So I have decided to add a new series to my blog where I showcase things I really enjoy. Could be gadgets, could be a new cigar brand, could be a local dive bar or it could be anything, as long as I love it and use it. I just have certain things in my life that I absolutely love and use all the time and why not let you know about them.
My first favorite item is the M-Audio Micro Track II. I used to use a Sony Minidisc player a few years ago to record my live DJ sets. It was great to have something small and portable to take with me that was easy to pack with me. The one thing I didn't like was getting the audio to the computer. I would have to basically record it real time into Sound Forge so that I could convert it to a mp3 and put it online. What a pain in the ass that was. A little over 2 years ago I purchased the Micro Track II and it has pretty much been in my gig bag ever since.
All I need to do now at gigs is plug in the RCA to minijack cable from the Record Out on the mixer to the mic input of the Microtrack and press record. The built in limiter means that my recordings won't clip and remain at a constant output level. Now instead of having to record the set back into the computer, I can now just drag and drop files. The Micro Track II can record via 3 different connections. You can use the mic minijack port, 1/4 TRS cables or a SPDIF digital connection. You can also record Wav files at various bit rates or mp3's. You use compact flash cards (not included) as the storage media for your files. With a 2 gig card I can record 3 hours of wav data at 16 bit. It also comes with a stereo mic which would work great for interviews and field recordings. Not bad.
The only thing I have had issue with is the battery life. However, to combat that I have been taking the usb to a/c plug so that I don't have to worry about it dying during those long marathon sets. Taking this with me to all my gigs has allowed me to catalog my live sets in a way I have never been able to do before. It has also allowed me to give back my sets to people quickly and efficiently. The other thing is it has done is force me to always try new music. If I am constantly recording sets and putting them up for download, they cannot be the same set all the time. Recording has allowed me to really push my sound and focus on new and amazing tracks.
If you are a gigging DJ or musician i would recommend the Micro Track II for all your stereo recording needs. Easy to use. Simple interface. You just can't go wrong.
