M-Audio Microtrack: First Impressions

[Jay]

I picked up a microtrack last Friday and thought I'd jot down some of my first impressions. I haven't checked out all the features yet, so it's likely this will be in a few segments. Overall it's a neat device that takes pretty good location sound...So here goes. Oh, and if you're from a magazine or advertiser, I claim copyright to the following review, so you cannot take my statements out of context for your ad or magazine.

1. Construction: The box is definitely smaller than I thought it would be, about the size of a fat iPod. It feels strangely hollow especially without any card. I really doubt this would survive a drop to the floor, so be careful with it. It is made of a light plastic, a little lighter than the kind with which laptops are made. The button to eject the CF card definitely feels like it will just break off from overuse eventually, and on my first unit, the NAV button was dodgy and sometimes took several button presses for the device to acknowledge. I exchanged that for a another new one which doesn't seem to have that issue. The screen bright (with backlight) and easy to navigate. It's best described as being about the same build quality as most m-audio firewire interfaces, like the 410- feels a little cheap to me.

2. UI: Incredibly simple! Turn it on, and it takes a few seconds to boot up the firmware. From any menu, you can always hit RECORD and away you go. The screen then will read FILE0001 and display meters. You can adjust the level before or during recording. My biggest issue is that there seems to be no way to name tracks! The microtrack automatically names them FILE0001, 0002, etc. If you're out in the field, you'd at least want to be able to give them a simple name to remember, so when you get home you're not completely confused. Furthermore, I have found no way to correctly timestamp the files. Last time I used it, everything I recorded was "November 22nd 2003." At least the time of day went in order. Perhaps this device actually records location sounds from the past. Getting sounds on the computer is a snap, you just put the card in a card reader, or if you don't have one, connect the device to your computer via USB and drag the files over.

3. Sound Quality: Keep the following in mind. I'm not a pro sound recordist or editor by any means. I am mainly a musician first and engineer second. Also, I have not compared this to anything else on the market recently. However, the box is QUIET since it has no moving parts and the included mic sounds pretty good! I ran around NYC last saturday getting everything I could including elevators, subways, street performers. I only used 24bit 44.1, although it records at various mp3 qualities, as well as up to 96k WAV. I am happy to post these if the board allows.

Gotta run now, but next I'll get to the external mics, what I think of the converters, trials with s/pdif and the mini-me, and trying some concerts.

[macyu]

Thanks for the review! I'm thinking about getting it. When you get time, please do post sound examples. Thanks!

[Phil Cibley]

Where did you get it? I haven't seen any in any stores yet.

[santacore]

Thanks for sharing the info. I pre-ordered one a month or so ago and await delivery. Looks like it's going to be a fun little box.

[Jay]

Hi again. Here's part 2 of my microtrack review.

To answer where I got it- Guitar Center in Manhattan. They had a few units in stock last Friday, but when I went back to exchange mine I got the last one. They expect some more next week.

6. Battery Life. M-audio makes the brash claim that this box will last 6 hours., 3 on phantom power. I haven't tested the phantom yet, but can attest that using the built in mic, and no backlight, it went the distance. However, the manual states that it is EXTREMELY important that you -fully- charge it before using it, or the battery will never reach its full capacity. I should also note that there are settings to control the backlight: Always on, always off, and then others which turn off the light 5, 15, or 30 seconds after your last button press. The light is nice somber blue, allowing you to see the menus but not blinding or attention-getting in a dark room. You can charge it by using the USB port, either plugging it into a wall adapter (included) or a computer. This is convenient because you don't have to carry a separate power cable. At first it seemed you couldn't use the device while charging it, but it seems now that you can. While you do, it will say CHG in the top right corner.

5. External sources: As promised, the microtrack accepts external mics using two 1/4" TRS jacks on the top. You -could- use 1/4" TRS to Female XLR adapters, but I'd advise getting cables instead. The jacks are narrowly spaced and the wrong adapters are going to press against each other. The 1/4" cables snap into place pretty securely. Use the L/M/H switch on the side to specify your source, but also, you have to do it via menu. This is a pain. It should really auto-detect. The phantom power switch is on the side and it seems to work with the variety of mics I tried:Neumann u87ai, KM84s, then a Studio Projects C3 and C4. There is a warning on the m-audio site regarding a battery powered Audio-Technica mic, so if you have this (or another battery powered mic) you may want to consult the FAQ.

