Tascam Model 12 Midrange noise problem

[JSchmo_Bass]

Very fair point. Each user and use case is unique for sure. Honestly I was surprised about it to begin with and just wanted to chase it down to see what it meant for me.

 

[Michael-M]

I want to confirm that I have the same issue. I record primarily solo acoustic guitar, so a very low noise floor is a must for me.

Since I got the unit I've been working on some multi-instrument stuff but today I needed to record a solo guitar piece. On playback I heard the white noise, pretty strongly. I thought maybe it was the headphones jack since that was an issue on another brand recorder. But the white noise also comes through the monitors.

Channels 3 - 6 are the loudest, while 1, 2, 7/8 and 9/10 are a bit quieter. Regardless, this is a big issue for me because any white noise on a solo guitar recording gets amplified during mastering. Of course it also gets amplified if using reverb on the track. And if you try to EQ it out you wind up stripping away the natural sound of the guitar.

I wondered if the white noise actually gets recorded so I transferred the solo guitar track to my computer, dropped it into Reaper, and yes, the white noise is present.

I was really excited to get the Model 12, and return to real faders and knobs, but this white noise issue kills that excitement now.

*Want to add that I've had a DP-004 and DP-006 and both were very quiet, no real white noise to speak of.

Michael

 

[Tony Friel]

I too have found this issue to be really annoying. I have extensivly tested using realistic settings. There is a noticeable noise present when the low-mid mid frequency is cut or boosted, also a click as the cut/boost passes the 0dB point. This seems to be a fault with the Model12 software. I hope tascam fixes this, it is bad. A software option to turn-off EQ could also be helpful.

 

[-mjk-]

@Tony Friel you should document this and report it to Tascam so they can fix it.

 

[Tony Friel]

@mkj I'll keep an eye on this forum and if more users report this issue I may well do so.

 

[-mjk-]

@Tony Friel If I'm reading the comments correctly, it looks like everyone who's gone looking for the noise had heard it.

 

[BazzBass]

Now maybe I'm totally mistaken about this forum... maybe it's just for guys who are on the Tascam payroll or bandwagon or whatever. .

Yes, you are very much mistaken. This is not an official Tascam forum and the very knowledgeable contributors are NOT on the Tascam payroll. You have cast aspersions on all of them.
Way out of line.

 

[Tony Friel]

@mkj, I didn't intitially go looking for this issue, I was trying to find why my synth was making a noise. It turned out that it was the Model12 generating the noise, as mentioned it is quite easy to hear.

 

[-mjk-]

@Tony Friel I hear you. That makes it even more imperative I think, to report the issue to Tascam. They are actually pretty good at taking user reports and fixing things. We've had a few issues reported on the DP forum that Tascam resolved rather quickly.

 

[-mjk-]

Yes, you are very much mistaken. This is not an official Tascam forum and the very knowledgeable contributors are NOT on the Tascam payroll. You have cast aspersions on all of them.
Way out of line.

He hasn't been back since @BazzBass. That was a cut and run comment. But thanks for saying that.

 

[xpumpa]

I tested 3 of them, all of them behaviour same

 

[AltTuning]

TASCAM just released a firmware update that might help with this -- I installed it to fix the first problem listed below (see my post for details) but I think it may help with the EQ noise as well, although I only did one quick test a while ago to verify mine did this so I'm not 100% sure I repeated the test correctly with the new firmware.

Firmware V1.23

• In firmware V1.22, if USB audio mode: STEREO MIX was selected, output would not be sent correctly to the computer. This has been fixed.
• When unit settings were initialized, if USB AUDIO was set to STEREO MIX, that setting was retained. This has been fixed.
• The S/N ratio has been improved when EQ is set.
  
  

 

[Tony Friel]

Thanks for the tip AltTuning, I installed the v1.23 firmware:
https://tascam.com/downloads/products/tascam/model_12/model_12_fw_v123.zip

Indeed the noise issue does seem to improved, can someone else confirm?

I cranked the channel gain and the main output to the max, the noise level seemed better and there's no longer a click at the mid gain 0dB crossing.

 

[JSchmo_Bass]

Yep! I just did the update and there is an improvement. Even maxing the faders I don’t hear any more little whistle-like digital murmur noises when sweeping the mids.

Probably a placebo effect but mixes on the unit sounds even better (using the SD playback button and same fader settings as a A vs B test). This thing is quiet.

 

[madem]

I hope this new firmware has fixed my noise issue.

Gonna try later today. Well done Tascam if they've fixed these noise problems!

 

[Thomas Kruck]

Greetings from Germany!
I bought a Model 12 and had the problem described by Glen, too. It was really bad especially with my bass drum mic, since there were strange sounds following the kick. I needed to set the midrange to 0.
Now, after upgrading to V1.30, the noise and artefacts are more or less gone. I can not hear it only in the "solo" mode but not with the normal levels.

 

[BKRich]

I'm new to this community after purchasing a Model 12. I am happy I found this thread. I have the exact problem as described by Glen and others. I can't get around it. I have updated the firmware today to the 1.30 version and will try it once more. The noise almost clicks off when in the straight up zero position and makes noise as soon as I turn it in each direction. It is noticeable in each channel, but more prominent in channel3 through 6. The noise accumulates as each channel is un-muted. It is noticeable when the main and channel sliders are in the unity position.

 

[Remi Lacroix]

Hi, everyone.
I have really bad noise problems overhere ?!?
I set everything up the way I wanted it, practiced a little, the sound was great,
I took a little brake, coffee time, came back to record and I could ear a white noise.
I thought my track 7 had something wrong wires or so
Got myself new cables, still the same ?!? ...
I read this forum, learned a little but did not help,
I loaded my ! factory reset track and unplugged everything
I still ear that noise, I checked out every tracks they all have the same white noise.
I turned the trim/ gain knob all the way up, leave all tracks down and has soon has lift up the master level then it's not only white noise it gets high enough so I can see it appear on the output lights. that was for a test, but I still ear that white noise when the trim/gain knob is at the lowest.
Everything is OFF, EQ, Dynamics, Effets everything is set on !Factory reset ?!?

So, what happened between the time I went to get a coffee ?!?
I thought maybe dust problems but I always kept it covered. (it is very clean)
Thanks anyone for any answer !?!

 

[shredd]

I turned the trim/ gain knob all the way up

@Remi Lacroix : being the Village Idiot here, I don't have a solid answer for you...
BUT it does kinda sound like a gain-staging issue. Read the stickies at the top of the Model xx category; and/or put "gain staging model 12" in the search?

 

[Remi Lacroix]

Thanks shredd, I'm not doing gain stagging, I did more test and the noise gets in only when I try to record, only track 1 seems to be ok, some F** magic ... I think I may have a dust problem, even though everything looks clean. I should not get any heavy noise when nothing is plugged in and all settings at ! Factory settings. Everything was OK before I went for a coffee, and I did not touch anything meanwhile !?! ... Ground or dust problem it feels like. Can't figure anything else.
Bad when it happens wright into inspiration to create... better laugh at it,