Tascam Interface / Zoom / Windows weirdness

[Drew Stephenson]

My gen 1 Focusrite interface has started playing up again so I've decided to retire it and switch to my other interface, a Tascam US-16x08.

Latest firmware and drivers are installed and the control software is working correctly. All the core stuff is behaving itself; I can record into Reaper, play back and monitor etc. All fine.

But...

It does seem to have a couple of quirks that the Focusrite didn't.

1) If I have some audio playing from a web browser or another app (e.g. Tidal), if I switch to Reaper, even if there's nothing happening in Reaper, it cuts the audio from the other sources. I can happily play audio from a browser and Tidal at the same time, or different browsers, but as soon as I put Reaper as the active window, it cuts any other audio.
Which is a bit odd.
I have gone into the Sounds menu and deselected the 'Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device' option but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

2) When trying to dial Zoom calls I get some very weird behaviour. If, in Zoom, I test the microphone and speakers before the call, the speakers work but the mic doesn't. But once I've actually dialled into the call, the microphone works but the speakers don't. (I'm using the Zoom terminology here as that seems to be where the problem is - the actual mic and speakers are completely fine).

Any suggestions on either of these gratefully received.

[James Perrett]

The Tascam stuff that I've used (mainly the Model 16 mixer) has been very fussy about sample rates and the drivers are very primitive compared to anything else I've used. The Zoom and RME interfaces that I use seem to work with almost any combination of sample rate.

[resistorman]

If you're using ASIO drivers then Reaper will take control?

[Drew Stephenson]

The Tascam stuff that I've used (mainly the Model 16 mixer) has been very fussy about sample rates and the drivers are very primitive compared to anything else I've used. The Zoom and RME interfaces that I use seem to work with almost any combination of sample rate.

Hmmm. That's a good shout for point 1. I'll switch Reaper back to a 44.1 default and see if that covers that one.

[Drew Stephenson]

If you're using ASIO drivers then Reaper will take control?

The focusrite also used ASIO drivers but didn't have the same effect, but I think James might be onto something with the sample rate as I have recently changed my default in Reaper to be 48 rather than 44.1.

Cheers both.

[Drew Stephenson]

Just a quick follow up to say that James was right about sample rate mis-matches being the trigger for problem 1. That's now sorted, thank you.

Will have a play with Zoom later and see if that is also related.

[Martin Walker]

I've had a similar problem 1 issue myself, when inadvertently playing a 48kHz audio file resulted on subsequent silence from other non-ASIO software, because Sonarworks Reference 4 systemwide couldn't find a 48kHz 'device', as I'd only calibrated it for 44.1kHz.

The cure (each time it very occasionally happened) was to open my RME Fireface settings utility and manually change its Sample Rate back from 48kHz to 44.1kHz, whereupon I could reinstate the Sonarworks device.

Good luck with solving your Zoom issues!

[Drew Stephenson]

Good luck with solving your Zoom issues!

Unfortunately no dice on the Zoom issue.

[OneWorld]

I know this is no use to you but thought I'd chip in. I have the TASCAM 16x08 and was quite happy with it, but it does seem perplexing, and sometimes things just work, and other times they don't. I always save the config when everything is working but on recalling it, it doesn't seem to make any difference

Sometimes an issue similar to your ZOOM problem, I have to change the outputs from MASTER L MASTER R to Computer 1 Computer 2, Computer 3 Computer 4 ......

And I cannot make out what the USB Direct tick box does, it appears to make no difference.

As with Elf, I had RME with TotalMix, which I rally liked, before the TASCAM, but the RME was FF800, Firewire, so when I got a new PC the Firewire was done with, had to go USB

I also have a newish USB MOTU sat under the desk, and am wondering shall I give up on the TASCAM. Anyway, all the best with it

[Drew Stephenson]

Yeah, it does the core stuff absolutely fine, the zoom business is just an irritant really.

[James Perrett]

Unfortunately no dice on the Zoom issue.

Then get a Zoom!

(The drivers for my Zoom interface are far less fussy than your Tascam drivers and will happily handle multiple sample rates as long as I'm not using its digital inputs)

[Drew Stephenson]

Less helpful than your previous suggestion...

[Wonks]

Get two Zooms? Does having two make it twice as helpful a suggestion as Hugh’s?

[Drew Stephenson]

I think it's more of a dividing relationship than a multiplying one ...

[Hugh Robjohns]

Get two Zooms? Does having two make it twice as helpful a suggestion as Hugh’s?

I dont think I made any suggestion...

[Wonks]

* James'

[Drew Stephenson]

For anyone following along, I have managed to get the Zoom issue sorted.
Windows Sounds was still defaulting to 44.1, and whilst most apps (and browser programmes) will send a little signal to the Tascam to tell it what sample rate it needs to work at, Zoom doesn't appear to.
Changing the windows default to 48 (to match the Tascam default) appears to have fixed the issue.

[James Perrett]

Tascam interfaces are not very forgiving when it comes to sample rates in my experience. If you want an interface that is going to work for normal Windows sounds then just about any other make of interface would be better.

[Drew Stephenson]

Well it's behaving itself at the moment and the toys budget is unlikely to stretch to anything else so it'll do for now.
At some point something better may be required but for the moment the weakest link in the chain remains between headphones.

[BillB]

the weakest link in the chain remains between headphones.

Weird! I have that problem too! I just thought it was something particular to my setup…

[Kwackman]

the weakest link in the chain remains between headphones.

Weird! I have that problem too! I just thought it was something particular to my setup…

I’m Spartacus

[forumuser931182]

Thanks all for a very satisfying thread, was like watching a good film. Conflict and resolve, guest appearances, red herrings and jokes.