You know if you don't ever learn how to set it up yourself then everytime you have a problem you'll be stuck because you won't know what you're doing. Go over to tweakheadz.com and read tweak's guide, he shows how to set up many different systems. What you're wanting to do isn't hard at all, you just need to do some reading and understand your equipment

Hi, Jonnyc.

Thanks for your concerned response, and I know exactly where you're coming from. As far tweakheadz.com is concerned, I've been there and done that. It is an excellent web site, and they also have a wonderful forum, such as this one.

Jonnyc, nothing's hard after you've learned how to do it. If those who write the owner's manuals for recording hardware and software would simply include hook-up diagrams covering the most common applications, beginners like me wouldn't have the problem that I'm having. The MIDI music sound tracks that I compose on my Technics KN7000 Keyboard--which is the heart of my studio--is digital, and my vocal that I want to add to the digital music, via my condenser mic, is analog. And although I'm merely trying to hook up 3 pieces of equipment: 1) My Gateway PC running Windows XP Home Edition and Sonar 3 Producer Edition; 2) My Technics KN7000 Keyboard; 3) And my Tascam FW-1884 Audio-MIDI Interface/Control Surface/Mixer, neither the owner's manuals nor anyone else--Technics, Tascam, Cakewalk, forums, etc.--has been able to help. Nevertheless, I'm gonna get it accomplished.

My Sincere Best Wishes to All
Elderbing :)

Running TASCAM with Sonar

Hi - I have run into the same problem. I bought this 1884 tascam firewire at the advice of the salesman -- already had sonar. Trouble is -- you have beginners buying "state-of-the-art" equipment and no diagrams on hookup. I don't even know some of the terminolgy. Having been a musician for the past 25 years helps a little - but when it comes to hooking everything up (the right way) and making sure that the sonar program interfaces with the tascam... well, this is beyond me. Now I have a darn good computer, darn good software and a great tascam unit that I don't know how to run.... help.

Hi.

I've read numerous posts of helpless people in the very same sad situation. But be confidently encouraged; because there is somebody out there with both the know-how and the benevolent condescending spirit to show how.

Nevertheless, I think that it would be absolutely heavenly if there existed a web site for home recording enthusiasts showing a hook-up diagram for virtually every hook-up scenario that a person could possibly encounter, in virtually every recording mode, and giving accurate step by step instructions (in layman's terms) on how to interface each piece of equipment with another.

We beginners fully understand that it is prerequisite to learn the basics, but it seems to me like what the manfacturers require goes far beyond that. After all, I truly believe that most of us simply want to learn just enough to produce quality CDs of our precious music, but really not how to become certified First Class Audio Engineers. What I mean is, it's like, we really don't want to learn how to build the car, we just want to learn how to safely drive it. Trudging through bewildering poorly written owner's manuals and infinite volumes of highly technical recording info--which goes far beyond the basics--then trying to "figure out" how to put it all together could literally take years. Well, personally, I'm a senior citizen; and I truly would like to have the great satisfaction of getting my home recording set up and operating before I'm called home to be with the Lord. As Piknikie so aptly put it, dear reader: Help.

My Sincere Best Wishes to All.
Elderbing :)

firewire studio

I just successfully set up a firewire studio using a tascam dm-24 mixer with a amd 64 computer and cubase. I am not a pro and ran into many problems. You need to list the exact configuration of the componants in your computer. The reason is some motherboards that are made by amd have via chipsets on them. I built my computer very powerful especially for recording only to find out that via does not support musical interfaces. This means the computer even if hooked up properly will not recognize any midi or firewire devices. Very frustrating. The workaround is pci cards that have chipsets on them I had to buy 2. A usb pci for the m-audio radium keyboard so I could play vst instruments, and a firewire card so my mixer could be recognized. These cards are cheap 14- 29 dollars respectively. solved everything. Been struggling for six months. No one not m-audio, tascam, or cubase knew anything about this. If this is not your problem, or maybe your not even there yet, ask the person who sold you the unit for some tips. When I originally got into recording salesman helped quite a bit. I even hired one to come over and set up my first studio back in 95.

Hi, Aldemitro

Thanks for your very courteous and informative response, and I sincerely apologize for my delayed reply. I haven't been online because I downloaded a software demo about 2 weeks ago, into which I've been completely immersed--and which I'm definitely gonna purchase. It's an entry-level music writing software program called "Finale PrintMusic 2006," and it's truly awesome. I've already made over a dozen music lead sheets (from my tons of original songs) that look just as great as those used in the commercial fake books produced by professional music publishing houses. Wow! If only I could learn how to use recording software and equipment so quickly and proficiently (I've been studying recording related material about 2 years). But, then, unlike so many operating manuals and study materials, Finale gives me clear instructions that actually work.

Although it's very easy for me to tell that you're a very kind and modest person, from the depth of your enlightening conversation, I can clearly perceive that you have nothing less than a double portion of technical know-how and skill. As for me, I've decided to put the Tascam FW-1884 on hold and purchase a reasonably priced M-Audio device that I saw online, which essentially appears to be a MIDI soundcard equipped with virtually every type of hardware jack that I'll probably ever need--and even a phantom-powered jack for my condenser mic. I'm believing that I can program the M-Audio device as my computer's default soundcard and simply use it for interfacing everything: For my Sonar software, MIDI keyboard, and condenser mic. One soundcard, one simple solution...optimistically.

My sincere best wishes to all :D

I've had endless problems with my FW-1884/Cubase combination. I, too, have read the manuals, gone to the web sites, read the articles, asked questions on various forums and followed the advice given. I've added and changed drives. I've downloaded drivers. I've changed FireWire cards. I've optimized my OS. I've disconnected stuff that may be causing conflicts. And to a degree I have been successful. But I can't play back what I record, without noises and dropouts. Where's the beef? It shouldn't be this hard.