Feature:
I was looking for a device with usable software to flush out ideas. I need phantom power, at least two inputs, and MIDI. I looked at many options including firewire devices but they either didn't have these features, or they did and were twice the price. I kept coming back to the Tascam US-122. The interface comes with everything you need to lay down audio tracks and sync to MIDI. The version of Cubase is pretty basic but it works and the Gigasampler while lean on sounds has a nice piano included and it syncs to the Cubase software without issue.
Quality:
Pretty stout overall. The knobs as reported have a giggly quality, but work smoothly.
Value:
This is the only product in its price range (to my knowledge) with these features. For two hundred dollars you have a complete recording solution including a sampler.
Desirability:
Does what I need it to do. Was slightly larger than I though it would be, but it still fits in my laptop bag and will work well for location recording.
Sound:
I bought this product with a bit of trepidation after reading the various reviews and the subsequent frustration with pops, clicks, latency, etc. But since I make my living developing software I'm all too familiar with the conflicts that can occur when installing something new, so I took the plunge since this product had the features I wanted and the price to match. I installed the software, then plugged in the interface and it worked for the most part, but there were the reported pops, clicks, latency issues etc. Fortunately, the documentation that comes with this product helped fixed the issues that were contributing to the problems, you just actually have to read the help. If you are looking for a plug-n-play interface (on XP or XP Home in my case) that just works out of the box without any setup on your part, this may not be for you. But overall the setup was relatively painless and everything works as advertised, including the software. Audio and MIDI sync perfectly and the sound is pretty darn good for two bills.
Support:
Haven't used it. I ordered the upgraded software (Cubase and Gigasampler 3LE) which is available from the Tascam website and is free of charge if you bought this after August, 2004. The website says it should be here in 2-3 weeks...we'll see.
Overall:
I plan on using this for a few years. As we all know, technology gets better and cheaper with each year. Hopefully this will hold up and still be a great utility piece down the road.
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