Tascam US-42B Podcast Studio

This USB audio interface is designed for easy personal broadcasting with audio effects. The US-42B allows the simultaneous use of two mics and has switchable modes that support personal broadcasting and production applications, enabling anyone to broadcast their programs to the world.

 

Even with personal broadcasting, audiences become bored with plain streamed video and audio. Skillful use of sound and video is necessary to raise the professionalism of your programs and increase your number of fans. With a US-42B, you can achieve sound with higher clarity and use special sound effects. The PON trigger function can be used to play clapping and cheering sounds like on a TV program, and the voice effects can also be used to entertain the audience.

The unit has three PON trigger pads. You can press a PON pad to play the sound effect or other audio file assigned to it. You can use the dedicated computer software to assign the desired WAV/MP3 audio files to the PON trigger pads by dragging and dropping them. Note that the PON trigger pads cannot be used when connected to an iOS device.

The appearance of guests is standard on popular programs. On talk shows that invite guests, you can use separate condenser mics for the host and the guest, and provide clearer sound to the audience. Using the built-in voice effects and audio adjustment functions, you can make different settings for each person to make the quality level of your program even higher. Technically, you can also bring in a remote call-in guest by connecting a cell phone's output to the aux input. However, that caller won't hear your music or sound effects, and there is no mix-minus function to inhibit voice loopback.

You can use the unit's internal voice effects to change mic input sounds by turning the effect button on. You can choose from five types of voice effects according to the purpose for your program. Reverb effects add spatial sound and are useful when broadcasting performances with singing and guitars for example. Turn the knob to add reverb to the input signals. You can change the reverb type and settings using the dedicated software.

Personal broadcasting of instrument performances and individual singing are also popular contents on the Internet. You can connect a guitar and mic to a US-42B, apply a reverb effect, and start broadcasting right away. Learn to use the built-in equalizer and compressor for high-quality audio that is like the work of a pro.

 

Connect an iPod or a smartphone to the external input jack and sing along with existing recordings to deliver quality karaoke to the world. Increasing the number of fans that come to your in-person live performances is not a dream if your online content becomes popular when you respond to audience's requests.

 

When you need material for your next program, hang the US-42B around your neck, and head to the world outside. Sit on a bench, open your computer, and connect to the Internet. Just connect the US-42B by USB, and you are ready. Since an iPhone connection is also supported, you can put together a mobile broadcasting system that is even more compact.

 

Sound presentation is important not only for personal broadcasting but also when creating video. Switching to Creator mode automatically changes settings to ready the unit for use in creative work. Sound from vocals and instruments passes through audio circuits inherited from professional equipment, so you can achieve high-quality audio just by connecting mics and instruments to the unit. Connect monitor speakers to check your recordings, and get started making original music and audio tracks for videos.

 

In any live TV or radio program, it is not that easy to adjust the volume of music playback while talking in real time. With the ducking function, the playback volume is lowered automatically when the mic input signal is detected. You can even select the music source in the settings.

 

Between the Broadcast/Creator switch and the US-42B's mode presets, you can easily recall settings based on your purpose without having technical knowledges of the settings. Of course, you can also make your own preferential settings using the Expert tab.

• Broadcast mode: Perfect settings for standard online broadcasting services. The loopback function is turned on and the inputs for mic 1/2 are automatically set to mono.
• Creator mode: Perfect settings for video production or music production using DAW software. The loopback function is turned off and the mic 1/2 inputs are sent to the computer separately.
• Karaoke mode: Perfect settings for online karaoke.
• Talking mode: When using Internet voice-call software, this is the setting you need; it will automatically shut off the loopback signal in the application, so you can enjoy your voice calls without risking a feedback loop.