Tascam US 144 MK II USB 2.0 AUDIO INTERFACE REVIEW-BY The J.Hexx Project

[harmandai]

can you connect a keybord?(midi controller)

[thejhexxproject]

@harmandai -if the midi controller you have in question has a midi in and out 5 pin connection, yes. if not and if it is usb, just hook up the controller via the usb cable. also don't forget to set in yopur daw preferences for the midi to be enabled.

[Shadownnn]

what choice.

m-audio fast track pro or tascam us-144 mkii ?

and why?

[thejhexxproject]

@Shadownnn - i never owned fast track but i heard good things of it. i own the tascam 144 mk II. as far as the specs and bang for your buck, i would go with the tascam, cause it was updated most recently tech wise, versus the fast track pro. the best i would offer to you, would be to check out both interfaces, see the specs, pros and cons,that should help you narrow your choices down. fast track pro runs 200 new, Tascam Us 144 no more than 150. they are both great interfaces.

[thejhexxproject]

@Shadownnn - i never owned fast track but i heard good things of it. i own the tascam 144 mk II. as far as the specs and bang for your buck, i would go with the tascam, cause it was updated most recently tech wise, versus the fast track pro. the best i would offer to you, would be to check out both interfaces, see the specs, pros and cons,that should help you narrow your choices down. fast track pro runs 200 new, Tascam Us 144 no more than 150. they are both great interfaces.

[thejhexxproject]

@Shadownnn - i never owned fast track but i heard good things of it. i own the tascam 144 mk II. as far as the specs and bang for your buck, i would go with the tascam, cause it was updated most recently tech wise, versus the fast track pro. the best i would offer to you, would be to check out both interfaces, see the specs, pros and cons,that should help you narrow your choices down. fast track pro runs 200 new, Tascam Us 144 no more than 150. they are both great interfaces.

[statikreg]

Great review! Thanks! Looks like I may have finally found what I want to buy :D

[thejhexxproject]

@statikreg -glad to help!

[paulj0557]

I think it sucks that my US-122 ( first version) has no driver available for Windows XP service pack 3 or newer. I loved using it and then all of a sudden a new style comes out and Tascam decided to make the original one obsolete! If anyone knows of a driver so I can use it with my Windows XP SP-3 please send me a message with a link- Thanks, Paul

[thejhexxproject]

@paulj0557 -i would try to re install sp 2 if possible, or contact Tascam to see what canhelp you remedy the situation :)

[quadjackz]

Awesome tutorial and thanks as you're the reason my church will be purchasing this device!

I need some advice on recording from my Yamaha mixer via XLR. After sending the signal from my board output into the Tascan I want to send the signal to another device (dvd recorder). Which connection/output of the Tascam would I use?

Note: Not sure of input connection type on DVD recorder at the moment, so what options does this device offer?

[thejhexxproject]

@quadjackz -it has a out put of Rca(white and red0 unbalanced stereo cables. it also has a co axial Spidif connection in and out, as well as midi in and out.

[TomEmp3]

Yes, I installed the firmware. I think I will try re-installing. You can not beat Tascams quality. They hold the patents that everyone else has to pay them for or go around. I am waiting to hear back from Tascam today?

[TomEmp3]

Tascam 144MKII and 122L. I'm having problems with high CPU usage when soft synths are loaded with no tracks recorded mind you. I unplug the tascam and the CPU drops. I have optimized the pc and have all the correct drivers. I also noticed that the quality drops A LOT running these tascams on battery powered laptops. I am now using a desk top and the quality is WOW. I am sure all audio interfaces 'suck' with battery power. It makes sense. Very frustrated. Waiting to hear back from Tascam.

[memorygab]

im planing to buy this audio interface but i my laptop is windows7 64bit system type.. is it compatible to this interface to my laptop.. highly aprecciates your reply.. thank you :)

[thejhexxproject]

@memorygab -it is compatible with windows 7 64 bit. the laptop i use is a Windows 7 64 bit cpu (Celeron 900@2.20 ghz) with 4 gigs ram, and it runs smooth like butter on my OS.

