You should be using the PFL/AFL buttons. Pre Fader Listen is used when setting the gain knob for your channe. Turn the gain knob till the channel reaches 0 on the meter with PFL active. Then you can turn off PFL. AFL is used to set the gain of Aux channels. When all PFL/AFL are off you are seeing level metering of the master channel. Learning the ins and outs of your mixer is a very eye opening experience.
I just got the Tascam model 12 four Christmas, it’s awesome. I’am totally blind and I wish the Tascam model 12 had voice over so I would know what each feature does. I am interested in recording studio equipment, and I always wanted my own recording studio, but I am still going to try to work on it and get help from my folks and learn by the sound of my voice and effects and just by doing. That’s what I do with all the mixers that I’ve gotten in the past. There are lots of blind people who are musical like me, and that are interested in recording equipment like me and they want all recording equipment to have voiceover as well, then it would be a whole lot easier four us.
Glad to hear you are having fun with the Model 12! I'm not visually impaired, but I think the lack of clarity on how some of the controls are used (e.g. are the various buttons in the up or down position - you can't always tell by looking at them). Plus the tiny little screens are not always clear that there are other choices or it's a scroll down menu, etc. I think they need to have some kind of interface with a PC that essentially does what you're suggesting. If the pfl button is pushed down, maybe it could anounce that. Or even give a verbal run down of what's active or what effects are selected, etc. I applaud your tenacity on working with any kind of mixer or recording device! It's great your folks are helping out with that! Maybe there are some other resources that you could explore???? Any body out there have any ideas??? Excellent and important topic you brought up. Best of luck on your recordings 🙂
Thanks for this - spot on for where I'm at having just received my TM12 this afternoon. It took me a bit of working out to even get sounds out of it but was simple enough after some research and experimentation. But, I managed to record a first guitar track (dry) before packing up and got to know the menu a bit more with the manual at hand for reference. I just can't wait for tomorrow! I'm planning a right old session. Incidentally, I also bought a cracking Decksaver hard plastic cover specially designed for the TM12 which is simply excellent in case you or anyone else here might also want one. All the best to you and all.
Cool! Hey, thanks for the tip on the Decksaver cover - I don't think anything specific to the MD12 was available when I got my deck. I'm checking out these covers as we speak (um, type)🙂.
Good Video Pete. Simple and very humble... refreshing to see. I do the same things you do when learning a device so this was helpful. BTW. You can designate to record Pre Compression, and Pre EQ. The settings for this are in the system menu I believe and Yes... its better to go in dry and add later for sure. Thanks for posting this.
Thank you SO much for solving the channel 9/10 issue of the XLR being disabled when the 3.5mm jack is plugged in. I was doing the EXACT same thing you were doing which was leaving it plugged in 9/10 with nothing attached on the other end but just for the ready just like you. And then when I would go to plug in my mic in 9/10 I wasn't getting a signal. I thought it was a setting in the menu I couldn't figure out. Again, many thanks to you sir. You just made my night. God bless brother.
That was one of the worst ones. It took me forever to figure out it was that stupid cable. In fact, that was the one episode that made me think about creating a list and doing a video. Best of luck on your recording adventures!
I've had mine about a year and I'm just going thru this for a refresher and still got some useful help from this video. I use mine for recording one track at a time then put the card in a PC to mix. Great sound quality and easy to use after finding some of these quirks. A 64G SD card holds a huge amount of tracks and a few smaller cards might be easier to keep songs organized. I recommend not using a micro card with an adapter so it's easier to remove. Audacity or Reaper work great for mixing and editing. YT channels like this really help more than the silly printed manual with 76 of the 200 pages in English. The manual isn't nearly as understandable as this video.
Wow - Thank you for the nice complement! I haven't had a chance to play with mine recently due to work load and family stuff. Why'd I have all these kids anyway 🙂 Keep rock'n!
Thanks for the great tips! My bandmates and I purchased the Model 12 last year to rehearse and record with. Its a wonderful device but I know we haven't tapped in to all of its capabilities. Thanks for the help!
This has been one of the more helpful videos on the Model 12. Thanks.I looked on the Tascam site and the amount of vids are very limited. I'm not tech minded, I am more on the creative side so this complexity(not user friendly, to me) is frustrating.Not to mention your admitted(with many other agreeing content creators) illogical obstacles they included in their inexplicable design. I used a different Tascam about 25 yrs ago that took mini-discs---it was understandable.This is preventing me from recording my ideas as I am not a sound engineer in the least & have resorted to procrastination. I'm busy and have many duties but thank you for the video.
I'm not a total expert on mine... But I will say that the more you use the most basic functions, it's a lot easier to use. I'm starting to record new riffs with guitar every few days and that forces me to experiment with new ideas but also forces me to get my hands on the Tascam. I still occasionally forget to arm the channel I'm recording to... so my 2 minute masterpiece breakthrough progressions don't always get recorded! Thanks for your comment!
Enjoy! And don't forget to hit the "record" button on the channel before you start trying to record. I've missed too many takes doing that. Like lately. 😞
Be aware there are settings you can change on the channel settings to determine if the compressor, or eq settings are captured in the Mtr recording. You can determine if the capture happens before eq, or after and the same for the compressor..
hi there, just say that the last update allow you play with the headphone out independently from the main out fader, you just have to change it in the menu
I ordered the model 16, so far I only have concerns over the size of the unit. I plan to use an MPC live with it, as it has 6 outs already, paired up with a Juno DS. I might even use my EWI if I learn how to use it.
