My First Day with the Tascam Model 12

My last video featured a new Tascam Model 12, still sealed in its box. A few days ago, I opened that box and tested the Model 12 by recording an entire song. In this video, I discuss my impressions as a newcomer to that device.
You can listen to the new song (Bronco) at the end of the video (12:24) or at:
jordanseal.bandcamp.com/track...
/ bronco
#recording #tascam #newsong #recording #songwriter #model12 #bronco

[@Olivil]

For your headphones, 424recording's goal was to independently control his monitor and headphones, which wasn't possible since the phones level was after the main fader. Therefore he used the sub out for his headphones. However! There's been an update since and you can set the phones level to be pre-fader (it's under the MIXER menu), which means you can still get headphones out with your main fader down or even muted. Just a tip that might clean up a couple of cables, and free up your headphone amp :) cheers

[@epiphonium]

Interesting. I'll have to look at that, thanks.

[@RandyKeelingJr]

This is the way!

[@alexdawson7851]

Does this apply to the model 24 to?

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

Thanks for this - helpful stuff. We've got a lot in common - I spent yonks on 424s (all mkiii - must've got through four of the damn things), also milked a fostex x-26, and put a Fostex 1/4" R8 through the wringer too (using a Mackie VLZ1640pro as the mixer). I recorded hundreds of songs - some of them were even not dire (!!). But for whatever reasons (I honestly don't recall what they were - and maybe I never actually knew), I walked away from recording - after twenty years pretty solid regular enjoyment. Kids? Motorbikes? Disillusionment? Yes - all of the above. Etc. Then a year ago I started to drift back, got some guitars restrung and pro intonated, had some amps refurb'd, etc. But I needed a format, a recorder - I slow circled back to the M12 three times before I pulled the trigger. Unboxed it yesterday. The bloody thing scares me. I hate new stuff. Everything for me has to feel like an old sock before I'm comfy with it. I am jealous af of how quick you got into it. Especially the bouncing i.e. the two cajón signals over onto 12, then routing back to 6. I doubt I will be fluent with that process in 6 months, never mind 6 minutes as you seemed to have been. I think maybe the DP008 might've broke you into the M12? In any case, I have no experience of that or similar devices. Ok - I just flicked to your personal history of DAWless vid and wow, I am so with all of that. I too have recorded a lot of stuff on stereo cassette w/ just an acoustic guitar and vox. Precisely because of, as you say, the rank simplicity of it. If you're anything like me, you have this notion that if a song can stand up with just that amount of capture, it is probably an okay song. Perhaps even a good one! I'm wittering. Points are these: I will watch everything you've uploaded. I will also subscribe and like, primarily because you didn't ask me to. I suspect you know how fresh that is, but if you don't, let me tell you: VERY, VERY. So....amazingly....fresh.

[@malloryonbass]

I love your entire approach to music and recording. Thanks for sharing and keep going!

[@blufordbirdsong1834]

Great video. Great tune

[@iambridge1]

Man…I really was super in on this video. Loved the song. Loved how you talk about your process and really felt inspired. Thanks for sharing and pouring yourself out.

[@chillwalker]

So much passion! Love it!

[@fumoffuyou]

