TASCAM Model 12 Mixer / Interface / Recorder / Controller Reviews

Good quality

I have been recording my own music for quite a while. I have used a multitude of computers, interfaces, and even the old Alexis ADAT 8 track that used VHS tape. I have to say this recorder / interface / mixer lives up to the hype. The sound is excellent, the preamps are very nice, and, despite what others have said, I think the unit is very easy to use . I was up and recording within the first hour without even cracking the manual. I would highly recommend this for beginners all the way to expert, it is a fun unit to use and it sounds great.

I play at church and I needed to send a signal to the FOH while having the freedom to have my own returns... This solved it. I needed a total of two stereo outputs (MAIN and SUB) to send the FOH and I use Aux 1 and Aux 2 as my stereo return. Brandon Eden as always helps me with my purchases, thanks man!

Very pleased with my Tascam Model 12. I had a technical problem that required me to contact tech support. The rep that helped
me stayed with me until my problem was resolved. He was very patient with me and made me feel comfortable.

Tascam model 12 makes an excellent front end for a daw or stand alone multitracker.
I love this unit,its easy to use,the mic Preamps are top of the class and sound spot on.
The drivers you download connect the model 12 to your daw,in my case studio one.
Everything works so well together.
A great piece of hardware that does so much.

This is a no brainer. Just get it and you won't be disappointed. It has replaced my main audio interface and I also use it a lot for live-streaming and it works flawlessly. It's got quite a bit of a learning curve to it, but it's just like anything new. You got to be willing to dive into the manual and figure things out. The preamps are nice and clean with a good amount of headroom. Thank you Sweetwater! Jozy is awesome! I even got a call a week after my purchase from Jozy to see if I had any questions. Now it doesn't get any better than this. Keep up the excellent work!!!

I originally purchased this unit as an interface for recording, but also to use as a mixer for my smallish (3-4 piece) band, as our previous mixer was starting to fail.

I purchased an SD card as well, and with it I am now able to multi-track record every show in case we do something brilliant and worth saving! I checked out a couple of online videos to learn how to create a song to record to, but once I did that, I totally got the hang of it.

Then, to take advantage of it's controller function, I learned how to use it to control my DAW (I use Digital Performer, but it works with many others, as well) and I will soon use it for more recording/mixing scenarios.

Upgraded from my Mackie 1202VLZ which is a tank but I needed more flexibility.

The Pros: Lots of flexibility in routing, the bluetooth line is wonderful for listening to music for reference or while setting up gear. The EQ sounds great, the mixer has a nice warmness in the overall mix where everything naturally sounds glued together. It was easy to get started and very easy to capture everything both on the Tascam as well as hook it up to my Mac and record into Ableton. I've got 5 synths on 1-5, Reverb Return on 6, Drum Machine on 7&8, and stereo delay return on 9&10. Haven't used the midi in/out yet but I love that I have the option.

The Cons: For some reason I thought I read that the Aux returns were TRS send/return but they are not hence me using 2 channels (well 3) for the returns. No big deal for my setup but still important to note. The other thing is that the FX knobs for sending take some getting used to. There's almost a dead space in the 0-10 o'clock range and then all of the sudden the send comes in. I'm still tweaking my stomp box levels though to see if I can smooth this out and my Mackie has the opposite problem which is worse so a bit of extra "runway" on the knob is fine. Onboard FX for me are pretty much useless but I could see them being handy for bands doing traditional recording or live work.

I spent a long time figuring out my next mixer move and in the end I'm stoked about the Tascam decision.

Quick background, I am a former Recording Engineer and Studio Owner from 1972 until 1988. I've either owned or worked with Recording Consoles from Tascam (Original Model 10), API, Neve, Trident, SSL, Tangent, Ramsa, Allen Heath and more. So I think I know my way around a Mixer. A little over a year ago I decided to build a small Music Production Studio in my Home Music Room. I already had my new Gretsch Catalina ClubKit, my Fender Telecaster and Jazz Bass and two acoustics. So I started to put together a new Work Station with a bunch of Synths, Keyboard Controller, Drum Machines, etc. Based upon what I was putting together My Sales Engineer, Jared recommend the Tascam Model 12 Mixer/Recorder to complete the setup. I am glad he did!

I wanted to wait a year or so before giving it my review so I could put this Mixer to real use.

Now understand, I purchased it for my very specific needs, to be used in a Small Recording and Sound Production Studio. No Podcasts, Social Media us or Video Streaming, and not really interested in interfacing it with my DAW (for me the purpose of a "real" mixer is to get away from the computer). I'm also connecting quite a bit of gear to it (15 Synths/Modules, 2 Drum Machines - 1 at a time, Guitar or Bass Direct Connection when needed, occasional microphone, a turntable is direct connected to Inputs 9/10 and other occasional use gear like 2 Pocket Operators) so in conjunction to the Model 12 I am using a Behringer RX1602 V2 to handle the additional Inputs I need. So my review reflects this.

Ok the Pros:
Size is great for my small studio needs
Combined with the Behringer RX1602 more than enough inputs
Hi-Z Inputs for direct connection of Guitars/Bass etc. are very good
Mic preamps are great, super low noise floor for any Microphone I could possibly use
Bluetooth
Compressor on every Channel- 1 knob only but it does a very good job
3 Band EQ on every Channel with a very useful range
Master EQ with Sweepable Mid Bands is a great feature
Firmware Update V1.30 fixed the Main Mix/Headphone Volume Control Issue
The 12 Built Effects are pretty decent and convenient. I use quite a few of them regularly
Build Quality is Solid
The 60mm Throw Faders give it a Big Console feel
Dual Headphone Outputs supporting 2 discrete mixes
USB Interface is well done
Dual Foot-switch to controls several options, transport control, effects, and others
Built in Metronome can come in handy, I only used it a few times
Menu System is Clear and well organized
Generally the recording Process is fairly easy
Overdubbing, actually Track Swapping is easy ONCE YOU FIGURE IT OUT, Same with doing a Final Mix down
The overall Sound Quality, Low Noise is exceptional
Accurate Channel Signal Metering on each Input, the Screen and Master LED Meter
And yes even though I will probably will not use it much if at all, it is a very easy Interface with my DAW, Ableton Live 11 and appears to work very well. Some have complained that you have to dedicate two input channels (1&2) but for me it's not an issue.