What a different machine and I wanted the 16 for its layout but the 12 has the features I want when mixing in a DAW , frustrating!!! Cool multi track board though, wish it had a higher sample rate but it’s still probably better than CD Quality in 2 channel to DAW mode if I am not mistaken. I almost purchased one but decided I needed a better interface more and a control surface which the model 12 has
I've got the "Main Output" XLRs going to the mixer for the "room mix" and then the "Sub Outputs" going to the studio monitors. My room mix speakers are a couple of old rebuilt Advent Baby II's. They're nice, but not as nice as the JBL near-field monitors. I like having both to A/B against just to get a better idea of the mix - not that I'm very good it 🙂
No. That's one of the downsides of a unit like this. If you go back to listen to some other songs, none of the settings are the way you left them for that song. So you essentially have to remix when you change songs. If you're in the middle of recording something over several days and don't make any knob changes, then it's not an issue (and that's how I generally use it). When I'm done recording, I'll do the final mix and and output it to Audacity. I'm thinking about moving that part to a regular DAW though. But I still want to do the recording part on the Model 12. When I have a guitar hanging off me, It's easier for me to tweak the physical knobs on a console as opposed to keyboard/mouse. Yours is a great question because that's something most of us don't think about if moving from a DAW.
how was the transition of going from the korg d32xd to this unit? Is it a pretty smooth process? Can this do everything the korg can do? I always wondered if the screen for this unit was too small to see things clearly. Is that an issue at all?
The two units (Korg vs Tascam) are totally different machines. The Korg has a ton of features and tweakability that the model 12 doesn't have. But the Model 12 is 1000 times easier to use for something just wanting to capture ideas and do simple mixes (like me 🙂). If you don't need the capability of the Korg, then the Model 12 is a piece of cake. There's still some learning. But I can't tell you how often I had to open the manual, look for YT videos, Reddit answers, etc. to do things on the Korg. Plus you had to dig into menus, submenus, etc. on a small, low resolution screen. The Model 12 still has menus, but not as many... and the screen is light years better in terms of readability and controls. I had the same concerns about the Model 12 screen - but that concern went away about 10 minutes after I started using it. So to answer you questions specifically: 1. Transition was extremely smooth (still had a learning curve, but not very steep) 2. The Model 12 cannot do everything the Korg can. One BIG thing the model 12 CAN do is serve as a control surface for a DAW. That could be a game changer for some people. 3. The screen was not an issue. 4. Just wanted to add - I think my mixes turn out better on the Model 12 because I'm not screwing around with so much other stuff that I did with the Korg. Depending on what you want to do, I highly recommend the Model 12! I've never looked back 🙂
Great video man, for example I have the mic plugged into channel 1 recorded unto that channel, but now I want to rec another vocal track on channel 2, how do you assign to channel 2, I couldn't figure that out , I had to plug out the mic out of 1 to 2 to get the signal, on my tascam dp-008ex I could jus assign where I want to record to any channel, Can you Help, thanks man
On these, you need to physically change inputs to change channels. I had Korg system years ago that you could reassign channels to different inputs. But not on this one. I personally like doing the physical plug change because I don't get any surprises on which channel I'm on! But that's just my personal preference.
I can't seem to premix in headphones to hear the new track better when adding it to pre-recorded track, the pan is locked. Someone said, you can only pan on the final mix, which which if true, is a big downside
I record a lot of guitar. I have a Tascam four track . I layer a lot of lead and rhythm and pan left to right when I mix . Unfortunately with only four tracks I bounce tracks a lot and combine em . Does the 12 have a bounce feature ? Have you had the need to bounce tracks or run out of tracks since using this ?
Yes you can. I haven't done it, but it looks super easy. Here's a video I found that gave a pretty good explanation: ua-cam.com/video/32z2H9iGv-k/v-deo.html
If you're talking how many unique monitor mixes, then that would be the two AUX sends. There are two AUX outputs in the rear panel. So, for example, you could send a unique mix to the singer's monitor and then whatever to the rest of the band. But there's not really a limit to how many wedges could be used for each channel. That would depend on how you're powering the monitors and connecting them. So you could have two daisy chained power wedges for the singer on AUX 1 and then on AUX 2 you could daisy chain a bunch of powered wedges for the rest of the band. I hope I understood you're question. Please let me know if you need more information. Thanks!
Thanks for the info ,i have a question, I’m not getting sound in one channel using the stereo input,the channel 8 doesn’t go through,what’s wrong am I doing? Thanks
I’m wondering if there’s a way to use the MPC in controller mode and still route sounds from computer to tascam model 12 for mixing and have that audio return back to computer for final mixing? Any thoughts? The reason why is because the computer can handle more than MPC in standalone.
Great Question! Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you as I haven't used the Model 12 with my DAW yet. Maybe some others could provide input on this? Thanks for asking - but sorry I can't help...
The easiest way is just to record a video with your cell phone - that automatically picks up the audio. And there's plenty of audio recorder apps out there as well (free to pricey). But since the quality of a cell phone mic is limited, I personally would just use the video recorder function and live with the quality if that's all I had. All of the video processing software lets you get rid of the video portion and just keep the audio and save it as a WAV file or whatever. I use DaVinci Resolve for my videos - it's free, extremely powerful and has a great audio processing section that includes a boat load of processing options (e.g. compression, reverb, EQ, etc.). You can do a lot of DAW type stuff with that and then just save the audio part... or you could just save the audio track of your cell phone video with it and then take it over to any computer based DAW and edit to your heart's content! If you get to the point you want a better mic, there's aftermarket cell phone mics you can buy. But if you start thinking you want to devote more money to this, then you might consider any number of the various small field recorders that have excellent mics and processing power (e.g. Zoom, Tascam) for under $200 (and up, of course). And there's always the desktop/laptop computer route. I can see where starting with just your cell phone as a good way to get into recording yourself and others. There's a lot of content creators that use nothing but cell phones for video/audio capture (and then post-processing/editing the files on computers). So there's a huge user base out there that can provide plenty of information and tutorials. Best of luck to you!
They actually updated the system now so you can choose whether the headphones are affected by the main fader or not... I know that was a big issue for some people.
Cool! That's good to hear. For me personally, it's a pain in the butt. Was that a firmware update or something totally different? Thanks for mentioning that - much appreciated!
