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So I bought this to use with my MPC One. Since the MPC 2.10 upgrade I believe, the newer MPCs have support for external audio interfaces. I mainly make boom bap and lo-fi hip hop, and it's great to be able to assign my kicks, snares, hats, and other elements each to their own channel on the Tascam and manipulate it that way. Sure you can do everything you need on the MPC One alone (or the others) but the Tascam improves your workflow and makes it easier. Instead of having to make multiple sequences and program everything in each one, I can make an 8 bar loop and put all of my elements on that. From there I assign each element to an input channel on the Model 12 and record the song to the SD Card on the Model 12. I mute and fate each element as I record each phrase of my song. So I may have an 8 bar intro, then a chorus, then my 1st 16 bar verse, etc. It's very easy and a lot of fun to do. I also have my DJ mixer and mic hooked up to the Tascam for use when I need them. I highly recommend this for users of the newer MPCs. I may want to upgrade to the Model 16 or 24 as I start to make songs with a lot more elements in them.

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These mixers are amazing in any studio setting-Sturdy,quiet and well made. First off,the pre's sound smooth/musical w no added color. A plus for our needs is that the effects don't print as you record;they are for live band mode(or used as effects in the cans while overdubbing and such). This allows us to record in the studio,or remote situations,@48 w/o effects,move the tracks to Studio One,and then mix down with our fave effects @96 within our DAW. We send various "outs" to the line inputs of our studio grade interfaces,making the Tascam 12 so much more than a live mixer or standalone recorder-it's like a Swiss army knife for your project studio. The main outs have shelved EQ's if we need that option. In addition,we can send a stereo pair out of channel inserts and/or headphone outs to wherever we need. I have fun using the bluetooth to add backing tracks for fun/rehearsal,but another professional option is using the 12's stereo DAW/computer channel output for live backing tracks. Super Sweet Thing-you can record your ideas quickly,without cranking up your laptop or pc,then waiting on your DAW to load 300 new plugins(wtf?!),etc.,and then,finally...forgetting your song idea in the meantime. That's the beauty of the Tascam 12's Portastudio heritage,with all of the old school joy of instant recording mixed with DAW fluent options that allow for serious studio integration. One of the best purchases we've made in years.

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We've purchased 2 from zZounds and would buy a third just cuz they're good. Definitely good but also versatile. There is only one other small format desktop mixer I prefer more and that's an SSL6. At a third of the price of that beauty,our two Tascam 12's provide WAY more options than expected. Killah mixer,same on the recorder option. We run two aux channels into ch 3-4 of our Antelope Audio Synergy 4 and get lost recording for daze on end. The 8 channel Tascam preamp w/optical is also a stellar option. We use @ bluetooth 3"pair of presonus as a second reference,such good response we think the sub is a great next upgrade. zZounds has treated us better than all the other venders,so we're sticking with these cats!

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I am really enjoying my Model 12. I've had it about 6 months now, and I still am amazed at the ease of use and the excellent quality. I love being able to punch in and out of record with a footswitch like the old days, and my workflow has gotten so much simpler and I find I am actually completing projects now, where before the complexity of DAW slowed me down. The quality of the sliders and buttons and knobs is first rate, the mic pre's are excellent, clean and quiet; the effects are usable. It's a great mixer for a live show too and I can record everyone on their own track, which is pretty amazing not having to use a computer. The more I use this thing, the more I like it and appreciate all the little touches and features that were added to make this so versatile. Not missing my Audient interface at all! I've been recording since the cassette 4 track days, so ease of use for me was pretty much point and shoot once I got used to the live/mode/mtr switch, (remembering to put it in the right place for the function at hand) and the manual is well written for the more in depth functions. It looks, WOW. and is a great value. Where else can you get a mixer with 8 hi Z inputs?

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My main use is for a personal mini home studio. After extensive research, the Model 12 checked all the boxes. I wanted an analog style mixer, onboard recorder and audio interface with the ability to complete projects with minimal computer based DAW interaction. The DAW controller is a pretty nice feature but was not very important for me and neither was the MIDI capability. I am an amateur at using a computer based DAW so the Model 12 was perfect as to not limit me from that. Without a DAW, I can still make studio quality recordings but I can still use a DAW to tweak if I choose to. As a mixer, recorder & audio interface, it's fantastic. As a DAW controller it works perfect as long as you use a compatible DAW. Tascam has a separate downloadable DAW controller manual on their website that tells you which DAW's work. Download it + download the user manual before you buy it and you can see and learn about the unit. Also, physically it's built like a tank. It's metal construction and it's heavy. Anything else that competes is all plastic. If you are a beginner, you need to read everything about it before you get it working. Don't expect to take it out of the box and for everything to run on Autopilot. It won't do that, this is professional level equipment that has a learning curve. That learning curve in invaluable though because you will really learn how to record & mix. Plenty of info online if you look up the Model 16 & 24. This is a small version of the model 16 & 24 that includes midi + DAW controller. The model 12 has only been on the market for 6 months and the other ones have been around for almost 2 years. So you can't expect a huge amount of user information about the model 12 yet. If you download the audio driver + update it to the latest firmware, it will do exactly what it's supposed to do. Also, you need to use an SD card from the list of Tascam tested cards and format it in the machine. If you dont, you might get errors and freezes. It also helps that any of these machines work better with smaller cards. I use 32 gig Transcend SDHC cards and they work perfect. Remember: Update the firmware, download the Audio driver, buy a smaller size Tascam tested SD card and make sure you format it with the Tascam Model 12, verify that your DAW is compatible (if you wan't to use the DAW controller feature) and it should work as advertised.

