Emu Tracker Pre USB 2.0 Audio Interface
No longer available at zZounds
zZounds Gear Experts Say...
Pristine 24-bit/192kHz A/D and D/A converters. Mic preamps can run independently. USB-bus powered.
Overview
E-MU's Tracker Pre USB 2.0 Audio Interface/Mobile Preamp is the ultimate portable USB audio interface for Mac and PC, offering pristine 24-bit/192kHz recording and playback, direct monitoring, and a host of professional features in a compact, USB bus-powered package. The Tracker Pre USB provides users with two Class-A ultra-low noise Mic/Line/Hi-Z preamplifiers that can be run independently or in stereo to record guitars, keyboards or microphones with optimal audio performance. CurrentMorph, a patent-pending circuit design, allows Tracker Pre to offer +48V phantom power and use premium high-power converters while using only USB bus power.
Features
Pristine 24-bit/192kHz A/D and D/A converters (A/D and D/A: 112dB measured SNR performance) deliver unmatched USB audio fidelity for pristine audio quality
Preamplified analog signals are available before the A/D converters, allowing the Tracker Pre to be used as a standalone high-quality stereo microphone preamp (using optional power supply)
Hardware zero-latency direct monitoring (mono or stereo) with continuously variable level control
Plug-and-play operation with hands-on control of all major functions like direct monitoring level, headphone level, preamplifier gain and more
Independent ground lift switches for optimal audio fidelity/flexibility
USB bus powered (can also be powered using optional 5V power supply)
Cross-platform support (Mac OS X and Windows XP32/XP64/Vista32/Vista64) and compatibility with… read more most popular audio/sequencer applications (ASIO2, WDM, MME, Apple Core Audio and Core MIDI supported) read less
Features
Pristine 24-bit/192kHz A/D and D/A converters (A/D and D/A: 112dB measured SNR performance) deliver unmatched USB audio fidelity for pristine audio quality
Preamplified analog signals are available before the A/D converters, allowing the Tracker Pre to be used as a standalone high-quality stereo microphone preamp (using optional power supply)
Hardware zero-latency direct monitoring (mono or stereo) with continuously variable level control
Plug-and-play operation with hands-on control of all major functions like direct monitoring level, headphone level, preamplifier gain and more
Independent ground lift switches for optimal audio fidelity/flexibility
USB bus powered (can also be powered using optional 5V power supply)
Cross-platform support (Mac OS X and Windows XP32/XP64/Vista32/Vista64) and compatibility with… read more most popular audio/sequencer applications (ASIO2, WDM, MME, Apple Core Audio and Core MIDI supported) read less
Specs
In/Out Configuration
Two XTC(TM) Class-A, ultra-low noise, Mic/Line/Hi-Z preamps. Balanced XLR, 1/4 in. TRS and 1/8 in. Inputs (-127dB EIN) with 60dB of gain
1/8 in. Stereo Condenser Microphone Input with 5V Power
Two 1/4 in. Balanced/Unbalanced Outputs (112dB SNR)
Two 1/4 in. Unbalanced Send/Return Inserts prior to A/D converters
Stereo headphone output (112dB SNR)
General
Sample Rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192kHz from internal crystal (no sample rate conversion)*
Bit Depth: 24-bit I/O, 32-bit processing
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed:
- Full 24-bit resolution at all sample rates
- Stereo in, stereo out at all sample rates
Zero-latency direct hardware monitoring (disabled at 176.4-192kHz)
Windows drivers: ASIO2 and WDM
Macintosh driver: Apple CoreAudio
