Tascam US-1641 USB 2.0 Audio Interface Review

[BBJones]

I run the TASCAM outs into another mixer so I have proper control over playback and monitoring levels mixed with live input.

I suggest you get more of something to do the same. Either a small mixer or headphone amp or something. You'll be much happier and will have way more options. But, you'll be a bit poorer

[randyyy]

i have a yorkivlle ap812 which is a mixer with 2 400 watt amps to power each pa speaker, so are suggesting that i plug my condenser mics into the front of the tascam (into the pre amped xlrs) and then out the tascam into my yorkville ?

[BBJones]

It depends on what you are trying to do with your set up.

This is how I work it:

I am mostly recording live jams so I run all mics into my mixer which runs a mix out to my PA (as well as monitor mixes etc).

For the mics I want to record I am using a mic splitter on the 1st 8 since the Tascam has the XLR inputs, then I use direct outs from my mixer for the other channels into the 1/4 jack inputs on the Tascam. (I would have preferred an option with no XLR inputs myself so I could use all direct outs from the mixer).

I run the stereo outs from the Tascam into a pair of channels on my mixer so they too can go to the PA. I only play them back if we are overdubbing (if there is anything to play back to).

When doing one instrument at a time (like a guitar overdub) nothing goes to the PA and instead I put the playback mix into headphones so there is no bleed on the new guitar (or vocal or whatever) track.

I never change or re-route my inputs. They are always left set up the same way. Then it is just up to how I rig my mixer/PA sends depending on what I want to hear (or what I want to send to another person).

I haven't added it in yet but I need to add a headphone amp. Then I'll route outputs from the Aux mixes on the mixer for individual headphone or live personal monitor mixes.

And one day I'd like to get another mixer that has direct outs for 16 channels, use an adapter on the Tascam XLR inputs and run everything the same way (instead of splitting some XLR lines). But that is a $1400 purchase away

[randyyy]

i am trying to understand what you are saying....what do you mean a mic splitter on the first 8 xlrs on the tascam... do you put more than 8 mics into the 8 xlrs? i can understand putting one mic into each xlr input at the front of unit...then you say you are getting lines out of your mixer (what is coming out of your mixer if all the mics are going into the tascam..and then you are running stero outs from the tascam into your mixer so you can hear it on the pa, that i get but on the rear of the tascam are you going out from the r/left balanced outputs or one of the 1 2 3 4 mono balanced outputs, i assume you are going out of one of the 1 2 3 4 out puts, where do you have your r/l outputs going to (i have mine going into my stereo) still abit confused, it would be easier if you i could call you and talk for a few minutes...

[BBJones]

check out the attached picture.

a mic splitter splits the XLR cable before it plugs in creating 2 plugs from 1.

So a single min input can plug into both the Tascam and the mixer. This idea allows you to have a complete input mix at your mixer, and a separate input mix at your Tascam unit.

I'm pretty sure I'm using outs 1 and 2 on the Tascam. in cubase it maps to the main stereo outs once the device is set up.

EDIT: Doh! I'm not using firewire to the comp... usb 2.0 :P

[randyyy]

the picture is great, .... you are showing one mic and you are splitting it one to tascam to record and one to mixer for output to the pa...... why do you have 2 outputs coming out of the rear of the tascam, should there only be need for one as there is only one mic?

[BBJones]

I use 2 outputs to create a stereo send to the mixer.

It has nothing to do with how many inputs you are using.

The outputs are generally going to be a stereo mix of everything you have running in cubase.

You can send it all through one mono or split it across all 4 outputs depending how you want to route it during playback/monitoring.

I try to keep it simple with the just a regular stereo mix.

I put just one mic input in the pic as an example.

In practice I'm running 12 tracks at once most days. Splitting all the XLR's and using direct outs from the mixer to the 1/4 inputs on the Tascam.

Same thing though, its like having a full set of inputs into the mixer, and another full set of inputs into the Tascam.

[winI]

Hi,
I have started using the US1641 device from tascam. I got the Cubase4 along with it.
But i need to access the real time data. using cubase i can only process once the data is stored into a file. i wanted to know if any one is using with a self developed recording application. also i wanted to know about the APIs provided by tascam to build our own application.. thanks a lot...

[cooldude11]

This is a good machine but was a headache getting past the many errors and crashes of the USB driver. Firewire runs itself but USB relies heavily on the operating system. Believe it or not, it took some decompiling and hacking to get this thing working on my pc.

For the record though, USB is NOT faster than Firewire. It is in theory, but in practice it never is. USB carries a crutch called WINDOWS. This is irrelevant if its working to suit your purpose. Have a fast slave harddrive is all I can say.

The live headphone out is no problem. My sound card gives zero latency using ASIO and plenty of pc power lets me listen to 12+ tracks in realtime, even with effects(WAVES).

You cant beat $300 for that!

[CraziFuzzy]

I am interested in this IO. Is anyone using it in Sonar? How are the ins/outs configured? Can it all be done from within sonar? meaning, are all 16 ins and 4 outs selectable as ins/outs from in sonar, or is some routing required in the Tascam control panel?

Also, not of immediate importance, are the ASIO drivers capable of running multiple 1641's? Would be sweet to be able to pop up to 32 channels when i get the extra cash available. Timing shouldn't be a problem, as it can slave sync on the SPDIF input, just a matter of the ASIO drivers for multiple 1641's showing as one big 32x8 channel device.

Either way, this would be a massive improvement in quality/capabilities over my current 8 channel consumer level sound card solution (heavily hacked-up).