I use a low tech way of sending the EZ drummer output to the Model 12. I use a 1/8" splitter cable out of the PC audio out - one output goes to the main house mixer (i.e. mixer to amp to stereo speakers) and the other output goes to one of the stereo channels on the Model 12. Once I get my EZD programmed where I want it, I do a real time recording on the Model 12. I'm sure there's a more tech savy way to do it. But for my purposes, it works great.
@@fishpotpete I like that low tech thought process! Just curious though (I JUST got mine so I don’t know for sure), isn’t the Tascam also an audio interface? Could you just set it up for that and send the tracks right to the model 12?
@@philw8049 Yes, there is a way to use it as the control surface/interface with your DAW. I don't personally use it for that - but there should be some great resources online (and YoutTube) on how to do that. It's in my future though.... I hope 🙂
I find that swapping tracks does not always work. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it will move a track over to another track that you did not want to swap. Also, when mixing tracks to one track so as to free up more tracks, you have to include any track already recorded whether the faders are up or down. For example, I wanted yo move drums, bass and rhythm guitars to a stereo track but I have 2 vocal tracks I do not want to be included. It doesn't matter. All tracks go to the mixdown. So I would have to erase the vocal tracks to get only the rhythm section to a track. Does anyone else have these issues?
I swap tracks all the time to free up tracks and I don’t have this issue. Maybe try muting the tracks that you don’t want swaped. Or depress the main switch for that channel.
I'm not the best person to answer that... But from some other videos, this appears to be one of the negatives of using this as a DAW controller. I've never personally have done that, so I can't say for certain...
You might try a different set of headphones or maybe a headphone amp of some sort. You might play with the other volume settings (main, sub) to see if that affects it. I bet you're not the only one with that same issue!
I recorded about 6 hours of live music last weekend on the Tascam 12 and accidentally had the input button on MTR and can’t hear it! Anyone know if there’s a way to find it or if it never recorded?
Man I'm really sorry that happened!!! 😞 I don't think you recorded anything. I've had that happen to me on too many other consoles as well. I think all you can do is take a deep breath and chalk it up to a "learning experience". For those that don't know - MTR (Multi Track Recorder) is playback only. I gotten to the point where I switch everything back to "Live" before I shut the system down so I've at least have a chance of not messing it up. But I still forget something (like push the arm button on the channel) before hitting record.
you can acctually leave the mode switch alone.leave it on MTR ,i know you need to learn how to masnage listening and play back and recording but it all has to do with how you manage you out puts and the "arm" button.so you can jusst leave that switch alone and avoid the wear and tear.
Cool - thanks for the clarification. I just tested it and it does exactly how you say. I'll update the description section to point out switching to "Live" isn't required. I just found something that worked and stuck to it :-)
@@truthwinseverytime8805 I use it as a live mixer and record every gig I play. To listen back, I do have to go to MTR. You MUST make sure that the tracks are armed for recording. It's a simple mistake when you're busy, and I still screw it up from time to time. The other beginner mistake, but not so obvious, is the PFL light which can activate in a several ways. If the machine is coming in and out of the bag for each gig, that's a constant thing to be careful of when you're grabbing the machine and unknowingly pressing buttons. If it's fixed in your studio, not such a problem, but the occasional stray finger can accidentally activate the light.
Many thanks for sharing the knowledge for the Tascam 12. I have brought one a couple of months ago and I’m learning how to use this great mixer. The question I’m asking is when you create a song on the Tascam, how do you do a mix using the faders and Hi and low frequencies., with out using a computer. Also I have a amplifier hooked up to a CJ400 mixing deck, is it possible to connect the amplifier to the Tascam ? I am new to the music Business and I don’t want to damage the Tascam. I would appreciate if you could explain how to connect the Tascam to a amplifier, I have subscribe to your channel to learn more, and think you really do a good job explaining the work flow for the Tascam 12. Many thanks bro
As far as hooking up an amp - there are two stereo pairs in the back. One if for the main out (XLR connections) and the other is for a secondary out (SUB, 1/4" connections). I'm guessing the easiest way, given what you've told me, is to connect the 1/4" sub OUTS from the Tascam to the INPUTs on the CJ400 mixer (I couldn't find any info on that mixer though) and then send the mix signal to the amp. If you're using this only as a mixer for live use, then you adjust the volume/treble/etc for each individual channel - but I'm not sure I understand your question.
You can only use the gain when you record something. for the mixing part , using the faders and EQ and effects , it can be done when you are in 2ch Mix export mode ( Selecting it from the meny) Tascam will pick channel 9 and 10 for the 2 track mixdown. Now you can mix - This is actually identical to the vintage analog workflow of recording/mixing back when we had tape machines. You typically dont want to EQ something on the mixer while you record something because its mucj harder to correct mistakes in the mixdown, you only want to have a clean undistorted signal first and mix when ALL your tracks are finished , then it will be much easier to balance in to a two track stereo mixdown using the fader,EQ, Effects ans stuff
Hi. I'm a pianist. Newbie to audio tech. Hope to record my music from my digital piano (to be converted into required mp3 file) to upload to a platform (which I will be able to go live in future). Upon advised from a friend, I bought an audio interface and related DAW, but feeling too overwhelming using the DAW!! :-( All I want to do at this stage is to record, trim intro/outro and convert into mp3; of course being able to set gain etc. While I am trying to figure this out which may take a while..... in the mean time, is there a mixer, pre amp etc I can do these things on WITHOUT using a DAW? If I am able to play back and add my own percussion etc, would be great.
You could using something like the Model 12 for what you want to do. But I think the easiest thing you might want to try is using your audio interface and then use an extremely simple software package like Audacity (it's free!) to record and edit the tracks. I've used both my Model 12 and Audacity (interface and Audacity software) for different projects. The Model 12 is excellent for getting multiple instruments (on separate tracks). But to trim/edit the final stereo mix (from the Model 12), I always use Audacity. and you can select what format you want to export the final edit (wave, mp3, etc.). A full blown DAW is WAY too complicated for someone that doesn't want to get into the nuts and bolts of recording. Keep it simple and you'll be happy. Try recording directly to Audacity with your interface and keyboard and see how that goes first. Audacity is free, easy to use and there's a LOT of support on line (UA-cam, etc.). Let me know if you have more questions!