CONS (Not too many)
The Owners Manual is USELESS and just very poorly written. It spends more time detailing how to connect things to it than how to actually use it. It does not cover some very basic uses. Simple things like doing Overdubs is covered vaguely in a Section called Swapping Tracks but is not very clear, there is zero mention of the procedure for doing a final Master Mixdown only another vague explanation of doing a Stereo Mix Export which can only be done after you have a Final Mixdown, duh.

Some functions are not very intuitive like having to arm each track you want to record, The Aux 1 and 2 Bus functions, the Pre/Post Fader Level Options but you do get use to it once you figure it out.
Oh, there was an real stupid issue with not being able to do a master fade out of and entire mix using the Main Master Fader as the Main Master Fader is not really part of the Mixdown path but feeds the Main Outputs of the mixer to the Speakers/Monitors. The workaround was to use the Sub Mix section and perform the fade with the Sub Mix Main Fader. It appears that Tascam has fixed this issue, maybe with the latest firmware but this is what I found on a Tascam Forum:
"From the most recent Model 12 & 16 Owners Manuals (October 20, 2020) on the Tascam web site:
POST REC switch
Select the send position of the signal recorded to the SD card.
When this switch is on, signals from after the MAIN fader are recorded to the SD card.

So TASCAM has fixed their mistake in the newest versions of the Model 12 & 16 mixers by changing the function of the upper button in the Master Fader section."
So they must have changed the purpose of the POST REC switch via Firmware without noting it in the Update.

Not a Con/Negative from me but there have been some complaints from some owners that they have had problems with either the Power Switch, Power Supply or Powering up the Unit in General. I have not experienced one single issue with powering it up or down. I keep the Model 12's Power Switch On all the time and Power On and Off my entire setup from my 2 Furman Outlet Power Conditions, (Remember I've got a lot of Gear that requires power).

Lastly, if you are new to Recording and Mixing Consoles this mixer could be a bit of a steep learning curve, however there are some great Tutorials and Demos on YouTube and even Tascam's are ok (not great) so I do recommend that you take the time to research them and watch them quite a few times, most of then are very helpful, some more than others.

I have included a few photos of my setup up including a pic of my Original Tacam Model 10 from 1973 just for fun.

Bottom Line, I am very pleased with my Model 12, it performs perfectly in every way. You can't get a better Mixer/Recorder at this price!

2 years review
First, so glad I bought this.
versatile, easy to use, feature packed,

This was my podcasting board that I use to this day for pods and able to have guests call in and be linked via bluetooth to record teh show.

It is awesome for a recording sketchbook to record directly on the 12's sd card. no longer waiting on computers and suffering through updates which hurt recording the song ideas. This Tascam 12 is awesome. Take out teh sd card and plus into a Mac, download the tracks and mix away.

Bluetooth capabilities are great.

IT is great for old school analog guys but can also work with most DAWS. works very well with GarageBand.

there is no excuse that bands can't record a decent demo on this unit.

I recommend this 100%

Great for live performances and recording! A little bit of a learning curve but great once you understand how to set it up.

Great for live performances and recording! A little bit of a learning curve but great once you understand how to set it up.

I have had this little beast for about 3 months now, I love it! It's definitely worth every penny!! I just wish I would got the model 16 or 24 lol!! It handles everything I throw at it, Really like the Interface part of it, it sounds great preamps are amazing, love the "sweepable midrange", The effects isn't bad either. It is definitely one of the best pieces of gear I have purchased so far!!!!

Very, very pleased with the way this board sounds. I could immediately tell the difference over what I had been using. Very flexible routing and compression on every channel is a plus. EQ on the main out is a plus also.

As an update for my previous review, I want to add that since I never heard from Tascam about the power issue on Model 12 not working properly, I found a store online selling the power cord. So I ordered and unfortunately it worked as the same as the original one. I plug it in, wait several minutes for the M12 to turn on. So, the problem IS NOT with the external power supply, which would be easier. It seems to be an internal problem. I hope TASCAM can read this review and do something about it for there are so many M12 owners having the same issue. In the meantime, DON'T BUY IT! I am just sorry for Sweetwater for writing this review here, because I really like this store.

I gave it 5 stars because so far I loved it in all ways. However, I started to have problem to turn it on, then I looked online if anyone has the same issue and boom! So many Tascam Model 12 complaining about the same problem. It takes minutes, even an hour to turn it on. It seems that it needs to warm up(??) Just like others, I wrote to Tascam support and got no answer. I don't know if it was an issue on the lot that unfortunately I purchase from, or if it's general. So, I want to state here that Tascam should recall all Model 12 or at least make available a power supply to buy separate, which it didn't so far. So, do I like Tascam Model 12? YES. Do I recommend it? NO. I don't admire nobody reported it because almost all reviews are done soon after they purchase it. Wait a little longer and you'll see.

This is a fascinating piece of gear TASCAM has built. As many reviewers have indicated, it's being used as a mixer, an interface, also an all-in-one production desk. For anyone who made music on a cassette 4-track, this is what that 4-track became after drifting through time, going through a digital black hole (in reverse) and re-emerging. Amazing build quality, well-designed layout, deep functionality and some reasonable limitations. Yes, the manuals always were a bit tricky. Many negative comments here about limits of channel 1-2 in DAW mode have been fixed, and between YouTube and the community answers you'll be good to do. Headphone monitoring for a fixed too. If you use 6 pieces of outboard gear to record like boutique mic pres and compressors and limiters, you aren't buying this. But this is NOT a toy in any way. It's an ideal solution for anyone recording demos, recording band practices, or using in tandem with a DAW for deep editing. But for sure it's AUX sends aren't for someone who has a complex studio. There's nothing even close to this value out there, AND it gets you AWAY from that computer monitor as long as you care to. Note: people in their 50s who DID own that 4-track might want to pick up a pair of cheater glasses when they purchase the SD card. Your dream has arrived from the eighties, and it's HD capable! I don't think anything will even try to stand up against this level of ideation.

