USB Audio/MIDI Interface: Owner'S Manual
USB Audio/MIDI Interface: Owner'S Manual
USB Audio/MIDI Interface: Owner'S Manual
»
US-122
USB Audio/MIDI Interface
OWNER’S MANUAL
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER
Ü (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALI-
FIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended
ÿ to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the prod-
uct’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric
shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
1 Read these instructions. 10 Protect the power cord from being walked on or
2 Keep these instructions. pinched particularly at plugs, convenience recep-
3 Heed all warnings. tacles, and the point where they exit from the
4 Follow all instructions. apparatus.
5 Do not use this apparatus near water. 11 Only use attachments/accessories specified by
the manufacturer.
6 Clean only with dry cloth.
7 Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in
12 Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or
table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution
8 Do not install near any heat sources such as radi-
when moving the cart/apparatus combination to
ators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus
avoid injury from tip-over.
(including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9 Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized
or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two
blades with one wider than the other. A ground-
ing type plug has two blades and a third ground-
ing prong. The wide blade or the third prong are
provided for your safety. If the provided plug does
not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for 13 Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or
replacement of the obsolete outlet. when unused for long periods of time.
14 Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
For USA Servicing is required when the apparatus has
been damaged in any way, such as power-supply
TO THE USER cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the
the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture,
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide rea- does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
sonable protection against harmful interference in a resi- • Do not expose this apparatus to drips or splashes.
dential installation. This equipment generates, uses and
• Do not place any objects filled with liquids, such
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
as vases, on the apparatus.
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However,
• Do not install this apparatus in a confined space
such as a book case or similar unit.
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harm- Declaration of Conformity
ful interference to radio or television reception, which can Model Number : US-122
be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the Trade Name : TASCAM
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one Responsible party : TEAC AMERICA, INC.
or more of the following measures: Montebello, California, U.S.A.
a) Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Telephone number : 1-213-726-0303
b) Increase the separation between the equipment and This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
receiver. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
c) Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit differ- (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and
ent to that to which the receiver is connected. (2) This device must accept any interference received,
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV teccnicioan including interference that may cause undesired operation.
for help.
CAUTION
Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly
approved by TEAC CORPORATION for compliance could
void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.
2 — TASCAM US-122
Table of Contents
TASCAM US-122 — 3
1 – Introduction
Overview
The US-122 is a USB powered audio/ Because the US-122 is USB-based, it’s
MIDI interface designed for Digital the ideal companion to any desktop- or
Audio Workstation (DAW) software laptop-based digital recording setup.
applications. Its design incorporates a And since it’s as compact, like a laptop,
two-input, two-output 24-bit audio inter- requiring no additional power source, it
face with balanced inputs, input inserts, can be combined with one to create a
guitar impedance matching, phantom complete portable digital audio worksta-
powering, and a 16-channel MIDI inter- tion solution.
face.
Features
The input section comprises a 24-bit inserts on each input channel. Outputs
audio interface, capable of streaming include a pair of unbalanced line outputs
two simultaneous channels of audio into on RCA connectors, and a separate head-
your computer. Inputs include two bal- phone output.
anced XLR mic inputs with phantom The US-122 also features MIDI input
power capability, two 1/4” balanced line and output ports, allowing you to send
inputs (switchable to high-impedance and receive data between your computer
unbalanced, for direct input of a guitar, and other MIDI-equipped devices.
bass or other hi-Z source), with TRS
4 — TASCAM US-122
1 – Introduction
TASCAM US-122 — 5
2 – Controls and indicators
Top Panel
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 89 A
1 LINE OUT level control Con- 3 USB indicator Indicates a valid
trols the level to the RCA outputs. USB connection to the host computer
when lit.
PHONES level control Controls the
level to the headphones output. 4 DIRECT switch Enables/dis-
ables direct monitoring of the input
2 MIDI IN indicator Indicates signals
presence of incoming MIDI data at the
MIDI input. 5 MONO switch Enables/dis-
ables mono output from the direct moni-
MIDI OUT indicator Indicates trans- toring system.
mission of MIDI data from the MIDI
output.
6 — TASCAM US-122
2 – Controls and indicators
Rear Panel
B C D E F
B USB jack Input for USB connec- E OUTPUT L/R jacks Unbal-
tion (USB 1.1) to host computer. anced (RCA) analog audio outputs.
C MIDI OUT MIDI output F PHONES jack Standard 1/4" ste-
D MIDI IN MIDI input, reo headphone output.