I like what you did here. But I'm very frustrated trying to rename and save the name, on a new song I've created. The menu system is confounding. Sometimes I've seen rename, then I can't find that again. Sometimes I've seen save, and then can't find that again either. Any tips?
No, there isn't one. I was thinking how nice it would be if it did have some kind of sequencer you could connect to a synth or drum machine. But, unfortunately there, there isn't one.
I'm not an expert on Macs - but I can't see why it wouldn't work. It's not a chip issue - it's an operating system issue. And if your DAW works on your Mac (which I'm not sure if there's any that don't?), then you should be fine. You potentially MIGHT see an issue if your Mac has some bizarre connectivity/cable requirements.
1. Connect your powered monitors (or amp/speakers) to the Sub outs in the rear, then; 2. Make sure the "Sub" button on each channel is pushed in (and the effects aux if you want to hear the effects). Let me know if that makes sense and works for you. It's not always clear what to do with these. Thanks for asking!
I believe it did. I just checked mine and I guess I put a 64GB in there because I had some extras sitting around. I'd be surprised if I ever filled it up to even 25%. But I was thinking it came with one.
I generally agree with that approach. But on some things, the manual may not be as clear as it could be. Especially if there are terms and phrasing being used that you're not familiar with (or the printed manual is not in your language). And as more of these become available on the used market, many will not come with a manual (unfortunately).
What beautiful wooden cheeks...but they're plastic! Tapping with my fingernail, the sound is not dull like real wood, but hollow like plastic. Not a deal breaker though.
Good catch! I didn't even think about it until your comment showed up... Yep, plastic. But it's EXPENSIVE feeling plastic :-). Ok, not really. It's just plastic.
Here's something else I don't understand, that even the manual does not address. If I have a mix prepared, how do I get it to be a saved stereo mix, that I can then export via USB to my computer? Perhaps you can explain!
Its really frustrating when someone uploads so much misinformation about this machine. The channel PAN knobs and channel faders control the playback output signals of already recorded tracks or the monitoring volume of input signals. They do not control signals to be recorded, ALSO! When a MODE switch is set to “MTR”, the signal from the input jack on that channel will be recorded if the record button for that track is activated. You do not have to set the channel to 'Live' in order to record! all you do is arm that track with the record button while its in MTR. I believe you can record the compression as part of the record process or record without it and use compression and EQ for master recording.
Sorry to get you frustrated 😁 My video was based on my own frustration when I first got the unit - so it was based on: 1) the original firmware which may or may not have changed some of the information I covered, 2) my personal experience on my getting the thing to record something in the first place, and, 3) more of my personal learnings on a few other basic functions that may not seem to make sense. It's not a deep dive into everything it can do. Just one approach to getting some tracks recorded and a few other hints on how to use the unit that can be confusing to people (like me). I would encourage you to make your own video to show and explain what you know about the Model 12 as well! thanks for the comment!
I don't know why you call it "digital". The signal path is analog. The digitization occurs before and right after the record module but it's all analog otherwise.
You should be using the PFL/AFL buttons. Pre Fader Listen is used when setting the gain knob for your channe. Turn the gain knob till the channel reaches 0 on the meter with PFL active. Then you can turn off PFL. AFL is used to set the gain of Aux channels. When all PFL/AFL are off you are seeing level metering of the master channel. Learning the ins and outs of your mixer is a very eye opening experience.
I just got the Tascam model 12 four Christmas, it’s awesome. I’am totally blind and I wish the Tascam model 12 had voice over so I would know what each feature does. I am interested in recording studio equipment, and I always wanted my own recording studio, but I am still going to try to work on it and get help from my folks and learn by the sound of my voice and effects and just by doing. That’s what I do with all the mixers that I’ve gotten in the past. There are lots of blind people who are musical like me, and that are interested in recording equipment like me and they want all recording equipment to have voiceover as well, then it would be a whole lot easier four us.
Glad to hear you are having fun with the Model 12! I'm not visually impaired, but I think the lack of clarity on how some of the controls are used (e.g. are the various buttons in the up or down position - you can't always tell by looking at them). Plus the tiny little screens are not always clear that there are other choices or it's a scroll down menu, etc. I think they need to have some kind of interface with a PC that essentially does what you're suggesting. If the pfl button is pushed down, maybe it could anounce that. Or even give a verbal run down of what's active or what effects are selected, etc.
I applaud your tenacity on working with any kind of mixer or recording device! It's great your folks are helping out with that! Maybe there are some other resources that you could explore???? Any body out there have any ideas???
Excellent and important topic you brought up. Best of luck on your recordings 🙂
Thanks for this - spot on for where I'm at having just received my TM12 this afternoon. It took me a bit of working out to even get sounds out of it but was simple enough after some research and experimentation. But, I managed to record a first guitar track (dry) before packing up and got to know the menu a bit more with the manual at hand for reference. I just can't wait for tomorrow! I'm planning a right old session.
Incidentally, I also bought a cracking Decksaver hard plastic cover specially designed for the TM12 which is simply excellent in case you or anyone else here might also want one. All the best to you and all.
Cool! Hey, thanks for the tip on the Decksaver cover - I don't think anything specific to the MD12 was available when I got my deck. I'm checking out these covers as we speak (um, type)🙂.
Good Video Pete. Simple and very humble... refreshing to see. I do the same things you do when learning a device so this was helpful. BTW. You can designate to record Pre Compression, and Pre EQ. The settings for this are in the system menu I believe and Yes... its better to go in dry and add later for sure. Thanks for posting this.
