Tascam Digital Workstation Controller US-224 Owners Manual

							 
21  
You can also control the input monitor 
settings that will be used when the US-224 
first starts up. You can choose either the last 
settings in effect at the previous system 
shutdown, or any one of the four snapshots.
 
 
 
5.2  Buffer Size Adjustment 
 
 
The US-224 Control Panel contains a 
second page, tabbed “System”.  On this 
page the buffer size can be adjusted.  
Smaller buffer sizes will result in lower 
latency, but requires a faster system. 
 
About Buffer Sizing: 
 
The US-224 driver temporarily stores input 
and output audio samples in buffers.  Larger 
buffers provide more safety against other 
system activities interrupting the audio and 
producing clicks, pops or other audible 
artifacts.  Smaller buffers provide lower 
latency when using the computer to send 
input audio to output channels in order to 
monitor the input.  The driver lets users 
select which buffer size works best for their 
computer and audio application.  Note: This 
adjustment does not affect the latency of the 
US-224’s hardware input monitor, which is 
always less than an ultra-low 1.5 ms. 
 
To adjust the buffer size, run the US-224 
Control Panel and go to the System tab.  
The Audio Latency slider lets you change 
the buffer size from a minimum of 256 
samples (128 samples on the Mac) to a 
maximum of 2048 samples.  All audio 
programs that use the US-224 must quit 
before a new audio latency setting takes 
effect.  Using Cubase VST at 44.1 kHz 
sampling rate, a 256 sample buffer size 
gives appx. 12 ms of monitoring latency, 
while a 2048 sample buffer gives appx 43 
ms latency.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5.3  The Chromatic Tuner 
 
 
Open the US-224’s control panel and select 
the “Tuner” tab. 
 
In the “Input” section, select the US-224 
input channel that you want to tune (A or B). 
 
Play a note and adjust the trim knob for that 
input until the signal is strong, but not 
clipping. 
 
The “Level” meter on the screen should 
display bright green segments without 
lighting the top red segment. 
 
If desired, you can change the Tuning 
Standard in the “Reference” section. 
Normally, the Tuning Standard is set to 440 
cycles per second for a middle “A” note, but 
you can use the up/down arrows to change 
it to a number between 430 and 450 cycles 
per second. 
 
As you play, the detected note will be 
displayed below the Tuning lights (A# or E, 
for example). If the note is sharp, the 
“Sharp” arrow and a Tuning light to the right 
of ‘0’ are bright red; if the note is flat, the 
“Flat” arrow and a Tuning light to the left of 
‘0’ are bright red.  
Illustration 5.02 – System Tab  
						

							 
22  
The numbers below the tuning lights indicate 
how far out of tune the note is, in cents (100 
cents is one semitone). W hen the note is in 
tune, the center ‘0’ light and both the Flat 
and Sharp arrows are bright green. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: The chromatic tuner consumes some 
CPU bandwidth in your system. Therefore, 
when you finish using the tuner, we 
recommend that you either select another 
control panel tab or close the control panel. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Illustration 5.03 – The Chromatic Tuner Page  
						

							 
23
6. Interfacing with your 
Audio Software 
 
 
This section is intended to present the basic 
concepts needed to interface the US-224 
with the bundled Cubasis VST application.   
 
This discussion, however, is not intended to 
replace your software’s users’ manual. If 
you’ve got questions specific to Cubasis, 
please refer to the Cubasis User Manual for 
the program for further detail. 
 
Note: W hile the US-224 will function with 
many of the same applications as the US-
428 when in US-428 emulation mode, the 
full operational details of each individual 
program are beyond the scope of this 
manual.  Details on using the US-224 in US-
428 emulation mode may be found in 
chapter eight.   More specific information on 
how the US-428 interacts with a number of 
other applications may be found in section 
eight of the US-428 manual, which may be 
downloaded in PDF format from the 
TASCAM website.  You should also refer to 
the manual for your particular audio 
application for further details. 
 