TASCAM US-122 — 7
2 – Controls and indicators
G H
8 — TASCAM US-122
3 – Installation
System Requirements
PC (Windows)
Minimum requirements: Pen- which utilize Intel-based chipsets. You
tium II - 266 MHz (or equivalent) pro- can determine your chipset by going into
cessor running Windows 98 (Second the Device Manager. On the Windows 98
Edition) or Windows Me (Millennium desktop, right click on My Computer,
Edition), Windows 2000 or Windows and select Properties. Click on the Device
XP, 96MB RAM. Manager tab, and then click on the plus
(+) sign next to Universal Serial Bus
Recommended: Pentium II Controllers. (see illustration below)
300MHz processor with 128MB RAM
or better (these requirements are for use
with Cubasis VST. Other applications
will have different requirements. Consult
your application’s manufacturer for fur-
ther information).
NOTE
NOTE:
Mac OS
PowerPC running Mac OS 8.6 or better, PowerBook G3 Series (or later) with
and a USB port. Any Macintosh com- built in USB (or using a 3rd party PCM-
puter with one or more USB ports run- CIA USB Card) have been tested and
ning Mac O/S 8.6 or later (check the work fine. Additionally, older PowerMac
Web site for updates), or Mac OS X computers using 3rd party PCI-based
10.2.3 or above. USB cards also have been tested and
Very early iMac computers may need work fine. Any iMac, G3 or G4 will
one (or more) firmware updates to use work fine as well. Mac OS versions ear-
the US-122. Which firmware update(s) lier than 8.6 do not implement full USB
is (are) needed depends on which Mac support, and are not recommended.
OS version is installed in the early iMac. Again, plenty of RAM and fast drives are
Apple provides details in Apple Support suggested.
Article #58174.
Installation
Because the US-122 is a USB device, NOTE
NOTE:
10 — TASCAM US-122
3 – Installation
TASCAM US-122 — 11
3 – Installation
To install under Windows 2000 The drivers are now installed and the
or Windows XP: US-122 is ready to operate.
NOTE NOTE
Run the Installer with the US-122 NOT con- When using the US-122 with Windows XP,
nected to the computer. you may need to run the Windows Update
program to install the Windows
1 Double click on the executable file Messenger Update for Audio/Video to
US122_Win2k_x_yy.exe (the US-122 improve the USB audio functionality of the
setup icon). The installer will run. system. This update is listed in the Win-
2 Click the Next button. The dows XP update list.
Welcome dialog box will appear. To install using Windows New
3 Click the Next button. The driver Hardware Wizard:
files will be installed to your hard 1 Insert the CD-ROM into your com-
drive.
puter’s drive.
NOTE
2 Connect the US-122 to the com-
You may be prompted by a message puter.
informing you that the software you are
about to install does not have a digital cer- The Windows Plug and Play sys-
tificate. Simply click Continue the tem will notice a new USB device
installation anyway and proceed. and start the Add New Hardware
4 If you are prompted to restart your wizard.
computer, do so. 3 Choose Search for a suitable driver
5 Connect the US-122 to the com- for my device and press Next.
puter. The Windows Plug and Play 4 Enter the path where the drivers
system will notice a new USB are stored (that is, the CD-ROM)
device and start the Add New and press OK.
Hardware wizard, which will find
5 After Windows finds the “firm-
the three needed files on its own.
ware download” driver, click Next.
6 When prompted, select the Install 6 Click Finish. The other driver com-
the software automatically option,
ponents will be automatically dis-
and if any warning appears
covered and loaded (probably
regarding digital certificates, etc.
three different components will be
ignore them and select Continue
discovered). This may take some
anyway.
time.
7 This process will take about 30-60 7 Click Finish if prompted, and
seconds.
reboot if prompted
12 — TASCAM US-122
3 – Installation
Macintosh
NOTE 2 Double-click on the appropriate
Run the Installer with the US-122 NOT con- US-122 installer package to expand
nected to the computer. it.
There are two files for the Macintosh: 3 Double-click the resulting installer
• US-122_OS_9_x_yy.hqx for pre- OS X file, and follow its instructions.
systems (OS 8.8 and above) In OS X, you will need to enter an
• US-122_OS_X_x_yy.sit for OS X sys- Administrator name and password
tems (OS X 10.2.3 and above) to install the drivers, etc.
