. If I reverse the dongle, I only get a R channel. That would of course lead you to believe it's the TRS jacks of the dongle, right?

1/8" mini > Stereo 1/4" TRS cable

Exact same results. I seriously doubt I have 2 cables where one of the 1/4" TRS plugs are faulty, but just in case...

another 1/8" mini > Stereo 1/4" TRS cable

Again, exact same thing.

So, it's not the Microtrack's 1/4" inputs, as they both work depending on what TRS plug is placed in them, and it's not the cables (no way I have 3 that worked perfectly 2 weeks ago all go bad).

So, I tried another test:

1/8" mini to Microtracks 1/8" input

Same thing with a totally different input - only a L channel.

I then went and rolled back to firmware 1.23, same thing...so it didn't screw up in the firmware update.

One more test - when playing back the files it showed both levels..."hmmm" I thought, maybe it really is recording in stereo, but just showing one channel.

Nope - it only plays one channel, but still shows both - but didn't show both when recording.

It's like it's stuck in some weird mono setting....

Any ideas at all?

[F.O.Bean]

damn nick.............................

[ianstone]

i knew there was a reason they called this thing the micro CRAPPER....

LOL

hey nick btw, thanks for the mk6 deal. I've been reviewing some of the recordings i made w/ them in FL and they sound great. thanks for the exchange ! +T for your troubles

ian

[rreidiii]

I bought one a few months ago and after about 2 months it just stopped working. I was charging the thing and after a while I came back and unplugged it and turned it off. Later I attempted to turn it on and it was dead. I took it back to GC and they said they would exchange it for $60 which gave me a 2 year guarantee. I got the new unit then and there took it home and opened the box to find some import version with all sorts of funky adapters t. They gladly exchanged that unit as well. Since I only paid $299 originally the extra $60 didn't bother me. I am happy with what I have now and have had no problems and if I do I'll be going back to replace it with in the next two years.

[mmedley.]

That sucks! +T  If you need a recorder for anything coming up just lemme know!

[ianstone]

you know this has me thinking twice about getting one... maybe i'll consider one of the edirol units.

i would like to have something small for stealthing... the 722 is just a little big...

[dallman]

I bought one a few months ago and after about 2 months it just stopped working. I was charging the thing and after a while I came back and unplugged it and turned it off. Later I attempted to turn it on and it was dead. I took it back to GC and they said they would exchange it for $60 which gave me a 2 year guarantee. I got the new unit then and there took it home and opened the box to find some import version with all sorts of funky adapters t. They gladly exchanged that unit as well. Since I only paid $299 originally the extra $60 didn't bother me. I am happy with what I have now and have had no problems and if I do I'll be going back to replace it with in the next two years.

If that happens again with the new unit, plug it in, wait about a half hour or so, and it will come back and be fine. this is pretty well documented throughout these pages. Nothing is wrong with the unit, the battery is dead and this is the process when that happens. 

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=61621.0
Here is one of those threads, and it is pretty good to know, lessens those skipped heartbeats or trips back to the Guitar Center

[dallman]

It's like it's stuck in some weird mono setting....

Any ideas at all?

Nick,
After seeing this from the firmware update, there has to be some relationship. It sounds like you are in this mode:

-Mono Recording added. When recording mono from the analog inputs, the inputs are monitored directly. This means that when monitoring, you will still hear whatever source is on the right channel even though it is not being recorded. Only the left channel will be recorded. For MP3 format recordings, a Stereo MP3 file will be created but both left and right tracks will contain whatever was recorded into the left channel. For WAV recordings a true mono WAV file is created. Note that when recording from S/PDIF, input monitoring (whether mono or stereo) is not supported.

[jtessier]

One more test - when playing back the files it showed both levels..."hmmm" I thought, maybe it really is recording in stereo, but just showing one channel.

Nope - it only plays one channel, but still shows both - but didn't show both when recording.

It's like it's stuck in some weird mono setting....

Any ideas at all?

About the only thing I can think of are to install firmware 1.2.3 and then run the set to defaults command just in case there's some bit for the mono mode that 1.3.3 has that isn't reset when changing firmware versions.  It's a long shot but who knows.  Plus, consider the possibility that maybe you do have one bad dongle or cable in the mix and it's screwing with your test results. Do you have two independant mics or audio sources that you could run into the two 1/4 in jacks. Maybe this would help guarantee against that kind of problem.

J.T.

[RebelRebel]

[Ed.]

hehe, teddy, sometimes you crack my shit up.    +t dooder

[Sanjay]

This thread and your other one is the single reason I have not bought a microtracker.  I just don't want to deal with the headache.

[Nick's Picks]

LOfuckingL !