Teac US-428 User Manual

TASCAM

TEAC Professional Division

Version 3.0 Edition

Universal Serial Bus
Digital Audio Workstation Controller

OWNER’S MANUAL

Important Safety Precautions

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CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO
USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

The exclamation point within an equilateral t riangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of im portant
operating and maintenance (servi cing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

For U.S.A

This appliance has a serial number located on the
rear panel. Please record the model number and
serial number and retain them for your records.
Model number ______________________

IMPORTANT (for U.K. Customers)

DO NOT cut off the mains plug from this equipment.

If the plug fitt ed is not suit able for the power poi nts in your home
or the cable is too short to reach a power point, then obtai n an
appropriate safety approved extension lead or consult you
dealer.

If nonetheless the mains plug is cut off, remove the fuse and
dispose of the plug immediately, to avoid a possible shock
hazard by inadvertent connection to the mains supply.

If this product is not provided wi th a mains plug, or one has t o be
fitted, then follow the instructions given below:

IMPORTANT: The wires in this mains lead are colour ed in
accordance with t he following code:

WARNING: This apparatus must be earthed.

s the colour s of the wires in the mains l ead of this apparatus
may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the
terminals in your plug proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured GREEN-and-YELLOW must be
connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by the
letter E or by the saf ety earth symbol ç or coloured GREEN o
GREEN-and-YELLOW.

The wire which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the
terminal which is marked with the letter N or coloured BLACK.

The wire which is c oloured BROWN must be connected to the
terminal which is marked with the letter L or coloured RED.

CAUTION:

When replacing the fuse only a correctly rated approved type
should be used and be sure to re-fit the fus e cover.

IF IN DOUBT — CONSULT A COMPETENT ELECTRICIAN.

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated “dangerous vol tage” within t he product ’s enclos ure t hat m ay be of suf fic ient m agnitude
to constitute a ris k of electric shock to persons

WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK HAZARD,
DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN O
MOISTURE.

GREEN-AND-YELLOW : EARTH
BLUE : NEUTRAL
BROWN : LIVE

For U.S.

TO THE USER

This equipment has been tes ted and found to comply with
the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 o
the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when
the equipment is operated in a c ommercial environment.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, may cause
harmful interference t o radi o communications . Operation o
this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause
harmful interference in which case the user will be required
to correct the interference at his own expense.

CAUTION

Changes or modificati ons to this equipment not expressly
approved by TEAC CORPORATION for complianc e could
void the user's authority t o operat e this equipment.

For the consumers in Europe
WARNING

This is a Class A produc t. In a domest ic environm ent, this
product may cause radio interference in which case the
user may be required to take adequate measures.

Pour les utilisateurs en Europe
AVERTISSEMENT

Il s'agit d'un produit de Clas se A. Dans un environnement
domes-tique, cet appareil peut provoquer des interférences
radio, dans ce cas l'utilisateur peut être amené à prendre
des mesures appro-priées.

Für Kunden in Europa
Warnung

Dies is eine Einrichtung, welche die Funk-Entstörung nach
Klasse A bes itzt. Diese Ei nrichtung k ann im W ohnbereich
Funkstörungen versursachen ; in diesem Fall kann vom
Betrieber verlang werden, angemessene Maßnahmen
durchzuführen und dafür aufzukommen.

2

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Read all of these Instructions.
Save these Instructions for later use.
Follow all Warnings and Instructions marked on the audio
equipment.

1) Read instructions — All the safety and operating instructions should

be read before the product is operated.

2) Retain instructions — The safety and operating instructions should
be retained for future reference.

3) Heed Warnings — All warnings on the product and in the operating
instructions should be adhered to.

4) Follow instructions — All operating and use instructions should be
followed.

5) Cleaning — Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning.
Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cl eaners. Use a damp cloth for
cleaning.

6) Attachments — Do not use attachments not recommended by the
product manufacturer as they may cause hazards.

7) Water and Moisture — Do not use this product near water _ for
example, near a bath tub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, or laundry tub; in a
wet basement; or near a swimming pool; and the like.

8) Accessories — Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand,
tripod, bracket, or table. The product may fall, causing serious injury to a
child or adult, and serious damage to the product. Use only with a cart,
stand, tripod, bracket, or table recommended by the manufacturer, or sold
with the product. Any mounting of the product should follow the
manufacturer’s instructions, and should use a mounting accessory
recommended by the manufacturer.