Where x and yy refer to the version num- 4 Connect the US-122 to the com-
bers of the software. puter. When the US-122 is con-
1 Insert the CD-ROM into the com- nected, the system will find the
puter, and drag the appropriate drivers which have just been
installer package to your hard installed by itself.
disk.
TASCAM US-122 — 13
3 – Installation
nected MIDI ports. At the least you Once OMS setup is successfully com-
should see two icons pertaining to pleted, you can proceed with setting up
the US-122 specifically: the US-122 the US-122 with your chosen applica-
icon, and the US-122 MIDI port. tion. Please refer to the specific docu-
mentation for your application for more
details.
Tuning Your PC
A few words about computers and audio. improve performance. Some programs
Much has been written about the best (such as Cubase VST) allow you to con-
ways to optimize your PC for handling figure the DMA as enabled on install. If
audio applications, and generally speak- you’ve not already done this, here’s how
ing, it’s a much deeper topic than we’ve to configure the DMA transfer mode: On
got space for in this manual. But here are the Windows desktop, go to the Start
a few basic points to help you get the menu, Settings, Control Panel, System.
best out of your audio programs: In the System Properties window, select
Don’t run extraneous applications. the Device Manager tab. Click on the
While it’s likely you’ll sometimes use plus sign next to Disk Drives, and high-
your computer for applications other light the IDE disk listing, then click on
than audio, it’s strongly recommended the Properties button. Check the DMA
that you avoid running other applications box under Options. (see the illustration
at the same time you’re running audio below).
programs. Processing digital audio
requires considerable overhead from
your computer, so don’t overtax the sys-
tem by running other applications (espe-
cially graphics or internet tools) that can
steal those resources.
Certain devices, such as network cards
and WinModems, can cause conflicts
with the native handling of USB. Should
you experience such conflicts, the In addition, a number of simple hard-
offending device can usually be tempo- ware modifications and enhancements
rarily disabled in the Device Manager. can substantially improve your com-
Refer to your Windows manual for puter’s handling of audio, as well as your
detailed instructions on how to resolve track count and DSP capability:
conflicts.
Increase the amount of RAM in your
Assuming your computer has an IDE system. While most digital audio soft-
hard disk (most do), enabling Direct ware applications will function accord-
Memory Addressing (DMA) on will ing to the amount of RAM in their
14 — TASCAM US-122
3 – Installation
The USB protocol is an extremely versa- audio. We strongly suggest unplugging any
tile one, and much has been made of the non-essential USB devices while recording
possibility of using multiple (over 100) with the US-122. USB keyboards and mice
devices on a single bus. While this is cer- are the notable exceptions—in most cases
they are passive devices with very minor
tainly a possibility, we recommend using
bandwidth requirements.
as few other USB devices as possible in
a system equipped with the US-122. The Another well-documented advantage of
demands placed on the USB bus by pass- USB is the ability to “hot-plug” devices
ing multiple tracks of audio through it (that is, plug them in and out without
are considerable, and adding additional powering the computer down). While
devices will risk reducing that band- this applies to the US-122 as well, we
width. recommend against plugging or unplug-
ging the unit while running your audio
NOTE
application. Doing so can result in audi-
The drivers of many other USB devices, ble pops, or even hanging or crashing the
especially CD burners, scanners, printers, program.
and cameras, are written to poll the USB
bus on a regular basis (usually once every You’ll find a listing of web links and
millisecond). This can lead to dropouts, resources on hard disk recording on our
clicks, pops and other artifacts in your Web site at www.tascam.com.
TASCAM US-122 — 15
4 – Hooking up Audio and MIDI to the US-122
Hooking up audio
To monitor output from your computer, inputs (unbalanced when used as guitar
connect the analog outputs of the US- inputs).
122 to your mixer, amplifier or powered While it’s possible to use both mic and
monitors. Output volume is controlled line level analog inputs simultaneously
by the LINE OUT level control. on either input, in actual practice this is
To record audio from the US-122 into not recommended, as the signal level of
your computer, simply connect a device the inputs will be summed and very
to the appropriate input. Microphones likely interfere with each other.
should be plugged into the L and R MIC Input level is regulated by the INPUT
IN XLR inputs. level controls. The INPUT level controls
NOTE directly affect the input level at the A/D
The US-122 can supply phantom power, so converters on the US-122, so it’s advis-
if you’re using condenser microphones, you able to use the SIGNAL and OVER indi-
will not need an external preamp or power cators to help set your levels. Unlike
supply. analog tape, when recording digital
You can connect line-level sources (e.g. audio, it’s important to keep your input
keyboards and sound modules) into one level close to 0dB, but never to exceed it.