7:41 This is one downside to the Model 12 compared to the Digital Portastudio models like the DP-24 or DP-32. The DP models have "virtual tracks", which is a common feature of digital recorders. They have 8 virtual tracks per track, which are often suggested to be used for "alternate takes" but I often use them as storage space to temporarily free up tracks for bouncing down to submixes and final mixes. This allows a non-destructive workflow where you can redo bounces or keep individual virtual tracks to export to a DAW without deleting original individual tracks. So hypothetically let's say I use 22 tracks for drums and percussion that I want to bounce to a stereo stem/submix. After the bounce, I can move the live tracks down into a virtual track within each track for storage, freeing up the live tracks for something else. I understand being hesitant about the DP models in terms of complexity, but honestly they're straightforward. You don't have to use complex features if you don't want to, so it can be used as a basic digital recorder. (They only confusing parts are the limitations regarding the built-in effects, but I prefer the higher quality of outboard gear, so I print on the way in or apply them later, so the issue is moot for me.) For the essential recording features themselves, the DP models basically mimic how a traditional studio would've been in the 90's that had a console and recorder machine. You can keep it simple, or you can take advantage of the 90's console style automation available like auto-punch-in (with rehearsal feature), location marks for jumping around, and "fader groups" if you want to use them. But that's all optional. Instead of auto-punch-in, you could just do another take, or do another take on another track/virtual-track and copy-and-paste snippets of one over the other. Instead of "fader groups" of individual tracks mixed as a unit, you can just bounce tracks and mix the bounce instead. It's all up to you how deep you want to go for your workflow. On KZbin, "Phil Tipping", "Powercoat Music", and "I Love Recording" all have tutorials and tips about the DP series. You have 8 XLR/TRS inputs ("A" through "H"), where "H" has a switch for instrument-level input too. You hit the "Assign" button and set which inputs go to which tracks. (Advanced: you can even have the same input feed multiple tracks if desired, or set the input to Stereo Bus inputs instead of tracks for acting more like a mixer or using additional outboard-effects during a mixdown.) For assigning stereo tracks, just make sure to use inputs next to each other like A/B, C/D, etc. When you're ready to record tracks, just hit the "REC" button over each track to arms the tracks, and hit "RECORD" when ready. The EQ for each track is accessed via hitting the "Mixer" button for the current input source. You have your typical High/Mid/Low and Q width, panning, effect sends, phase invert, etc. with a graphical representation of what the EQ is doing. It's not complex "menu diving" as you just hit the "Mixer" button and it's right there, just hit the "Source" button under an input to change it for an input, or the "Select" button above each track to change it for a track. The knobs are right there next to the screen. You can also select a dynamic effect from the "Dynamics" button/menu with a similar workflow for compression, etc. Pro Tip: Regardless of which digital recorder you use, "dry-erase tape" is very handy, and I put that tape underneath the faders instead of masking tape. I cut it to fit exactly and make it look neat and professional, and I can use a fine-tip dry-erase marker to re-label faders instead of removing/reapplying messy masking tape.

[@epiphonium]

Good advise I do make post-it notes as I go along.

[@Farold_Haltermeyer]

Do you know what formats/resolution the DP’s record in ? Haven’t been able to find an answer

[@fumoffuyou]

@@Farold_Haltermeyer If you're trying to import or export files, for the DP models you tell it to export tracks via "Menu" -> "Audio Depot" -> "Export", then use the checklist of tracks to export. Then connect to a computer via USB 2.0, and copy files back and forth via the "Audio Depot" folder. It expects *.wav files. You have to use the "Audio Depot" for importing/exporting because the native binary representation of the audio is an internal format efficient for the recorder that tends to break apart audio data into chunks, so the import/export handles assembling those chunks into a normal *.wav files you can use with an external DAW if needed. Typically, imported *.wav files need to match the sample rate and bit depth settings of the particular project. You can set the sample rate and bit depth independently when creating a project for a trade-off of file-size/quality. The supported sample rates are 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz, and bit depths of 16 and 24. (For context, 44.1/16-bit is CD quality audio and 48/24-bit is sufficient for any high-quality purposes. You can also choose a different combo such as 44.1/24-bit or 48/16-bit.) The file system of the SD card must be either FAT16 for 2GB SD card size and below, or FAT32 for above 2GB size. (You should use the DP to format the card anyway, so it initializes with expected folders and system files.) The max SD card size supported is 32GB. I haven't tried formatting larger cards down to 32GB so I don't know if that works or not.

[@Farold_Haltermeyer]

@@fumoffuyou understood. What I was more trying to find out was the details of the Tascams recording formats not so much the export settings...they don’t seem to let that info out much

[@malloryonbass]

@@Farold_HaltermeyerYou can choose 44.1 or 48kHz at either 16 or 24 bit.

[@Shea4Rock]

You can swap tracks. Press Menu, then go to MTR>Track Edit>Track Swap. Here you chose which track (A) should be moved to the new track (B). Press Yes.

[@ianmargolycz]

This is good to know, thank you 🤘

[@Farold_Haltermeyer]

Is that moving the inputs or the recording itself? Thanks

[@JordanSeal]

@@Farold_Haltermeyer It moves recording from one track (or pair of stereo tracks) to another.

[@Haze763]

Great job for the first time firing it up and just going for it!! I'm also dawless and love the limitations and being forced to commit and just record instead of tweak all day. Keep up the good work Jordan. ✌

[@justfontaineband]

Love this, Jordan. Really informative video and fabulous song. Subscribed!

[@filiperodriguesmusic]

Beautiful! Excellent work!! I love your song 🎧 time to release it!

[@MichaelDooleyProject]

I’ve had one in the box for a few years. Finally got the guts to try and figure it out recently. A lot to learn, but definitely dig it. I picked it up because I am also. DAW-less 46 year old with a love for my long gone days spent with the TASCAM mkII. Happy to have stumbled across your channel and look forward to browsing your content. 🤘🏽

[@iancaveney7464]

Terrific video and song, thanks for uploading, Jordan. Also, you ticked over 1k subs, think you were circa 800 last time I checked in a couple of days ago. Well deserved. 👍

[@yourchildrensghost9736]

This was Really good, Thank you.