Thank you! And I appreciate the suggestion about the pre compression/EQ recording - that's helpful 🙂
Thank you SO much for solving the channel 9/10 issue of the XLR being disabled when the 3.5mm jack is plugged in. I was doing the EXACT same thing you were doing which was leaving it plugged in 9/10 with nothing attached on the other end but just for the ready just like you. And then when I would go to plug in my mic in 9/10 I wasn't getting a signal. I thought it was a setting in the menu I couldn't figure out. Again, many thanks to you sir. You just made my night. God bless brother.
That was one of the worst ones. It took me forever to figure out it was that stupid cable. In fact, that was the one episode that made me think about creating a list and doing a video. Best of luck on your recording adventures!
I've had mine about a year and I'm just going thru this for a refresher and still got some useful help from this video. I use mine for recording one track at a time then put the card in a PC to mix. Great sound quality and easy to use after finding some of these quirks. A 64G SD card holds a huge amount of tracks and a few smaller cards might be easier to keep songs organized. I recommend not using a micro card with an adapter so it's easier to remove. Audacity or Reaper work great for mixing and editing. YT channels like this really help more than the silly printed manual with 76 of the 200 pages in English. The manual isn't nearly as understandable as this video.
Wow - Thank you for the nice complement! I haven't had a chance to play with mine recently due to work load and family stuff. Why'd I have all these kids anyway 🙂 Keep rock'n!
This is massively helpful. Thank you so much. It's saved me a lot of time figuring all this out by myself.
Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you found it useful!
Finally, a little practical interview of it.
Thanks for the comment! I'm glad you found it useful!
i am, finding that there are hundreds of ways to set this up..it really is such an amazing piece of tech.
Thanks for the great tips! My bandmates and I purchased the Model 12 last year to rehearse and record with. Its a wonderful device but I know we haven't tapped in to all of its capabilities. Thanks for the help!
Rock on!
My model 12 is on the way ... you just saved me loads of time ... thank you
Enjoy your new toy!
sweet.i just got mine a month ago .i love it.love seeing different ways people set this up.
Definitely a flexible little guy!
Excellent! Thanks mate! No one else has simple tips for this thing. Feel free to give another if you have more, or maybe a tutorial. Cheers.
Thanks! I'm sure I'll find more "interesting" things about it over time. :-)
This has been one of the more helpful videos on the Model 12. Thanks.I looked on the Tascam site and the amount of vids are very limited. I'm not tech minded, I am more on the creative side so this complexity(not user friendly, to me) is frustrating.Not to mention your admitted(with many other agreeing content creators) illogical obstacles they included in their inexplicable design. I used a different Tascam about 25 yrs ago that took mini-discs---it was understandable.This is preventing me from recording my ideas as I am not a sound engineer in the least & have resorted to procrastination. I'm busy and have many duties but thank you for the video.
I'm not a total expert on mine... But I will say that the more you use the most basic functions, it's a lot easier to use. I'm starting to record new riffs with guitar every few days and that forces me to experiment with new ideas but also forces me to get my hands on the Tascam. I still occasionally forget to arm the channel I'm recording to... so my 2 minute masterpiece breakthrough progressions don't always get recorded! Thanks for your comment!
I ordered one today. Thank you for doing this video.
Enjoy! And don't forget to hit the "record" button on the channel before you start trying to record. I've missed too many takes doing that. Like lately. 😞
Be aware there are settings you can change on the channel settings to determine if the compressor, or eq settings are captured in the Mtr recording. You can determine if the capture happens before eq, or after and the same for the compressor..
That's a good point. Thanks for bringing that up!
Thank you 16:45
Thanks I have the 16 The instructions in the book are comprehensive. However. This is a great video. 😊
Thanks! I almost bought the 16. But it seemed like the 12 was better for what I'm doing... and a little less expensive 😀
Very clear suggestions and pointers!
Thanks for watching!
More of this 30 Sec. Song Demo Recording Please . . . YOU ~ ROCK ! !
Thanks! 🙂
I just got the machine and this is a really helpful video... cheers
Glad it helped
hi there, just say that the last update allow you play with the headphone out independently from the main out fader, you just have to change it in the menu
ua-cam.com/video/qx_UnSi5Mp8/v-deo.html
This unit is amazing
Thank you very much..
Really helps ❤
Thanks for the very helpful video
My pleasure!
awesome dude !
Thank you!
I ordered the model 16, so far I only have concerns over the size of the unit. I plan to use an MPC live with it, as it has 6 outs already, paired up with a Juno DS.
I might even use my EWI if I learn how to use it.
What a different machine and I wanted the 16 for its layout but the 12 has the features I want when mixing in a DAW , frustrating!!! Cool multi track board though, wish it had a higher sample rate but it’s still probably better than CD Quality in 2 channel to DAW mode if I am not mistaken. I almost purchased one but decided I needed a better interface more and a control surface which the model 12 has
noted.. we got zoom r24 (again) and tascam dp 24sd ... after seeing all this....thanks... pls note,,dp 24sd sounds better than zoom r24...too.
thanx for logical truths,,, and zooming in on pruct
You bet!
Great Job! Punch and Play!
Very helpful. Thanks
Great work Pete .How did you connect the Model 12 to the mixer ,it's a great idea.Thanks.Reg.
I've got the "Main Output" XLRs going to the mixer for the "room mix" and then the "Sub Outputs" going to the studio monitors. My room mix speakers are a couple of old rebuilt Advent Baby II's. They're nice, but not as nice as the JBL near-field monitors. I like having both to A/B against just to get a better idea of the mix - not that I'm very good it 🙂
Are all the settings of the tracks (eq, effects, faders) saved with each song? Or does one need to adjust the tracks manually?
