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Re: how to control Microtrack 2496 mic input level

Subject: Re: how to control Microtrack 2496 mic input level
From: Klas Strandberg <>
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 18:34:07 +0100
The 1/4 inch input adds noise even to such a relatively high output/low
impedance mic as the Telinga PRO6, at least when the phantom power is used.=

I do not find any difference in noise performance whether the +27db boost
is on or off. The noise is sharp and "broken" and does not sound like the
noise from a analog semiconductor.

Brief tests indicate that the Edirol-1 (the other low-cost machine) has a
better noise.

The Edirol is bigger and clumsy and does not provide phantom power. But it=

has a real on/off switch, a wheel to set the recording level and a common
battery case.

Klas.

At 18:20 2005-11-13, you wrote:
>The M-Audio Microtrack 2496 is an inexpensive ($350) new Compactflash
>recorder.  The Sonic Studios website has a new review of the
>Microtrack 2496 that sheds some new light on how this promising, yet
>flawed, recorder works.  The full review appears at
>http://www.sonicstudios.com/mt2496rv.htm
>
>It turns out that the Record "Level" slide on the front of the
>recorder operates only over a 12dB adjustment range.  Minimum "Level"
>does not mean zero input.  Instead, the mic input level is determined
>by the "sensitivity" switch on the side of the recorder.  Switching
>from L to M to H changes sensitivity to input by about 10 dB.
>
>The following chart, copied from the Sonic Studios web page, shows how
>the "sensitivity" switch works:
>
>M-Audio Microtrack 2496
>dual 1/4" TRS jacks
>L-M-H sensitivity switch
>Record "Level" set to minimum
>-------------------
>
>microphone input needed to achieve 0 dB VU
>
>L setting..............+3.2 dBv or 1120 mv RMS
>M setting..............-5.6 dBv or 410 mv RMS
>H setting.............-14.3 dBv or 150 mv RMS
>
>L with +27 dB boost.....-23 dBv or 52.6 mv RMS
>M with +27 dB boost.....-32 dBv or 18.5 mv RMS
>H with +27 dB boost.....-41 dBv or 6.6 mv RMS
>
>-------------------
>
>For example, if you're using the H setting, a microphone input of
>-14.3 dBv will cause a full scale 0 dB reading.  Any stronger signal
>will cause clipping.
>
>This information may help explain Raimund Specht's comment: "In my
>experience, it is necessary to activate the '27dB TRS Boost' option in
>order to get the best noise performance from the 1/4" TRS inputs."
>(Yahoo group message #20309)
>
>--oryoki
>
>
>
>
>
>
>"Microphones are not ears,
>Loudspeakers are not birds,
>A listening room is not nature."
>Klas Strandberg
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>

Telinga Microphones, Botarbo,
S-748 96 Tobo, Sweden.
Phone & fax int + 295 310 01
email: 
        



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