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We were tee-totally blown off our collective rockers after using a 12 for a couple weeks. Amazing kit,we could go on for days. The main basics is that it allows us to record tracks @ 48kHz,import to our DAW,then mix @ 96kHz. A perfect small format recorder for field recordings, in addition to our handheld Tascam 4 track;between the two,we can capture most anything outdoors for video projects. It doesn't take the place of our Antelope Audio Synergy 4 interface in the studio but it IS one hella option for adding it to the AA's 2 line-in jacks 3 and 4. Another super-duper useful option? Set-up as a basic DAW controller was a zero hassle affair and sealed the deal for us. Too good to ignore at this price,we are ordering a second unit from zZounds this week.Amazing all-around offering from Tascam-a mixer,an interface,an onboard recorder with zero latency...what's not to like?

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Bought this for my musician grandson and he loves it. Sounds so warm and clear. 10 minutes out of the box and he is already recording songs. Feels slightly heavy and is not made from cheap plastics. Nice and solid. Absolutely recommend the model 12.

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Aside from a couple bugs and a over-simplified manual, this machine is pretty near perfection. I like the option to record with and without the computer. Definitely go to the TASCAM website to download the latest driver, there's a lot of bug fixes (like the issue with the headphones always outputting to the monitors). There's more presets as well, to use the Model 12 as a MIDI controller for your computer DAW. It makes the whole experience the same across the board, which is helpful to my workflow. My main issue with the Model 12 is that it isn't the Model 16. If you're a multi-instrumentalist or producer and use a lot of mics and stereo cables for your gear, you might want to get one as well. After a year and a half with this machine, I have tried to fit as many stereo devices into these two channels on the Model 12 (7+8, 9+10). One of the best solutions for me is to use a separate mini 2-channel DJ mixer for 9/10; then I am allowed to crossfade between my tape player and my turntable, freeing up the 7+8 channel for my synthesizer/drum machine. The other issue is probably obvious to professionals, but I have to turn on my mixer first if I have my turntable or amplifier hooked in, otherwise it won't power on. It took a few times to figure out what the problem was, I was about to contact TASCAM HQ. I have my amplifier always running out from the Sub outputs. My turntable would also have to be turned off before starting the Model 12, I just had to make sure all my levels were down before powering on the external speakers/turntable. My only other gripe is the manual. Thankfully there are cool people out there who share videos on the internet, describing the functionality of the Model 12 far better than the manual itself. I wish I had understood sooner to deactivate all the AFL buttons throughout (unless using them for a specific reason). It also wasn't completely clear to me that only the gain knobs are analog, all the compression knobs and down are all digital (I think this is different from the Model 16). Overall, I enjoy the Model 12 tremendously. It has made it a pleasure to record quickly and edit the files in my DAW from the SD card. Though I don't use it as a MIDI controller for my DAW yet, I look forward to doing that in the future once I finish a recording. The Model 12 also makes an excellent live mixer for your small performance space or as a livestreamer. There are still a ton of things I haven't explored, but it's good knowing that there's room to expand. I also recommend the footswitch (I use it to advance the next track). The design is also nice and looks good on the desk, sturdy enough to withstand longer than your typical trash budget mixer. Thank you TASCAM and zZounds for making it happen! PEACE.

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Love everything about this mixer except this dumb faulty switch. After the firmware update failed to fix the power issue (takes multiple attempts to turn machine after about a year's use- I thought the delay feature would fix it), I finally started to see more info about this issue appear on forums and in videos. It turns out to be a faulty rocker switch, one that is relatively inexpensive to replace yourself (look up Bulgin H8800VABB). No soldering required and about $10- there's a couple how-to videos on popular video service. You may be lucky enough to get Tascam to send you one. It's glued on and will require some patience. I strongly urge to contact zzounds or Tascam before your warranty expires if you experience this issue! Was gonna upgrade to a Model 24, but may save longer for a PreSonus. Bummer, Tascam!

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upgraded from a $100 Behringer knockoff mixer, this is the perfect all in one solution to home studio/ podcasting/ live performance. I also work from home and it makes me always have the best audio in zoom meetings, and allows me to play background music. You could probably use it for a great streaming experience too.Doesn't output any higher than 24 bit, so if you're trying to get that real certified fresh lossless audio it's not gonna do it, but it's still really great.

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I have had a model 12 for a little over 2 years now and I absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone except for the fact that in addition to the power switch not working after about a year or so and figuring out a workaround for that, I’m now unable to export stereo files and there are all sorts of wonky things going on right now with things related to the sd card that switching sd cards, updating firmware, reintializing the unit etc haven’t fixed for me. Tascam has always been a dependable brand for me in terms of durability with their products, but I am unfortunately in the market to replace my model 12 after 2 years; I don’t think another model 12 is the smart choice; the features have everything I need but I’m willing to get something with less features that will last longer than $300/yr for this if/when it breaks again

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I have been recording for the past 20 years. This unit is great for stand alone recording. But once you hook it to a computer this is where the unit fails. It has sync issues. Google “tascam model 12 usb fs mismatch” before you buy this unit. It’s not user error, it’s tascam dropping the ball. Buyer beware.