of the two LINE/GUITAR IN jacks (L or If the input level is too high, the audio
R). If you wish to plug in a guitar, bass, signal will clip - not a desirable sound. If
or other high-impedance source, simply the input level is too low, then the
move the appropriate sliding switch to dynamic range of which the US-122’s A/
the GUITAR position. D converters are capable is not being
used, and the signal will be closer to the
The inputs of the L and R channels are
noise floor than it needs to be. In either
available as either balanced XLR mic-
case, this cannot be fixed after the tracks
level inputs, or balanced (1/4") line-level
have been recorded, so it’s important to
make this adjustment carefully.
Hooking up MIDI
The MIDI IN and OUT jacks give you 16 Time Code). This allows you to sync
channels of MIDI I/O. Simply connect tracks from your MTC-capable Portastu-
the MIDI OUT of your keyboard or dio, DTRS multitrack, or any other
other device to the MIDI IN jack on the machine that accepts timecode with your
US-122, and vice versa. If you’ve got a digital audio software, transferring
MIDI sync box, you can use the MIDI tracks back and forth for editing and pro-
ports to send and receive MTC (MIDI cessing.
16 — TASCAM US-122
4 – Hooking up Audio and MIDI to the US-122
In digital and computer audio, the DIRECT switch is on, the sound passed
amount of time it takes for the input sig- through the USB and computer process-
nal to pass through the circuitry of the ing is not monitored, and the input sig-
unit and the software processing and nals are passed directly to the outputs for
arrive at the outputs will sometimes monitoring.
result in an audible delay (this is com- You can use the DIRECT MONITOR
monly referred to as “audio latency”). level control to set the level of the
This added delay can be confusing when, directly monitored signal, and the
for example, you’re trying to overdub to MONO switch to fold the two direct
previously recorded tracks. monitor stereo channels into mono.
The direct monitor feature built into the The LINE OUT and PHONES level con-
US-122 eliminates this problem by pro- trols directly affect the audio levels that
viding a way to listen to the signals appear on the LINE OUTPUT and
you’re recording directly, without any PHONES jacks, respectively.
computer processing delay. When the
TASCAM US-122 — 17
5 – The US-122 Control Panel
Main Page
The US-122 driver temporarily stores To adjust the buffer size, run the US-122
input and output audio samples in buff- Control Panel. The Latency slider lets
ers. Larger buffers provide more safety you change the buffer size from a mini-
against other system activities interrupt- mum of 256 samples (128 samples on
ing the audio and producing clicks, pops the Mac) to a maximum of 2048 sam-
or other audible artifacts. Smaller buffers ples. All audio programs that use the US-
provide lower latency when using the 122 must quit before a new audio latency
computer to send input audio to output setting takes effect.
channels in order to monitor the input. This slider is marked Audio Safety
The driver lets you select which buffer Buffer under OS X, and is calibrated in
size works best for your computer and milliseconds, rather than samples.
audio application.
Using Cubase VST at 44.1 kHz sampling
NOTE rate, a 256 sample buffer size gives
This adjustment does not affect the latency approximately. 12 ms of monitoring
of the US-122’s hardware input monitor, latency, while a 2048 sample buffer gives
which is always less than 1.5 ms. approximately 43 ms latency.
18 — TASCAM US-122
5 – The US-122 Control Panel
Open the US-122’s control panel and 440 Hz for a middle “A” note, but you
select the Tuner tab. can use the up/down arrows to change it
to a number between 430 and 450 Hz.
As you play, the detected note will be
displayed below the Tuning lights (A# or
E, for example). If the note is sharp, the
Sharp arrow and a Tuning light to the
right of 0 are bright red; if the note is
flat, the Flat arrow and a Tuning light to
the left of 0 are bright red.
In the Input section, select the US-122 The numbers below the tuning lights
input channel that you want to tune (L or indicate how far out of tune the note is,
R). in cents (100 cents is one semitone).
Play a note and adjust the level for that When the note is in tune, the center ‘0’
input until the signal is strong, but not light and both the Flat and Sharp arrows
clipping. are bright green.
