ТАSCAM US-144 mkII -is it normal?

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StoneJack

Member
Well, to record vocal and acoustic guitar on Mac, I bought US 144 mkII; the Mac drivers are 3.00 (14), I believe latest.
I use Garageband X for recording.
The mike is Shure SM58; I managed a first recording;

but I am puzzled that I have to turn the LINE/MIC knob for left mike, which I am using for input from SM58, almost to max value to record at normal volume.
Mon MIX I put at 12;
Phone at 3; Line OUT at 12;
Phantom Power Off;
Mono OFF.
Mic/Guitar is on MIC/LINE.
If i don't turn Left MIC to almost max value, can't hear the recording, its so silent.
please help with right settings.
And SM58 wasn't that spectacular.

I have Sony USB mike which far easier to use but it costs like 1/10 of what I paid for Tascam and SHURE SM58, yet it seems to have even better signal.
 
Yes, all perfectly normal.
The 122/144 Tascams had perhaps THE most feeble mic amps of any AI of the day. I shall risk a pelting with rotten fruit and suggest a small mixer! The Behringer Xenyx 802 would serve I am sure. Other less cheap alternatives are the "Fethead" and the "Cloudlifter".

If a new AI is in prospect? Bobbsy says the pres in the M-Audio M-track are ok. So too are those in the Steinberg UR22 and all the Focusrite models (but don't get the ripoff 2i2!)

Note however that ALL of these AIs will need the gain close to max with a 57/58, just the nature of the beast. You DO know you should not be recording hotter than around -18dBFS?

Dave.
 
Thanks a lot Dave!
I was thinking I am crazy, turns out its the model :)
No, I do not have budget for anything else right now.
I was thinking that I am getting good setup for recording vocals, turns out I need mixer too. I will try to use Tascam as much as possible.
 
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arcaxis said:
I've got a US-144mkII and the gain setting you need for that SM58 sounds about right. Similar to when I use an SM57. I do have a FetHead that Dave mentioned that I use with an SM7b and it does give a bunch of clean gain before it hits an interface or mic preamp. The mixer suggestion is good and it would be handy to have if you went the way of a condenser mic eventually. A condenser mic wouldn't need the use of a FetHead or similar with the US-144mkII.
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I am very interested in your settings, please share how you tune your TASCAM. I am still learning about this thing and the manual is not of much help.
 
arcaxis said:
Not much different than where you indicated that you set yours. My Phones and Line out may be slightly different to get comfortable listening levels for the monitors and headphones I'm using. I am using a PC and Reaper which really shouldn't make much difference (I don't know if a Mac has an audio control panel that may affect levels). As Dave note set your levels around -18dBFS and you should be OK so long as your SM58 can push it up there. Are you pretty much up near the mic (ballpark 3"-8") when singing/talking?
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Yes, pretty close. When he meant levels of -18dBFs, I assume he meant the mic recording level? OK, its calming to know that the TASCAM mic preamp is THAT weak.. the box itself looks pretty solid though.
 
StoneJack said:
Yes, pretty close. When he meant levels of -18dBFs, I assume he meant the mic recording level? OK, its calming to know that the TASCAM mic preamp is THAT weak.. the box itself looks pretty solid though.
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To be fair to the Tascam it is technically problematic to put very high gain mic pre amps in a small AI tin!
Even the later AIs mentioned are not THAT much better.

I understand the level meters in GB are rubbish? Found this....Sonalksis

Might help?

Dave.
 
Well, GB allows for sound level adjustment manually or automatic (I usually prefer automatic) which was in GB version 6.05 (I have it, its for free).

The latest GB version is just Logic Pro Light, essentially same software but for free and fewer drummers.

I guess you right, the box is tiny!
 
Hey guys,. I'm using this same interface for my portable rig and I'm struggling to find a way to make use of the stereo digital input. I thought initially I might find a small mixer with a stereo spdif output but this has proved elusive.

Mark,. how have you made use of your 2 digital channels?
 
Thats kinda what I was thinking,. I've got a couple of rack units that do digital outs, but none have 2 seperate inputs.

Oh shit,. my mini disc player has mic and line inputs and a digital out,. wonder how that would sound,..hmm,
 
"Yeah, I don't think I've seen a mixer with S/PDIF, although it seems like it might not be a bad idea. "
Be a bloody brilliant idea Mark! How many years have we seen interfaces such as the M-A 2496, Fast track Pro and even SB cards with S/PDIF inputs and FA to plug into them (well, CD player?!).

I have found a few audio to S/PDIF converters on the net, some as low as $20 but if you are looking beware they are not S/PDIF..TO audio cos' them's by far the more common.

Today I had a letter which showed me that the IRS man DOES have a heart and I am now quite a chunk better off for 2015 than I ever expected to be. So, I shall probably get a converter in the next month or so and give it a do.

Dave.
 
I really like the cheap converter idea too if it will work, then you clould plug anything in. I'm skepticle about how they might handle wordclock though,..
 
dyermaker8 said:
I really like the cheap converter idea too if it will work, then you clould plug anything in. I'm skepticle about how they might handle wordclock though,..
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They won't have the facility of or need Wordclock. That is used, AFAIK to sync things like ADAT units? S/PDIF has the clock embedded in the data stream.

As for the quality of the converters? I have two "hi fi" type minidisc recorders and I would expect modern stuff, cheap or no, to be on a par and they sound fine to me.

MD btw is always (I think?) optical? I have a couple of converters, one to go each way and they work fine between MD and a co-ax 2496 but then they do not do anything to the signal, just cause a LED to blink or a photo-transistor sends data via a hex inverter.

The thing to be wary of would be to keep the input level below clipping.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
They won't have the facility of or need Wordclock. That is used, AFAIK to sync things like ADAT units? S/PDIF has the clock embedded in the data stream.

As for the quality of the converters? I have two "hi fi" type minidisc recorders and I would expect modern stuff, cheap or no, to be on a par and they sound fine to me.

MD btw is always (I think?) optical? I have a couple of converters, one to go each way and they work fine between MD and a co-ax 2496 but then they do not do anything to the signal, just cause a LED to blink or a photo-transistor sends data via a hex inverter.

The thing to be wary of would be to keep the input level below clipping.

Dave.
Click to expand...

I forgot about the optical part. I think i'll try one of the cheap-o converters and see what comes of it,. Thanks for the info, good tips!
 
Quick follow up for anyone interested,. I ended up getting the cheap analog to digital converter off amazon and am currently running a presonus blue tube into it,. and from there into the digital input of the Tascam 144mkII with great success. Now a fully functional(mic pres and phantom power) 4 channel interface. Sweet and very portable.
 
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