Newbie w/Advance Q: TASCAM US1800, How to "In Box" Play & Record?

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MoBuc

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Hi all,
I have the Tascam US-1800 USB Audio Interface. I've recently discovered the driver for this device does not route playback into a PC recording program if the "playing" program is also, on the same PC. I am assuming the exception is playing a track within an "In-Box" DAW can record back to a new Track (Mix Down) within the same Software. (Cubase may allow route back into itself. I'm new to Cubase. :confused:)

Q: How may I play audio in 1 program & record it into Audacity (or Cubase LE5)? Ideally, I want to have only 1 Audio Driver enabled. I would like to hear connectivity ideas for 2 Audio Cards, if that is the only work-around available. That's how I have been doing it up till now.:(

:( Old Way :
US1800: Enabled w/ USB to PC, I/O & COAX SPDIF to EMU 1212m
EMU 1212m: Enabled w/ I/O Spdif Coax to same of US1800.
WinXP Onbord Crd: BIOS disabled, & Wavetable Disabled

:cool: Ideal:
US1800: Enabled w/USB to PC & I/O & COAX to misc External Devices/Instruments
EMU 1212m: Disabled & unused
WinXP Onboard Crd: Disabled & unused.

I'm open for suggestions. The "Old Way" is very awkward & time consuming to configure as it is different for each PC Program pairs involved (WMP to Audacity, Internet Browser to Audacity or DAWs, etc.).

Thanks in advance for your ideas.
:confused:
 
This Question Post is a continue of, ": Newbie Q: How 2 Replace Microsoft Wave with knew card?" question posts now closed.
 
Dummy posts to get around the "...5 or more posts to post a link" restriction. I have a link w/Pics of the Device configs of my PC.
 
Ok, with the 5 posts done. I can now add this link to some pictures of my PC's Configurations in Power Tracks Pro, Cubase LE5, & Windows Sound and Audio Device Properties. Notice the volume for the Audio Recording is greyed-out. Tascam validates this point in their picture of the same on page 15 of the Owner's Manual.

My Pics:us1800.html
 
Ok, this seems easy if I understand you correctly. All audio you are getting from internet via computer or is being sent through the 1800 via digital left/right inputs (15/16). Open whatever you wish to record streaming audio from (in my case Pandora). Open an empty Cubase project. In Devices> Vst Connections select 'Inputs' bus 'Stereo In' and select 'US-1800' digital in left/right. Now, Project>Add Track>Audio>Stereo. Default input in left inspector should read 'Stereo In'. Press record and audio you are listening to will be recorded. Do not engage the monitor button (speaker looking thing on track) as this will cause a feedback loop.

I loaded up LE 5 to make sure we are on the same page here. Here is a snapshot of what I have done.

If this isn't quite what you need then well work at it some more. :)

Jimmy
 

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Btw, I'm not sure if it matters but I have had issues on large projects with auto save messing with recording. I would shut that off just in case. File>Preferences>General, uncheck autosave.
 
Ok, this seems easy if I understand you correctly. All audio you are getting from internet via computer or is being sent through the 1800 via digital left/right inputs (15/16). Open whatever you wish to record streaming audio from (in my case Pandora). Open an empty Cubase project. In Devices> Vst Connections select 'Inputs' bus 'Stereo In' and select 'US-1800' digital in left/right. Now, Project>Add Track>Audio>Stereo. Default input in left inspector should read 'Stereo In'. Press record and audio you are listening to will be recorded. Do not engage the monitor button (speaker looking thing on track) as this will cause a feedback loop.

I loaded up LE 5 to make sure we are on the same page here. Here is a snapshot of what I have done.

If this isn't quite what you need then well work at it some more. :)

Jimmy

Thanks for responding Jimmy. I walked thru the steps U have above twice. Once playing an MP3 from WMP & once from playing a pre-recorded Webinar within Fire Fox Browser (my primary need for this type of use). Not a note or voice got recorded from either. U can see in the Pic below, Cubase LE5 never received any input from either Fire Fox or Media Player.

Cubase_LE5_Recording_Stream.jpg


Page #15 of the Tascam Owner's Manual may have hinted this in the post:
pg15OwnersMan_snip.jpg


I can record any device I attach to the US1800, including In#15/#16. I can hear any audio played by my PC into US1800. Tascam manual says it's default communicates via USB. But to play an audio Source within the PC & to record that same source back onto the same PC...not happening so far.

Because I can't do this, I have only 9 minutes & must run away to monitor another Distance Class in real time cause I can't set a timed recording & check it later.