The Level meter on the screen should dis- NOTE
play bright green segments without The chromatic tuner consumes some CPU
lighting the top red segment. bandwidth in your system. Therefore,
when you finish using the tuner, we recom-
If desired, you can change the Tuning
mend that you either select another con-
Standard in the Reference section. Nor- trol panel tab or close the control panel.
mally, the Tuning Standard is set to
TASCAM US-122 — 19
6 – Interfacing with your Audio Software
This section is intended to present the This discussion, however, is not intended
basic concepts needed to interface the to replace your software’s user’s manual.
US-122 with the bundled Cubasis VST If you’ve got questions specific to Cuba-
application. sis, please refer to the Cubasis User
Manual for further detail.
In the Audio Control Panel, you can Disk Cache settings, and MIDI to Audio
select the number of audio channels you offset. See the Cubasis manual for more
wish to use, as well as the sampling rate, information on these settings.
20 — TASCAM US-122
6 – Interfacing with your Audio Software
Input Enabling
You will need to enable the inputs on Then select the inputs on Cubasis’ inter-
Cubasis. Open the Audio Input window nal mixer. If you’re recording a mono
(see the illustration here) and select one input, left click on the input selector
mono track or a stereo pair. above the channel strip and select the
desired input L or R. If you’re recording a
stereo track, the inputs will both be
selected automatically Verify that the
designated channels’ inputs (IN) are
Note that Cubasis supports only one selected, and the associated channels are
input for recording (though this can be a receiving signal.
mono or stereo track).
TASCAM US-122 — 21
6 – Interfacing with your Audio Software
Verify that the drop-in and drop-out fea- Cubasis will issue a one or two bar
tures in Cubasis (on the transport bar) count-in (depending on what’s set in
are not enabled (or if so, that they are Cubasis’ Metronome preferences
enabled at the desired locate points). menu), then commence recording.
Press the RECORD button on the screen.
Some audio programs that can use ASIO paths. With Direct Monitoring enabled
2 for audio input and output, such as the latency is ultra-low (less than 1.5ms),
Steinberg’s Cubase VST, support a fea- but you can’t hear effects in the monitor
ture called “Direct Monitoring”. This path (although they will be recorded if
lets the program’s user interface control enabled).
hardware input-to-output monitoring To enable Direct Monitoring in Cubase
paths. Without Direct Monitoring VST, open the Audio Control Panel. In
enabled, the latency is controlled by your the Monitoring section of the window,
buffer size setting (see "The US-122 check ASIO Direct Monitor. (You also
Control Panel" on page 18) and your need either Record Enable Type or Tape
program can add effects such as reverb Type monitoring enabled.)
and EQ in both the monitor and record
22 — TASCAM US-122
7 – A Sample Recording Session in Cubasis
Setting Up
Before starting Cubasis, make sure that cation by double- clicking on its icon on
the US-122 is connected to your com- the screen. Open the Audio Control
puter’s USB port, and that the device has Panel and select the US-122 as your
been initialized. audio device (see “Selecting the US-122
NOTE as your audio device” in previous chap-
ter.) If you don’t see the US-122 listed in
When launching or closing the application
your Audio Control Panel, make sure it’s
(e.g. Cubasis VST), turn down the LINE
OUT and PHONES controls.
been installed correctly by referring to
the section on Troubleshooting.
When Cubasis VST is running, do not
disconnect or connect the cables of the Select the ASIO Control Panel, and
US-122 or any other USB equipment. choose a sample Rate (44.1 kHz or
48 kHz). Your Audio Clock Source
If you launch Cubasis or another audio should be set to internal, unless you’re
program before the US-122 has been ini- using an S/PDIF digital input from
tialized, the software will not “see” the another audio interface, or otherwise
US-122 and you will not be able to oper- slaving Cubasis to an external source.
ate the software’s controls, perform
MIDI I/O, or record or play back audio. Select the Disk Caching Scheme. Option
Likewise, many software applications 1 is Virtual Tape Recorder, used prima-
don’t expect that devices will be rily when your tracks are linear and of
removed while the program is running. longer duration. Option 2 corresponds to
So make sure to exit your audio applica- Audio Sequencer, and is more applicable
tion programs before disconnecting the when using loops and shorter segments
US-122. of audio. Option 3, Tape Recorder/
Sequencer, is your best choice when
It is also advisable, as with all audio working with a combination of short
devices, that you turn your amplifier or audio clips and longer linear tracks. (For
powered monitors off until the program further information on Disk Caching,
is up and running, to avoid audio spikes. please refer to the Cubasis VST manual.)