6. Mic Pres/Converters: So far, I think the thing sounds best using the included stereo mic on ambient sounds/SFX. Using it to close-mic guitar is decent. I'd say it sounds close to an mBox, with that sort of slightly unfocused high end. I've posted two examples of outdoor sounds and three of the same guitar passage on three different mics, an Audio Technica Pro37, Studio Projects C4, and a Neumann U87ai. The guitar is a Taylor 514CE. Enjoy and feel free to use the SFX if you need them.

For part 3, I will do a test using the apogee Mini-Me as the front end, bypassing the microtrack micpres/converters.

[fifthcircle]

FWIW, there has been a rather substantial thread on rec.audio.pro about this piece and the fact that it doesn't produce anywhere near 48v phantom (30v actually)

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...1bd8?q=m+audio

It has gotten to the point where M-Audio has changed the switch from one that says 48v to one that says "ph pwr"

Do you have a volt meter to measure the phantom on it?

--Ben

[danuchuck4131]

I also picked up one of these toys to play around with. I ran into a few problems.

1. I let it charge for close to 24 hours because i wanted to make sure it received the full charge that is so important. Unfortunately, after all that time the "CHARGING COMPLETE" indicator that the manual mentions never appeared. Well now the battery life is just a joke. I can take it out for an hour...not even recording....just have the power on....and that will use up half the battery.

2. I recorded a friend at a small dive bar the other night...with the included stereo mic. The setup was an acoustic, elec guitar, and bass guitar. I didn't think the overall volume inside the bar was excessive or unpleasureable to the ear. I stationed myself in the back and began to record. With the supplied mic...I had to turn the gain for each channel completely down and set the mic position to low "L." Despite this, the tracks would still continually clip. Any Ideas?

Thats all i have for now...

Chad

[Jay]

Chad, I think the "L" is for "line" rather than "low." Use H for the built in mic. However, I know what you mean- sometimes even with the gain way down I've overloaded the built-in mic.

Also, the first unit I bought had the same battery problem. I exchanged it for another one which seems to be working better.

[Phil Cibley]

I picked one up this week, and the battery/charging system implementation was
a deal breaker for me. Why in the world would anyone design a device like this with a rechargeable battery permanently installed in the unit without access to replace it if it dies? (and it will die at some point) I also didn't like the fact that if you want to run it off wall power (as I need to do for several hours at a time) you are basically charging the battery at the same time. I'm concerned that I'd be constantly over-charging the battery leading to heat/explosion issues. Is it really that hard to put a damn battery compartment in this thing? Or at least use screws in the case rather that gluing it together? Also putting a wall wart into the USB port doesn't seem like a great idea either but I guess it's not as bad as the battery implementation.

[alba359]

Thanks for the reviews. I was considering getting this unit. I think I'll wait until M-Audio works the kinks out.

[Jay]

The new firmware is up at the m-audio site, version 1.1.5. It seems to have worked out a few kinks (now does 24 bit s/pdif, doesn't click and pop, and a few others.

Jay

[cdog]

Well, it IS made by M-Audio, we all knew thay didn't we?

For $350 its kinda hard for me to complain. The battery is replaceable.... its just not "user field replaceable."

Honestly, I would have bought it even if it had no mic pres or phantom power - all I wanted was S/PDIF in so I can use my Apogee MiniMe to go direct to CF. And I got that, so I'm happy.

Using the MiniMe and real microphones (I'm using a SF12 or a pair of KSM32s) with the Microtrack I consider essential to getting professional quality results.

If you're using the built in pres or mic, I'd be happy enough to get any signal at all.

As an aside, Tascam just announced their portable CF recorder, and it accepts timecode, so its perfect for film work, but alas, no S/PDIF so you're "stuck" with the tascam pres and converters (which are definitely better that M-Audio.)

But if you're doing film work, the Tascam is the hotsauce.

For stereo location recording, its very hard to beat the MiniMe.

Getting the Microtrack just means I don't have to carry my laptop around.

http://aes.harmony-central.com/119AE.../PR/HD-P2.html

[mrlee]

I can confirm that the battery life is a big concern. I fully charged the unit and it lasted 2.5 hours using the provided electret condenser (ie. without phantom). This is about half of what the documentation and website claim. If you are walking around in the field constantly booting on and off it lasts considerably less. Add to that the inevitable battery decline and I'm very concerned - I will probably take mine back for a refund. Really disappointed - I SO wanted to use this thing!