I'll check back later and keep looking. BTW, I suspect the driver lacks a WDM part as the manual does show the Windows Recording Device as Greyed out. Oddly, enough, I bought the unit for it's Mic/Amp recording features and find something this simple is a big problem for me. C ya after class & Dinner. :o
 
Man.....I'm on Win7 so the default sound stuff looks different but correct. Your pic looks like mine yet I get recorded signal. Is there any way to completely disable your internal soundcard as that is what should be happening?

Let me get something straight in my head first. You play something in media player and you hear it through the 1800's outputs (Monitor knob or Phones knob controls volume [speakers hooked up from 'Monitor Outputs' on rear]? You open Cubase like I showed and still hear your signal? Nothing records while you are hearing this signal and hit record?

-If all these are answered yes then I haven't a clue as this is what is working here.

Go through this and let me know if we are still together on this.

Just for shits n giggles, see if your VST Audio System looks like this.

I'll get your post right away as I'm set for notifi by my phone.
 

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Man.....I'm on Win7 so the default sound stuff looks different but correct. Your pic looks like mine yet I get recorded signal. Is there any way to completely disable your internal soundcard as that is what should be happening?

Let me get something straight in my head first. You play something in media player and you hear it through the 1800's outputs (Monitor knob or Phones knob controls volume [speakers hooked up from 'Monitor Outputs' on rear]? You open Cubase like I showed and still hear your signal? Nothing records while you are hearing this signal and hit record?

-If all these are answered yes then I haven't a clue as this is what is working here.

Go through this and let me know if we are still together on this.

Just for shits n giggles, see if your VST Audio System looks like this.

I'll get your post right away as I'm set for notifi by my phone.

Hi Jimmy, thanks for the research. My Cubase configurations (Cfg) are like yours. So, my issue: (1) is not Cubase Cfg (I thought this 2B my Newbie-ness!); (2) It's not my Tascom Cfg (We checked that.)...

I did some MS Windows Audio research & maybe found the issue: (A) I have disabled AC '97' & MS Wavetable (WDM) when using the EMU 1212m (1212m has it's own WDM Driver. 2Use MS/AC97 I would be using 2 Sound Cards.); (B) I assumed all quality Snd Crds had their own WDM Drvr included within their Interface's Drvr App; I may have been wrong about that assumption; (C) I do not see a WDM loaded when viewing the US1800 Driver in Windows Sound and Audio Devices or my DAW software's Cfg.

In short, I'm guessing you have your AC '97'/WDM enabled on your PC & may be why your testing works & mine doesn't. It true, that explains why my PC works- if I keep 1212m enabled but doesn't if I disable every Audio Driver but- the US1800.

Someone told me the US1800 does have it's own WDM Driver. If so, I see no sign of it. But Tascam's pictures on the owner's manual page 15 suggest, my theory of the missing (or limited use) may be true because it shows the "Record" Cfg Greyed Out while having Tascam as the Recording Device Driver. If I enable 1212m, Recorded Device Driver has volume & property adjustments. Ij

Got Pics coming up...
 
EMU 1212m Cfg within WinXP "Sounds and Audio Devices" : Using 1212m's WDM Drivers

The WDM seen in the Hardware properties come with the 1212m. It is a much better WDM than Windows'.

EMU_1212m_Enabled_AC97-WDM_disabled.jpg


Notice in the 1st Pic, the Volume of the "Record" Device is active!:eek:

The 2nd 2 pics show the 1212m WDM Driver part of the App.
EMU_1212m_Enabled_AC97-WDM_disabled2.jpg


Coming up next is the picture from the US1800 Owner's Manual
 
Yeah, pix would be good, cuz you lost me at 'when using the EMU blah blah....' lol! It seems to me you have configured something in windows that is screwing up your connection with the interface. It may be easier to just do a fresh OS install at this point. Unless that causes you more grief. It just should have worked.:confused:
 
I am pretty damn sure that any audio driver other than the 1800 should be absolutely disabled, if not completely removed from the equation. I think that may be the problem. I wish someone else here would give some insight. One of the settings must be conflicting with your interface. Otherwise it would be working 'out of the box' as most others do. Including mine.
 
Here is Windows "Sounds and Devices" again using Tascam US-1800 as the "Recording" device that Tascam shows in the Owner's Manual on Page 15. Notice the Recording Volume is Greyed out. This the same way it appears in my Windows Sounds & Devices.
Tascam_US-1800_Enabled_AC97-WDM_disabled.jpg


Notice the "Recording" Volume is Greyed out! I think this is an US1800 omission. If I'm right about the WDM needed for me to Play and Record In-Box, then, I must use 2 sound cards to do so.