The mixer provides everything you need with flexibility to easily record your music. Flexibility with DAW or SD that encourages you to dive in and create rich colorful sound.

It will put a smile on your face in the privacy of your home or invite friends to create music. This is what I enjoy most of all about my Tascam Model 12.

The Tascam Model 12 is a great multitrack recorder/mixer/interface. I love its ease of use. Out of the three (Model 12, Model 16, Model 24), I ordered the Model 12 because the Model 16 and Model 24 unfortunately don't have any MIDI I/O. Otherwise, I would have gone with the Model 24 had it had MIDI. Maybe Tascam will read the reviews of users who would like to see MIDI on them as well. It's great to be able to sync up another MIDI instrument to the Model 12 and have the different parts record in sync. I wish there was a USB to MIDI I/O adapter that would work with the Model 16 and Model 24 for those of use wishing to use MIDI cables instead of MIDI across USB.

This mixer does everything I had hoped - the recording function is particularly useful. One tip that didn't seem to appear in the manual is how to record mix changes (like raising the volume on one channel or effect mix, etc..). Simply disengage the record button on the tracks, hit record again and make your changes throughout the song. Also thanks to Jared for being so responsive. I sent him an email with a question and he literally answered in less than 5 minutes.

This unit does much more than I am able to use. It is solid, has great functionality. It could be more intuitive to use, but once you begin to understand it, it works great.

I first started self recording back in the reel to reel days. That being said it was a welcome relief when Teac came out with the model 144. Since that time things have went digital and some of us old folks don't do well with that technology. After struggling with 2 other menu diving multi track recorders ( which by the time I found my way around them I had lost interest in recording ) I read about this multi track which really seemed to answer my wants so I had Charlie Davis to send one to me. Upon receiving the multi track I immediately went to work with intentions of laying down a few test tracks since by visually looking it was all very familiar to me from the older days. This is where I ran into some trouble as to how to get the tracks and EQ's working in my favor. So naturally I turned to the manual which I found to be of very little value if any. From there I went to You Tube which again the video's proved to be very little help. I was however able to take 2 pieces of information from 2 different videos and finally find my way. Finally I'm up and running they way I wanted to be and I'm well pleased with my purchase. So for all you old timers that have digital anguish be aware the manual needs help helping us! Surprisingly the Tascam12 doesn't come with a SD card nor a XLR cord so these are other items you'll be needing.

I wanted to move away from my computer with my synthesizer production. This is a key tool! It allows me to mix and record seamlessly. The functions are easy to use and very clear for inexperienced producers like me. I use it with my MPC One for seamless audio interface features to record multi-tracks, both internal and midi instruments and vocals. The computer DAW integration is pure gravy letting me use logic for bigger projects or advanced mixing without disrupting my workflow or interface connectivity. I highly recommend this unit for someone wanting to create demo (or finished) tracks together quickly and efficiently. The price is great too..

As good as I had hope and then some.

I used this board for interface recording, as card play back from live shows, running a PA and monitoring. Simple a great multipurpose board for not a lot of cash 10/10

All the stuff at a good price. So far so good !

love it!!! i cant believe the price for what you get. stellar. if i had this in high school 25 yrs ago i would've never left my apartment.

My review after 4-weeks with the Model 12 in one word: INCREDIBLE. Wait, that's two words. Anyway, this incredible board blew us away the moment we first tried it at rehearsal. Our initial needs were to find a board that allowed us to rehearse silently, without disturbing the neighborhood, which had politely told us to "please, shut up." We are: 2-guitars, bass, drums (electric full-kit) and 4-vocals. We all go direct into the TASCAM. We got us a multi-channel headphone amp and we were quickly and silently rehearsing away with the full band volume in our ears that first day! I am not a highly knowledgeable, tech-guy. But I do have a good DAW setup at home that I am familiar with. And, by the way, I still own the vintage TASCAM Portastudio One that got me interested in home studio recording way back when. So, the Model 12 immediately looked and felt comfortable. I can't recite a bunch of tech data about The Model 12, but as a weekend musician-warrior, I can tell you this board offers a quick, easy path to tracking and recording. I watched a few video tutorials about the TASCAM's features and the recommended steps to follow. After that, my band was recording songs right away onto the SD card in the Model 12. The onboard reverb/delay feature is killer, I love dialing that in. The EQ on each channel is setup well to help dial in each band member's instrument and vocal. Including compression! The Bluetooth feature is really cool. We can connect any of our cellphones to the Model 12 and play music we have on our phones right into every headphone. I am still learning all the things that this board can do, but I can't recommend it highly enough. Joe James at Sweetwater has been an awesome rep for me thru the years and if he lived in L.A., he'd be in the band right now.

Cool Look and Works Well!

I purchased this model as an update from a Tascam PortaStudio 788 I've had for decades. The Model 12 is very similar to the 788, but is a lot easier to use, connect to for input / outputs, and makes track recording very seamless. At first, I was having issues with the "mixdown" and output of all recorded tracks, as the manual does not really explicitly detailed the steps needed. However, one call to the Tascam / TEAC tech support hot-line, their tech had me complete the entire cycle of recording, mix, and output to .wav format in no time at all. This model it a vast improvement in ease-of-use over the prior version, and worth every penny of this investment. For any novice or experienced musician, this is a great tool to be able to mix all of your tracks whether at home or in a studio, with the greatest of ease.

Crazy solid, super high utility for me for my Faraday cube outbuilding for home studio, home office and family A/V & music play, pandemic style... classy classic design, timeless, it's pretty too. A high value purchase for certain sure.

Compression plus standby power makes this a fabulously easy and safe bit of equipment for almost anyone to operate in limited fashion when your studio space has other functions.

Simple integration into the overall architecture, feels overbuilt. I love that.

