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Posted By: OleDog Tascam US 800 interface - 12/05/11 02:11 PM
Hey, like it says I'm an ole dog trying to learn new tricks. Just got BIAB with bells and whistles. Someone told me I needed an interface in order to lay my own tracks into the program. So I bought a Tascam US 800. Having several issues with this, most likely because I don't know what I'm doing. Not even sure if this is the proper forum for this post. The Tascam has to be reinstalled every time I try to use it, cant get anything through it into BIAB or the Cubase software that came with it. I nearly know I am overlooking something real obvious but I dont know what it is. Thinking of sending it back where it came from and trying another route. I'll be grateful for any help.
Posted By: Ryszard Re: Tascam US 800 interface - 12/05/11 03:09 PM
Welcome to the community! Hang in there. TASCAM is good stuff. I have successfully used my US 224 with its bundled version of Cubase, BIAB/RB 2009.5, Reason 3, and other apps with great results. However, we need more information about your system to make effective recommendations. I am not an 800 user myself but there are others here who are.

Incidentally, while you wait for a response this would be a great time to learn how to search the forums. I know there is at least one other discussion about the 800. I believe it is in the BIAB forum.

Again, welcome and good luck.

Richard
Posted By: Don Gaynor Re: Tascam US 800 interface - 12/05/11 03:13 PM
dog, first off, a heartfelt welcome! these folks (excluding me) seem to know everything musical, both hardware and software. i would be surprised if somebody doesn't jump in with an answer very soon.
Posted By: Mac Re: Tascam US 800 interface - 12/05/11 03:41 PM
Quote:

...The Tascam has to be reinstalled every time I try to use it, cant get anything through it into BIAB or the Cubase software that came with it. ...




Hi,

USB sound devices MUST be plugged into the same USB socket on the computer that you used during the installation process - and, most important! -- The USB sound device MUST be plugged in and recognized by the System *BEFORE* starting up any progran like Band in a Box that must use the device. Must be done in that order because most programs do a search routine for available sound devices during their startup routine and if the device is not connected and recognized by the system first, well the program can't find it because it isn't there.

Hope this helps,


--Mac
Posted By: OleDog Re: Tascam US 800 interface - 12/05/11 04:00 PM
Thanks, I think this will certainly help. Another question, do you have to leave the device connected to the usb port all the time or can you disconnect? Someone asked for more info about my set-up. I'm using a Dell desktop Inspiron 620 with 1 terrabyte hard drive. 8 gb of ram and Intel i5-2310 CPU @ 2.90 GHz, 64 bit OS. I am trying to learn to use BIAB with Real Band, also have Power Tracks. Appreciate the help so far and the welcome.
Posted By: Ryszard Re: Tascam US 800 interface - 12/05/11 04:10 PM
I used to regularly disconnect my US 224 without issue as I used it both on my desktop and laptop. However, I am scrupulous about using the same port as Mac mentioned. Obviously I have to unplug when I move my laptop.

Incidentally, I also had a problem with the system occasionally "losing" the interface and having to reinstall the drivers. I have no explanation for that, nor do I have one for why it stopped doing it. Just in case I keep all the install files and drivers in a folder on the desktop of my DAW. Your system should stabilize once you get the basics ironed out and are using it on a regular basis.

Sounds like you have a nice system. Let us know how things go.
Posted By: rockstar_not Re: Tascam US 800 interface - 12/05/11 07:25 PM
I have a US-800 and it is a buggy mess, IMO, compared with the past interfaces I have used. I have been able to get it to work, most of the time, with some judicious order of operation items specific to using the US-800 and the DAW software.

1. Wait for Windows to fully boot before powering/connecting the US-800 (this is actually in the TASCAM documentation).

2. Go into the mixer applet and adjust latency setting to your preference

3. Run your DAW software as administrator in Win7

I have had pretty good luck using this order of operations.

If I don't do all of them, many times I won't even be able to start recording. This isn't foolproof, as I ran into an issue a couple nights ago where I had been tracking for a couple hours with no issues, then all of a sudden Windows said there was an unidentified USB device - my US-800, and I had to exit out of the DAW, re-power the US-800, reset the latency, etc. etc. etc. and then proceed.

TASCAM customer support stinks, compared with other companies - from my experience so far.

However, one unexpected nicety of this interface is that it actually works as a mixer outside of the DAW software. For my latest little experiment, I set all my mic levels without ever cracking open the DAW software.

-Scott
Posted By: OleDog Re: Tascam US 800 interface - 12/06/11 05:51 PM
Thanks for the help. Got it installed, worked once. Who knows what the next try will bring. I did need to download the latest drivers. This seems to have solved the main issue. Got a couple of songs roughed out, works in process, you know. Thanks again.
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