No. That's one of the downsides of a unit like this. If you go back to listen to some other songs, none of the settings are the way you left them for that song. So you essentially have to remix when you change songs. If you're in the middle of recording something over several days and don't make any knob changes, then it's not an issue (and that's how I generally use it). When I'm done recording, I'll do the final mix and and output it to Audacity. I'm thinking about moving that part to a regular DAW though. But I still want to do the recording part on the Model 12. When I have a guitar hanging off me, It's easier for me to tweak the physical knobs on a console as opposed to keyboard/mouse. Yours is a great question because that's something most of us don't think about if moving from a DAW.
i dont use pc,,, whats the important diff to dp 24sd,,,, i mixdown ,,no pc,, using genelec and stax
Can you mix more than 10 channels on model 12? When using it with your daw?
how was the transition of going from the korg d32xd to this unit? Is it a pretty smooth process? Can this do everything the korg can do? I always wondered if the screen for this unit was too small to see things clearly. Is that an issue at all?
The two units (Korg vs Tascam) are totally different machines. The Korg has a ton of features and tweakability that the model 12 doesn't have. But the Model 12 is 1000 times easier to use for something just wanting to capture ideas and do simple mixes (like me 🙂). If you don't need the capability of the Korg, then the Model 12 is a piece of cake. There's still some learning. But I can't tell you how often I had to open the manual, look for YT videos, Reddit answers, etc. to do things on the Korg. Plus you had to dig into menus, submenus, etc. on a small, low resolution screen. The Model 12 still has menus, but not as many... and the screen is light years better in terms of readability and controls. I had the same concerns about the Model 12 screen - but that concern went away about 10 minutes after I started using it.
So to answer you questions specifically:
1. Transition was extremely smooth (still had a learning curve, but not very steep)
2. The Model 12 cannot do everything the Korg can. One BIG thing the model 12 CAN do is serve as a control surface for a DAW. That could be a game changer for some people.
3. The screen was not an issue.
4. Just wanted to add - I think my mixes turn out better on the Model 12 because I'm not screwing around with so much other stuff that I did with the Korg.
Depending on what you want to do, I highly recommend the Model 12! I've never looked back 🙂
Great video man, for example I have the mic plugged into channel 1 recorded unto that channel, but now I want to rec another vocal track on channel 2, how do you assign to channel 2, I couldn't figure that out , I had to plug out the mic out of 1 to 2 to get the signal, on my tascam dp-008ex I could jus assign where I want to record to any channel, Can you Help, thanks man
On these, you need to physically change inputs to change channels. I had Korg system years ago that you could reassign channels to different inputs. But not on this one. I personally like doing the physical plug change because I don't get any surprises on which channel I'm on! But that's just my personal preference.
Many thanks that was helpful
Thx for the helpful tips man!😊👊
Totally my pleasure! Glad is helped :-)
Thnks!!!
I can't seem to premix
in headphones to hear
the new track better when
adding it to pre-recorded
track, the pan is locked.
Someone said, you can
only pan on the final mix, which
which if true, is a big downside
I record a lot of guitar. I have a Tascam four track . I layer a lot of lead and rhythm and pan left to right when I mix . Unfortunately with only four tracks I bounce tracks a lot and combine em . Does the 12 have a bounce feature ? Have you had the need to bounce tracks or run out of tracks since using this ?
Do you typically mix down the final edit with all tracks mixed down to 9/10 channel ?
Yes you can. I haven't done it, but it looks super easy. Here's a video I found that gave a pretty good explanation: ua-cam.com/video/32z2H9iGv-k/v-deo.html
When I record a song it’s lower in volume then original recording why? My gain is at 0 so it records exactly same
I hope someone can answer that! I wonder about odd/unexpected volume levels as well.
Thank you!
How many monitor wedges can be used with this board?
If you're talking how many unique monitor mixes, then that would be the two AUX sends. There are two AUX outputs in the rear panel. So, for example, you could send a unique mix to the singer's monitor and then whatever to the rest of the band. But there's not really a limit to how many wedges could be used for each channel. That would depend on how you're powering the monitors and connecting them. So you could have two daisy chained power wedges for the singer on AUX 1 and then on AUX 2 you could daisy chain a bunch of powered wedges for the rest of the band. I hope I understood you're question. Please let me know if you need more information. Thanks!
Thanks for the info ,i have a question, I’m not getting sound in one channel using the stereo input,the channel 8 doesn’t go through,what’s wrong am I doing? Thanks
I’m wondering if there’s a way to use the MPC in controller mode and still route sounds from computer to tascam model 12 for mixing and have that audio return back to computer for final mixing? Any thoughts? The reason why is because the computer can handle more than MPC in standalone.
Great Question! Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you as I haven't used the Model 12 with my DAW yet. Maybe some others could provide input on this? Thanks for asking - but sorry I can't help...
Quick question. What's the best way to record onto my android phone?
The easiest way is just to record a video with your cell phone - that automatically picks up the audio. And there's plenty of audio recorder apps out there as well (free to pricey). But since the quality of a cell phone mic is limited, I personally would just use the video recorder function and live with the quality if that's all I had. All of the video processing software lets you get rid of the video portion and just keep the audio and save it as a WAV file or whatever. I use DaVinci Resolve for my videos - it's free, extremely powerful and has a great audio processing section that includes a boat load of processing options (e.g. compression, reverb, EQ, etc.). You can do a lot of DAW type stuff with that and then just save the audio part... or you could just save the audio track of your cell phone video with it and then take it over to any computer based DAW and edit to your heart's content!
If you get to the point you want a better mic, there's aftermarket cell phone mics you can buy. But if you start thinking you want to devote more money to this, then you might consider any number of the various small field recorders that have excellent mics and processing power (e.g. Zoom, Tascam) for under $200 (and up, of course).
And there's always the desktop/laptop computer route.
I can see where starting with just your cell phone as a good way to get into recording yourself and others. There's a lot of content creators that use nothing but cell phones for video/audio capture (and then post-processing/editing the files on computers). So there's a huge user base out there that can provide plenty of information and tutorials.
Best of luck to you!