Extremely versatile!!!!!
Using it as a control surface for LogicPro,
Very straight forward recording into the deck itself.
Very good product.
5 stars

I purchased the Model 12 during the Thanksgiving holiday for an outstanding price. For the past year I have been researching and seriously trying to decide my best interface and mixer options. I have thoroughly researched the various options from other companies within this price range, but the Tascam Model 12 checks nearly all my boxes. So, when I saw it on sale I jumped on it. It didn't take me too long to get it up and running, and within one weekend I pretty much learned all its functional ins and outs. Presently, I'm using it as a USB audio interface to replace my old Roland Quad Capture (hands down a quantum improvement in sound and features); I'm also using it as a control surface for Sonar, and I'm streaming via bluetooth. The output section is extremely quiet too. For a low profile mixer in live venue situations this would work great--certainly for any gig situations I might do again in the future. Once you learn a couple of the preliminary setup functions, it's really intuitive. It does everything flawlessly thus far, and I'm extremely impressed. My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner. As always, thank you to Skyler and Sweetwater for the great service.

I use a DAW and wanted this to record vocals in another location. This is a solid great sounding professional tool. I can count on this where I can't on the DAW and record vocals in another location -- bring the waves back and line them up in the daw and etc.

Pros: Great Sound! (can't emphasize that enough); Professional Sound!; Nice to work with; solid workmanship; had to contact customer service for the DAW control part of it and they responded to assist (Tascam) with phone.

I am a hobbyist musician and write my own music. I play out periodically with some local musicians where I take my own music out and we share our ideas. With the Model 12 I can now have everyone plug into my mixer and we can mix to the room whatever kind of instruments we are using as well as vocal mics. Once everyone is happy with the parts they play I can hit record and capture our performance. This doesn't seem like a big deal, but I can go back and add compression, EQ, reverb, and most importantly remix all of the tracks independently. For the hobbyist this basically means I can have a mobile studio anywhere I go and get a live performance recorded! This is perfect for creating demo for guys like me that are not computer minded! It's simple and can create very high quality recordings. Highly recommend this product!

This is amazing for a solo artist! It is a three in one piece of gear. Can be completely DAW free or it can act as an audio interface or even a DAW controller. I wish I had this a decade ago! It would have alleviated a lot of head scratching. I use it on Windows 10 machine, when not DAWless, and Abletin Live 10. They communicate seamlessly.

This board is phenomenal. It sounds great, is easy to use and actually does more than any review I've seen. Reviewers give you the "need to know" information but leave out some very cool "nice to know" features. Do yourself a favor and read the manual. It's a very easy read but will expose all of the things this beast will do. Tascam has done a GREAT job in thinking the logic through on the Model 12 and I'm sure some more options might become available as this is a digital board, unlike the 16 and 24. It also has features the 16 and 24 don't have. While many believe it's a 12 track recorder, the ability to swap tracks (bounce), basically means you are only limited in track count by the size of your SD card. While that's true of the 16 and 24 as well, track swap is instant where it isn't on the others. HUGE time savor.

Best music based purchase I've made in years.

This interface makes it possible for me to apply outboard FX to a track in Ableton while monitoring the mix without generating a feedback loop. It has 2 aux sends and I use them both for L&R stereo FX. Stereo tracks 7/8 & 9/10 seem to have been specifically designed for aux return. Once I figured out that you need to take the Model 12 out of DAW mode to apply the outboard FX, and figured out when the PC/Live selector switch needed to be engaged in order to do so, it was a real pleasure to operate this mixer within the Ableton environment.

A Roland m200i mixer is my main hub, and I bus out to the Model 12 what I want to record to Ableton, otherwise the Model 12's input limit would not be acceptable for the amount of gear I use.

In addition to interfacing with Ableton, it was recognized in MPC Beats so MPC 2.8 should be compatible too.

If you want to use the internal FX you can't have anything plugged into the aux bus or they will be cancelled out. The FX themselves are nothing spectacular. I'm not sure if they even get stamped to the track when in record mode.

I will not be using the Model 12's faders or pots to control Ableton since I have a Novation LaunchControl XL which is specifically mapped to Ableton. They will only be useful when using the onboard multitrack recorder.

The Model 12 reminds me of operating an old Portastudio, so there is an element of nostalgia having used two Roland VSs in the 23 year interim prior to Ableton. This is an inspiring machine in that regard.
Tascam's build quality really hasn't changed apparently.
Heavy construction, sturdy knobs and faders, nice bright LCD screen and LED peak indicator.
A bargain and a great investment.

I have multiple hardware synths guitars mics etc and my beloved UAD Appollo that I run with Logic X. Anyone who uses Apollo knows the beauty of it. After years of plugging and unplugging instruments I yearned for a way to have everything hooked up at once, be able to mix and record on the fly. This Tascam is the answer to that yearning!

1. The preamps sound fantastic.

2. All of the buttons and Faders feel sturdy and respond well.

3. The recording function works great and sounds excellent.

This brings me back to the bliss of analog days , and maybe it's just me but the summing of multiple tracks all at once has a unique warmth depth and feel I've been missing with DAW recording.

I plan to use this live and in studio. This combined with my appollo and DAW completes my home studio dream !

Pros:
1. Great sounding preamps and compressors.
2. Recording workflow is easy and recordings sound as good as any DAW/Interface combination in this price range.
3. Using it with a DAW (Logic and Studio One in my case) has been trouble free and multi-track simultaneous recording works well.
4. Love the old-school mixer design and feel. It's fun to use.
5. Working with audio files and folder structure on the SD card is easy.

Cons:
1. I experienced pops when punching in with a Yamaha peddle. This problem went away when I bought the $... Tascam peddle.
2. Only 1 effects processor that all channels have to share. Not a big deal but would be awesome if each channel had its own dedicated effects.
3. For me, and a friend with the same mixer, the stereo mix down function doesn't work correctly. Need to contact Tascam about this, but I don't really need the feature because I will master in DAW anyway.

This piece of gear is great for anyone who has a cheaper/older computer. I love recoding music at home, a lot of beats and electronic funk jams, but the latency on my computer is slow enough to be very annoying, now I can bounce my tracks back and forth, and record to sd card with zero latency, then edit mix and master in my DAW. Not too mention the pre amps sounds great and give it more of an analog sound. So many cool things you can do with the midi functions on the tascam, hooking it to my analog synths and drum machines. I use this thing in so many more was then I even thought I would when I purchased it.

