JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Recording Studio and Gear Forum Tascam Interface Audio

I just purchased a TASCAM Interface Audio.
It is a two channel and connects to a USB port.
An entry level unit that boasts clean cd quality.
It will be a lot preferrable to going between sound cards and trying to find ways of reducing background noise.
Since I record between two computers, it is going to be fun with this two channel.
If the dynamics in sound permit it, I can even loop the 2 track from my external hard drive and dub through it indefinately.
But sound and equipment is a delicate thing.
I never had software that had channels I could record into.
Just the .wav in my 2 computers between the headphone output going to the line-in or mic jack of my second computer.
But I'm not going to be lazy trying to make the best sound I can out of little. I'm going to integrate this new toy, and if I can master it, integrate it.
I also have only a standard mic.
But I'm thinking of getting a Roland mic.
The store owner I know that runs a studio swears by them.
Anyways, I had to celebrate with a post that my little productions will sound a lot cleaner. And if maybe someone own one or has owned one that can share their experience.
I have been working on my playing also.
Which is why I did'nt initially think as much for the recording sound.
And I like depending on my ears instead of monitors.

Matt

I have the Tascam US-122 and I've used it for a couple of years now. It's a USB box that provides both audio and MIDI interfaces for me - and I like it.

Currently I use Sonar for my recording - but eventually I will probably make the jump to ProTools eventually. The folks over at DigiDesign have competitive upgrade packages that are nice... I can turn in my Sonar software and my Tascam hardware for a price break on the ProTools software and one of their new hardware interfaces...

When and if I am ready for that step, I'll do it - but until then, this Tascam box does quite well for me.

I forgot to menttion that it is a US-122L.
It has the hookups for MIDI and the disk for it.
I hav'nt used MIDI before.
I might try it to see if it could make my sound that much better.

I hav'nt done much left to right channeling either.
With just a sound card there is going to be pretty much of that funnel sound no matter what.

I did the normal bass in middle and drum toward the right, experimenting around type of stuff.
I should be happy with this for a long time too.
It's like a professional studio in comparison.

Matt

Hi Matt,

You should try Audacity recording software:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

It is FREE! and pretty easy to use.

Download Audacity to whichever PC has the fastest processing speed. And you will never have to record between two computers again. That's just wacky!! But I admire your ingenuity :-)

With the interface you have and that software it should provide you with the the potential to achieve a major improvement in sound quality.

I listened to a couple of your tunes and you have some interesting and creative ideas. I appreciate the lo-fi mentality, but once you get the fidelity thing worked out your creativity will be able to shine.

Best of luck! And have fun!!

Kester

Thanks much Kester!
I did download Audacity and have used the beats to practice rythmns.
I might even integrate it to a degree in my recordings to add.
I'm against just using the softwares themselves.
I have a Casio keyboard and have practiced to that also. Has served as my metrenome.
I have kind of a no machines mentality, but I don't think integrating technology is backsliding.
I remember singing and also playing a little bit of synth with hard rock musicians.
Everyone thinks someone like that wants to play Duran Duran.
I do admit I like some new wave, and a little Duran Duran too.
But even they have to play as a band and do their stuff live.
As a few years passed, people kind of moved on to other things and I guess I have tried to recreate kind of a live experience in my own way.
I have a lo-fi mindset, at least in the sense to where I will never have a sound proof studio with all the knick knacks.
But some technology does'nt scare me as much.
Audacity is a great piece of software.
People can create entire bits of music off of it and even be themselves with it to a certain degree.
I also like that GVerb feature in it.
But I would use it to accentuate.
I have horn effects on my Casio I would like to add too.
But I used to go crazy with it, and anyone that has heard a synth horn knows how tacky that can be.
But I use it to punctuate and at least try to come a little closer to making the horn sound like post seventies Chicago.
Though I can never sound that real of course, it is great trying.
Before I add the certain effects to the net, I will try my best to make it sound natural.
I'm thinking of getting a clarinet even.
This new recording device can help give me a lot more detail with the programs and sound in general.
Even though I still like to start with a flat, dry recording.
it's great having the technology there is for little to nothing.

I had an extra computer and only the thought of attatching the two to go on when I first started recording digitally.
But now I am seeing the other alternatives besides that.
It's a matter of knowing the software and the hardware.
And it has become a lot more interesting.

Appreciate the feedback!

Matt

Hey Matt:

Just noticed this....

I have the Tascam USB 122 also.

Audacity is OK but your Tascam should have come with a disk containing Cubase recording/mixing software. You might take a look at that as an alternative to Audacity.

Some observations (others may disagree):

It is good that there are two channels if:

(1) You want to record something like a guitar in stereo - either with two different mics or one mic to one channel and the guitar jacked in directly to the other channel.

(2) You want to record a live performance of, say, singing while playing guitar. Then a vocal mic to one channel and either a guitar mic to the other or the guitar jacked in direct.

I don't record much this way. Usually I'll record everything sequentially in mono. Say the drum track, then the bass track, then guitars, piano, vocals, etc. Once you have all your tracks recorded you can pan each one as desired to get a stereo sound.

If your Tascam came with Cubasis VST, you have 8 tracks to work with. Recently they've been bundling it with Cubase LE which gives you either 16 or 24, forget which...

There's all kinds of cool things you can do...

Sometimes I'll record the same guitar part twice and pan them to different sides to get a fuller sound.

Sometimes I'll copy my vocal track to a different track, add a short delay (15 milliseconds or so) to one, and then pan them to different sides. Also gives a fuller sound...

There are also plenty of free plug-ins available on the web that will work with the software - I recommend getting a compressor plug-in reasonably soon...

A lot to experiment with - all of it fun.

I jack my keyboard directly into the Tascam as opposed to recording it with a mic over the speaker. Not only do I elimate room noise, I can also record when my wife is in the same room...

This should really open up possibilities for you. Have fun with it!

Scott

Thanks Scott!
I have been recording from a second computer through a 2 channel.
I decided to strip down more to a couple of instruments more instead. Since I hav'nt really learned one instrument.
I have cubase software and there is also MIDI.
I have just purchased a MIDI cable to interact with the software.
The USB is supposed to serve as a MIDI port.
I have done strictly .wav so far.
That short delay part is interesting.
How I record (percieve as I am recording) is often different than how the recording comes out.
Seems to take just an nth of a second to make a difference.
I guess the sound to a song would be what a mirror is compared to a picture in that way. Like a latency or time delay.

Anyways, it's good to get some of this information going in.

Appreciate it!

Matt