TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle 

Comments about TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle:

This package works just as described. I have it hooked to a macbook pro running snow leopard. I simply downloaded the ver 2.0 driver for mac from tascam's website and installed the driver. Once the install was complete, I plugged in the usb cable running from the tascam unit and the macbook pro instantly recogized the unit and asked if I wanted to change the default system setting to use this device. Those settings flowed into Garageband. Just remember to turn the monitor setting on in garageband and select the correct channel or channels for the instrument or mic you are recording. I have recorded electric guitar through the switchable line input and vocals using the mxl 990 microphone. It worked great for stereo recording from a keyboard as well. I notice no letency with this unit; no problems at all.

Comments about TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle:

I recintly purchased the tascam us 144 package. I had to buy mic stands also, but it was the most economical way to go. The set up was difficult. I took a while to get the software to work. The 3rd party software did not have a license so one had to be downloaded from another site. I knew nothing about recording,so it took me a very long time to get everything set up. after a few days of playing with the settings i am very happy with the results. I would suggest this product to anyone who uses a laptop, and wants portability for recording. (however i am looking in to getting better software)

Comments about TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle:

A common statement you'll read in the reviews for this bundle is that it's "great for beginners" and "a good starter kit." And it's all true. But it should be noted that if you have a basic grasp on mixing and mastering audio, and understand the fundamentals of mic placement, this package can go far beyond "beginner" status. My cousin and I both own one of these kits, and we use them almost daily. He makes country music and R&B, and I make acoustic and electronic music, and we're generally very pleased with the results. Yes, there is superior (and more spendy) hardware out there, and I was concerned that my small budget would mean getting stuck with low-performance equipment, but I don't regret this purchase one bit.(using WinXP SP3)

Comments about TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle:

The Tascam box is a great way to get started in digital recording. It's easy to use and is perfect for quick demos or capturing a jam so you can remember the ideas later. And because of the SPDIF pipe, you can keep using this as you move on up in the world.First, the bad. The mic pres are serviceable and about what you'd find in a entry-level mixer. They've got enough gain to bring most mics up to a usable level, but you'll still benefit from the better noise floor of recording in 24-bit wherever you can. The analog-to-digital converters are usable but nothing to write home about -- but that's not a fatal flaw, as you'll see in a second.Now, the good. The unit is small, bus-powered and easy to set up and use, making it the perfect mate for a laptop to make on-the-go demos on the tour bus, in your rehearsal space or in your bedroom. The low-latency monitoring and monitor mix options make it workable for tracking overdubs, though the headphone output could be stronger. The best thing, though, is the SPDIF in. This means that when you upgrade you to a really high quality mic pre-amp strip that has its own A/D converters, you can used the US-144s SPDIF input to by pass the US-144s converters and use the nice fancy converters that you just bought with your preamp strip. In other words, this little interface will stick with you as you upgrade but remain a great option for quick demos.

Comments about TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle:

It works, is USB 2, and has phantom power. Is it pro quality? No, but it's good for demos, song ideas, and recording practice sessions. Before you use it, go to the Tascam website and download the latest drivers and firmware (the drivers on the CD that come with any device are old and usually outdated). If you use Snow Leopard, the new drivers do work. Who knows about Vista. I've used it with the included Cubase LE package, Garage Band, and Audacity as well as QuickTime and iTunes with good results. The case is quality. The knobs are easy to use, though not to everyone's liking. I've gotten good results from this for basic recording (two or three tracks). I like the dedicated line out and headphone volume controls. The manual could be a bit better.

Comments about TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle:

I bought this to hook up to my MacBook running snow leopard. After downloading the new driver from the website, it worked flawlessly with garageband. I have only used it a few times and so far it has had zero latency and runs perfectly with my computer. I must point out however that I have 4 gig of ram. One thing I just want to let people know because it took me a while to figure out; the us 144 is USB 2.0 which is actually faster than firewire, especially if you have a laptop most laptop firewire is firewire 400 not 800 which means it goes much slower than usb 2.0 (which is faster than 800, it transfers 12 mb/sec while firewire 800 is 8 mb/sec) Additionally firewire 400 will also require a separate ac adaptor. Most usb interfaces are 1.0 unless it says 2.0 explicitly. This is the most affordable usb 2.0 interface. So far it has been extremely easy to use, and has been 100% stable. I am sure that most of that will have to do with how powerful your computer is.I think the mics sound pretty great and you can get a great sound using both on an acoustic guitar as left and right stereo inputs.

Comments about TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle:

i bought this recording package. turns out this tascams clips alot and pause your monitoring everytime it clips. it has very poor volume. you have to restart it almost everytime you use, and ater you record several tracks it will shut down your rec software. mics aren't bad though. really good mics for beginners and hobbyists.

Comments about TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle:

I received the TASCAM Us 144 about 3 days ago and I am so happy with it.IT makes recording on my laptop easier, because it takes a load off of the computer. My favorite feature is the Zero-Latency monitoring. I was able a to record an awesome sounding full length song in less than 3 hours and it sounded amazing.

Comments about TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle:

I recently purchased this bundle so I could start recording songs I've been writing. I have had ZERO problems and everything is working great. I did a lot of reading, etc in making a decision and since budget was also a factor this seemed to be a great solution.... and it is!!!

Comments about TASCAM US144 Interface and 990/991 Mic Pack Bundle:

On Tascam's website they state that the US-144 has a driver that is compatible with Mac OS X Leopard. I bought it. After experiencing much difficulty, I e-mailed Tascam customer support and got the reply, "at this time the US144 is not compatible with the Leopard Operating system." Oops. Rather confusing, eh? I bought a piece of gear that is just sitting there looking cool.