This unit is designed to be run with current software. My choice of software is Cubase 10.5. Been deciding for awhile to incorporate some software in my recording process. The Tascam Model 12 is the first mixer that interested me to use software. I have the Tascam DP-32SD stand alone hardware recorder unit that does overdubbing, mixing and mastering. It is designed to be used in a recording studio setting, not live. I have the Model 24 Mixer/Interface/Recorder that does recording onto SD card and mixing. I got the Model 24 for jam or live recording where intuitive quick control of sound was needed. The Model 12 is a Mixer/Interface/Recorder/Controller. It is designed to work with software such as Cubase 10.5. So I might have some redundancy for the mixing, recording process but now I am up to date with hardware and software. I can always master with the DP-32SD but I will make an attempt to see what I can accomplish with Cubase now that I can control computer parameters with the Model 12. So I have a workable DAW. Some of my friends have been software recording for 10 years already. 2020 is the first year of software recording for me. I think the software has matured to the point where even old school musicians like me can benefit from new technology. Only discovered and incorporated IR into the recording process last year. Up until then I had to use microphones which presented challenges or I mistakenly used non-IR direct outs and got horrible rizzy sound. The guitar with distortion sounded like a buzzing bee. Not at all what the amp sounded like. The Boss GT-1000 was my effects choice to use to listen with headphones that had great sounding IR. But to record drums, bass, synth, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, vocals, I needed a way to put all the tracks together, mix them in stereo, master them. So the DP-32SD is the hardware way and the Model 12 with Cubase is the software way. It is an ongoing process. One perceptive commentator noticed the Model 12 internal effects don't record to the SD card, but that does not impede me because I can sent the Model 12 main mix to my DP-32SD with the effects mixed in stereo. So the little bit of redundancy helps me in situations like that. Three Tascam units: DP-32SD, Model 12 and Model 24; one software unit Cubase 10.5.

Love having the analog feel of just recording without having to hook up the laptop and it's just a good sounding mixer with all of the features and quality you'd expect from TASCAM.

The more I use the Model 12, the more I realize how much it can do. It's the one piece of gear that every guitar player needs for their home studio.

I'm not the most savvy guy when it comes to audio gear, just like playing music and absolutely try making it sound the best way possible, this Model 12 "digital" mixer is exactly what I was looking for when it comes to quality sound, both live and recorded. There are a ton of features (which I haven't even explored yet) that push me to be a better musician, also integrating external practice type Apps with Bluetooth and playing my drum tracks along with just brings everything together in a single incredible package, once you hear your recorded 12 tracks!! Highly recommend. Ordering through my Sales Engineer Ian Lemberg was straight forward and awesome support, when I had actually inquired about a particular setup needing clarification. Thank you Sweetwater!

I bought this mixer to replace my Scarlett audio interface and prepare my studio to use high end preamps and upgrade my DAW front end, do live mixing on, podcasting, and multi track recording. Overall my experience with Tascam Model 12 mixers has been brief and negative, that was until I realized my first board did not come with a genuine USB for the model 12 which is an essential item or the cord for the phone which is also an essential item for podcasting. So it had to be connected with a random USB I had at home which was too long for the mixer to read USB over so my mixer was crashing and functions were not working and my computer started doing the same. So I returned the mixer thinking it was faulty and I bought a brand NEW board from Sweetwater. Ok things should be great right? Well I wired things up to my existing rig and a new usb cable I got from Amazon, which worked great on my audio interface. But it was 10 feet long. I didn't know you HAVE to use the usb that comes with the board as it's an exact length for transmitting that mixer's data, kind of annoying because my USB cable would have been a significant upgrade but it did NOT work at all so don't try it and fry your mixer, just settle for the mixer being next to your computer plugged directly into a USB on the computer and use the cords that come WITH the board. The other thing I wish I knew about this mixer before buying one is that MONO channels 1 and 2 are reserved for audio playback from your computer and DAW so forget being able to use those inputs and insert jacks as it won't work for you unless you select those as the inputs for your DAW and input monitor those channels and then you can't make use of latency free monitoring live through the mixer you're stuck with your DAW's playback ability which I guess is OK but sometimes you want to just monitor dry and wait for playback to use effects. Even then Tascam SHOULD have made the 11/12 channel or the blue tooth and media channel playback like every other mixer on the planet. I NEED specifically THIS model of this line of Tascam board to run pro tools and as a DAW front end for my exact uses which are mostly mixing projects with daw control and then laying down vocals, guitar and bass on drums I have done in MIDI or at a studio where I can record a full drum mix and I need the pro tools functionality as my main use for this board, it will see use as a live mixer and recorder someday but for now I am happy using it in my studio. This board will see use for Podcasting and for Recording to a DAW. I have done it successfully and have audio now. This board is freaking AWESOME sounding. It has GREAT preamps and output jacks and of course the output PAD is SUPER useful when using amps or powered speakers. This board will do everything it says and more for you if you read the manual and use it as directed. There are tons of youtube videos about it too. I was considering returning the board while I was having issues but when I used the genuine tascam cord while cheap it may be it worked fine and my problems were gone. I guess I will keep the board and use it now that things are up and running like normal and I can get signal to pro tools and actually make it through a song or session. That USB cable issue is an oversight that Tascam should have considered for the serious working musician who may need their mixer further from their computer but I guess for 90% of people that wouldn't be a problem. I have to say the preamps and A/D converters upgraded the sound of my MIX B Mixer which is a less expensive Peavey Reference console from the 90s or 00s. Plugging that into channels 11/12 I added an additional 6 Mic Channels I can expand my studio or live sound rig with. I could also plug my large format mixer's 4 stereo buses into this board and record a large session. Don't limit yourself thinking this is only useful as a 12 channel mixer. I plan on doing a lot with this new tool. It is a serious piece of hardware I am glad my engineer Tim was able to back up my decision to buy one of these for college as a studio center piece. I am sure plugging professional preamps into this would give you a really nice front end for a project studio. I was planning on running a WA 73 EQ into this into pro tools with a WA 87 R2 Mic. I would have never wasted my money on a high end mic preamp or new mic just using my scarlett 3rd gen interface, it would have over loaded it so fast and sounded horrible unless you gain staged it down to near inaudible levels, NOT the issue with the Tascam, there is a lot of usable gain. Kind of a can't go wrong situation for recording vocals or tracking guitar which is all I do with audio. Don't be afraid to run the gain HOT on this board. Definitely set the channel to UNITY then bring up the Gain to usable levels. The compressors on this are musical and quality but very sensitive so a little goes a long way. Crushing your sound with the comps actually sounds kind of cool like a smashed 1176 all buttons in. The EQ is musical and nice. Recording to SD is POST EQ and compression not PRE so keep that in mind. I believe the same can be said for DAW recording. Overall am I glad I spent the money to buy this board? Yeah I am happy and as excited as I was to get the board. I am listening to music more and working on more music. I will continue my 3 week trial of this thing and if all goes well I will keep it as my center piece for my small home studio.

