I recently got a check for some web consultation that I did, and with it I decided to buy a audio interface with lots of inputs. When I’m recording videos for my YouTube channel, or when I’m practicing for doing live gigs sometime in 2021, I really need more than 2 inputs. My Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 can record two tracks, but I have a vocal mic and a stereo guitar output from my HX Stomp – that’s 3. Sure, I can just mix it in stereo and record that, but then if I want process or adjust the vocal mic, I can’t. Also, I keep a SM 57 in front of my tube amp at all times, and it would be really nice to always have it wired in to record.
So I bought the Tascam US 16×8. It has 8 mic inputs, 8 quarter inch jack inputs, and 8 outputs. It also has MIDI in and out. It uses a computer software mixer (available for Mac and Windows) via USB.
The Good
Compared to the Scarlett 2i2, it sounds… well, it sounds pretty much the same. I don’t hear a big difference in quality. The mixer has 16 channels with faders, parametric eq, and compression. You can route all 16 inputs to your computer DAW and it works perfect. On the Mac, you don’t need to install any audio or MIDI drivers. On Windows you do, but it’s not hard to install them. If you run Windows, you’re used to installing drivers. The Windows version of the mixer is slightly better than the Mac version, according to Tascam’s website. Be sure to get the latest version of the drivers and the latest software.
Routing this through Logic Pro with a small rate (64), software monitoring is totally possible, but instead I route output channels 1 and 2 to my monitor mixer, a Yamaha MG board with 14 channels. Works great.
The volume knobs for the first 10 channels are on the front of the unit, as is mic inputs 1-8 and line inputs 9 and 10. Phantom power is turned on or off for groups of inputs, instead of having one phantom power switch for the whole unit. This is great if you have a ribbon mic that can’t handle phantom power.
For a little under $300, is there anything out there as good as this? Anything that gives you 16 channels including 8 mic preamps, plus eq and compression, plus 8 out? Not that I could find. If you need 16 channels for around $300, this is it.
For $50 less, you can get the unit with 4 mic ins and 4 line ins. But isn’t it worth 50 bucks to double the number of inputs? Hell yes it is.
The Bad
The digital mixer has great eq and compression, but I believe they are “printed,” so if you wanted compression in a monitor mix but not in your DAW, I think you’re out of luck. And this unit badly needs reverb. EQ and compression but no reverb? It doesn’t make sense. The software, at least on the Mac, doesn’t allow you to resize the window. You only get volume knobs for tracks 1-10. For 11-16, you better be sending the correct signal.
The Ugly
But the REAL issue is that the 8 outputs on the back of the unit can only handle the stereo mix of the 16 channels. So outputs 1 and 2 give you a stereo mix, and 3-8 are outputs that can be used by your DAW. You should be able to route any of the 16 tracks to any of the 8 outputs, but you can’t. Say you have four vocal mics and you want to send them to 4 channels on a monitor mixing board from outputs 1-4 on the unit. You can’t. You can send all 4 to your DAW, then have your DAW send to outputs 1-4. This will give you latency. That’s bad. You can send two outputs to your monitor mixer, but that’s it, and it’s basically left and right.
Conclusion
Home studio owners who are on a super tight budget (like me) can use this to record an entire band at the same time to 16 tracks on their DAW for around $300. That’s crazy inexpensive.
But for people who want to record bands live, they’d want an interface that could take 16 mic inputs and send all 16 to a DAW while taking 16 outputs and sending them to a front of house mixer, this unit won’t cut it.
This is semi-pro gear. But it sounds great, and you can get around the 8 line level inputs by using an analog mixer with 8 outputs (or two mixers with 4 outputs.) Where this unit shines is in a home studio, where you can literally leave everything plugged in for when inspiration strikes. I’m very happy with mine!
