pro mini digital recording devices

[Cary Chilton]

Man, I don't know enough about these to make a purchase decision. Here is my thread at musictoyz
http://musictoyz.infopop.cc/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/4066066091/m/4971035723

Has anyone tried:
The Edirol/Roland http://www.edirol.com/products/info/r1.html
The M-Audio
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MicroTrack2496-main.html
And the Marantz PMD660
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/category/c860

anyone? help!

[bluesdoc]

I have a Micro Track on order. It'll be perfect for my needs.

jon

[KLB]

Originally posted by bluesdoc
I have a Micro Track on order. It'll be perfect for my needs.

jon

Please post your initial impressions ASAP!

Thanks.

[decay-o-caster]

I've had a MicroTrack on order from Sweetwater for a few weeks, way back-ordered is the word I get. I'm really eager to get my hands on it!

[bluesdoc]

Same here, David. Brad there tells me the latest update delivery, for my place in line, is 10/4. We'll see........ We shall see...... :rolleyes: That was the latest in a series of delivery date updates...........

jon

[tedzepplin]

You've gotten me interested in the Micro Track. I have been using a mini disc recorder - the Sharp brand that allows volume levels to be set manually while recording. I plug in a stereo lapel mic and get get great recordings of shows I go to. they sound as good as "official" live CDs.

[bluesdoc]

WooHoo!! I just got notified that my Micro Track shipped today!! Awright!

jon

[KLB]

Originally posted by bluesdoc
WooHoo!! I just got notified that my Micro Track shipped today!! Awright!

jon

Alrighty, the clock is tickin'.
Get that report out ASAP! :)

Who is Brad ? (where are you getting it from?)

Thanks,
Ken

[decay-o-caster]

Originally posted by bluesdoc
WooHoo!! I just got notified that my Micro Track shipped today!! Awright!

jon

+1 :p

[bluesdoc]

Originally posted by KLB
Alrighty, the clock is tickin'.
Get that report out ASAP! :)

Who is Brad ? (where are you getting it from?)

Thanks,
Ken

Hey Ken. Brad Avery at Sweetwater. Replaced Nica, my former 'specialist' or whatever they're called........ :)

jon

[KLB]

Originally posted by bluesdoc
Hey Ken. Brad Avery at Sweetwater. Replaced Nica, my former 'specialist' or whatever they're called........ :)

jon

Thanks. Are they $399, or lower?

With the push to market flash memory based MP3 players by Apple and others, the price of large (12gb!) cards should fall a lot in the next year or so. 12GB would allow for a lot of 24bit/96K recording time on the MicroTrack!

- Ken

[circuitbreaker]

Been recording my band gigs with a Sony Minidisc - now I'm dying to hear a comparison of the Minidisc with a MicroTrac -

I'll admit the minidisc is a pain to change settings in the dark but always thought the live recordings were pretty decent....

[tedzepplin]

Can the recording volume be adjusted while recording on the Micro Track?

Does the Hold button prevent the recording level from changing if the buttons are pressed?

and does the hold button prevent the stop button from stopping a recording is accidentally pressed?

[KLB]

You can download the manual at MINDISCO.com
Perhaps the info you seek can be found there?

- Ken

[KLB]

I just read the manual.

Yes, the hold button disables all other buttons.

Extrapolating from the recording time chart in the back of the manual, it appears to record 31:04 of 24/96 WAV per 1GB of memory. A 4GB or larger card would be useful!

Here are some passages from the manual that caught my eye:

"Channels (p.9): The STEREO option will cause the MicroTrack 24/96 to record both the left and right inputs into discrete channels. This is the default setting for the MicroTrack 24/96.

In a later version of firmware, the MONO option will cause the MicroTrack 24/96 to only record one channel of audio instead of two. Please check the M-Audio website at http://www.m-audio.com for the free update. Instructions for loading the update will be included with the update itself."

This implies it will double the recording time if used in MONO.


"Record Time Available (p.9): This is not an adjustable parameter—it merely shows the space available on the media in the MicroTrack 24/96. When you select this option, it may take a moment to calculate the available time and display on the screen. This information is provided to help you verify you will have enough recording space before recording, and make a choice of which recording parameters to use. If you see that you’re getting low on memory space, you can choose to use MP3 encoding instead of WAV to yield smaller recordings. Keep in mind this feature only accounts for recording space when determining record time—it does not account for battery life."

I think many folks will wish the time remaining is always shown in the display.


"Scrub Audio Menu (p.10): In a future firmware update, this is an on/off setting will allow you to hear audio as you rewind and fast-forward through an audio file. When set to on, you will be able to hear bits of the file as you seek. When off, the MicroTrack 24/96 will be silent while seeking."

This will be handy and is a desirable feature NOW.


"(p.13) Once the recording is stopped, the MicroTrack 24/96 will finish writing the file to memory. "

I wonder how long THAT takes?


"Using the MicroTrack 24/96 as a Portable Data Drive (p.15):
While the MicroTrack 24/96 can only play and record WAV and MP3 files, you can store any file you wish on the MicroTrack 24/96’s CompactFlash card or Microdrive. This allows you to use the MicroTrack 24/96 as a portable memory card or hard drive. Any unsupported files in memory will be hidden from the Files menu when using the MicroTrack 24/96, but they will still be there when the MicroTrack 24/96 is reconnected to a computer."

You can use this to backup your digital camera if you have, say, a 12gb Microdrive in the Microtrack and only a 1-2gb Flash card in the camera. Assuming you can just connect them together via USB...

The MicroTrack 2496 can be used as an MP3 player, but it won't have any of the nifty organizing features. Too bad. Even for very basic use, I wonder if the file name length is limited?

***********

For those that have bought a MicroTrack, or have other experience with Flash Cards, what brand/model/size/cost of card are you using?

Also, what software would you recommend to do basic WAV file editing, such as breaking up a file into smaller pieces (or the opposite)?

[tedzepplin]

I use Amadeus II for splitting up tracks and saving into diferent formats. works great.
www.hairersoft.com/Amadeus.html

[KLB]

Originally posted by tedzepplin
I use Amadeus II for splitting up tracks and saving into diferent formats. works great.
www.hairersoft.com/Amadeus.html

Thanks, but I'm one of those PC conformists!
The product must work with Windows XP.

Anybody here use Sony Sound Forge 8.0?
http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/Products/ShowProduct.asp?PID=961

[KLB]

Those of you who have gotten a Microtrack, please spill the beans.

Whose 1GB or larger flash card are you using?

[decay-o-caster]

I'm using the SanDisk Extreme II (I think) in mine. No danger of ever running out of space, especially given that the battery charge only keeps it going for a limited time. So no recording an entire band practice, for example - you have to pick your spots.

I need to tinker a bit more, because it seems like it ought to be possible to record with it while on A/C, but I don't seem to be able to figure that out yet. Mine just goes into sleep mode when plugged in.

But for what it does, it does it extremely well.

[KLB]

The manual does NOT seem to say that you can use the MicroTrack while charging the battery with the included USB charger.

In addition, the battery is built-in, so one can't simply pop in another battery when it gets low.

Double Bummer! This is a serious limitation on when and how it can be used.

I don't think I will be buying one of these.