Once you are certain that the US-122 is If you’re using the US-122’s internal
up and running, start the Cubasis appli- MIDI interface, you’ll need to enable it
TASCAM US-122 — 23
7 – A Sample Recording Session in Cubasis
in the Options/MIDI Setup menu. For Connect your audio sources to the US-
more information on setting up VST’s 122. Connect an analog source via the
very sophisticated MIDI functions, XLR or 1/4” inputs.
please refer to the VST manual.
In Cubasis, choose the input(s) you wish flicker, or nothing at all, on the SIGNAL
to enable on the US-122. In the Audio LED.
menu, select Input, and click on the input You can regulate the input level of the
pair on the US-122. The green Input input source in several ways. First, make
icons will light in VST’s Input window sure that the signal you’re sending to the
for active inputs. US-122 is within a reasonable range - it
Select the Audio track(s) to record to by should illuminate the green SIGNAL
highlighting that track in the Arrange LED, but the red OL LED should only
window. flicker occasionally. You can then fine
NOTE adjust the level with the input level con-
trols for the selected channel(s).
If this is the first track recorded in a given
project, Cubasis will probably respond with On Cubasis’ Transport Bar, you can
a dialog box asking you for a path to save enable the recording to drop in or out of
the audio files. It is highly recommended Record based on the locate points you’ve
that you create a unique folder for each set. If you do not wish to enable this
song or project, as audio.WAV files can function, make certain the buttons for
accumulate very quickly on your hard disk, drop in and drop out are not enabled.
and keeping them organized can get pretty
complicated. Press the RECORD button on the screen.
If you’ve got the metronome’s Count-off
Once you’ve enabled your tracks, you’ll
function enabled, you’ll hear a one or
want to monitor audio through them to
two bar countoff, and then the program
set your levels. Open Cubasis’ Monitor
will enter Record mode. It will stop
Mixer (Audio/Monitor menu), and make
recording when it reaches the drop out
certain you’ve assigned your channel
point, or if none is enabled, when you hit
inputs and enabled them. You should see
the STOP button.
audio signal on those channels’ meters
(assuming you’re sending signal from Cubasis will now create a display of the
your source). track(s) you’ve just recorded. This can
take a few seconds to a few minutes,
If your input signal is too high, the OL
depending on how long the recorded
LED will glow steadily red. If the signal
tracks are and how many there are.
level is too low, you might only see a
You’ll then see the tracks appear in your
arrange window.
24 — TASCAM US-122
7 – A Sample Recording Session in Cubasis
Overdubbing
To overdub more tracks, simply select more information on Cubasis’ mixer
and enable additional tracks as you did functions, including groups and output
the previous ones, and repeat the proce- assigns, please refer to the Cubasis man-
dure. You can monitor the tracks you’ve ual.
already recorded via the US-122’s out- When overdubbing, you can also select
puts, while recording additional tracks the Direct Monitor mode by using the
into Cubasis via the US-122’s inputs. Be DIRECT MONITOR switch on the US-
sure to assign each track to its own chan- 122.
nel in the program’s internal mixer. For
TASCAM US-122 — 25
8 – Other Applications
It’s important to note that the US-122 is 428 and US-122 is ongoing and expand-
fully functional as a 16- and 24-bit audio ing, we recommend you visit the Com-
interface and 16 channel MIDI interface puter Recording area of the TASCAM
with virtually all Windows and MacOS Web site (www.tascam.com) for current
compatible applications. Since the US- news and information, and check out the
428’s release, TASCAM has been work- online users’ forum as well.
ing together with developers throughout These individual documents are also
the professional audio industry and available on the CD-ROM, as well as on
beyond to create support for new appli- our Web site. As new application support
cations; much of this research will also becomes available, we will be posting
benefit users of the US-122. Since the the information for free download.
development of new support for the US-
Use the Sound Manager with ProTools tially every Mac application that uses
Free and other Mac OS applications. sound supports it. This includes not only
audio recording and editing programs,
but also games, video editors, web
browsers, MP3 players, and even Macin-
tosh beeps and system sounds. Even
some audio-oriented programs only sup-
port Sound Manager I/O, such as Digide-
sign’s Pro Tools Free. The Sound
The Macintosh Sound Manager is a stan- Manager input and output sources are
dard 2-channel software interface for selected by control panels. The control
playing and recording sound on a Mac. panels used are different in MacOS 8.6
The audio inputs and outputs (speakers) and 9.0, and are explained separately
that are built into any Macintosh use the below.