 
 
 
6.1 Selecting the US-224 as 
your Audio Device 
 
 
 
6.1.1 Audio Control Panel  
 
In Cubasis, open the Audio Control Panel 
(see illustration 6.01). It’s located in the 
Audio pulldown menu, under System. Select 
the ASIO Device pull-down menu, and 
select  ASIO US-224 Driver. If your software 
only supports 16 bit recording, a 16 bit driver 
has also been included. 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In the Audio Control Panel, you can select 
the number of audio channels you wish to 
use, as well as the sampling rate, Disk 
Cache settings, and MIDI to Audio offset.  
See the Cubasis manual for more 
information on these settings. 
 
6.1.2. ASIO Control Panel  
In the Audio Control Panel, click on the 
button marked ASIO Control Panel. The US-
224 Control Panel will appear.  In Cubasis, 
make certain the protocol is set to US-428 
Emulation Mode.  Refer to chapter five, US-
224 Control Panel for information on these 
settings.   
 
 
6.1.3 VST Remote  
In Cubasis, the program will automatically 
recognize the US-224 as a remote controller 
unit. In most other applications, you will 
need to select the US-224 as the program’s 
remote control.  In the case of applications 
which do not directly support the US-224, 
you will need to select US-428 as your 
control device, and select US-428 emulation 
mode in the US-224s Control Panel. 
 
Illustration 6.01 - Cubasis Audio Control Panel. 
						

							 
24 To do this in Cubase (full versions), for 
example, select the VST Remote option 
from the Audio menu, and choose the US-
428 option (See illustration 6.03).  You will 
also need to set the Input and Output 
devices to “US-224 Control Port” and the 
“Remote” setting should match the setting 
chosen in the US-224 Control Panel (see 
illustration 6.03). 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6.2 Setting the Sample Rate 
and Bit Depth 
 
 
 
The US-224 supports sample rates of 
44.1kHz and 48kHz. In the Audio Control 
Panel, select the pull-down menu for 
Sample Rate and select either 44.1 kHz or 
48 kHz. 
 
The US-224 control protocol includes two 
separate drivers for 16-bit or 24-bit 
operation. This selection is made in the 
Audio Control Panel (see illustration 6.04). 
 
NOTE: The bundled Cubasis VST supports 
only 16-bit audio.  If you want to record in 
24-bit mode you will need to upgrade to 
Cubase VST or another application that 
supports 24-bit audio. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6.3 Input Enabling 
 
  
You will need to enable the inputs on 
Cubasis. Open the Audio Input window (see 
Illustration 6.05) and select one mono track 
or a stereo pair. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note that Cubasis supports only one input 
for recording (though this can be a mono or 
stereo track).  
 
Then select the inputs on Cubasis’ internal 
mixer. If you’re recording a mono input, left 
click on the input selector above the channel 
strip and select the desired input L or R.  If 
you’re recording a stereo track, the inputs 
will both be selected automatically Verify 
that the designated channels inputs (IN) 
are selected, and the associated channels 
are receiving signal. (see illustration 6.06) 
 
 
 
Illustration 6.03 - Cubase VST Remote Panel 
Illustration 6.04 - VST/24 Audio Control Panel
Illustration 6.05 - Input window  
						

							 
25  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Highlight a track in the arrange window, and 
that track will automatically be Record- 
Enabled. (see illustration 6.07) 
 
Verify that the drop-in and drop-out features 
in Cubasis (on the transport bar) are not 
enabled (or if so, that they are enabled at 
the desired locate points). Press the 
RECORD  button on the US-224. Cubasis 
will issue a one or two bar countoff 
(depending on what’s set in Cubasis’ 
Metronome preferences menu), then 
commence recording. 
 
  
  
 
6.4 Transport Controls and 
Locate Points 
 
 
 
The transport controls on the US-224 are 
set up to directly correspond to the on-
screen transport controls in Cubasis. So, for 
example, pressing PLAY on the US-224 will 
activate the PLAY mode in Cubasis.  
Pressing STOP will halt playback on 
Cubasis. Pressing REW  or FFW D will 
activate Cubasis’ transports to Rewind or 
Fast Forward, respectively. The DATA 
W heel will also act as a shuttle wheel for the 
transport. (See section 6.6 for details)  
 
Cubasis will record audio or MIDI into the 
track that is highlighted on the Arrange 
screen (see  above). Pressing RECORD will 
start Cubasis into a count-off, after which it 
will begin recording audio or MIDI data into 
the selected track. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The locate points function much like the left 
and right mouse buttons in Cubasis. To 
jump to the Left locate point, press the 
LOCATE > button. 
 