[Matt Pneumatic]

Originally Posted by Jay

The new firmware is up at the m-audio site, version 1.1.5. It seems to have worked out a few kinks (now does 24 bit s/pdif, doesn't click and pop, and a few others.

Jay

So that's great that the S/PDIF works at 24-bit now. BUT, I also noticed that the sample rate only goes up to 44.1 kHz on the S/PDIF inputs!!! It doesn't even go up to 96k? The reason I wanted to get this little bugger was so I can use my Mytek convertors as the front end at 96k.

Hopefully a future firmware upgrade will fix this.

Oh, and I talked to one of the M Audio reps at the AES convention last weekend and he told me that the MicroTrack actually clocks to the external source when it is recording off the S/PDIF input.

I guess us audiophiles will have to wait to use this box. :(

--Here's the new description of the new firmware update--

[smarsland]

Thanks guys, I will not be purchasing this unit due to the concerns of people on here. Thank God for gearslutz.

But... it was SUCH a great idea, and I REALLY thought this thing was gonna do it for me and my projects. I'm thinking NOT.

[Walling1]

Originally Posted by cdog

As an aside, Tascam just announced their portable CF recorder, and it accepts timecode, so its perfect for film work, but alas, no S/PDIF so you're "stuck" with the tascam pres and converters (which are definitely better that M-Audio.)

According to the Tascam website, it does has SPDIF I/O. I've been holding out on a new portable stereo CF recorder, and the Tascam looks like a winner....

http://www.tascam.com/Products/hdp2.html

-Dave

[cdog]

I stand corrected about the S/PDIF. The Tascam is clearly a superior product but it will cost more (I don't believe its out yet). I will definitely consider upgrading when it does get released.

I can't say I'm 100% disappointed by the Microtrack 24/96, IT DOES WORK, but its clearly not a professionaly device.

Its main feature is its tiny size and weight - the size and weight of a pack of cigarettes. The included mic sux, but I bet there are minimics out there that are half decent. A Rode NT4 would be a good match for the microtrack - it doesn't need 48v to run properly - 30v should be fine.

The main issue for me is the battery: its costs $75 to replace and you have to send it in to M-Audio.

Wheras this Tascam runs on 8 AAs. If you buy 16 rechargable AA batteries and a charger, you're good to go for over 10 hours or recording time.

Its also Firewire instead of USB.

We'll see what the pricing is like - should be under $1000.

[7rojo7]

I'd like to see it in a 4 track model good enough to record encoded surround (soundfield)(even a 5 (6) track for discrete ( ATMOS)). I guess you could link up 2 or 3. I sometimes get great recordings from a Board tape + xy at the board, slip one pair into the other and it's very usable.
Will we be seeing larger CF Media or will there be a hot swappable SS memory in the near future. Under 15 minutes at 96/24 means a lot of card changing. Will it generate/record SMPTE on its own?
Looks pretty damn cool, too bad it doesn't do DSD. Great stopgap. I'm sure it will be useful to many, I don't do much to two work but this would be a heavy contender to replace my DP1 (no time code)
Wish
8 track swappable solid state memory wide DSD (5.64 MBfs) recorder that's stackable and has a double memory slot for making on the spot backups.
The memory alone now costs as much as an ICON HD6 with Prism converters.
Will you still have to say speed?

[T.RayBullard]

there are many (maybe hundreds:?) of threads on the Microtrack on www.taperssection.com ..mixed reviews there..

Originally Posted by 7rojo7

I'd like to see it in a 4 track model good enough to record encoded surround (soundfield)(even a 5 (6) track for discrete ( ATMOS)). I guess you could link up 2 or 3. I sometimes get great recordings from a Board tape + xy at the board, slip one pair into the other and it's very usable.
Will we be seeing larger CF Media or will there be a hot swappable SS memory in the near future. Under 15 minutes at 96/24 means a lot of card changing. Will it generate/record SMPTE on its own?
Looks pretty damn cool, too bad it doesn't do DSD. Great stopgap. I'm sure it will be useful to many, I don't do much to two work but this would be a heavy contender to replace my DP1 (no time code)
Wish
8 track swappable solid state memory wide DSD (5.64 MBfs) recorder that's stackable and has a double memory slot for making on the spot backups.
The memory alone now costs as much as an ICON HD6 with Prism converters.
Will you still have to say speed?