[@jasonelambeth]

Awesome video! Let’s go on the lyric writing video! It’s the hardest part of every song I write ever.

[@JordanSeal]

On it!

[@hotrodjones74]

Great song! I really liked the lyrics and the leads on the electric guitar. It was all tasteful, genuine and enjoyable.

[@xammai9679]

Awesome video dude and awesome song ❤ I love my model 12 too 👍🏾👍🏾

[@epiphonium]

Good job I love your song and a great explanation of how to start out and use the Model 12. Thank you ! I use a Antique Sound Lab tube headphone amp coming from the sub output channel and Alesis M1 Active Mk2 powered monitors from the Main output. I got both of these really old things from friends that didn't need them anymore.

[@SammySantiagoIrizarry]

Excellent video Jordan!!! You really inspired me to go dawless!!! Excellent song too!!!

[@d3j4v00]

i'll watch later but i'm sure youre gonna love it. I got the zoom12 similar model and have had side eyes at this one for years

[@kihoalurocks]

I too like to record outside a DAW. I have the Model 24 (since 2019) and it has a dedicated headphone jack for the master track and its own volume knob. I really like it.

[@Farold_Haltermeyer]

Can you bus inputs between tracks on the 24?

[@kihoalurocks]

⁠@@Farold_HaltermeyerIn what I define bus as, like in a DAW where you can bus all the drums to a master drum bus, background vocals to a master vocals bus, etc I would have to say no. You might be able to get creative with the 3 auxes but I have not tried any of that. In my case I leave that to my mixing person. I am just recording tracks, doing a basic volume level mix for our bands benefit to decide when we want it mixed. I chose the model 24 to get more inputs and avoid having too bounce tracks.

[@cmberrian]

Great tune and informative video 👍

[@christophedelamusiquedesar7878]

Cool video and insight into your first encounter with the Model 12. I've been chewing over buying one to use (mostly) instead of Reaper, the DAW I have been struggling with, good as it is. All that tech has been, for me, getting in the way of just enjoying playing and being creative. It's great that I would be able to import all the track files into the DAW at any time. Keep the music up!

[@ChrisJordan-Knox]

Can I adopt you as my son. All my boy wants to do is play video games. I’m a 60 year old musician…we would have so much fun in your music shed.

[@sboy1955]

Thanks for the video, I can’t seem to gel with DAW recording so looking to go this route.

[@ringsystemmusic]

Oh hey love those little Honeytone amps.

[@Lanae8199]

Great song and nice gear.

[@Farold_Haltermeyer]

Watched with interest as literally just retired my Tascam 12 in favour of a 1010 Bluebox (and had followed almost your exact dawless journey as described in your other vid)...felt like deja vu following your pathfinding too :) as the 12’s quirks seem to catch everyone out the same way. The compression is an odd one, such a shame they didn’t give us a couple of settings for that! But the one thing that has always irked me (as someone who comes from the 424 lineage) is not being able to bus inputs to channels...on s digital recorder!?! Insanity. And in the end that’s been my reason for moving on as it just became impractical...but I do so love the interface. Really such a big part of the appeal...especially for us tapeheads :) Enjoyed the process and the performance a lot, thanks for sharing!

[@SuperICEMIKE]

DOPE SONG AND PERFORMANCE!!!

[@robbychoate7458]

Bravo!! Nicely Done!! I you like to put my vote in on the lyric re-write video!! Coo Song Too - PeaCe

[@LewisShieldsUS]

Mucho 90's loudness recorded with that little RS PZM. Mucho disbelief prior to its use and converts after.

[@MrVincentdior]

I like how your song came out

[@billykellum]

Tip: Be sure to update the firmware of the Model 12. They fixed a lot of the initial quirks such as the headphone monitoring. Enjoyed the video. New subscriber. 👍

[@JordanSeal]

Thanks for this info! (And for communicating it to me, and to the rest of the comment-readers, without being a jerk!)

[@Gear-Tube]

Satisfying video.

[@CDRivera2010]

The headphone control are the 2 white knobs with AUX /Main just under them just under the Menu screen

[@dennisb.1248]

Hi. Thanks for sharing. I got that Model 12 as well. I’m not too skilled with it actually but I love it for all the capabilities and it’s versatility. Did you actually fall into the same trap, where the recording played back from the SD was like "pre fader”, I mean it was not my mixdown I did record. Then with the button "SD main mix return" it finally got solved 😅. It’s quite a steep learning curve if you never did multitrack recording but it opens a lot of possibilities especially trying dawless. And then you can even be with it on the daw effortlessly as well… .