Sound Manager interface, and essen-
MacOS 9.0
The Sound control panel in MacOS 9.0 sound output. Moving the volume slider
is used to select Sound Manager inputs to the right or clicking on it will send a
and outputs. With this control panel system beep out of the US-122 outputs.
active, click on the left of the window When you click Input on the left, the
where it says Output to display the pos- available input devices appear on the
sible Sound Manager output devices. On right. Click on US-122 to select it as the
the right, click on US-122 to select it as Sound Manager input device. Below it is
the Sound Manager output. Use the out- Input Source”: select L:R.
put volume slider to mute or enable
26 — TASCAM US-122
8 – Other Applications
When an application is using the Sound You will find a selection there labeled
Manager inputs, this Input Source field Sound Manager Input. Here you can
is grayed out, displaying the current change the input pair at any time, even
inputs but preventing you from changing when an audio program is active. The
them here. You can still change the input grayed out Input Source field in the
pair without quitting your program, how- Sound control panel Input section will
ever. To do this, bring up the US-122 display any input changes you make.
control panel and go to the System tab.
MacOS 8.6
The Monitors and Sound control panel Extras/Sound Control Panel.) With Output
in MacOS 8.6 has a Sound section. It selected, you can choose US-122 as the
displays the currently selected Sound Sound Manager output. Since the US-122
Manager output and lets you select has its own output volume control, its
among several Built In input sources. It slider under Volume in this control panel is
only used to enable or mute the US-122
cannot be used to select the US-122 as
output.
the Sound Manger input or output.
Under Sound In you can select the US-
The Sound control panel has a selection
122 instead of the Mac’s Built-in
line at the top to let you choose among
sources. You can also do this under the
Alert Sound, Sound In, Sound Out, and
US-122 control panel’s System tab.
Volume windows.
There you will find a field labeled Sound
NOTE Manager Input. You can change this set-
If your Sound control panel does not have ting at any time, even while a program is
all these options, you should use the alter- using the Sound Manager I/O.
native Sound control panel found in Apple
TASCAM US-122 — 27
8 – Other Applications
In Mac OS X, you can set the preferred you can select the audio input and output
audio input and output device using the devices from the applications them-
Sound Preference Pane, or very often selves.
28 — TASCAM US-122
9 – Technical Support
Troubleshooting (Windows)
When installing the US-122 for the first Under Recording, US-122 L:R should
time, if you experience any unusual appear in the drop down menu
behavior, here are some things to check:
MIDI Drivers: In Control Panel /
Audio Drivers In Control Panel / Multimedia, select the MIDI tab. When
System / Device Manager (Win98SE/ Single Instrument is selected, you should
ME) or Control Panel / System / see:
Hardware / Device Manager (Win2000/ • US-122
XP), find the Audio control panel. It’s
In Control Panel / Multimedia, select the
called Sound, Video And Game
Devices tab. Under Audio Devices, you
Controllers in Win98SE, or Sound &
should see:
Multimedia in Windows 98/ME and
Windows 2000/XP. You should see two • Audio for US-122
entries for the US-122: Under Midi Devices And Instruments
• TASCAM US-122 you should see:
• US-122 WDM Interface • MIDI for US-122.
In Control Panel / Multimedia, select the Expand by clicking on the plus (+) sign
Audio tab. and you should see:
Under Playback, US-122 Out should • US-122 Port 1
appear in the drop down menu Port 1 corresponds to the US-122’s
MIDI I/O ports.
TASCAM US-122 — 29
9 – Technical Support
Before Contacting Us
Before contacting us with your query, Scanner, CD burners, WinModem,
please have the following information etc.?
available: • What application(s) are you running?
• Type of Computer (PC or Mac), pro- • If running the bundled Cubasis appli-
cessor type and speed, and (if possi- cation, is/was another version of
ble) motherboard? Cubase or Cubasis installed?
• Type of USB Host controller (see the • What plug-ins do you have installed?
US-122 manual for details)? Please provide us with full details of
• Installed RAM, type of hard drive(s)? your problem, including:
• Type of graphic card? • Any errors or oddities encountered
• What OS are you running? during setup and installation.
• If running Windows98SE, have you • Items listed above that do not appear.
installed the HotFix? • Any error messages encountered.
• What other hardware is installed in Please try to copy or quote them in
this computer? SoundBlaster or other full.
audio cards? Other USB devices/hubs? • Any behavior that may cause errors,
especially repeatable ones.