9) A product and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick
stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause the product and
cart combination overturn.

10) Ventilation — Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided for
ventilation and to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it
from overheating, and these openings must not be blocked or covered.

The openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed,
sofa, rug, or other similar surface. This product should not be pl aced in a
built-in instal lation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventil ation
is provided or the manufacturer’s instructions have been adhered to.

11) Power Sources — This product should be operated only from the
type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of
the type of power supply to your home, consult your product dealer or
local power company. For products intended to operate from battery
power, or other sources, refer to the operating instructions.

12) Grounding or Polarization — This product may be equipped with a
polarized alternating-current line plug (a plug having one blade wider than
the other). This plug will fit into the power outlet only one way. This is a
safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug full y into the outlet, try
reversing the plug. If the plug should still fail to fit, contact your electrician
to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the
polarized plug.

13) Power-Cord Protection — Power-supply cords should be routed so
that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon
or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the product.

14) Outdoor Antenna Grounding — If an outside antenna or cable
system is connected to the product, be sure the antenna or cabl e system
is grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and
built-up static charges. Article 810 of the National Electrical Code,
ANSI/NFPA 70, provides information with regard to proper grounding of
the mast and supporting structure, grounding of the lead-in wire to an
antenna discharge unit, size of grounding conductors, location of
antenna-discharge unit, connection to grounding electrodes, and
requirements for the grounding electrode.

"Note to CATV system installer:

This reminder is provided to call the CATV system installer’s attention to
Section 820-40 of the NEC which provides guidelines for proper grounding
and, in particular, specifies that the cable ground shall be connected to the
grounding system of the building, as close to the point of cable entry as
practical.

Declaration of Conformity

Model Number : US-428
Trade Name : TASCAM
Responsible Party: TEAC AMERICA, INC
Address : 7733 Telegraph Road,

Telephone Number : 1-323-726-0303
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC

Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) This device must accept
any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation.

Montebello, California,
U.S.A.