To set locate points, hold the SET button 
and press the > button to set the 
corresponding locate point. This will work 
when the transport is stopped or when 
moving, allowing you to set locate points on 
the fly. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Illustration 6.08 - Transport Bar 
Illustration 6.06 - Input selection window, 
showing Mutes and Solos 
 
Illustration 6.07 - Record Enable  
						

							 
26
 
6.5 Mute/Solo 
 
 
The MUTE buttons toggle the Mute function 
in Cubasis’ VST Channel Mixer for the  
selected channel. W hen a channel is muted, 
there are two indications: the Mute button in 
the Cubasis VST Channel Mixer’s display 
will be activated, and the MUTE LED on the 
US-224 corresponding to the muted track(s) 
will be illuminated. 
 
The SOLO switch works by toggling the 
status of the MUTE switches to SOLO 
mode.  W hen the SOLO button is pressed 
and the SOLO LED is lit, the MUTE buttons 
act as  SOLO buttons, soloing the selected 
channel(s).  (See illustration 6.06) 
 
 
 
 
6.6 Data Wheel 
 
 
The DATA W HEEL acts as a continuous 
controller, and is capable of a variety of 
functions. In  Cubasis, its default function is 
as a transport shuttle.  Rotating the wheel 
clockwise will advance the song position 
forward, and rotating it counter-clockwise 
will move the transport backward.  (Note: 
Use of the transport shuttle will cause a 
momentary drop-out in the audio as the 
application re-syncs.  This is normal 
operation in Cubasis.) 
 
If a channel SELect switch is held down, the 
DATA W heel will function as a PAN control 
for the SELected channel. 
 
In other applications, the shuttle wheel can 
perform a number of other functions in US-
428 emulation mode.  Please refer to the 
US-428 manual for more details. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6.7 BANK Controls and FADER 
NULL 
 
 
The BANK SELECT keys page between 
successive banks of four faders. Selecting 
any of the four faders will control the 
corresponding channel in the software’s 
internal mixer.  
 
The US-224 will support an unlimited 
number of channels. It is only limited to the 
maximum  amount of channels your audio 
software will support.  
 
W hen changing to a different bank of  
faders, you may find that the fader on the 
US-224 is now out of position with the 
associated  channel’s fader in Cubasis. 
Pressing the FADER NULL button will 
disengage the US-224’s faders  from the 
program, allowing you to move the US-224’s 
fader to match the fader in the software’s 
internal mixer. The REC and SEL LED’s 
function as up/down indicators, guiding you 
to the  correct fader position. For best 
results, it is recommended that FADER 
NULL function be utilized with the transport 
stopped.  
 
 
 
6.8  ASIO2 Direct Monitoring 
 
 
 
Some audio programs that can use ASIO 2 
for audio input and output, such as 
Steinberg’s Cubase VST, support a feature 
called “Direct Monitoring.” This lets the 
program’s user interface control hardware 
input-to-output monitoring paths. W ithout 
Direct Monitoring enabled, the latency is 
controlled by your buffer size setting (see 
section 5.2) and your program can add 
effects such as reverb and EQ in both the 
monitor and record paths. W ith Direct 
Monitoring enabled the latency is ultra-low 
(less than 1.5ms), but you can’t hear effects 
in the monitor path (although they will be 
recorded if enabled). 
  
						

							 
27 To enable Direct Monitoring in Cubase VST, 
open the Audio Control Panel. In the 
“Monitoring” section of the window, check 
“ASIO Direct Monitor.” (You also need either 
“Record Enable Type” or “Tape Type” 
monitoring enabled.)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
						

							 
28
7. A Sample Recording 
Session in Cubasis 
 
Okay. You’ve got your US-224 connected to 
your computer, and you’ve loaded the 
drivers. Your  audio software is loaded, and 
you’re ready to cut some tracks. Let’s walk 
through a typical  recording session with the 
US-224 and Cubasis. 
 
NOTE:  This chapter is intended as a quick 
start guide toward recording and mixing with 
Steinberg Cubasis and the US-224.  It is in 
no way meant to be a comprehensive guide 
to Cubasis.  For full details on the Cubasis 
application, please refer to the Steinberg 
Cubasis manual on the US-224 CD.  You’ll 
find Windows and MacOS versions. 
 