I received the device today. The Sweetwater team was very help in the purchase process since I have some shipping restrictions. The converters and preamps are good for the price and better than most of the entry level interfaces. Note that this is not only an interface. The device shines as a multitrack recorder, the firmware update (1.30 now) is easy and works perfectly with M1 MacBook Pro with Monterrey. As a mixer is very straightforward the EQ and comp are ok. But everything works flawlesly and easy to setup. I don't give it five stars because I would like TASCAM to add more features in future firmware updates (some graphic EQ maybe? too much to ask?) and also because Phantom power is for all mic inputs at the same time when you turn it on. Also I would like the headphones jack to be in the front panel just below the Sub slider and not in the other knobs.

If you're like me, you operate in both live sound & studio recording environments frequently... and entering the livestream scene. What drew me to this board was its ability to be applied in these settings in a satisfactory manner. I recommend searching a couple Youtube videos of the TASCAM Models 12/16/24 reviewed in practical scenarios which will give you a good idea of what you can get from this board. Overall, I appreciate what I can do with it and get great use of the console.
This board in particular has DAW controller functionality, which the Model 16/24 lack unfortunately since I would have happily gotten the Model 16 otherwise. When connected to a PC/laptop, it defaults to using the first 2 channels as the main audio channels but a visit to the TASCAM forums shows that you can actually designate one of the stereo channels to accomplish this AND gain an extra recording channel (I use Ableton Live and can work around it otherwise). Love that each channel can record its own track & not just send the whole mix as a 2-track like some older consoles, it easily replaces my Scarlet 18i6 as an audio interface.
In live sound settings, the board works fine. If you only need a console for live sound, I highly recommend getting a different console that specializes in that area. Certain traits that this board lacks is the ability to combine 2 effects and the ability to group channels like the Yamaha MGP series. Remember, the TASCAM Model 12 does more than live sound and for that, I value this as a solid choice. I will say that I am content with the quality of the pre-amps & the one knob compressor.
Haven't yet explored the feature of being able to record directly to the board or load pre-recorded tracks. Seems great though. I have experimented with recording audio directly to iPhone video and it comes out quiet, unless utilizing an external pre-amp in the audio chain. For livestream the audio quality will be fine, as you can use software to adjust the input gain received from the board.
For the person who wears many hats, this an awesome choice and in summary I would highly recommend this board for one who is experienced with mix consoles.

If you make beats, produce hip hop, this is the one you want. This unit has Midi in and out. Very important to sync your tracks with multiple equipment. I wish they had midi on the 16/24, would of loved the more tracks.

But I am happy with my purchase.
Out of all the multi track recorders out right now,
This is your best bet for the every day beat producer.

First off the model 12 is different than the model 16 and 24. They should put a D beside the name. Model 12-D This is a total digital mixer. The model 16 and 24 are analog with digital interface.

Great overall mixer. The control surface aspect is very limited and without motorized faders it can be confusing. So if you're not going to use this feature I would recommend going with the M16 or M24 to get more channels.

They are great mixer multi track units. Work flow is nice if you're wanting to get away from staring at a computer screen and mouse. Let's you focus on the sound more without the visual distraction.

I've been using the Tascam 12 for 6 months. It mostly does what you think it should...

But some issues:
- Sometimes the unit audio does not startup correctly, the unit will not output sound until the power switch is flipped off/on on the back.
- USB Midi connection to a computer sometimes does not start up correctly, also need to toggle the power.
- USB Midi connection does not re-connect to my laptop if I close/open the laptop, requires toggling the power of the Tascam 12.

Building a small, spare bedroom studio and got the model 12 because of all of its I/O and features. Every "problem" I've experienced has been due to my ignorance of the platform, and/or recording/mixing in general. I have eventually figured them all out and it's been a blast learning and working with it! It's really simple and it just works once you figure it out. Would absolutely buy it again!

The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is due to inflexibility with the usb return audio. It should let me select or, at the very least, return on one of the stereo channels so it only uses one lane.

Other than that (which I'm hoping they can address in firmware) I have only good things to say about the model 12, and have suffered exactly ZERO buyers remorse.

I use my P6 to control in the box and the m12 for aggregation and everything external like synths, guitar, and vocals.

And, if you are into OBS it works great for that too!

Thank you Greg Titzer!


TL;DR? Buy it. Especially at $. 4.5 out of 5 stars for me.

Learning curve is a bit steep but mostly I love it. I've used it for about 30 practices and maybe three gigs. The thing that is absolutely invaluable is the ability to record a song and then listen back to it to set the mix. (Guess what--I had always set myself too loud;) The compressors are quite good and the effects are okay, definitely usable. Sweepable mids EQ is great. (Can't imagine being without it.) Playing break music from my phone via bluetooth is genius. The pres sound pretty **** good through my QSC K12, and just acceptable through my JBL EON. I wish it were tablet controlled. All the tablet-controlled mixers have a decent number of complaints about connectivity, which can ruin, I mean ruin, a gig. The venues (bars) I play aren't really set up for a snake etc. so the mixer has to sit on stage, and I have to draft a friend to make adjustments. I wish someone would make one with physical knobs and sliders and with the additional capability to be controlled with a tablet.

This unit is very nice. Faders don't feel cheap. Then whole case has a great feel and an attractive case. It has the panning and EQ knobs for each channel, even a dedicated compression knob for each channel. I love it.