Anti-Pop speaker protection minimizes noise during power on/off
Ultra-low jitter clock subsystem: < 100ps RMS
USB Bus or AC powered via optional Universal Power Supply
Combo Preamplifiers (2)
Type: E-MU CurrentMorph combo mic preamp and Hi-Z/line input
A/D converter: AK5385
Max Level: +6.4dBV bal/unbal (+6.9 dBu)
- Hi-Z/line balanced input: +6.9dBV bal/unbal (+9.1dBu)
- Microphone Preamplifier: +6.4dBV bal/unbal (+8.6dBu)
Frequency Response (min gain, 20Hz-20kHz): +0.0/-0.03dB
Dynamic Range (A-weighted, 1kHz, min gain): 112dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted, min gain): 112dB
THD+N (1kHz at - 1dBFS, min gain): -102dB (.0007%)
EIN (20Hz-20kHz, 150ohm, unweighted): -127dBu
Input Impedance:
- Hi-Z/line balanced input: 1 Mohm
- Microphone Preamplifi er: 1.5 Kohms
Analog Line Outputs (2)
Type: balanced, AC-coupled, 2-pole low-pass differential filter
D/A converter: CS4392
Max Level: 6.6 dBV (unbalanced)
Frequency Response (20Hz - 20kHz): 0.00/-0.08dB
Dynamic Range (1kHz, A-weighted): 112dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted): 112dB
THD+N (1kHz at -1dBFS): -99dB (.0011%)
Stereo Crosstalk (1kHz at -1dBFS): <-111dB
Headphone Amplifier
Type: Class-A power amplifier
D/A converter: CS4392 (shared with Line Out)
Gain Range: 60dB
Maximum Output Power: 22mW
Output Impedance: 22ohms
Frequency Response (20Hz-20kHz): +0.02/-0.07dB
Dynamic Range (A-weighted): 112dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted): 112dB
THD+N (1kHz, max gain): 300ohm load: -99dB (.0011%)
Stereo Crosstalk (1kHz at -1dBFS, 300 ohm load): <-90dB
Synchronization
Internal crystal sync at 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192kHz*
* Macintosh operation up to 96kHz only at this time
Retail Box Contents
E-MU Tracker Pre USB 2.0 Audio Interface
USB cable (2 meters)
Installation Guide
E-MU Software/Manual Installation CD-ROM (OS X /Windows):
- Windows XP, Windows x64, Windows Vista, Windows Vista x64 Drivers
- Mac OS X 10.4, Mac OS X 10.5 Drivers
- Owner's Manual and Tutorials
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows only)
E-MU Production Tools Software Bundle DVD (OS X /Windows):
- Windows Applications
- E-MU Proteus VX (with over 1000 sounds)
- Cakewalk Sonar 6 LE
- Steinberg Cubase LE4
- Celemony Melodyne essential
- IK Multimedia AmpliTube Duo
- SFX Machine LT
OS X Applications:
- Steinberg Cubase LE4
- BIAS Peak Express 5
- Celemony Melodyne essential
- SFX Machine LT
Ableton Live Lite 6 E-MU Edition CD-ROM (OS X, Windows):
- Ableton Live Lite 6 E-MU Edition
Waldorf Edition LE CD-ROM (OS X, Windows):
- Waldorf Edition LE
Minimum System Requirements
Windows:
Intel(R) or AMD(R) processor - 1.2 GHz or faster
Intel, AMD, or 100% compatible motherboard & chipset
Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP (SP 2 or greater), Windows XP x64, Windows Vista, or Windows Vista x64
1 available (Hi-Speed) USB 2.0 port *
512 MB System RAM
900 MB of free hard disk space for full installation
CD-ROM/CD-RW drive required for software installation
DVD-ROM drive required for bundled software installation
XVGA Video (1024 X 768)
OS X:
Apple(R) Macintosh(R) G4 800 MHz G4 compatible or Intel-based processor
Apple Macintosh OS X (10.4.3 or greater)
1 Available (Hi-Speed) USB 2.0 port*
512 MB System RAM
500 MB of free hard disk space for full installation
CD-ROM/CD-RW drive required for software installation
DVD-ROM drive required for bundled software installation
XVGA Video (1024 X 768)
* When connecting the Tracker Pre to a USB 1.1 port on a Windows PC, performance is limited to 16-bit and 44.1/48 kHz recording and playback.