 
 
7.1 Setting Up 
 
 
Before starting Cubasis, make sure that the 
US-224 is turned ON, that its USB cable is 
connected  to your computer’s USB port, 
and that the device has been initialized. 
 
NOTE:  When turning the US-224 on or off, 
or launching or closing the application (e.g. 
Cubasis VST), turn down the LINE OUT and 
PHONES LEVEL controls.  
 
W hen Cubasis VST is running, do not turn 
off the US-224. Also, you should not 
disconnect or connect the cables of the US-
224 or any other USB equipment  while 
Cubasis VST is running. 
 
If you launch Cubasis or another audio 
program before the US-224 has been 
initialized, the  software will not “see” the 
US-224 and you will not be able to operate 
the software’s controls,  perform MIDI I/O, or 
record or play back audio. Likewise, many 
software applications don’t expect that 
devices will be removed while the program 
is running. So make sure to exit your audio  
application programs before disconnecting 
or turning off the power to the US-224.  
 
 
 
 
 
It is also advisable, as with all audio devices, 
that you turn your amplifier or powered 
monitors off  until the program is up and 
running, to avoid audio spikes.  
 
Once you are certain that the US-224 is up 
and running, start the Cubasis application by 
double- clicking on its icon on the screen. 
Open the Audio Control Panel and select the 
US-224 as your audio device (see “Selecting 
the US-224 as your audio device” in 
previous chapter.) If you don’t  see the US-
224 listed in your Audio Control Panel, make 
sure it’s been installed correctly by  referring 
to the section on Troubleshooting. 
 
Select the ASIO Control Panel, and choose 
a sample Rate (44.1kHz or 48 kHz). Your 
Audio Clock Source should be set to 
internal, unless you’re using S/PDIF digital 
input or otherwise slaving Cubasis to an 
external source.  
 
Select the Disk Caching Scheme. Option 1 
is “Virtual Tape Recorder”, used primarily 
when your  tracks are linear and of longer 
duration. Option 2 corresponds to “Audio 
Sequencer”, and is more  applicable when 
using loops and shorter segments of audio. 
Option 3, “Tape Recorder/Sequencer”, is 
your best choice when working with a 
combination of short audio clips  and longer 
linear tracks. (For further information on Disk 
Caching, please refer to the Cubasis  VST 
manual.)  
 
If you’re using Cubasis, the program 
automatically connects to the US-224 
control surface and  LEDs, but if you’re 
using another program, you will probably 
need to select the “US-224 Control Port” 
MIDI In and Out devices in that program’s 
MIDI Setup menu. 
 
If you’re using the US-224’s internal MIDI 
interface, you’ll need to enable it in the 
Options/MIDI Setup menu. For more 
information on setting up VST’s very 
sophisticated MIDI functions, please refer to 
the  VST manual.  
  
						

							 
29 Connect your audio sources to the US-224. 
Connect an analog source via the XLR or 
1/4” inputs, or a digital source via the 
S/PDIF input. 
 
 
7.2 Recording Your Tracks 
 
 
In Cubasis, choose the input(s) you wish to 
enable on the US-224. In the Audio menu, 
select Input, and click on the input pair on 
the US-224. The green Input icons will light 
in VST’s Input window for active inputs. 
 
 
 
 
Select the Audio track(s) to record to by 
highlighting that track in the Arrange 
window. 
 
NOTE: If this is  the first track recorded in a 
given project, Cubasis will probably respond 
with a dialog box asking  you for a path to 
save the audio files. It is highly 
recommended that you create a unique 
folder for  each song or project, as audio 
.W AV files can accumulate very quickly on 
your hard disk, and  keeping them organized 
can get pretty complicated. 
 
Once you’ve enabled your tracks, you’ll want 
to monitor audio through them to set your 
levels.  Open Cubasis’ Monitor Mixer 
(Audio/Monitor menu), and make certain 
you’ve assigned your  channel inputs and 
enabled them. You should see audio signal 
on those channels’ meters (assuming you’re 
sending signal from your source). 
 
If your input signal is too high, the OL LED 
will glow steadily red. If the signal level is too 
low, you  might only see a flicker, or nothing 
at all, on the SIGNAL LED.  
 
