MicroTrack 24/96 and MicroTrack II

From SPARK

Contents 1 Description 2 Considerations 3 Evaluation 3.1 PART 1 - General Features 3.2 PART 2 - Sound Quality 4 Where to Obtain 4.1 Order From

Description

• Small, light, inexpensive.

• Six-line monochrome LCD (backlit in blue); front-panel controls; side-panel buttons for easy-to-navigate menu system.

• Ships with Mac and PC versions of Audacity, an excellent freeware open-source audio recorder/editor.

• Redesigned MicroTrack II with updated firmware may have resolved some of the operational issues listed below. [See the disadvantages.]

Considerations

Advantages

• Seems to be sturdily built.

• With several input options, it's a viable choice for many purposes.

• Easy to use - all the major controls readily accessible from the top; options through hardware buttons (not buried in menus or controlled by soft switches).

Disadvantages

• Menu toggle button is oversensitive, and can result in quite a bit of frustration.

• No volume indicator to show you where you are on the device's volume scale.

• The internal rechargeable battery is factory replaceable only. This may be a serious, time-consuming matter, if being used overseas!

• According to some reports, if the battery dies during a recording, you may lose the last track and (after transferring any good tracks to the computer) have to reformat the card before further use.

• Problems with MicroTrack 24/96 (which seem resolved with the newer MicroTrack II): non-standard phantom power might not work with some mics; inability to add track markings to WAV files; firmware problems that needed an update available on the MicroTrack website.

Evaluation

PART 1 - General Features

Input / Output

• Stereo mini mic (1/8 inch) input, which works very well with the supplied stereo T-Mic.

• Two balanced quarter-inch line/mic inputs. [These are wired as balanced TRS jacks (which have three conductors, the tip, the ring, and the sleeve). Do not use the more common TS unbalanced (two-conductor) cables, as they will not make as good of a connection, and in some circumstances, could damage the recorder.]

• No XLR plug, but you can use XLR-to-TRS adaptors with the 1/4-inch jacks.

• Has 5V for electret mics and 48V phantom power for condenser mics. [Note: The original MicroTrack had non-standard 30V phantom power.] Phantom power must be turned off when you plug/unplug the mic.

• S/PDIF digital input.

• Outputs: stereo mini headphone jack and a stereo pair of RCA plugs.

Data type

• WAV files: 16- or 24-bit recording and playback; can add track markings with BWF format (WAV files with extra information in the header); sample rates from 44.1kHz to 96kHz. [For most purposes, the lower sample rates will be sufficient.]

• MP3 files: from 96 kbps (small, lower quality files) to 320 kbps (larger, higher quality files). [Avoid MP3s if you plan to do further editing of the files. Each time you save them, the quality becomes slightly worse.]

Recording Mode

• Minimal on-board editing capabilities, effects, etc. The redesigned MicroTrack II has the ability to add track markings to BWF files while recording.

• Stereo only / no mono mode [The user's manual for the original MicroTrack said that a firmware upgrade would allow the mono option; but I have seen no mention of mono for the MicroTrack II.]

• MicroTrack II allows for seamless (multi-part) recording of files beyond 2GB in size.

Data Storage / Transfer

• Records to CompactFlash (comes with a 64MB card; can use up to 2 GB). Can also use Microdrives, but they reduce battery life and are sensitive to vibrations/shock.

• Uncompressed (WAV) files - approximately 10MB per minute, at 16-bit, 44.1 kHz. This will allow over 1 1/2 hour of audio on a 1GB memory card.

• Using slower cards may result in occasional skipping, when using the higher sampling rates.

• Transfer direct to PC by a mini USB jack (older model: USB-1; newer model: USB-2), or by a card reader.

Power Source

• Has rechargeable internal lithium ion battery, recharged via USB, either from your computer or by an AC power adapter. Battery will provide possibly 4.5 hours of recording time; using phantom power will cut the battery life to around 3 hours.

• Two significant drawbacks about the internal battery: 1) It is FACTORY REPLACEABLE ONLY, with a charge of $75; and 2) it is NOT field-swappable (which can be potentially problematic for extended field recording).

• For field recording, an optional USB battery pack may be a viable option.

• Can also use an AC adaptor or your computer to provide the 5-volt power via a mini-USB connector, if you turn the unit on first. (Otherwise it may go into "recharge" mode.)

For more about the features and technical data, see the M-Audio MicroTrack website.

PART 2 - Sound Quality

Included Mic

• Comes with dynamic stereo T-mic (a stereo microphone assembly shaped like a T, with one mic element at each end of the T's crossbar). Plugs into mini mic input.

• Reasonably good sound quality, but (being so close to the instrument) may be a bit cumbersome for interviews.

External Mics

• Mini mic input OK, but does not provide much gain for quieter microphones.

• The quarter-inch balanced inputs provide more gain, when needed.

Headphones

• Playback is clear and smooth, but the included earbuds aren't particularly good. Better with studio monitor headphones or at least noise-isolating headphones.

Preamps

• Not enough gain for low-output microphones; condenser mics work best.

• OK for recording loud sources, but a bit noisy for conversational level speaking (high gain settings). [Most low cost recorders have some noise.]

Gain (Manual or AGC)

• Manual control for the 1/4" TRS input: has a switch for selecting a gain range.

• Also has 27dB TRS boost – often needed for recording in quiet settings, along with the "High" gain setting.

• Original model had NO limiter or AGC (was manual only); MicroTrack II has an extended input gain range and built-in analog input limiter.

Where to Obtain

Order From

• Vernacular Media Services (VMS).

• Internet; typical market price for MicroTrack 24/96 (November 2007) is around $400 USD, but the MicroTrack II is expected to retail for around $300 USD.

By: SPARK Volunteer 1; information from VMS evaluation and other sources.

Date entered: 24 November 2007