Tascam US-122 with Lion

We really shouldn't be surprised; this game has been played by manufacturers of pretty much everything for decades. Neither Tascam, nor any of the other audio hardware makers has invented it (nor perfected it).

Also, as has been said, Apple is probably the king of that game, forcing obsolescence very, very quickly. If you don't upgrade to the latest OS, you're left out of certain features. If you do, you may need to upgrade some other software, as it may be incompatible with the newer OS. Architecture shifts are always particularly painful (64k to PPC, PPC to Intel, System 9 to OS X, 32-bit to 64-bit). Microsoft kept DOS compatibility for twenty years. Apple abandoned compatibility with previous-architecture code within four years of completion of the switch. For us Apple users, these shifts were always expensive (You buy a new Intel Mac to replace a G5 machine, you must upgrade Adobe CS, MS Office... Rosetta was discontinued within 5 years of migration to Intel).

The landfils are rapidly stacking up thanks to the global planned obscolescence game. I wonder how long we'll be able to sustain it until we end up devising ways to launch our garbage into outer space...

That is simply not true.

Apple does not release a new product with exact same specs as the product it is replacing, add a letter to the product name, and then kill support for the old product.

You seem very intent on making TASCAM out to be a good company, or at least as good as any other company, but you couldn't be more uninformed.

Apple has FANTASTIC customer support. TASCAM's support told me to just return the product and buy a different brand.

Apple has done hundreds of dollars of out of warranty support for me on a MacBook Pro, TASCAM can't be bothered to make the products they are currently selling work.

You are just completely wrong defending them. The comparisons you are making aren't true.

Ok, I'm thinking you and Vlasic either have a vested interest in TASCRAP, or you are just idiots.

You do not understand the difference between releasing a new product with NEW specs, new processors, new RAM, new DISK DRIVE, etc.

Planned obsolescence?

So your mother cannot use iCloud therefore her email address is no longer valid?

I have Lion and I don't use iCloud and my email is fine.

I'm saying the obvious for the last time, you aren't comparing apples to apples.

Apple is a great company, TASCAM will take your money and tell you to get lost if your product doesn't work. If you are past the return period you are sol. Again, the Safire series from Focusrite has been around a long time an it is still supported. All good companies support the hardware they are CURRENTLY selling, TASCAM can't even manage that, and yes they do have a terrible reputation among people who know pro audio.

So for any non morons out there, don't buy TASCAM, put your money somewhere else. Focusrite, PreSonus are good choices from personal experience.

Notice I didn't call you morons out from the start, but I think you've clearly proven that by trying to compare the "progression" of the MK-122 to the progression of the iMac. The two devices are completely different, the two companies are completely different, but you want to make them appear similar for whatever your strange, anti-consumer agenda is.

kiyyto wrote:

That is simply not true.

Apple does not release a new product with exact same specs as the product it is replacing, add a letter to the product name, and then kill support for the old product.

When it comes to support, Apple is in its own category. No other company in the world provides such level of support, and nobody in their sane mind can compare them to Tascam (or PreSonus, or M-Audio, or anyone else).

I must say, your statement ("...new product with the same specs as the product it is replacing...) doesn't really support your point, since one could argue exactly the opposite (after iPhone 3G came 3GS, which has as much the same specs as 3G as the US-122L had compared to US-122, and then a few years down the road Apple stopped updating OS on 3G). Be that as it may, the main point remains: all companies practice planned obsolescence. As far as support is concerned, Apple's is in their own league. All others are more-or-less the same. To say that Tascam is crap and some Focusrite or PreSonus are God's gift to musicians is disingenuous. Fundamentally, there is no evidence of difference. They all stop supporting their products after a few years, they all churn out newer, cheaper hardware, they all have that hardware made in China by the same factories, any possible practical differences are in price and features alone.

And no, nobody here was talking about Apple's legendary level of support (you brought that into the discussion), nor is anyone here disputing their level of support. But it is also a fact that when a new version of Apple OS comes out (whether for iOS devices, or for Macs), a fairly new devices (4-5 years old) are no longer supported on that OS and you're out of luck. No amount of legendary Apple support can help you with that -- your Mac is simply too old for Leopard (or Snow Leopard, or Lion); your iPhone is just too old for iOS 4, or iOS 5. Obviously, the device won't stop working, but you soon won't be getting any critical updates for that OS anymore. Your arguments seem based on some personal passion, and don't seem to be based on evidence.

Notice how I took pains at avoiding to call you a moron...

Yeah, but you are being moronic and I'm not.

So, it wouldn't make sense for you to call me a moron.

You are still making false logic, making comparisons that aren't honest.