Haven't gotten it worked out to where I can use the interface/controller feature, but I will get there with a little help from my friends at Sweetwater and /or Tascam.

It has a ton of great options. I am slowly figuring it out. There are many things to remember each time you record or it won't work. Assign a track , live mode , Playback Mtr, Dedicate new song, Plug in instruments or drum machines to proper assigned tracks. I am glad to have the manual handy until I pick it up.I'll get it eventually could be more user friendly but the quality of the recordings are outstanding.

A couple of years ago I was seeking the best way for me to capture quick song ideas without battling with the usual software. Always needed updates, always had issues. At that time I purchased a Model 24 because it had more inputs. When I received that unit I was immediately able to capture ideas on the SD and could take that card and drag the files into whatever DAW I was using. Works beautifully. I was able to throw a click onto a track and record some guitar/bass/drum demos together in no time. One day I wrote, recorded, and mixed an entire song on the Model 24 in an hour. So the demos that I had been working on with my Midas were now easily coming together and I was literally completing songs in record time.

Then I decided I wanted to have a smaller suite in the drum recording/play space and bought the Model 12 to enable making drum/bass stems and then transfer them over to my Mac Mini (M1 model) to do some editing and mix downs in Pro Tools and Studio One Pro. This was a really cool addition because I recently bought a new Roland electronic kit from Jimmy Hart with the TD-27 module and my drum recordings can be worked on whilst other things are being done in the larger space, or I can do other things and take those and move them into the Model 24 and work from there. The 12 is also cool as a DAW controller and having the MIDI and click and inserts is really cool. For the money I have a very flexible and clean sounding demo studio and some of what I am doing now is so good people are blown away with the fact that its done with some very affordable and functional gear.

None of it is perfect but compared to the thousands of dollars I spent back in the late 80's and 90's this stuff is AMAZING!I have a couple of other expensive interfaces that cost more than the Model 12 but do much less!

I am using my Model 12 to mix together 2 microphones (xlr x2), System/Gaming, Discord (USB with ASIO Link Pro Tool), headphone out from my work pc (dual 1/4) and still have the ability to hook up my phone with the trrs (9/10). I am using the SUB OUT to my main pc, which allows me to send just the mic, while being able to listen to myself and everything else on my headphones using main, or SOLO if I want.

A couple tips if you want to do this:
System USB on 1/2 - Every time I would restart, the pc default would go back to 1/2 in ASIO Link Pro Tool. I ended up setting my pc default to 1/2 so it works each time I restart.
Discord on seperate channel - I set discord audio out to a different channel. Discord appears to be mono, so you only need one of your channels for this.
Microphone - I have a ATR2100-USB, which has USB and XLR and outputs to both at the same time. This mic needs a lot of gain, like 95% up. I am currently using the usb to go to my work pc, but am tempted to try using aux 1 out. The only negative is the sliders and mute don't work for aux1, so I would not have a quick mute button.
FX - Most of the FX are some sort of delay. This can be cool to send to your friends when gaming, but I probably won't use this much. There is software you can use to change your voice as well, but I have not messed with those as it usually distracts from the fun that is happening.
The only big negative is if you switch the input to MTR to be able to record or play back, the ASIO Link Pro via USB gets disconnected. I am unable to use the track playback while gaming.

I added a photo of how I currently have ASIO setup as an FYI. It adds a bunch of inputs and outputs via usb, which gives you a lot more flexibility.

I was trying to decide between this and a GoXLR. I didn't like that the GoXLR only has 1 xlr input, and 1 1/4 input, and it depends on the software to be running correctly. I could have gotten away with something cheaper to get my setup working, but I wanted options for the future, so I didn't have to buy a second mixer.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase. I would have liked to be able to use the MTR while having USB work correctly, but everything else I have tried has worked. You have quite a bit of flexibility overall, since there are quite a few inputs and outputs. I wanted something I could grow into if I decided to start streaming or recording podcasts. This does all of that easily.

I picked up one of these for dual use as a live mixer and interface for recording. All of the functions work as you would expect, except for one thing. The headphone output for the main mix (that is, with nothing solo'd and aux unselected, etc.) is post main fader. So you can't listen to your main mix in the headphones without also sending it through the main outs, which in my case is either PA speakers or my studio monitors. I spoke with Tascam support and they said this is the expected behavior on this model but not on the Model 16 or 24. I've used a lot of small mixers in a lot of situations and have never come across one before that doesn't let you preview the main mix in your headphones independently of the position of the main fader. I like the mixer a lot otherwise, but it's kind of useless to me without this feature!

The onboard pre-amps sound great. Being able to route the metronome to different busses is useful. The only thing I wish this had was an auxiliary return. It has two aux outs and two send/return inserts but not aux return.

Otherwise a solid piece of gear.

Clean and quiet with solid sound quality, easy to record standalone, stable Windows drivers. Very nice EQ, surprisingly usable compression and serviceable efx. The only thing I don't like is that you have to use up two input channels to return a mix from your DAW. Since I have all the channels plugged up with synthesizers, it can make for clumsy overdubbing. It would be great to return a stereo feed to the master section.

The Tascam Model 12 is a beast of a mashine. It is well built and is way more than what it looks like (an analog mixer).

It is easy to use out of the box and the sound is clean in and out. I use this for my radio show on Tuesdays 4 to 5 pm on koffee radio. Download the Koffee Radio app on Google Play or Apple.

I can use this mixer to interact with guest when they call in because it has trrs mix / minus inputs for phones. So to get mix / minus no additional set up is involved. Just plug your device in with a trrs cable.

Connecting it to use as a DAW mixer controller is also not difficult to set up. It has MCU, and other MIDI protocols onboard.

It can record each track individually and you can export them all to a stereo mix.

The onboard effects are also clean.

Other than my classic old school Korg DX32 multitrack recorder, this is the best MTC / Mixer / Interface / DAW controller ever made.

By the way it size is perfect for home studio or traveling.

Get this mixer. You will not regret it. I may buy another if Sweetwater can give me a good deal...

Why did I not give this a 5 Star. Well no mashine is perfect. Tascam needs to make the USB interface portion more stable. The unit has crashed on me; especially when playing with settings and changing sampling rates. But once you are set up. It is stable.

