Tascam US-122 dimensions Video Editing and Multimedia Production, What is Direct Monitoring?

US-122 Applications Guide

Video Editing and Multimedia Production

06/30/03 Page 3 of 4

Sure it’s called Motion Picture, but good storytell- ing often comes from unique sound design. This is where the US-122 can make the perfect addition to your video editing or multimedia creation suite. Just plug it into a free USB port to add high-quality, low noise sound playback to any editing system. Its tiny footprint fits on

even the most cluttered video production workspace.

The pro studio mic preamps are ideal for recording a strong voiceover, whether it’s just for the rough cut or for your final product. You’ll also appreciate having a mic available to add a sound effect, or even to record a musical soundtrack. The built-in insert jack allows you to plug in outboard processing like compressors and EQ

USB

Computer

Microphone

Monitors

Line Out

Phones

Headphones

Compressor

so you won’t need to re-record your voiceover in post production.

Mic Input L Insert L

What is Direct Monitoring?

When you record a signal into your computer, it goes through a few steps. First you set the mic or line inputlevel.Thenit’sconvertedintodigitalaudio,whichgets sent through the USB connection to your computer, where it needs processing before it reaches the recording soft- ware.When this signal is played back, it has to go through the whole journey in reverse. (See Figure 1.) And as fast as modern computers are, this process isn’t instantaneous.

Figure 1.

Speaker

Computer

Microphone

US-122

This means that anything you record would have a slight delay before it reaches your headphones or speak- ers. Even though it’s only a few thousandths of a second, this delay (also called latency) can be distracting when you’re making music. This delay is even more apparent

when you’re “overdubbing”, punching in changes to a segment, or recording another layer over what you’ve already recorded.

It’s because of this delay that we added Direct Monitor- ing to the US-122. This feature allows you to hear what your recording before the signal makes it’s journey to the computer and back. (See Figure 2) Since you’re bypassing the computer, there’s no delay in your headphones. You even get a separate level control for the Direct Monitor, and a Mono switch to sum the two channels together. Even if you’re still unclear about Direct Monitoring, you’ll understand the first time you try to record without it.

Figure 2.

Speaker

Computer

Microphone

US-122