No audio signal from Tascam US 122L

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Level 1

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No audio signal from Tascam US 122L

I just bought a TASCAM US 122L audio interface to record my Roland FP7 and I can't get any signal at all in Logic Pro 9. I have downloaded the most recent driver, updated the firmware to 1.12, record enabled a stereo Input 1-2 track, and have triple checked all wires/knobs/settings. Some posts have advised using Audio MIDI to establish an aggregate device, but this doesn't work for the TASCAM. I'm planning an upgrade to Snow Leopard tomorrow, but doubt this will fix the issue. Do I just have a faulty audio interface, or am I missing something?

Many thanks.

17" 2.6 GHz MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8), 4 GB SDRAM

Posted on Sep 18, 2009 4:08 PM

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Answer 1

Pancenter

Level 6

14,788 points

Sep 18, 2009 6:10 PM in response to kurtreiman

kurtreiman wrote:
I just bought a TASCAM US 122L audio interface to record my Roland FP7 and I can't get any signal at all in Logic Pro 9. I have downloaded the most recent driver, updated the firmware to 1.12, record enabled a stereo Input 1-2 track, and have triple checked all wires/knobs/settings. Some posts have advised using Audio MIDI to establish an aggregate device, but this doesn't work for the TASCAM. I'm planning an upgrade to Snow Leopard tomorrow, but doubt this will fix the issue. Do I just have a faulty audio interface, or am I missing something?

Upgrading the operating system is not going to help, either the interface isn't working or you have something hooked up wrong and/or a misunderstanding of the hardware/software. If you've never set up a MIDI/Audio workstation with a keyboard before, chances are it's operator error.

Explain exactly how you have the FP7 hooked into the Macbook.
I assume you've chosen the Tascam as In/Out the audio driver?

The getting started manual that comes with Logic should be read from cover to cover.

pancenter-

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Answer 2

kurtreiman Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 18, 2009 10:51 PM in response to Pancenter

Yes, it's possible that user error is the source of the problem. It's not my first experience with audio, but I'm also not an expert. The connections from the FP7 to the computer are as follows:

L&R 1/4" line out from Output on keyboard to 1/4" line in on TASCAM.
Both L&R level knobs on TASCAM are set to Line
Phantom Power Off on TASCAM
Switch set to Mic/Line on TASCAM
USB out from TASCAM to USB in on Computer

Settings in Logic should be okay, as the US 122L audio interface shows up in the Audio preferences window.

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Answer 3

Pancenter

Level 6

14,788 points

Sep 18, 2009 11:41 PM in response to kurtreiman

kurtreiman wrote:
Yes, it's possible that user error is the source of the problem. It's not my first experience with audio, but I'm also not an expert. The connections from the FP7 to the computer are as follows:

L&R 1/4" line out from Output on keyboard to 1/4" line in on TASCAM.
Both L&R level knobs on TASCAM are set to Line
Phantom Power Off on TASCAM
Switch set to Mic/Line on TASCAM
USB out from TASCAM to USB in on Computer

Settings in Logic should be okay, as the US 122L audio interface shows up in the Audio preferences window.

Ok, all good.

I know the older US122 has an overload LED, does the US 122L, can you overdrive the US122L preamps by running the keyboard volume up?

More ideas, the US122L should have a settings manager in the Applications folder, panel, set the buffer to 256. The older US122 also has a tuner tab with a level meter, you can check to see you're getting level there.

In Preferences/Audio, make sure Universal Track mode is enabled, both INput Device and OUTput device is set to the Tascam US122L, De-select software monitoring for now, instead monitor your keyboard, either through the keyboard's headphone jack or the US122L's Direct monitoring feature...
Oh, the can also enable the Independent Monitoring Levels for Record enabled tracks.

Create a project with -Audio- tracks, not Instrument or MIDI tracks.

With stereo audio track selected enable the record button, when playing the keyboard the Track level meter should show some input level.

pancenter-

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Answer 4

kurtreiman Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 20, 2009 1:39 AM in response to Pancenter

I took my system down to the local store where I purchased the TASCAM and hooked everything up to the store's FP7. The technician there was able to get it to work. The major changes to the system that he made were to:

Set the LINE/MIC dials all the way over to MIC (I thought these dials were more like pans from MIC to LINE in case the TASCAM was importing two signals simultaneously; they are in fact levels)

Select the US 122L in Audio MIDI preferences as the default input and output source.

With all of these changes, Logic finally registered the input from the FP7. But if I make any changes to the Audio Preferences, the TASCAM no longer sends a signal and I have to restart Logic. I would prefer to not have to do this, but at least I'm getting a signal. The signal isn't great; there's a little cracking from the audio signal, but I'll play around and see if I can fix this.

Thanks very much for all of the helpful guidance here on this thread. I think I will post this as answered, since I can now record audio with the TASCAM. Now off to see if Snow Leopard makes a difference.

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