[TomEmp3]

@memorygab I wrote them with this same question they said yes. It does I have this only on desktop. You can write and ask. it only takes two day to get back. They should list this information on there sight. This has been a consitant problem with Tascam Updates. May be wait until I get my problem resolved if you use Midi at all. I have 2 units with the same hi CPU usage. Not good. Im thinking of sending the MKII back.

[thejhexxproject]

@TomEmp3 -sorry you are experiencing that problem. i used to have the same cpu spike problem, when it was driver 2.02. but since i got the latest update dated 6/11/11, and then installed the new firmware, my cpu spike problem went away. it slides between 7-15% at any given time. did you dl the new update and the firmware as well?

[RegisPPalmer]

Very well done, thank you...I've got the Tascam US-144 so I am assuming your advise and instructional is applicable...Q; Why am I experiencing issues getting my iMac to recognize my interface? Thanks again, RSVP if possible :)

[thejhexxproject]

@RegisPPalmer - i would go check Tascam's site for the most updated drivers and support - it might be you may need to uninstall/reinstall the most recent drivers for your imac, and see if that works.

[sherikream]

hi, would you say this is any different from the US-122 model? if there's difference, what would you say the difference are.

[thejhexxproject]

@sherikream -for the extra cost, the 144 mk ii has a seperate volume control for line out knob and headphones knob(which the 122 doesnt have it's own line out knob) and the fact the 144 has a ditial coaxial in and out for adats, md players, any digital device, digital mic preamps, etc.) it;s worth the extra 20 bucks to have the dedicated line out vol(which the 122 doesn't have) and the digital co ax in and out(122 doesnt have this). but other than than they are the same. :)

[sherikream]

@thejhexxproject do you know how to set the laptop built in speakers for the output, instead of using the tascam's output

[thejhexxproject]

@sherikream -disable the tascam in your preferences in your comp. and enable your soundcard in your computer for the output in the same screen.

[pjfadriquela]

how do i get 4 different in's? do i use the digital in, and if yes how. Thanks

[thejhexxproject]

@pjfadriquela -you have left channell and right chanel ins , and digital coaxial in and out(using a adat, md player, or simiar digital device, and midi in and out (drum machines, keyboards ,digital devices, etc.)

[pjfadriquela]

i know it says 4in x 4out but how can you do like two guitars and two mics at once? 

[thejhexxproject]

@pjfadriquela -you could but you cant seperate the volumes of guitar and mics, cause the mic and guitar would be sharing the same channel in both inputs. i would use one for mic and one for guitar. the other two ins are the midi in and digital coaxial in.

[BenU2014]

I use this, do you get a little feedback when you have phantom power on?

[thejhexxproject]

@BenU2014 - no i get no feedback. do you use headphones, and set your monitor mix for a good balance between the zero latency monitoring vs the music on the Monitor Mix Knob (Input/Computer)? what do you mean when it gives you feedback?

[BenU2014]

@thejhexxproject I mean i get a hum from the phantom power, i guess you could say white noise, not feedback

[thejhexxproject]

@BenU2014 - i never had that issue. it might be a issue of a ground loop happening to you in re to your phantom power.or there is something else altogether happening to your unit when you record. so this never happens with the phantom off? if it doesn't there is a possibilty the preamp has something wrong with it. again, i am not sure, but that is all i can think of based on your question.

[JLEOLEGACY]

Great review, thanks for sharing.

[thejhexxproject]

@JLEOLEGACY -you are welcome. :)

[Promoagent]

Just bought one but I keep getting sound drop outs every few seconds this happens when playing mp3s, you tubes etc I tried reinstalling the driver and re booting but that dosen't work, any idea?

