> On Thu, 2006-01-26 at 03:31 +0100, Björn Lindström wrote: >> Rui Nuno Capela <rncbc@xxxxxxxxx> writes: >> >> > Björn Lindström wrote: >> >> I've been offered a slightly used TASCAM US-224. I see in the sound >> >> card matrix that it should be fully supported by ALSA. >> >> Is anyone here using one of these with multitracking software under >> >> Linux, and what do you think about it? Is it stable, are all its >> >> features supported, and so forth? >> >> As an alternative, I'm considering getting a new US-122. Would there >> >> be any reason at all to go for that one instead, or are they equally >> >> well supported? >> > >> > I do have a US-224 pumping low-latency full-duplex 2 channel audio on >> > JACK (-p128 -n2) and full MIDI I/O. I specially love its control >> > surface when directing ardour via MMC (for which I've contributed some >> > code to us428control in alsa-tools, btw). >> > >> > It works great, but not without some attention. You have to take care >> > about tunning your linux audio system accordingly i.e. using a recent >> > kernel/alsa-driver (snd-usb-usx2y module). The now famous Ingo >> > Molnar's realtime-preempt kernel patch is highly recommended if not >> > mandatory to get the best experience. >> > >> > OTOH if you can't live without 48v phantom power, then the US-122 is >> > the right choice. Otherwise the US-224 is a awesome addition to a >> > laptop based studio, as I take it ;) >> >> On thing I'm wondering about the US-224 is whether you have use of all >> the extra controllers. Can you use the transport control buttons with >> Ardour, for instance? >> >> > > See above: > > " I specially love its control surface when directing ardour via MMC > (for which I've contributed some code to us428control in alsa-tools, > btw)." > > So, I think yes. > Exactly. The transport buttons do send outgouing MMC and reciprocally the LEDs react to incoming MMC. So, if you make a closed-loop with ardour you'll have total control over it. Even the jog wheel will do playhead positioning... Take note that almost every knob and slider of the US-224 (and also of its bigger sister, US-428) do send MIDI controller messages. Taking ardour again as an example, you are free to do arbitrary controller assignment, at the application side that is I guess thats what stands for a control surface, something that the US-122 hardly is at all. Phantom power is the only real decisive option on the US-122. The US-224 really lacks that 48V supply--mostly because it does already so much with stand-alone USB power :) Cheers. -- rncbc aka Rui Nuno Capela rncbc@xxxxxxxxx
