M-AUDIO MicroTrack 24/96 Digital Recorder

 *ONE STAR ONLY* Mic not suitable for rock; bad interface; incomplete software
I was very disappointed to find that the supplied mic is not suitable for recording garage rock (my and my buddies jamming with electric guitars and a drum kit). It totally overloaded the signal. Even setting the input to zero would not cut the level enough (using firmware version 1.1.5).

And for some unknown reason, my $200 Sony ECM-MS957 microphone won't work with the Microtrack. The recording comes out "phased." I don't know what's causing this, but the inability to use my professional stereo mic with the Microtrack is a big letdown.

The interface is bad: the blue LCD screen is hard to read under any conditions, with tiny black type in very low contrast against a blue background. The software seems incomplete, too. Unlike a Minidisc recorder, you can't have it automatically create track split points every x number of minutes. Nor can you split or join tracks. Nor can you monitor the input level before actually beginning recording; the only way to check the level is to press Record to start recording a new track.

 Great idea, less than perfect implementation
First I should say that I do field/mobile recordings of jazz and classical groups, lugging heavy road cases, cables and stands to various venues in order to do CD recordings of the concerts. I am also a professional musician, and frequently wish to record rehearsals and informal performances for self-evaluation later on. I formerly used a small Sony DAT-Man recorder for this with a Radio Shack battery powered stereo mic, but both died and it was time for a replacement using the latest technology. Enter the M-Audio Microtrack 24/96...

In concept this unit is fantastic, and the layout and feature set are just about all I can ask for, to do what I need to do. And, the unit works. Here are my thoughts on the unit, using the latest firmware as of mid-January 2006:

Good:
-Acceptable LCD display, although level meters are too slow to use, making it hard to see what the signal is doing. This leads to surprises when the red CLIPPING LEDs suddenly light up; I can't see these hot levels coming until it is too late. At least M-Audio thought to put these LEDs there instead of relying on the LCD alone.
-Excellent controls layout and simple control scheme.
-Basic audio quality is comparable to CDs, although this depends greatly on how I bring the signal into the unit. The only way to get a really clean signal is via the digital S/PDIF connector, and I have nothing small and light enough to take to sessions that will provide S/PDIF from a microphone.
-Firmware is very easy to upgrade.
-USB interface to computer works seamlessly and easily, although to upload longer audio files from the unit to the computer I choose to use a USB Compact Flash card reader...it is much faster.

Bad:
-Unit feels flimsy; lightweight is good, but jeez!
-I need some way to see where the levels really are during the time when I have to set volume levels for recording. The meters just don't do the job, and by the time the red CLIPPING LEDs light up, the recording is already flawed. I know that LCD level meters can work well (it's not an LCD problem), since I have other equipment that use LCD meters that work perfectly.
-Microphone preamplifier is just plain noisy (hiss). I have not been able to get a clean and quiet audio signal in via either the 1/8" or 1/4" mic inputs. Using an external mic preamp, I can get a good signal via the 1/4" line inputs, but needing to do this limits the portability.
-Recording volume controls work well but are GAIN ONLY...no attenuation. This means the unit can not reduce the level of the incoming signal if that signal is too loud/hot, it can only boost it. When the volume controls are fully down, the inputs are at 'unity gain'. For line level inputs, I have been forced to use in-line attenuators. This is significant, because it is impossible to record even the output of a CD player, for example, without clipping if in-line attenuators are NOT used.
-Using the included tiny "T" mic with the 1/8" input, the LOW/LINE sensitivity setting always seems too quiet, and the next setting is the MEDIUM/MIC which always seems to be too loud (and remember that I can not reduce the level). So, I have made all field recordings using the LOW/LINE setting with the volume all the way up, and have had to live with recorded levels that only use about half of the available headroom.
-Using balanced professional mics into the 1/4" inputs, with XLR to TRS adapters wired according to the M-Audio FAQs webpage, the noise is very noticable and the left channel has a faint motorboating sound. This happens whether I use battery powered mics or phantom powered, and is apparently a fault in the unit. I have waited on hold for hours with M-Audio and never been able to get through to tech support about this, and they have not responded to any emails either. This is my biggest gripe.
-The included earbuds work well enough, but are for low fidelity listening only, and have poor frequency response and low listening level even at full playback volume. Using normal headphones, including both dynamic types and nice Sennheisers, the phones output levels are too low to be useful.
-RCA type line outputs work well enough, but the unit surrounds the jacks with close fitting plastic, making it impossible to plug in most RCA cables; I need to find old ones that have the ground/shield tabs extending far out of the plastic shells, since most new ones have the tabs mostly surrounded by plastic. This is fine for almost all other equipment, but is a problem with this unit.
-The NAVIGATION thumbwheel/button is over-sensitive, making it a bit tricky to select things from the menus; I skid past the desired options about half the time and have to go back.