Just got this today, and it's fantastic. Easy to use and setup. Only trick is that if you use it as an interface, you will have to sacrifice channels 1 and 2 to output DAW audio through your monitors or headphone. There's no other way around this. It's a fantastic piece of hardware aside from this one design flaw. So, be aware that if you need it as an interface, you'll be at a loss of 2 channels from the start.

Pros :

- recording without your PC is awesome. Its a great tool if you are not interested in looking at screens.
- a great level of control over everything
- bluetooth and tap tempo

Cons:

- When using through a PC you will have to dedicate a channel on the mixer as an output for the sound, which usually means you want to use 7/8 or 9/10. This makes you lose 2 channels.
- If you wish to use outboard gear through the aux channels, you will also have to dedicate a channel, or channels to it. this effectively means you will lose 2 more channels to use the auxiliary out.
- 2 of the inputs are sort of inputs. Maybe it should be called the Multitrack 10 aka multitrack 8 when on PC

Overall: I think the mixer is great to use standalone, but the limitations that you experience when using it on PC are pretty discouraging. Maybe firmware updates can correct some of this stuff. I just thought that it was in a sense functionally hybrid.

First of all, for the price, who cares? The interface is a little convoluted but you'll get the hang of it. Sonicly it seems pretty solid. For quick demos it rocks. For serious recording? Gimme a break. Whaddya expect with a toy like this? (No offense, TASCAM)

The deck is great. Everything we wanted.
Tascam sucks. They include two manuals writen in every language on earth. The manuals are worthless. Horrible waste of paper.
The deck needs a class 10 SD card but you have to send a coupon in to get the fool thing. We used a 2 SD to get started and are still waiting for the correct card.
Just saying why didn't they include the card and keep the miserable manuals. If it weren't for You Tube I'd be sending the thing back.
Their web site is worse than the manual. You should look at that site before you order anything from them.
They need localization engineers doing the manuals.
I will never buy Tascam again. No matter how much I hope to love this deck.

I bought this mixer because of the interface and controller features. No surprise the controller doesn't work with FL studio, but not a big deal. The interface (drivers) have been a nightmare. Installed on new Windows 10 system and the drivers do not work well. Sometimes Windows recognizes the mixer, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes I get sound, sometimes I don't. Always have to waste 10 to 15 minutes troubleshooting to get it to work.....but then......I get latency with instruments and cannot adjust buffer because the tascam settings panel says device not connected, everything is greyed out. the slider moves but no matter what size i make it it still has the same latency.

Honestly, the only two solutions to my problem are:
1) switch to my Focusrite interface to record instruments. Focusrite Scarlett driver has zero issues with Windows 10 and 7, and no latency.
2) go back to using my old windows 7 box. No driver issues when I use the Model 12 with Windows 7.

Also, no feedback or support yet from Tascam. They've updated the firmware, but not the drivers. Of course, I seem to be the only one having these problems.

Again, I'm sure it's a good mixer for live recording or, as mentioned above, recording to SD and bouncing tracks to DAW. But that's not what I bought it for. Yes, I bought it partially for the look (it does look very cool), but primarily for use in studio as a multi-in interface. In retrospect I should have purchased an interface with more inputs and not a cool looking mixer ;)

Anyone want to buy a slightly used model 12???????

I bought this to serve as a poor man's broadcast mixing console, and it was a huge mistake. Not only are Aux sends in mono, but every channel is mono. I get that inserts as mono is fine in live sound, but to be advertised as an interface then only allow mono input is a bit misleading in my opinion. Sweetwater service is amazing, so it's not a knock on them, and if you're trying to record live music I'm sure this is as fine a mixer as you could ask for.

I am not an audio novice.I used this mixer for a few months before reviewing to be as fair as possible. For all of its quality build and features, it is unfortunately, unnecessarily overcomplicated.It is the most user un-friendly, unintuitive piece of technology I have used since LOTUS-123. I recommend when opening the box, to remove the manual take it to a save place and set it on fire, that will be the best use of it. As far as Tascam technical support goes, yeah-no. You are better off looking for online videos, because no-one at Tascam ever answers the phone and if you leave a message be prepared for a long game of phone tag. Not only does it help to be a sound engineer, but you need to learn Tascam's "language". Bottom line they tried to do too much in one box, and it gets very messy.The model 12 was clearly designed primarily as an interface for DAW,MIDI,USB and other add on equipment. As a basic home recording multi-tracker, not so much. Too many shortcomings to mention. If you have the time, patience and inclination, you can eventually figure out through many hours of frustrating trial and era how to do simple recordings. I bought this because it was one of only a few options to record directly to an SD card. But I feel as more companies put out multitrack recorders that do the same, this model will become obsolete.

First off, I think this is a great unit when using it standalone, if the model 12 had the same type of functionality as the DP-03 I probably would have never thought of connecting this unit to my PC, because I would have been able to automate things onto a master mix within the unit. Since this cant be done on the model 12, I had to venture onto the PC to sort out my mix automation. IF this product was solely intended on standalone use and was more affordable, id rate this mixer 4.5/5.


The initial problem that I experienced was that in order for me to use the mixer as an interface, I could no longer use the first two inputs as they are used to output sound. Thats right in order to use the unit as an interface on PC you are actually getting 10 I/O really.

And to make matters worse, this can really cause confusion/frustration when it comes to re arranging your IO or routing to compensate this issue.

Another issue is that the drivers are functional only with software that utilizes its ASIO drivers. So windows isnt going to be able to really work with routing multiple channels into it like other audio interfaces that I own that are years old..which is dissapointing as for a multi channel interface at least a couple channels that are assignable is expected.


I think this unit is pretty great and hits some of the important marks for me, Unfortunately its advertising that its offering more than than what it actually does. And I think that most people when they use this product, they are going to use it standalone initially, and they will be impressed. But then once they venture onto the computer, they are going to realize that this product is not exactly as advertised.

After one and a half years I can tell you this thing is cheaply built and no customer support from Tascam. It's all great on concept and in writing but the truth everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Too many disappointing things to say. Save yourself from frustration and wasting your money.