30 — TASCAM US-122
9 – Technical Support
Troubleshooting FAQ
While this manual contains some basic should light to indicate the presence of
questions, you will find a much more analog audio signal at the inputs. Make
detailed FAQ document on the sure your monitor or headphone levels
TASCAM Web site. are turned up, and connected correctly.
Q. I don’t see the US-122 in Q. My audio is distorted.
Cubasis’ Audio Control Panel. A. Check to see if the signal is overload-
A. Check to see if the US-122 is ing. The red OL indicators should only
installed correctly within your OS. In occasionally flicker. In the case of a digi-
Windows, go to the Device Manager tal input, try reducing the output level of
(My Computer/Control Panel/Setup), the source.
and click on the Sound, video and Game
controllers tab to make sure the US-122
Q. I can see a response on
is installed and operating correctly. Also screen from my DAW to the US-
check to see that your USB cable is con- 122, but I don’t hear any audio.
nected securely, and that the unit is pow- A. Make sure your audio signal path is
ered up before booting Cubasis. correctly routed. Make sure the channels
you’re trying to monitor are not in Input
Q. I’ve connected audio to the mode. Make sure your output level is
US-122, but can’t hear turned up. Make sure that the US-122
anything. ASIO driver (16 or 24 bit) is selected
A. Make sure your input levels are suffi-
cient. The green SIGNAL indicators
TASCAM US-122 — 31
10 – Specifications
Audio specifications
Input impedance
MIC inputs (XLR balanced) 2.2 kΩ
32 — TASCAM US-122
10 – Specifications
Audio performance
LINE IN (through direct monitor) to <0.009%, +20 dBu input, LINE OUT=–
LINE OUT 3 dB, phones output at minimum)
GUITAR IN to INSERT send <0.05% (TRIM=min, 1 kHz, –4.2 dBV
input)
TASCAM US-122 — 33
10 – Specifications
Other characteristics
Digital audio
A/D conversion 24-bit, 17 samples delay
D/A conversion 24-bit, 15.4 samples delay
Sampling frequencies 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz (software selectable)
MIDI
MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports Conform to MIDI standards
Host computer compatibility
Windows 98SE, Windows Me, Windows
Windows
2000, Windows XP
Operating system
Mac OS 8.8 and above (pre-OS X) or OS
Macintosh
10.2.3 and above (OS X)
Communication USB 1.1
Windows ASIO, MME, GSIF
Audio/MIDI interface
protocols ASIO, Sound Manager, CoreAudio and
Macintosh
CoreMIDI (OS X), OMS, Free MIDI
Bundled software Cubasis (not for OS X), Giga24 (Windows
only)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions
External dimensions (w x h x d) 149 x 60 x 196 (mm), 5.9 x 2.4 x 7.7 ()in)
Power
Supplied by USB connection 5 V, maximum current 500 mA
34 — TASCAM US-122
10 – Specifications
Dimensional drawing
2mm (0.1")
40mm (1.6")
196mm (7.7")
60mm (2.4")
145mm (5.7")
149mm (5.9")
TASCAM US-122 — 35
»
US-122
TEAC CORPORATION
Phone: +81-422-52-5082 www.tascam.com
3-7-3, Nakacho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8550, Japan
TEAC AMERICA, INC.
Phone: +1-323-726-0303 www.tascam.com
7733 Telegraph Road, Montebello, California 90640
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Phone: +1905-890-8008 Facsimile: +1905-890-9888 www.tascam.com
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Phone: +52-555-581-5500 www.tascam.com
Campesinos No. 184, Colonia Granjes Esmeralda, Delegaacion Iztapalapa CP 09810, Mexico DF
TEAC UK LIMITED
Phone: +44-1923-438880 www.tascam.co.uk
5 Marlin House, Croxley Business Park, Watford, Hertfordshire. WD1 8TE, U.K.
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Phone: +49-611-71580 www.tascam.de
Bahnstrasse 12, 65205 Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, Germany
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Phone: +33-1-42-37-01-02 www.tascam-europe.com
17 Rue Alexis-de-Tocqueville, CE 005 92182 Antony Cedex, France
TEAC AUSTRALIA PTY.,LTD. A.B.N. 80 005 408 462
Phone: +61-3-9672-2400 Facsimile: +61-3-9672-2249 www.tascam.com.au
280 William Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
TEAC ITALIANA S.p.A.
Phone: +39-02-66010500 www.teac.it
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