2 Snd Devices running together R a potential Recording problem, with Time Sync (My DAW recording is heavy into MIDI & VSTi) and Syncing live Audio with 2 Snd Drivers can be even more tricky as the Recording In-Box Software and/or the Out-Box Recorder must be signaled by a Master Clock. Can pass MIDI note data Thru but not the Start-Stop signals. Although Cubase allows for "use/release" of ASIO, a 2nd Snd Crd will have problems with that as many of it's abilities will crash without ASIO.

Both 1212m and US1800 will need xxBit/xx.xKhz set by software or peripherals. Can't set both from 1 App, & 2 Apps demand more critical Time-Issues... I sure hope this is NOT all about the WDM driver! @#$%^&!
 
Yeah, pix would be good, cuz you lost me at 'when using the EMU blah blah....' lol! It seems to me you have configured something in windows that is screwing up your connection with the interface. It may be easier to just do a fresh OS install at this point. Unless that causes you more grief. It just should have worked.:confused:

Yeah, I did that 2 weeks. I completely reinstalled Windows XP SP3 & all those goody MS patches that drive us nuts. The problem persists. I can disable Windows AC97/WDM & only use the EMU 1212m but- must keep either the 1212M or Windows AC97 if I use the Tascam in order to do what I want- which is not my primary use. It's just a real labor & time waste to continuously re-Cfg my entire DAW system, just because I get near Class time or want to Mix Down in Audacity for some reason.
 
The WDM seen in the Hardware properties come with the 1212m. It is a much better WDM than Windows'.

EMU_1212m_Enabled_AC97-WDM_disabled.jpg


Notice in the 1st Pic, the Volume of the "Record" Device is active!:eek:

The 2nd 2 pics show the 1212m WDM Driver part of the App.
EMU_1212m_Enabled_AC97-WDM_disabled2.jpg


Coming up next is the picture from the US1800 Owner's Manual

I had the wrong 2nd picture on the EMU 1212m PROPERTIES. Take a look at the 2nd Pic, you'll C EMU's own WDM part of their driver.
 
I think this may be an issue for a computer tech man. All I know is that most DAW's and interfaces do not play well with other soundcards. Or at all. It seems this is above my head because I don't understand why you are trying to work with other drivers at the same time when the 1800 is designed to completely take over every others tasks. I am now completely lost as to what it is you are trying to do. The basic task of recording from the box/in the box is an easy task. I have no idea where you are going anymore.

:(

Hoped I could have helped.

Jimmy
 
<I can disable Windows AC97/WDM & only use the EMU 1212m but- must keep either the 1212M or Windows AC97>

Why do you need these? I am not getting why these are necessary. Excuse my stupidity but I have lost understanding of what you are trying to accomplish. As I know it, by using an external soundcard (interface), you are intentionally bypassing ALL internal sound functions.
 
<I can disable Windows AC97/WDM & only use the EMU 1212m but- must keep either the 1212M or Windows AC97>

Why do you need these? I am not getting why these are necessary. Excuse my stupidity but I have lost understanding of what you are trying to accomplish. As I know it, by using an external soundcard (interface), you are intentionally bypassing ALL internal sound functions.

No Jimmy, I don't want to use the other 2 drivers. That is exactly what this Question is about. The only way, I can Play/record from 2 different apps, In-Box, is with the US1800, is to enable 1 of these other drivers. I agree with you, this should not be necessary.

That is why I'm asking if anyone knows a work-around. Otherwise, I can use the US-1800 to record MIDI, MICs, & other External Input. But I will need to enable, the 1212m (It does not need Windows AC97.) to record from my Browser into Cubase, Audacity, Power Tracks, or whatever In-Box DAW that I use.

I appreciate your time & thoughts on this Jimmy. I'm hopeful the challenge to resolve will attract more ideas than what we've done so far.

The stuff about my theory is I.T. based, I was A+ & MCSE, but new to Audio Engineering. So, my point of "working" reference is, what I can do with the 1212m as my only Audio Driver enabled V.S. what I cannot do since replacing it with the US-1800. So, to do what I did with 1 Sound driver, I must use 2 drivers if using the US-1800. That is why I am uncertain as to the cause.

That is why I now am focusing on the WDM present in 1212m and not so in the US1800. Because that is the only data/virtual wiring difference that I can see.

What confuses me is when you said, you can do this. That's why I asked about your AC97/WDM driver being enabled or not. I can see no evidence that the US1800 has a WDM of it's own. So, either the problem is NOT having a custom WDM or Win 7 (I'm using XP) keeps it Enabled even if you have disabled it. I'm confused too! ;)
 
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