3

Contents

1. Introduction ................................... 6

1.1 Overview................................... 6

1.2 Features.................................... 6

1.3 Special Note Regarding

Programming of the US-428.......... 6

1.4 What’s in the package............. 7

1.5 Nomenclature used in this

manual............................................ 7

2. Controls and Indicators ................ 8

2.1 Front Panel............................... 8

2.2 Rear Panel................................ 9

2.3 Front Panel Descriptions....... 10

2.4 Rear Panel Descriptions........ 12

3. Installatio n................................... 13

3.1 System Requirements........... 13

3.2 Installa tio n.............................. 14

3.2.1 Windows.......................... 15

3.2.2 Macintosh........................ 16

3.3 Setting Up OMS (MacOS Only)

...................................................... 16

3.4 Tuning Your PC...................... 17

3.5 Notes on USB interfacing...... 19

4. Hooking up Audio and MIDI to the

US-428.............................................. 20

4.1 Hooking up audio .................. 20

4.2 Hooking up MIDI .................... 21

4.3 Using the Input Monitoring . .. 22

4.4 Monitor vs. Master Level....... 22

6.1.1 Audio Control Panel........ 26

6.1.2. ASIO Control Panel........ 26

6.1.3 VST Remote..................... 27

6.2 Setting the Sample Rate and Bit

Depth............................................ 27

6.3 Input Enabling........................ 27

6.4 Transport Controls and Locate

Points ........................................... 28

6.5 Mute/Solo............................... 29

6.6 EQ controls............................ 29

6.7 Aux Buttons........................... 30

6.8 Data Wheel............................. 30

6.9 BANK Controls and FADER

NULL............................................. 30

6.10 ASIO2 Direct Monitoring..... 31

7. A Sample Recording Session in

Cubasis............................................ 32

7.1 Setting Up............................... 32

7.2 Recording Your Tracks ......... 33

7.3 Overdubbing.......................... 34

7.4 Mixdown................................. 34

8. Other Applications and Operational

Modes............................................... 36

8.1 Cubase VST - Windows......... 37

8.2 Cubase VST – MacOS............ 38

8.3 Nuendo - Windows and M acOS

...................................................... 40

8.4 ProTools – Windows and

MacOS.......................................... 41

5. The US-428 Control Panel........... 23

5.1 Main Page.............................. 23

5.2 Buffer Size Adjustment ........ 24

5.3 The Chromatic Tuner............ 25

6. Interfacing with your Audio

Software........................................... 26

6.1 Selecting the US-428 as your

Audio Device................................ 26

4

8.4.1 Setting up SoundManager

Support..................................... 46

8.5 Digital Performer (MacOS) .... 48

8.6 Cakewalk and Sonar............. 53

8.7 eMagic Logic .......................... 53

8.8 Propellerheads Reason......... 54

8.9 Native Instruments B4........... 57

8.10 Syntrillium Cool Edit........... 59

8.11 Notes on Other Applications60

8.11.2 Four Control Banks Mode

.................................................. 60

8.11.2 Keystroke Emulation ... 65

9. Technical Support....................... 67

9.1 Troubleshooting .................... 67

9.1 Troubleshooting FAQs.......... 68

9.2 Tech Support Contacts ......... 69

9.3 Software Downloads.............. 69

9.4 Programming the US-428...... 69

Appendix A - MIDI Implementation

Chart................................................. 70

Appendix B – Control Protocol....... 71

Appendix C - US-428 Technical

Specifications.................................. 77

5

1. Introduction

1.1 Overview

The US-428 is a USB controller
primarily designed for Digital Audio
Workstation (DAW) software
applications. Its design incorporates a
four-input, two-output 24-bit audio
interface, a dual MIDI interface, and a
control surface for your most-used
mouse functions.

Our goal was to create a device to make
your DAW software as easy to use as a
Portastudio. The transport and other
controls are designed and laid out to
look and function just like a Portastudio
– if you’ve ever used a tape recorder,
you know how to use the US-428.

Because the US-428 is USB based, it’s
the ideal companion to any desktop- or
laptop-based digital recording setup.
And since it’s as compact as a laptop, it
can be combined with one to create a
complete portable digital audio
workstation solution.

1.2 Features

The input section comprises a 24-bit
audio interface, capable of st reaming up
to four simultaneous t racks of audio into
your computer. Inputs include two
balanced XLR mic inputs, two balanced
1/4” TRS inputs, two 1/4” unbalanced
line inputs (switchable to high­impedance, for direct input of a guitar,
bass or other hi-Z source), and an
S/PDIF digital input. Outputs include a
pair of unbalanced line outputs on RCA

connectors, S/PDIF output, and
separate headphone output.

The US-428 also features two
independent MIDI I/O ports, allowing
you to send and receive data and MIDI
Time Code from your MIDI-based
keyboards and other devices. You can,
for example, use one port for MIDI
modules and devices, and the other to
synchronize your MIDI Time Code
capable Portastudio, DTRS or other
multitrack tape machine with your digital
audio software.

The US-428’s control surface includes a
variety of controls which make working
with audio software faster and easier.
The channel section of the control
surface consists of eight channel faders
(plus one master fader), eight mute
buttons, a switch to toggle Solo and
Mute functions, and individual record­ready and select switches. The master
section features four Aux Sends, a
dedicated EQ module (with continuous
controllers for level, frequency and Q, as
well as four band-selection buttons), a
data wheel and four application-defined
soft keys. Dedicated transport and
locate controls offer one-button access
to these often-used funct ions.

1.3 Special Note Regarding Programming of the US-428

The many faders, switches and other
controls on the US-428 make it an
extremely versatile device. The basic
operational premise behind the US-428

6

is that of a simple controller unit ; that is,
most of the hardware controls on the
US-428 are sending out simple MIDI
controller messages to and from the
host computer’s audio application. For
simplicity’s sake, this manual details the
US-428’s operation in conjunction with
Steinberg’s Cubasis VST (which is
included with the US-428); however the
basis of the US-428’s MIDI control
protocol allows other applications to
readily send and receive US-428 control
surface messages. Thus the US-428
can be used to control a wide variety of
applications, from DAWs to virtual
synths, video editing programs and
more.

In many cases, communication with a
particular application can be
accomplished using the application’s
ability to redirect or “map” the US-428
control surface messages to the
application. By making the programming
specifications publicly available both in
this manual and on our website,
TASCAM has encouraged the creation
of new applications for the US-428.
Setup and operation with many other
currently supported applications are also
described in section eight of this
manual. As support is added for
additional applications, we will be
posting up-to-date news and details on
our website at www.tascam.com. There
you’ll also find an online users’ group,
where users will be encouraged to post
MIDI maps of their own creation, and
TASCAM product specialists will be on
line to help answer questions and field
suggestions.