They actually updated the system now so you can choose whether the headphones are affected by the main fader or not... I know that was a big issue for some people.
Cool! That's good to hear. For me personally, it's a pain in the butt. Was that a firmware update or something totally different? Thanks for mentioning that - much appreciated!
@@fishpotpete It was changed in the newest firmware update
Awesome description of this unit ! I also use EZ drummer and I’m wondering how you got it from your computer to the model 12 ??
I use a low tech way of sending the EZ drummer output to the Model 12. I use a 1/8" splitter cable out of the PC audio out - one output goes to the main house mixer (i.e. mixer to amp to stereo speakers) and the other output goes to one of the stereo channels on the Model 12. Once I get my EZD programmed where I want it, I do a real time recording on the Model 12. I'm sure there's a more tech savy way to do it. But for my purposes, it works great.
@@fishpotpete I like that low tech thought process! Just curious though (I JUST got mine so I don’t know for sure), isn’t the Tascam also an audio interface? Could you just set it up for that and send the tracks right to the model 12?
@@philw8049 Yes, there is a way to use it as the control surface/interface with your DAW. I don't personally use it for that - but there should be some great resources online (and YoutTube) on how to do that. It's in my future though.... I hope 🙂
I find that swapping tracks does not always work. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it will move a track over to another track that you did not want to swap. Also, when mixing tracks to one track so as to free up more tracks, you have to include any track already recorded whether the faders are up or down. For example, I wanted yo move drums, bass and rhythm guitars to a stereo track but I have 2 vocal tracks I do not want to be included. It doesn't matter. All tracks go to the mixdown. So I would have to erase the vocal tracks to get only the rhythm section to a track. Does anyone else have these issues?
I swap tracks all the time to free up tracks and I don’t have this issue. Maybe try muting the tracks that you don’t want swaped. Or depress the main switch for that channel.
@@mikegallant5018 Thanks, I 'll give it a try.
If you are using this as both an interface for your DAW, and a mixer for your hardware, does the stereo mix from your DAW come through channels 1+2?
I'm not the best person to answer that... But from some other videos, this appears to be one of the negatives of using this as a DAW controller. I've never personally have done that, so I can't say for certain...
I’m finding the headphone volume is not nearly loud enough. I have to crank the dial 100% to make it reasonable. Any workaround for that?
You might try a different set of headphones or maybe a headphone amp of some sort. You might play with the other volume settings (main, sub) to see if that affects it. I bet you're not the only one with that same issue!
I recorded about 6 hours of live music last weekend on the Tascam 12 and accidentally had the input button on MTR and can’t hear it! Anyone know if there’s a way to find it or if it never recorded?
Man I'm really sorry that happened!!! 😞 I don't think you recorded anything. I've had that happen to me on too many other consoles as well. I think all you can do is take a deep breath and chalk it up to a "learning experience". For those that don't know - MTR (Multi Track Recorder) is playback only. I gotten to the point where I switch everything back to "Live" before I shut the system down so I've at least have a chance of not messing it up. But I still forget something (like push the arm button on the channel) before hitting record.
you can acctually leave the mode switch alone.leave it on MTR ,i know you need to learn how to masnage listening and play back and recording but it all has to do with how you manage you out puts and the "arm" button.so you can jusst leave that switch alone and avoid the wear and tear.
Cool - thanks for the clarification. I just tested it and it does exactly how you say. I'll update the description section to point out switching to "Live" isn't required. I just found something that worked and stuck to it :-)
@@fishpotpete again, same here. I guess live is for when your using it as a live mixing board for a show.
@@truthwinseverytime8805 I use it as a live mixer and record every gig I play. To listen back, I do have to go to MTR. You MUST make sure that the tracks are armed for recording. It's a simple mistake when you're busy, and I still screw it up from time to time. The other beginner mistake, but not so obvious, is the PFL light which can activate in a several ways. If the machine is coming in and out of the bag for each gig, that's a constant thing to be careful of when you're grabbing the machine and unknowingly pressing buttons. If it's fixed in your studio, not such a problem, but the occasional stray finger can accidentally activate the light.
Many thanks for sharing the knowledge for the Tascam 12.
I have brought one a couple of months ago and I’m learning how to use this great mixer.
The question I’m asking is when you create a song on the Tascam, how do you do a mix using the faders and Hi and low frequencies., with out using a computer.
Also I have a amplifier hooked up to a CJ400 mixing deck, is it possible to connect the amplifier to the Tascam ? I am new to the music Business and I don’t want to damage the Tascam.
I would appreciate if you could explain how to connect the Tascam to a amplifier, I have subscribe to your channel to learn more, and think you really do a good job explaining the work flow for the Tascam 12.
Many thanks bro
As far as hooking up an amp - there are two stereo pairs in the back. One if for the main out (XLR connections) and the other is for a secondary out (SUB, 1/4" connections). I'm guessing the easiest way, given what you've told me, is to connect the 1/4" sub OUTS from the Tascam to the INPUTs on the CJ400 mixer (I couldn't find any info on that mixer though) and then send the mix signal to the amp. If you're using this only as a mixer for live use, then you adjust the volume/treble/etc for each individual channel - but I'm not sure I understand your question.
You can only use the gain when you record something. for the mixing part , using the faders and EQ and effects , it can be done when you are in 2ch Mix export mode ( Selecting it from the meny) Tascam will pick channel 9 and 10 for the 2 track mixdown. Now you can mix - This is actually identical to the vintage analog workflow of recording/mixing back when we had tape machines. You typically dont want to EQ something on the mixer while you record something because its mucj harder to correct mistakes in the mixdown, you only want to have a clean undistorted signal first and mix when ALL your tracks are finished , then it will be much easier to balance in to a two track stereo mixdown using the fader,EQ, Effects ans stuff
@@Funkywallot Many thanks for the info bro, I’m a new user to the Tascam 12.
@@erroldawkins1392 Your welcome. I have the Tascam 16. I would think that the workflow is the same on the 12.