You can regulate the input level of the input 
source in several ways. First, make sure that 
the  signal you’re sending to the US-224 is 
within a reasonable range – it should 
illuminate the green SIGNAL LED, but the red OL LED should only flicker occasionally. 
You can then fine adjust the  level with the 
TRIM knobs for the selected channel(s). 
 
NOTE: The SIGNAL and OL LED’s do not 
function with digital input. 
In the case of digital input, input level is 
regulated by the output level of the source, 
and passed directly to the software 
application without modification. 
 
On Cubasis’ Transport Bar, you can enable 
the recording to drop in or out of Record 
based on  the locate points you’ve set. If you 
do not wish to enable this function, make 
certain the buttons  for drop in and drop out 
are not enabled. 
   
Press the RECORD button on the US-224. If 
you’ve got the metronome’s Count-off 
function  enabled, you’ll hear a one or two 
bar countoff, and then the program will enter 
Record mode. It  will stop recording when it 
reaches the drop out point, or if none is 
enabled, when you hit the  STOP button.  
 
Cubasis will now create a display of the 
track(s) you’ve just recorded. This can take 
a few  seconds to a few minutes, depending 
on how long the recorded tracks are and 
how many there are. You’ll then see the 
tracks appear in your arrange window. 
 
 
 
7.3 Overdubbing 
 
 
To overdub more tracks, simply select and 
enable additional tracks as you did the 
previous ones,  and repeat the procedure. 
You can monitor the tracks you’ve already 
recorded via the US-224’s outputs, while 
recording additional tracks into Cubasis via 
the US-224’s inputs. Be sure to assign  each 
track to its own channel in the program’s 
internal mixer. For more information on 
Cubasis’  mixer functions, including groups 
and output assigns, please refer to the 
Cubasis manual.  
 
W hen overdubbing, you can also select the 
INPUT MONITOR mode by pressing the 
INPUT MONITOR button on the US-224.  
						

							 
30 W hen the corresponding LED is illuminated, 
channel strips 1 and 2 can be used to adjust 
the level, pan and mute status of inputs A 
and B,  respectively. This will enable the first 
two faders as Input level monitors, allowing 
you to hear the  inputs at the source, in sync 
with the previously recorded tracks. 
 
 
 
7.4 Mixdown 
 
 
You can control the mix of the channels 
you’ve recorded via the US-224. Make 
certain you’ve got the correct bank selected 
- the small on-screen window that indicates 
“VST Mixer 1-8”, or “CTM  Mixer 1-8” or “GM 
Mixer 9-16” is your best indication of the 
currently selected bank. The LEDs next to 
the BANK buttons on the US-224 also 
indicate the selected bank:  
 
VST Mixer 1-4   =  



 
 only 
VST Mixer 5-8   =  
  only 
CTM Mixer 1-4   =  



 
 only 
CTM Mixer 5-8 =  
  only 
CTM Mixer 9-12   =  



 
 only 
CTM Mixer 13-16 =  
  only  
 
You can change the level of a track by 
adjusting its corresponding fader on the US-
224 control surface.  To adjust other 
parameters on a particular channel, first 
press the SELECT key for that channel on 
the US-224. The selected channel will be 
highlighted below that channel’s fader on  
the screen. 
 
Moving the channel fader on the US-224 will 
adjust the relative volume of the selected 
channel in Cubasis. The corresponding 
fader on screen will update as you move the 
US-224’s fader. 
 
The PAN function on the US-224 will pan 
the selected channel from Left to Right on 
the stereo buss. To activate the PAN 
control, press and hold the SELect switch for 
the desired channel and then turn the DATA 
W heel in the desired direction. 
 
Once your tracks are recorded, mixing can 
be automated on Cubasis’ internal mixer. By selecting Write on the mixer panel in 
Cubasis, your fader moves  panning, etc., 
(as well as EQ, FX settings and other 
changes) can all be recorded into Cubasis’ 
automated  mixer settings. To play back the 
automated mix, select Read on the mixer 
panel. (You can play back existing mix 
moves while  continuing to update your mix 
by selecting both Read and Write.)  
 
For more detail on Cubasis’ mixdown 
procedure, refer to the Cubasis manual.