1.4 What’s in the package

The US-428 package contains the
following items. When opening the
package, please make certain that all
the included items are present. If

anything is missing, contact the dealer
where you purchased it.

 US-428 Controller
 AC Adaptor PS-P428 (7.5 VAC,

1000 mA)

 USB Cable

 CD-ROM containing driver

software and Cubasis VST

1.5 Nomenclature used in this manual

The following conventions will be used
in this manual:

ALL CAPS will be used to designate
physical buttons, faders, controllers and
LED indicators on the US-428.

BOLD CAPS will be used to designate
physical connectors on the US-428

Italics will be used to designate soft ware
dialog messages

Underlined Italics will be used to
designate software menu functions and
on-screen controllers.

7

2. Controls and Indicators

2.1 Front Panel

1 INPUT C/D Select and LEDs
2 INPUT Trim Pots
3 OVERLOAD LED
4 SIGNAL LED
5 Channel MUTE and SOLO switches and LEDs
6 REC and SELECT LEDs
7 REC and SELECT switches
8 CHANNEL faders
9 MASTER fader
10 MIDI and USB Status LEDs
11 LINE OUT and HEADPHONES Level Controls

12 AUX 1 through 4 Select Switches
13 User Soft Keys
14 EQ Module
15 Data Wheel
16 Fader NULL
17 INPUT MONITOR
18 BANK Selection Switches
19 TRANSPORT Controls
20 PAN Control
21 LOCATE Controls

8

2.2 Rear Panel

22 PHONES jack
23 OUTPUT L/R jacks
24 INPUT C and D
25 LINE/MIC / GUITAR switch
26 INPUT A and B
27 POWER switch

28 POWER jack
29 USB jack
30 MIDI Out 1 and 2
31 MIDI In 1 and 2
32 Digital In and Out
33 MIC INPUT A and B

9

2.3 Front Panel Descriptions

1. INPUT C+D button

toggles inputs C and D between the
unbalanced analog inputs (1/4”) and the
digital S/PDIF inputs.

ANALOG LED

indicates analog signal input to inputs C
and D.

DIGITAL LED

indicates digital signal input (via S/PDI F)
to inputs C and D. When glowing
steadily, indicates valid digital input.
When flashing, indicates an input error
on the digital inputs. Refer to the ASIO
control panel for error details.

2. INPUT TRIM A - D

input level adjustment. Rotate clock wise
to increase input level of analog
sources.

3. OL LED

indicates an overload on the input level
to the respective channel. (Specifically,
a level of
–2.5dBFS.) Only functions on analog
input.

4. SIGNAL LED

indicates the presence of audio signal
on the respective channel. (Specifically,
when input level exceeds –42 dBFS.)
Only functions on analog input.

5. MUTE switch

toggles mute or solo status for selected
channel.

MUTE LED

when illuminated, indicates mute status
of selected channel. (W hen SOLO LED
is on, the associated channel’s MUTE
LED’s indicate solo status when lit)

SOLO switch

toggles between mute and solo status.

SOLO LED

when illuminated, indicates MUTE
buttons and LEDs are toggled to solo
status.

6. SELECT LED

indicates selected status of channel.

REC LED

indicates record status of selected
channel.

7. SELECT button

selects channel for editing, recording,
etc.

REC button

when held, pressing the SELECT button
toggles the selected channel(s) ’ record­ready status.

8. CHANNEL FADERS 1 through 8

send continuous controller information
for banks of eig ht f aders, as selected by
the BANK switch.

9. MASTER FADER

controls level to the stereo bus output,
and/or sends MIDI controller inf ormation
to the host.

10. MIDI In LED’s 1 & 2

indicates presence of incoming MIDI
data at MIDI input 1 or 2.

MIDI Out LED’s 1 & 2

indicates transmission of MIDI data f r om
MIDI output 1 or 2.

USB LED

indicates an active USB connection.

11. LINE OUT

controls the level to the RCA (analog)
outputs.

HEADPHONE OUT

controls the level to the headphone
outputs.