@@erroldawkins1392 Slight correction : You can use the gain AND the one knob compressor while you record.
Hi. I'm a pianist. Newbie to audio tech. Hope to record my music from my digital piano (to be converted into required mp3 file) to upload to a platform (which I will be able to go live in future).
Upon advised from a friend, I bought an audio interface and related DAW, but feeling too overwhelming using the DAW!!
:-( All I want to do at this stage is to record, trim intro/outro and convert into mp3; of course being able to set gain etc. While I am trying to figure this out which may take a while.....
in the mean time, is there a mixer, pre amp etc I can do these things on WITHOUT using a DAW? If I am able to play back and add my own percussion etc, would be great.
I rather not buy a hand held zoom recording device.
You could using something like the Model 12 for what you want to do. But I think the easiest thing you might want to try is using your audio interface and then use an extremely simple software package like Audacity (it's free!) to record and edit the tracks. I've used both my Model 12 and Audacity (interface and Audacity software) for different projects. The Model 12 is excellent for getting multiple instruments (on separate tracks). But to trim/edit the final stereo mix (from the Model 12), I always use Audacity. and you can select what format you want to export the final edit (wave, mp3, etc.).
A full blown DAW is WAY too complicated for someone that doesn't want to get into the nuts and bolts of recording. Keep it simple and you'll be happy. Try recording directly to Audacity with your interface and keyboard and see how that goes first. Audacity is free, easy to use and there's a LOT of support on line (UA-cam, etc.).
Let me know if you have more questions!
@@fishpotpete thank you so much for your advice. I will look into Audacity. Take care. Cheers
I like what you did here. But I'm very frustrated trying to rename and save the name, on a new song I've created. The menu system is confounding. Sometimes I've seen rename, then I can't find that again. Sometimes I've seen save, and then can't find that again either. Any tips?
From what I’ve seen so far, you can probably only rename a track that isn’t selected, and only save a track that is selected.
Trading in my Zoom L12. I got fooled by the look. Only records gain and compression. No effect or pan or eq
Is there a sequenser?
No, there isn't one. I was thinking how nice it would be if it did have some kind of sequencer you could connect to a synth or drum machine. But, unfortunately there, there isn't one.
Punch in footswitch?
AFL and PFL are confusing After and Post or Pre and ?
Pre-Fader Listen and After-Fader Listen!
@@jasenkinart I get it now
Be ready to replace the power switch in these.
That's good to know. Espeically if you're in a semi or professional situation! Thanks for the comment 🙂 Sorry about your bad power switch...
Will it work with the Mac M1 chip ?
I'm not an expert on Macs - but I can't see why it wouldn't work. It's not a chip issue - it's an operating system issue. And if your DAW works on your Mac (which I'm not sure if there's any that don't?), then you should be fine. You potentially MIGHT see an issue if your Mac has some bizarre connectivity/cable requirements.
@@fishpotpete Thanks
How did you get the monitors to go through the sub?
1. Connect your powered monitors (or amp/speakers) to the Sub outs in the rear, then; 2. Make sure the "Sub" button on each channel is pushed in (and the effects aux if you want to hear the effects). Let me know if that makes sense and works for you. It's not always clear what to do with these. Thanks for asking!
Does the unit
come with SD card?
I believe it did. I just checked mine and I guess I put a 64GB in there because I had some extras sitting around. I'd be surprised if I ever filled it up to even 25%. But I was thinking it came with one.
Just read the manual and refer back to it as needed.
I generally agree with that approach. But on some things, the manual may not be as clear as it could be. Especially if there are terms and phrasing being used that you're not familiar with (or the printed manual is not in your language). And as more of these become available on the used market, many will not come with a manual (unfortunately).
What beautiful wooden cheeks...but they're plastic! Tapping with my fingernail, the sound is not dull like real wood, but hollow like plastic. Not a deal breaker though.
Good catch! I didn't even think about it until your comment showed up... Yep, plastic. But it's EXPENSIVE feeling plastic :-). Ok, not really. It's just plastic.
@@fishpotpete LOL!
Send it back as soon as you get it and have the power switch replaced.
why 😮
Here's something else I don't understand, that even the manual does not address. If I have a mix prepared, how do I get it to be a saved stereo mix, that I can then export via USB to my computer? Perhaps you can explain!
Get an Irig
Its really frustrating when someone uploads so much misinformation about this machine. The channel PAN knobs and channel faders control the
playback output signals of already recorded tracks or the monitoring volume of input signals. They do not control signals to be recorded, ALSO!
When a MODE switch is set to “MTR”, the signal from the input jack on that channel will be recorded if the record button for that track is activated. You do not have to set the channel to 'Live' in order to record! all you do is arm that track with the record button while its in MTR. I believe you can record the compression as part of the record process or record without it and use compression and EQ for master recording.
Sorry to get you frustrated 😁 My video was based on my own frustration when I first got the unit - so it was based on: 1) the original firmware which may or may not have changed some of the information I covered, 2) my personal experience on my getting the thing to record something in the first place, and, 3) more of my personal learnings on a few other basic functions that may not seem to make sense. It's not a deep dive into everything it can do. Just one approach to getting some tracks recorded and a few other hints on how to use the unit that can be confusing to people (like me).
I would encourage you to make your own video to show and explain what you know about the Model 12 as well! thanks for the comment!
geeze. 2 mxers. lol
Plus one for the keyboards and one for the drum machines and probably another one in the system somewhere I forgot about :-)
@@fishpotpete Hey. I have too much gear myself. Im thinking someday I will off myself in a freak cable accident.
I don't know why you call it "digital". The signal path is analog. The digitization occurs before and right after the record module but it's all analog otherwise.
the amount of saliva sounds and tongue clicking in this video is gross
Digital sounds better than analog.
Ha - them's fight'n words to some people :-) I'm fine either way. Thanks for your comment!
@@Gutowski1944 yes its great.