* USB 1.1 is not supported on the Macintosh
Two XTC(TM) Class-A, ultra-low noise, Mic/Line/Hi-Z preamps. Balanced XLR, 1/4 in. TRS and 1/8 in. Inputs (-127dB EIN) with 60dB of gain
1/8 in. Stereo Condenser Microphone Input with 5V Power
Two 1/4 in. Balanced/Unbalanced Outputs (112dB SNR)
Two 1/4 in. Unbalanced Send/Return Inserts prior to A/D converters
Stereo headphone output (112dB SNR)
General
Sample Rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192kHz from internal crystal (no sample rate conversion)*
Bit Depth: 24-bit I/O, 32-bit processing
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed:
- Full 24-bit resolution at all sample rates
- Stereo in, stereo out at all sample rates
Zero-latency direct hardware monitoring (disabled at 176.4-192kHz)
Windows drivers: ASIO2 and WDM
Macintosh driver: Apple CoreAudio
Anti-Pop speaker protection minimizes noise during power on/off
Ultra-low jitter clock subsystem: < 100ps RMS
USB Bus or AC powered via optional Universal Power Supply
Combo Preamplifiers (2)
Type: E-MU CurrentMorph combo mic preamp and Hi-Z/line input
A/D converter: AK5385
Max Level: +6.4dBV bal/unbal (+6.9 dBu)
- Hi-Z/line balanced input: +6.9dBV bal/unbal (+9.1dBu)
- Microphone Preamplifier: +6.4dBV bal/unbal (+8.6dBu)
Frequency Response (min gain, 20Hz-20kHz): +0.0/-0.03dB
Dynamic Range (A-weighted, 1kHz, min gain): 112dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted, min gain): 112dB
THD+N (1kHz at - 1dBFS, min gain): -102dB (.0007%)
EIN (20Hz-20kHz, 150ohm, unweighted): -127dBu
Input Impedance:
- Hi-Z/line balanced input: 1 Mohm
- Microphone Preamplifi er: 1.5 Kohms
Analog Line Outputs (2)
Type: balanced, AC-coupled, 2-pole low-pass differential filter
D/A converter: CS4392
Max Level: 6.6 dBV (unbalanced)
Frequency Response (20Hz - 20kHz): 0.00/-0.08dB
Dynamic Range (1kHz, A-weighted): 112dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted): 112dB
THD+N (1kHz at -1dBFS): -99dB (.0011%)
Stereo Crosstalk (1kHz at -1dBFS): <-111dB
Headphone Amplifier
Type: Class-A power amplifier
D/A converter: CS4392 (shared with Line Out)
Gain Range: 60dB
Maximum Output Power: 22mW
Output Impedance: 22ohms
Frequency Response (20Hz-20kHz): +0.02/-0.07dB
Dynamic Range (A-weighted): 112dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted): 112dB
THD+N (1kHz, max gain): 300ohm load: -99dB (.0011%)
Stereo Crosstalk (1kHz at -1dBFS, 300 ohm load): <-90dB
Synchronization
Internal crystal sync at 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192kHz*
* Macintosh operation up to 96kHz only at this time
Retail Box Contents
E-MU Tracker Pre USB 2.0 Audio Interface
USB cable (2 meters)
Installation Guide
E-MU Software/Manual Installation CD-ROM (OS X /Windows):
- Windows XP, Windows x64, Windows Vista, Windows Vista x64 Drivers
- Mac OS X 10.4, Mac OS X 10.5 Drivers
- Owner's Manual and Tutorials
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows only)
E-MU Production Tools Software Bundle DVD (OS X /Windows):
- Windows Applications
- E-MU Proteus VX (with over 1000 sounds)
- Cakewalk Sonar 6 LE
- Steinberg Cubase LE4
- Celemony Melodyne essential
- IK Multimedia AmpliTube Duo
- SFX Machine LT
OS X Applications:
- Steinberg Cubase LE4
- BIAS Peak Express 5
- Celemony Melodyne essential
- SFX Machine LT
Ableton Live Lite 6 E-MU Edition CD-ROM (OS X, Windows):
- Ableton Live Lite 6 E-MU Edition
Waldorf Edition LE CD-ROM (OS X, Windows):
- Waldorf Edition LE
Minimum System Requirements
Windows:
Intel(R) or AMD(R) processor - 1.2 GHz or faster
Intel, AMD, or 100% compatible motherboard & chipset
Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP (SP 2 or greater), Windows XP x64, Windows Vista, or Windows Vista x64
1 available (Hi-Speed) USB 2.0 port *
512 MB System RAM
900 MB of free hard disk space for full installation
CD-ROM/CD-RW drive required for software installation
DVD-ROM drive required for bundled software installation
XVGA Video (1024 X 768)
OS X:
Apple(R) Macintosh(R) G4 800 MHz G4 compatible or Intel-based processor
Apple Macintosh OS X (10.4.3 or greater)
1 Available (Hi-Speed) USB 2.0 port*
512 MB System RAM
500 MB of free hard disk space for full installation
CD-ROM/CD-RW drive required for software installation
DVD-ROM drive required for bundled software installation
XVGA Video (1024 X 768)
* When connecting the Tracker Pre to a USB 1.1 port on a Windows PC, performance is limited to 16-bit and 44.1/48 kHz recording and playback.
* USB 1.1 is not supported on the Macintosh
Reviews
Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars.
(12 ratings)
Submitted June 24, 2010 by a customer from gmail.com
"Check for current drivers!"
Verified Purchaser
zZounds has verified that this reviewer purchased this specific product from us.
Sadly the lack of Win7 drivers killed it for me. I submitted my RMA request last night, and now it is approved (thank you zZounds) and will be sending the device back to today (6/24/2010). I'm glad they have such an awesome returns policy!
