question regarding Tascam US-122L

[ELSOL102]

OK...I have this interface Tascam US-122L and it came with Cubase software. Is there anyone else here using this interface? It also came with Giga Studio. It turns out that Giga was making my computer crash so I took it off my computer...I was getting message that something in Giga studio was not compatible with Windows...I have Windows XP2, and 1 gig of RAM. Now it looks like to use Giga studio I would need a GSIF and GSIF compatible sound card in my computer...I seemed to get this message at some point...
I haven't tried to record yet, but the Tascam is now connected and computer is not crashing. My question is, does anybody know what Giga Studio is? It looks like I can record myself just using Cubase with the Tascam? Also, if I decide to record my guitar playing, then afterwards sing over that, do I need headphones to hear my guitar or will my computer play it so I can hear the music when I sig into the mic? Sorry for the DUMB questions...I might try to do this before xmas...I put it off because I have to make money on my computer and didn't want to jeapardize my computer function...but would LOVE to record something before xmas...in a file I could email out!!!
Also, if I record it to a waav file, is that a file I can burn to a CD that a CD player will read....I would like the option to be able to put something on a CD but also be able to rip that file into an mp3 to email to friends or post on the internet.
Another question is, if I record myself using Cubase, and I want to send the file to someone else who is going to record a track on it...do we both have to be using Cubase? What if someone is using Pro Tools?
Another question...if I am able to get this Tascam to work...would I be able to use Pro Tools with the Tascam?

[Strat-O-Pat]

Hey here, I have a us122, the older version.

Not sure of giga studio, i think it's a sample player, or sequencer of some sort.

Yes, Cubase is a multitrack recorder. you can record something (or two somethings) and them record something later over top of it.

When you're using the us122l, then cubase will use it as input and output, meaning you'll have to use headphones, or plug in a monitor solution to the output of the us122l. I use headphones all the time. Your old soundcard can be used, but I don't. Not when my us122 is plugged in.

Cubase should write the sound signal as wav files, but be aware that there's different bit depth (16 or 24) and sample rates (44.1khz, 48khz, etc up to 96khz on the us122l, i think). So you'd want to see what you're recording at.

You can send the wave files to someone else to work with, and record over, as long as they can work at the same bit depth and sample rate. They can use any program that matches your settings. Protools included.

You can't use protools with your tascam, as protools is proprietary, meaning it only works with hardware they say it should work with.

Yes, you can mix down your creation to a stereo file, of 16bit, 44.1khz, and burn it to a cd. It has to be 16/44.1 though.

Have fun.

[brandondrury]

My question is, does anybody know what Giga Studio is?

Yes, Gigastudio is a very popular sampler program.

, if I decide to record my guitar playing, then afterwards sing over that, do I need headphones to hear my guitar or will my computer play it so I can hear the music when I sig into the mic?

Well, this is up to you. If you want to hear the signal, the computer is going to send some sort of signal to your Tascam soundcard. Now whether you decide to use the studio monitors or headphones is up to you and your soundcard rig.

If you are not sure how to do this I will elaborate, but for now I'll save my finger strength.

I might try to do this before xmas...I put it off because I have to make money on my computer and didn't want to jeapardize my computer function...but would LOVE to record something before xmas...in a file I could email out!!!

If everything is already installed, I couldn't imagine your soundcard and software causing any problems that wouldn't have already occurred anyway. (A hard drive crash is about as inevitable as our own death, unfortunately).

Also, if I record it to a waav file, is that a file I can burn to a CD that a CD player will read

Yes, a .wav file is the format for audio cds. You'll record your seperate tracks and then you'll have to mix down, render, or export them when you are done. In Cubase, I use "export".

Brandon

[brandondrury]

Another question is, if I record myself using Cubase, and I want to send the file to someone else who is going to record a track on it...do we both have to be using Cubase? What if someone is using Pro Tools?

The answer is yes, but it may not work as simply as you think. You can't just save your Cubase file / mix and then send it to your buddy. You'll want to render down the song you have to one stereo .wav file and send that to him/her. (That's the quick way). Another option is to render each file you have seperately so acoustic guitar, bass, vocal, etc are all seperate tracks. You need to make sure that you render them with the same start times because your friend will be importing them to their recording software. If they don't line up, you are in trouble!

Brandon

[ELSOL102]

Do you get good quality with the Tascam US 122L? Have you had any problems with it?

head phones...dumb question...what kind of head phones...I have a head set that goes into my computer so they won't work...how do I get headphones with the correct plug to fit into the Tascam? At a music store? Where else? Regarding monitors, is it possible to hook up my guitar amp to the Tascam as a monitor? Seems wierd I don't have headphones from stereo or amp lying around...LOL

[Strat-O-Pat]

I've had pretty good results, from my us122, but as I mentioned earlier, mine is the old version, not the new 'L' version.

I've had very good results on and off, but location recording is a pain, because I usually don't get time to sound check a setup, and try something else. Usually it's one guess, and the record. Hope for the best. I'd say the us122 works and sounds very good, but my recording choices can use some improvement =).

Some people have had bad results with the version I have, but mine's been a trooper.

I bought some labtec lt830 headphones a few years ago that were very nice, for tracking. Some people use sennheiser hd280 for tracking and beginning mixing, though they're 80 - 100$. I'm eyeballing some cheap samson phones for tracking again, as I lost my other ones.

you can get 1/8" to 1/4" converters at radio shack, or walmart / target/ kmart/ etc. stores.

the headphones I got had the converter with it, so I was set for either/or.

I wouldn't bother hooking up a guitar amp, as it wouldn't be full range, so you'll loose most signal above ~5k or so. Plus, the guitar amp is wanting to see guitar level signal at the input, not line level. You can fry things in the input of your guitar amp that way.

Shoot for headphones for now, and work your way up. Learn as you go =).

[ELSOL102]

do i need the headphones?
I cannot do this without them?
what kinds of stores carry these headphones...should I just go to Daddys junky usic
thanks

[Strat-O-Pat]

well, think about it; if you have your equip in the same room, and you're trying to record singing over top of your previous recorded guitar track, your microphone will pick up your guitar track coming from the speakers. Then you'll have guitar re-recorded with your voice, and probably a little behind.

This is no good.

So for you to hear what you've previously recorded, but not have that sound re-recorded, you'll need headphones.

Most people use speaker monitors, because the sound will usually be better, and more balanced. But if you're just starting, and not too critical yet, then headphones would be more needed than speakers (if you had to pick between the two).

I'm sure Daddy's Junky Music will have headphones, i'll take a quick look . . .

eh, not too much to look at there.

try this :

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RH2C/

sweetwater is great, you can get a sales engineer who will stay with you, for each purchase after this. you'd want to call them, or email them to get an engineer assigned to you. web orders don't get one tied to you, so call or email.

I'd buy those myself, but they're not 1 sided cables, and I hate playing with headphones that have cables coming out both sides.

[ELSOL102]

Do the cables coming out of both sides get in your way? What other headphones are there..

[Strat-O-Pat]

yep, they do for me. i'm looking at some samson ch700 from sweetwater, 40$ single sided, big earcuffs, cheap!