[@benmilesrocks]

Cool video, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. A couple thoughts on how you might want to rethink how you use your channels- Your main vocal sounds a bit too airy with that room mic alone (especially seeing as everything else is close mic'd). If you used one of those two stereo channels for vocals you could have one with that contact mic for the nice room sound (also catching your guitar) and a second mic for your vocals exclusively. That way your main vocals will really sit front and center in the mix whilst still giving you that roomy sound. The cajon is ideal for the other stereo track- you can mic it exactly the same as you did here, but this way it won't need a bounce down (because it's already IN stereo). If you want to free up that stereo track for another bounce like you did here you can always record here, bounce and then put it on a mono track. But by recording it this way you're essentially giving yourself an entire extra track, because that bass part could be on a mono track instead of a stereo one 😉. Thanks again for sharing this 🙂

[@Fezzler61]

Enjoyed video and song. Enjoyed learning about the M12. Would love to see you bounce out to external gear and return. I also liked your attitude. JUST RECORD. I've been paralyzed by trying to improve and it has stopped me from just having fun like you seem to be doing.

[@baritony8763]

I own this unit also.How do you "save" your recorded tracks to the SD card? And I didn't see the link you mentioned about how to connect headphones to hear your tracks during recording. That seems like a huge oversight on Tascam's part.I hope to record soon. A response would be helpful.Thanks.

[@augologo]

Dude how are you not famous 😭 your music is really good 👍

[@frdradio]

Cool song man

[@rsdave809]

For your headphone issues ,Why would you check for workarounds before updates ? Update your 12 and actually read the release notes. I think you'll enjoy the extra functionality. Hopefully you haven't steered too many people wrong on this long solved headphone issue.

[@JordanSeal]

Save your condescension for another channel.

[@rsdave809]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZS2qIqJpbyCma8&si=nvJD2CIFU8Mavuy7 Tascam has been responsive to some of the 12s shortcomings

[@rsdave809]

Headphone routing update details kzbin.info/www/bejne/noXSemqEhb6sd6Mfeature=shared

[@hippydippy]

Cool. I currently use a Tascam Neo 2488 which I've been pretty happen with, but I'm 68 & like the old school mixer style since I grew up with it. Could you give me any comparisons of use? Is it all inboard?

[@Scott-mz8lu]

Enjoy your videos; have 5 multitrackers , use and enjoy all of them. Used the two tape recorders in bathroom with casio in the early days

[@sboy1955]

Oh yea… really enjoyed the song 👍🏽

[@sololimo]

The vocal on that little, uh, omni directional Radio Shack piezo mic (?) sounds good!!

[@mich665g]

Can i just say i looooooove your voice

[@flopimuzik3203]

great! thanks for this video that shows that parents of little kids can actually get some song recording done! =) just one question: could you explain HOW you did the bouncing so you could liberate some tracks?? thanks again and keep the music flowing, it sounds nice!

[@JordanSeal]

It's not easy to be a parent and a productive person, but we can do it 😂 I'm glad you asked this question, because the Model 12's manual does a poor job of explaining how to bounce. Rather than type out an answer, I decided to make a video. I'm going to post it tomorrow (Thursday)... I hope it helps!

[@flopimuzik3203]

Oh thanks so much!! 😊 I admit i'm looking forward to that video❤

[@PhatLvis]

Nice track. Zoom MRS 1608. Good onboard FX. More tracks. Built-in drum machine can be used as sampling drum machine. Better/easier bouncing/transfering track to track.

[@chillwalker]

I really thought at your Goodbyes you are f*cking with us and N O T playing the Song at the end...would be next level psycho...but funny as hell ;-)

[@ezrakh]

Even more perfect is the Model 16 considering you’re dawless. All analog preamp/channels and more tracks

[@GerryBarnumMusic]

Thanks for the super unpretentious and candid insights and presentation. !

[@user-jb4rc8su4f]

Never used a Tascam DP24SD or DP32SD?

[@simonvanderveen6446]

miaaaauwww

[@sololimo]

Cool Song!!! Good vocal performance. You could have recorded it on anything and it would be a good song. But that said the tracks are super good, nicely put together.

[@dirkpehrke9909]

I don’t get your problems with the headphones or why you’re using the sub out and a headphone amp??? The M12 has two separate headphone outs and you can set both to main out, or if you want a monitor mix to the aux busses. You can even set the fx to just go to the aux busses if - for example - a vocalist wants to hear her voice with reverb, but you don’t want it to go to the main mix etc.