I don't want to bag on this device; it's probably a great value in many situations. For me the main problem was lack of drivers for the current version of Windows; and the whole point of this review is to help others avoid this problem! Before you buy the device, check E-mu's website to see if they have drivers for your operating system.
Sound
It did sound good when I had it working, but see the support section below.
Features
Includes a LOT of software, and a pretty well-made USB cable with braided shielding and an outer clear plastic covering.
Ease of Use
Overall simple to use.
Quality
It's plastic throughout, but seems well-made and solid despite that. The monitor level pot has no white stripe, and no stops - it rotates continuously.
Value
The device is likely a great value for the money *if* drivers are available for your OS.
Manufacturer Support
Long story short: as of June 2010, there are no reliable Win7 drivers for this device. I received the E-mu Tracker USB Pre from zZounds on 6/23/2010. After much tinkering, I decided I could not get it… read more to work reliably in my Windows 7 setup - E-mu have yet to release Win7 drivers for the device. I consider drivers to be "support" so this is where I will document the main issue I had with this device. (It should be noted that I was installing this device on a Thinkpad I had JUST rebuilt with a new, stock, legit copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, 32 bit, fully updated. The ONLY other software/driver I had installed was Audacity. So we can rule out operator error, malware, or other device/driver/software conflicts as the source of the problems I outline below.) I had thought that the released Vista drivers would work fine - usually Vista drivers are OK on Win7. In this case that was not true and I can't say technically why. Even when I could get it working somewhat, the best sample rate I could get was 48kHz; a shame since this device is supposed to go all the way to 192kHz. And even at 48kHz I sometimes experienced dropouts, likely due to driver issues. I tried the drivers on the included CD, and when that failed I uninstalled them all and downloaded/installed the latest driver set from the E-mu website. A check around the web revealed I was not alone; many other Win7 users have had similar problems. Given that Win7 released about 11 months ago and E-mu still doesn't even have beta drivers up for this device (or their 0202/0404 products which apparently share the same drivers), I didn't feel it was worth waiting and taking the chance that E-mu might take many more months to release a usable Win7 driver (or never release one at all!).
The Wow Factor
The 192kHz sampling frequency was pretty important to me. I realize that sounds like overkill today but I'm making archival recordings for historical use and so I wanted to prevent the possibility of some future person saying 'if only they had sampled at a higher frequency!' Plus the device had great reviews from others who seemed to have use-cases similar to mine.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist read less
Sound
It did sound good when I had it working, but see the support section below.
Features
Includes a LOT of software, and a pretty well-made USB cable with braided shielding and an outer clear plastic covering.
Ease of Use
Overall simple to use.
Quality
It's plastic throughout, but seems well-made and solid despite that. The monitor level pot has no white stripe, and no stops - it rotates continuously.
Value
The device is likely a great value for the money *if* drivers are available for your OS.
Manufacturer Support
Long story short: as of June 2010, there are no reliable Win7 drivers for this device. I received the E-mu Tracker USB Pre from zZounds on 6/23/2010. After much tinkering, I decided I could not get it… read more to work reliably in my Windows 7 setup - E-mu have yet to release Win7 drivers for the device. I consider drivers to be "support" so this is where I will document the main issue I had with this device. (It should be noted that I was installing this device on a Thinkpad I had JUST rebuilt with a new, stock, legit copy of Windows 7 Ultimate, 32 bit, fully updated. The ONLY other software/driver I had installed was Audacity. So we can rule out operator error, malware, or other device/driver/software conflicts as the source of the problems I outline below.) I had thought that the released Vista drivers would work fine - usually Vista drivers are OK on Win7. In this case that was not true and I can't say technically why. Even when I could get it working somewhat, the best sample rate I could get was 48kHz; a shame since this device is supposed to go all the way to 192kHz. And even at 48kHz I sometimes experienced dropouts, likely due to driver issues. I tried the drivers on the included CD, and when that failed I uninstalled them all and downloaded/installed the latest driver set from the E-mu website. A check around the web revealed I was not alone; many other Win7 users have had similar problems. Given that Win7 released about 11 months ago and E-mu still doesn't even have beta drivers up for this device (or their 0202/0404 products which apparently share the same drivers), I didn't feel it was worth waiting and taking the chance that E-mu might take many more months to release a usable Win7 driver (or never release one at all!).
The Wow Factor
The 192kHz sampling frequency was pretty important to me. I realize that sounds like overkill today but I'm making archival recordings for historical use and so I wanted to prevent the possibility of some future person saying 'if only they had sampled at a higher frequency!' Plus the device had great reviews from others who seemed to have use-cases similar to mine.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist read less
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