[thejhexxproject]

@Promoagent -i would try to uninstall, then reinstall again. i did this 3 times, then since then the thirdx time was a charm and never had a problem since. make sure you go to the Tascam site for the most updated drivers and firmware. Never use the disk that comes with the unit, as they had mad problems related to shitty drivers.

[tigre0540]

I have a tascam 144mk2, a Yamaha digital Keyboard PSR-E423 and Sony ACID 8. My question is the keyboard doesn't have midi port it does have USB port and the Tascam doesn't have USB input port, so how I will set up this to be able to get everything from my keyboard. I plugged the keyboard and the tascam to the PC but I only get the inputs from the keyboard keys I don't get anything else .

[thejhexxproject]

@tigre0540 -just have your tascam us 144 mk2 as the audio device, and when you do get a keyboard that has midi in and out, connect to the tascam, then activate it in your daw's midi preferences option screen. the way you have it set up now, like i do, i use usb for keyboard midi in/out, and use the MK2 as the audio interface with midi disabled, until you get one that attaches to the mk2, then enable it in midi preference options.

[thejhexxproject]

@somebodysgottadoit81 -is the bose a amp? if it is, you should hook the left and right outs to the ins of your monitors. and did you download the most recent drivers from the tascam site, cause the driver in the box is super outdated and had alot of problems that resulted in cracking noises.

[thejhexxproject]

@somebodysgottadoit81 -it may be you need to set either your cubase track option to mono tracks(never record vocals in stereo) or you need to set your switch on the tascam from stereo to mono monitoring. it is a bit more complicated without physically seeing the set up, but 9 times out of ten, it is your Daw setting is opening new tracks in stereo, you would need to switch it to mono. is your tascam output left and right cords hooked directly into your bose systems left and right inputs?

[Zoomslang]

@thejhexxproject i want to buy this and hook it up for krk monitors using xlr cables would it work? i just want external sound card to eliminate buzzing sound

[thejhexxproject]

@Zoomslang -it only has one stereo output, that is unbalanced Rca. the way you would have to hook it up to hyour Krk's is to get a Rca to XLR speaker wire from the tascam(rca) to your speakers(xlr) keep in mind that the signal will still be unbalanced, but if you get a Ebtech Hum eliminator, you can convert unbalanced lines to a balanced signal using it between the tascam and speakers.

[Zoomslang]

@thejhexxproject u know what I'm gonna waste money for that reason,I'm still savin for my numark ns6 mix deck...so this is what I'm join to do,since the ns6 is built in sound card why don't just hook 2 xlr cables from my krk monitors straight to my ns6? thats possible right and which one is the output and input for the cables..kinda don't understand still about it need some help thanks...

[MultiSSproduction]

Would this mixer work with windows xp?

[thejhexxproject]

@MultiSSproduction -yes this audio/midi digital interface is compatible with windows xp, but always be sure to check the full specs on any interface before you buy one. thi sinterface is compatible with Windows XP (SP 2)32 bit and 64 bit versions and higher. if you have sp 1, it wont work with it, only sp2 or higher on both 32 bit and 64 bit. so make sure to check the specs of your os fully to make sure it is at least at version sp2.

[SourJovis]

Bought one today. Can't get it to work yet. If you plug in earphones on the interface itself all sounds well, but the recordings in the computer through the usb connection are all completely distorted even though there's no clipping. I can't figure out why.

[thejhexxproject]

@SourJovis -i would suggest to go to tascam's site and download the newest driver, and afterwards its newest firmware. DO NNOT LOAD THE DRIVER THAT IS ON THE IDSC IN THE BOX! reason being it is a old driver, and it had problems. once you get the newest driver and firmware, it should be fine. if it is problematic after the new firmware and driver are installed, uninstall and reload it again, it should be fine afterwards.

[SourJovis]

@thejhexxproject Okay I did what you suggested. I used the driver and firmware from the site, and now it works perfectly. Thanks so much. Btw great video.