[@meneerjansen00]

What about synchronizing electronic gear like synths and drum computers? They used to do that w/ a "click track" (audio!). But you need a separate output on your recorder for that...

[@dennisb.1248]

Good question. There is midi, but I didn’t found a perfect explanation on KZbin on this one. Seems like you can send a start command over midi out to the rest of your gear at least, but it seems not to be fully connected or capable to be used as you expect with the usual synth gear (which would be record command and bpm sync and …???). But basic functionality is available. Would be great to find a perfect and detailed tutorial about that… .

[@jamisondonald384]

The Zoom L-12 has 5 independent assignable headphone outputs and a metronome, plus more inputs. It appears to be more value for the money all around.

[@Olivil]

The Model 12 has midi out so you can sync start all your MIDI gear. Makes overdub painless, e.g. you can record a simple 4 on the floor kick pattern from a drum machine, record all other tracks, and then replace the 4 kick pattern with something more elaborate. Everything stays in sync. :)

[@meneerjansen00]

@@Olivil Thanks for the info on Midi! That'll truly make it a DAW-less setup. :)

[@JasonCarrara]

You could have got a lot of those issues with the smaller units just buy running a decent mixer into your digital recorder

[@dylanbatt]

If homie isn't selling Tasc'm or Tascum shirts he is missing out

[@JordanSeal]

Incredible idea. You have an entrepreneur's mind... and I have almost none 😂

[@justsomeguy1074]

Man, that's a tiny room you are in!

[@JordanSeal]

It’s tiny, cramped, and an acoustic nightmare… but it’s mine 😂

[@jamisondonald384]

...this thing doesn't have a headphone out?! Holy shit, I am even more glad I got a Zoom L-12 instead of this... This tascam seems artificially limited for reasons that escape me.

[@epiphonium]

It has 2 headphone outs but it takes a bit of searching in the manual for a way to use them and I found the output volume low for me.

[@jamisondonald384]

@@epiphonium huh... Thank you for clarifying. This at least makes more sense

[@Olivil]

Can you move a track on the L-12 yet? Last I checked if you had a guitar part recorded to track 1 and you wanted to record a guitar part to track 2 you had to unplug from track 1 and plug in track 2.

[@jamisondonald384]

@@Olivil I don't think you can move them around. I used one of the predecessors for a while before getting the L-12 and was initially shocked at how few features the L-12 has for moving tracks and such on the device itself. I suppose they all have tradeoffs

[@Farold_Haltermeyer]

Weird how they’ve stripped that standard feature out from multitracks...it’s like groovebox manufacturers: they took out stereo samples as a feature for about a decade and now add it back with a fanfare and premium price as if it wasn’t in 90s/00s hardware defacto. Same with track/inputs on these unit types

[@BBState1]

Hi there. An interesting, and not so uplifting. thing happened to me yesterday. Took my SD-card with my final mixes to eleven songs and gave it to a guy who’s gonna help me to give the album a final push. We soon found out that not all of his computers could find the files on the SD-card. We had to go to his other studio and use some sort of adapters before we could hear any music. Beware owners of a Tascam Model 12. But now we’re rolling and yes, I love recording on my Tascam Model 12. My first album in the air soon. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@JordanSeal]

Great callout. Any idea what caused the problem? PC vs. Mac, or another clear source?

[@nobodynoone2500]

1. Buy quality brand-name cards from a trusted source. Counterfeits are rampant. I use Endurance cards made for many writes. 2. Format that card on the pc (or device) before using it. Don't rely on the factory formatting. 3. Back up your stuff often. SD cards are notorious for failing at the worst times. 4. Always have a spare card, and a card-reader. Don't let a minor technical problem with a $20 part stop you in the studio.

[@StanleyKubick1]

i dont understand why your face takes up 98% of a video about a piece of tech?

[@JordanSeal]

Obviously, it's because I'm a narcissist.

[@dannomusic47]

It’s really upsetting me how you pronounce ‘Tascam.’

[@epiphonium]

It doesn't upset me but I did notice it.

[@xammai9679]

This guy put together this awesome video with all this knowledge and enthusiasm for you to contribute a comment like this… Maybe get over yourself and go gain some self awareness.

[@dannomusic47]

@@xammai9679 simmer down, my apologies for not having a sardonic font for you. I like his videos very much, I’m just poking fun at how he pronounces ‘Tascam.’

[@randyfournier8299]

Why task him with changing it? :-)

[@dannomusic47]

@@randyfournier8299 Jesus H lighten up