Many of these issues can be fixed in firmware, and I hope M-Audio comes out with more updates to solve them. However, I am pretty certain that the problems with gain-only input levels, insufficient headphone levels, and noisy inputs are all hardware related and would require a redesign, or at least repairs at the factory, to remedy.

It is my sincere hope that M-Audio (and competitors) learn from the mistakes made on this unit, and that the new models that are sure to come out will bee much improved.

 i agree with the other posters...
this unit is a big letdown. software is buggy as hell... I can't even scroll through files correctly!

when transferring files TO the unit from a mac, you get duplicate files in the playlist. very annoying.

Volume won't even scroll loud to soft correctly without stopping.

This is a beta product that shouldn't have been released yet.

 It depends on your needs and expectations
People's reactions to this seem to vary widely depending on how they plan to use it, and their expectations. I'd note that their expectations aren't that realistic, in some cases. Do you expect it to be perfect, or just a significant step forward? Some people are surprised the included mic doesn't work well for every possible audio application (!); others - like me - are surprised it includes a mic at all!

Google on these words to see some very detailed reviews, they may be helpful in knowing what to expect, given how you plan to use it:
m-audio microtrack review

It's far from perfect, but I'm not sure why people expect it to be, as the alternatives are all far from perfect. It's well worth considering if you're looking for a reasonably priced recorder.

 Not great but a good compromise of size, cost, and features
I wonder a bit about some of the comments in the earlier reviews. The little "T" stereo microphone should be able to handle very loud levels if you remember to SLIDE THE LEVEL TO "L" on left side of the unit. I would also recommend that you make absolutely certain that you have downloaded and installed the latest firmware from the M-Audio web site. Regarding file dupes, it never happened to me but I don't do MacIntosh.

I bought this unit mostly for Podcasting for my future vegasmusictalk web site. It is great for that purpose - SIMPLE, SELF-CONTAINED, and UNOBTRUSIVE for close-distance interviewing using the included stereo "T" mic.

The AMAZON description is incorrect about the 48V phantom power. M-Audio made a design decision (voltage versus battery consumption) and used 30V phantom instead. For some phantom-powered microphones this is okay. For others, especially more pricey professional ones, it will compromise microphone performance.

The M-Audio's biggest annoyance for me is how easy it is to mistakenly have the PHANTOM POWER switch set to "ON" which could damage certain microphones or connected equipment and even if it doesn't will surely introduce added noise at the 1/4" inputs. A big disappointment for me is that you CANNOT MIX the 1/4" inputs and stereo 1/8" input at the same time. For interviewing it would have been very convenient to use the stereo "T" mic to pick up the main interview table conversation while also mixing in voices from two more remote Shure SM57 mics. Maybe next revision ... ?

This unit will record to either WAV or MP3 files. Even though I replaced the included smallish FLASH memory card with an under $100 Corsair 2GB FLASH memory card, recording to WAV really uses up memory very quickly. For superior PC editing, I wish they included lossless WMA (much smaller than WAV) but, instead, M-Audio included only MP3 (I use 192kbps.)

The unit is not truly audiophile level - the background noise level, while good, is less than stellar, particularly with the powered "T" mic. The two balanced 1/4" inputs are somewhat quieter than the 1/8" stereo input. I've tested these with a Shure SM57, a Studio Projects C-1 condensor, an Audio-Technica lavalier, and a Crown PZM mic. These were all successful once you got the appropriate left L/M/H switch level set and also adjust the software levels. It is important that you don't use PHANTOM POWER on this unit with ANY non-phantom microphone.

Setting the mic level is a bit of trial and error, much easier with Podcasting interviews than with music recording. I hope M-Audio improves this in their next revision of this product.

Transferring MP3 files from the M-Audio to a PC for editing is simple drag-n-drop stuff. Battery charging is via PC USB port or a small included AC-to-USB voltage adaptor. For mobile use, a $1 automobile cigarette lighter to USB adaptor will do the trick.

Yes, this product is a little rough around the edges but it is currently the only product of its kind in such a small and convenient format capable of producing near-CD level stereo recordings. Many Podcasters have made it their "portable tool of choice".

 Not meant for loud recordings
I agree with Arrayman. It is not meant to record loud signals which is a let down for me since I bought it to record live gigs. Upgrading to the latest firmware version 1.23 still does not address this issue.

I guess back to the MD for me.