[thejhexxproject]

@SourJovis -glad i can help. the earlier driver that came with the unit on disc was very problematic. it wasnt until version 2.02 that alot of the kinks were fixed, then the most recent driver and it's frimware fixed the cpu usage problem. i am glad i can help.

[529ark]

do u know if the tascam us-122mkII is a 4 in 4 out too?

[thejhexxproject]

@529ark - technically the US 122 mk II is not a 4 in /4 out device, as it lacks the digital co axial in and out that the US 144 MK II has, so i would say the US 122 MKII is a 3 in and 3 out audio /midi device(2 mic ins and one midi in, and a left/ right and midi out). for 20 dollars more to get coaxial would be a better bet, but the 122 is a excellent device in itself.

[529ark]

@thejhexxproject thank you for the info great vid

[gnites88]

ha i own this! nice review.

[thejhexxproject]

@gnites88 -thank you :)

[josephkavalakat]

the new drivers did reduce the crackling by 60 percent..now i get it only when i increase my input volume to max...not bad.......gonna do some tests and see the results....cheers

[thejhexxproject]

@josephkavalakat - then it seems the update worked for you. in regards to your input volume, since it is 24 bit, you shouldnt have to use more than half or i would say from vol meter 1-10, i use 5 to 6 for vocals. with guitar it might be a little more gain you need to use, but you wouldnt have to use so much gain(which you make noise occur if the gain is too high, from the preamp/interface electric current noise going into the signal). just find a decent level in gain that sounds good for you.

[thejhexxproject]

@josephkavalakat - also make sure if you are using hi z impedance guitar, make sure you switch the R channel switch to Guitar, so that it will be picked up accurately and not damage your gear :)

Your us 122 mkii is a nice device, and since you are a proud new owner of one, congrats! also make sure that you go to your audio preferences and make sure the audio device is at least set in record/playback properties, to mininum of 24 bit/44.1 khz, which is standard resolution for studio recordings.

[josephkavalakat]

@thejhexxproject  Thx : )

[josephkavalakat]

thx for replying back.....u must be talking about the 2.02 driver......O MY GOD ..i just now saw the tascam site and they have uploaded a new driver today 2.03....wil check with and reply back....thanks

[thejhexxproject]

@josephkavalakat - if you used the disc out the box, that is what is causing your dilemma as the earlier drivers had the problem you are mentioning. version 2.02 removed that, and now that you informed me of the update, which took a few months to do, im going to dl it now myself. in the future, never ever use the drivers out the box, cause usually they are outdated from them being manufactured prior to new released drivers were availiable. this should hopefully fix your dilemma :)

[thejhexxproject]

@josephkavalakat -also make sure you ,make the Tascam the default device for music and for recording in your aydio preferences in your computer. disable your standard computer's audio card, and enable the default on the tascam us 122 mk ii. that will also, keep the drivers from each audio card from bumping heads with each other. if both drivers are fighting for the audio, that can cause issues in audio as well as make your cpu work harder, tho you have more impressive comp specs than mine :)

[josephkavalakat]

hi.. nice vid...i saw your review on the tascam facebook...i bought this tascam us122mk2 unit last week...when i connect my guitar to the guitar input of the interface ,i get this crackling or screeching sound. but only when i play the string. otherwise no distortion.....my system is Windows 7 Home 64 bit...toshiba satellite pro L630 134 (i3 ,2 GB ram,2.2 Ghz, usb max power -500mA) installed latest drivers as well ....i am planning to sell it as well .PLEASE HELP... Many Thanks : )

[thejhexxproject]

@josephkavalakat - this is what i would do, cause it seems like you have the specs, but there may be things you need to check. first Do you have the latest driver 2.20 off the Tascam official site?

[thejhexxproject]

@josephkavalakat - this is what i would do, cause it seems like you have the specs, but there may be things you need to check. first Do you have the latest driver 2.20 off the Tascam official site? also , if you have a built in soundcard, on top of your tascam soundcard, it might cause confilcts between the two drivers.