Can't get a signal with my Tascam US-144

Make sure the Tascam is has updated drivers. The latest driver is Version 1.12. Something that helped me as well was to re-route my sound card to the Tascam. Meaning to have Windows, use the Tascam as the sound card for the computer.

This is the advice I followed from a forum it helped me alot!

I eventually disabled all other sound cards on my PC. In my case it was simply the integrated soundcard on my motherboard. I did this in the bios setting. I also uninstalled the drivers for it, just in case. I was having problems hearing anything in Cubase before I did this.

I set the US-144 as my default sound device in Windows (Control Panel>Sounds and Audio Devices>Audio)

I'm not sure what you are trying to record so I will give you a guitar example.

Guitar plugged directly into LINE/GUITAR IN R using the 1/4" jack with the switch above it in the GUITAR position. You can use the INPUT R dial to adjust the input volume for this channel. The SIG/OL light should turn green when you strum the guitar.

The US-144 is plugged into a USB 2.0 port on the PC.

Speakers are plugged into the LINE OUT jacks on the back of the US-144. The MON MIX dial will adjust what goes out through these jacks. If you move the dial all the way to the left, you will hear the input from the guitar directly from the US-144. If you move the dial all the way to the right, the signal goes through the US-144, into the PC via the USB connection, then back to the US-144 through the USB cable, and then out through the line out jacks. You may not hear anything when it is all the way to the right until you have Cubase open and configured properly. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have MON MIX dial turned all the way to INPUT, you will not hear anything being output from your computer.

The LINE OUT dial adjusts the volume through the LINE OUT jacks. Make sure this isn't turned all the way down.

At this point, you should be able to turn the MON MIX dial all the way to INPUT and hear your guitar. It will probably only be coming out of the Right speaker, which is what it should be doing. Now turn the MON MIX dial back to somewhere in the middle so you can hear both the input from the guitar and your PC.

I downloaded and installed any updates that were available for Cubase LE 4 (I think all I needed was the 4.1.3 hotfix).

In Cubase goto Devices>Device Setup>VST Audio System and choose the US-122L /US-144 ASIO driver from the pull down menu. I'm not sure how important the "Relase Driver when Application is in Background" checkbox is, but mine is unchecked. If you click on the US-122L / US-144 section, you will see a button for the Control Panel. It will tell you what your driver and firmware are and what USB mode you are operationg in, etc. I didn't mess with any of these settings, but it is good to know how to get there. You should also see all your in's and outs. I have 2 analog in's and out's and 2 digital in's and out's. I am only using the analog in's and out's. Hit OK to close out this menu.

Now goto Devices>VST Connections and you should get a new window. There is an "Inputs" tab and an "Outputs" tab. Under Outputs, you should have a Bus for Stereo Out using the US-144 as your Audio Device and the US-144 Analog outs for the device ports. Make sure the "CLICK" colum is checked if you want to hear your Cubase metronome through your speakers. If you don't have a bus, add one and set it up as I have described.

Now goto the Inputs tab and add a mono input using the US-144 analog in R as the Device Port.

Now start a new project and add an Audio track using the Mono in and stereo output. Use the Edit Channel Setting button if you have to change your input and output.

Now with the MON MIX dial all the way to the right and with the Monitor button enabled on your audio track, you should be able to hear your guitar through Cubase.

Now if you turn on the Record Enable Button on your track and then press the Transport Record button, you should be able to record your guitar. Hit stop and then go to the beginning of the track and hit play. You should be able to hear what you just recorded. Don't forget that if the MON MIX dial is all the way to the left, you won't hear anything from your computer.

Well that is my Cubase LE / Tascam US-144 Getting started guide written by a newbie for newbies. May my pain and suffering alleviate some of yours. Good luck.

Use the test hardware feature in the microsoft audio mixer.mine says invalid signal but then am using it alright.also connect a headphone to the phones in the front panel then shift your mono mix knob to usb then switch on your mic if you can hear yourself then viola.