Support is at the heart of the issue. So yeah, you brought Apple into the discussion by saying that they were just as guilty of the practices which have earned TASCAM a reputation as a terrible company among those in the know. You also still, miraculously, think that comparing a computer to a DI box is a fair comparison.

A computer and a DI box is not Adair comparison. One has hundreds, I not thousands of functions, the other has ONE function. One company produces products that continue to work completely fine in all it's original capacity, even after the product has stopped selling, the other company produces products that do not even work correctly at the time of sale.

You are, at best, incredibly misleading.

I just kept it simple and said morononic.

I never said Focusrite or PreSonus are gifts from God... But you act as though all choices are the same across computers and DI boxes which is completely absurd, or moronic.

I'm done.

You are a very impolite person who simply doesn't know how to debate other people. You are obviously losing the argument, so you choose to insult others.

You say support is at heart of the issue. So, let us see:

On the one side, we have Tascam, Focusrite, PreSonus and M-Audio (ones I had looked into; others likely are same) have been providing drivers for latest OS for devices that are at most 6-7 years old;

On the other, we have Apple, that has been providing latest Mac OS version to Macs that are at most 6-7 years old; for iPhones, it was for devices that are at most 3 years old (and for iPod touch even shorter).

Obviously, a 'DI box', as you call it (although it is a bit more complex than a DI box, with its own operating system, memory, processor, A/D and D/A circutry, etc) isn't exactly the same complexity as an iPhone (which explains why a "DI box" cost $300 and iPhone cost $700), but the fundamental principle remains exactly the same across the board: support for the most recent OS can only be expected for a certain number of years. Again, Tascam isn't ANY different that your precious Focusrite or PreSonus; the way you keep talking about them, one would really begin to thing they are musicians' gifts from God...

Let me distill the argument even further: when it comes to support for most recent OS, all choices are pretty much the same. You get exactly what you pay for. Focusrite doesn't support Saffire on Lion, much like Tascam doesn't support US-122, or M-Audio their Firewire 410. You can keep talking about Tascam's purported "terrible" reputation among "those in the know", but the facts that can be easily googled will remain there.

You may continue to use offensive epithets, but no amount of offensive expletives will change these facts.

And yet, I have still been able to complete the post without calling you a moron... You are certainly NOT making it easy.

You simply lie.

Focusrite does support the saffire on lion. It is rock steady.

Everyone knows that TASCAM is crap, and if you are defending it this hard you either are

1: moronic

2: work for TASCAM

There isn't any other possibility in my world.

FYI, there isn't anything wrong with calling someone moronic or a moron. They are real words, and if the shoe fits...

Buyer beware, you buy TASCAM you'll be sorry and wish you didn't.

That is all there is to it and I'm glad I returned mine within thirty days for the reasons already stated.

Tascam paid Frontier Design to devise the US-122 and its driver. The bottom line is Tascam isn't willing to pay them to update the driver.

We should ask Tascam to let Frontier Design release the code to the user community with suggestions on how to get it to work for Lion and Mountain Lion.

I've written Frontier Design. Tascam is so large I thought it better to go to FD as they would know who to contact.

Another idea is to see what Frontier would charge to update the driver (with Tascam's permission). Then perhaps we could start a fund raiser on GoFundMe or elsewhere.

I was using the US-122 just as I recieved these messages...I simply start up lion in 32 bit mode and it works. Is there a big inconvenient to this? I would support a driver update but I can't imagine that people need more speed when recording ...Just asking.:)

I got fed-up and gave my 122 to a friend on a WIn7 laptop, was able to install w/ "compatibility mode".

Then I found a mint Presonus Firestudio Mobile for $165. Done. No going back to TASCAM ever again...

Hello to all Tascam haters and non-haters, this post seems no longer to be true(probably thanks to our rants) ...there's a new driver out for the Us-122 MK. It works for both lions!:) have fun

Hello Victor,

Go ahead and use the latest driver version (2.10) from our web site: http://tascam.com/product/us-122mkii/downloads/

This version will work find with OS X 10.7. Be sure the interface is disconnected from your computer before you start the installation.

Also, when you open the installer package, do the "removal" first, and then install the drivers.

<Edited by Host>

Unfortunately, the US-122 MKII and the US-122 aren't the same and don't use the same drivers.😟

Oups Sorry , wasn't aware of the difference.

Still, I hope this helps the people that had the same problem that I had.

I use soundflower and can use US-112L through OS10.8.2.

http://cycling74.com/soundflower-landing-page/

Setting 2ch as US-112L and set Soundflower(2ch) at system preference output.

So easy.

Also, I use SoundSource to Change output setting simply.