12. AUX 1 through 4

selects the host application’s auxiliary
sends 1 through 4.

13. ASGN

Application specific key.
(In Cubasis, ASGN + Aux 1 or 2 will
enable the Aux Send for the selected
channel. ASGN + EQ band switch will
enable the EQ for the selected channel.)

F1 through F3

Application specific function keys. In
Cubasis VST, these keys perform the
following functions:
F1 - Open Audio Mixer window (when
Bank 1 is selected); open MIDI Mixer
(when Bank 2 or 3 selected).
F2 - Open VST FX Send window.
F3 - Toggle between open windows.

14. EQ GAIN

controls the gain level of chosen band of
EQ in the host program’s inter nal EQ.

EQ FREQ

controls the center freq uency of chosen
band of EQ in the host program’s
internal EQ.

EQ Q

controls the bandwidth surrounding the
center frequency of the chosen band of
EQ in the host program’s inter nal EQ.

EQ HIGH

selects the highest band of EQ in the
host program’s internal EQ (up to a
maximum of four bands).

EQ HI MID

selects the upper midrange band of EQ
in the host program’s internal EQ (up to
a maximum of four bands).

EQ LO MID

selects the lower midrange band of EQ
in the host program’s internal EQ (up to
a maximum of four bands).

EQ LOW

selects the lowest band of EQ in the
host program’s internal EQ (up to a
maximum of four bands).

15. DATA Wheel

sends continuous controller information
to application. (In Cubasis, functions as
a shuttle wheel if no AUX LED’s ar e lit,
or as Aux Send level if Aux key is
selected.)

16. Fader NULL

when pressed, disengages physical
faders from the application. Used to
match US-428’s faders with those of the
software application’s internal mixer.
When using FADER NULL, the selected
channel’s REC and SEL LED’s indicate
the US-428’s fader position relative to
the associated channel in Cubasis’
mixer.

17. INPUT MON ITOR

toggles Input Monitor adjust mode.
When the associated LED is on, the
FADER and MUTE switches for channel
strips 1,2,3 and 4 control the level of
Inputs A,B,C and D to the US-428’s
stereo output.

18. BANK Selector

pages between successive banks of
eight faders.

11

19. REW

transport rewind.

FFWD

transport fast f or ward.

STOP

transport stop.

PLAY

transport play.

RECORD

transport record.

20. PAN

controls L-R panning on selected track .

21. LOCATE << and >>

moves transport to L and R locate
points.

SET

holding SET and pressing << and >>
buttons sets L or R locate points, either
on the fly or while stopped.

2.4 Rear Panel Descriptions

22. PHONES jack

standard 1/4” stereo headphone output.

23. OUTPUT L/R jacks

unbalanced (RCA) analog audio output
of stereo bus.

24. INPUT C and D

unbalanced analog inputs C and D.

25. LINE/MIC / GUITAR switch

switches between line level and Hi-Z
(inputs C & D).

26. INPUT A and B

balanced analog inputs A and B.

27. POWER switch

push on/push off power switch.

28. POWER jack

input for AC Adaptor PS-428

29. USB jack

input for USB connection to host
computer.

30. MIDI Out 1 and 2

MIDI outputs 1 and 2.

31. MIDI In 1 and 2

MIDI inputs 1 and 2.

32. Digital In and Out

S/PDIF digital input and output.

33. MIC INPUT A and B

Balanced XLR Inputs A and B.

12

3. Installation

3.1 System Requirements

PC: Minimum requirements

200 MHz (or equivalent) processor
running Windows 98 (Second or
Millennium Edition), Windows 2000 or
Windows XP, 96MB RAM.
Recommended:

Pentium II 300MHz
processor with 128MB RAM or better.
(These requirements are for use with
Cubasis VST. Other applications will
have different requirements. Consult
your application's manufacturer for
further infor m ation.)

NOTE: The US-428 is not supported
under Windows 95. We also do not
recommend Windows98 First Edition,
due to its limited USB implementation. A
fast EIDE hard disk is required for
throughput of multiple audio tracks.
96MB RAM is the minimum
recommended, but with all digital audio
programs, you’ll have better results with
more RAM. An SVGA graphics card is
suggested (min. 256 colors, 800x600
resolution or better).

Although this product has been checked
for use with standard configuration
computers which meet the specifications
above, we cannot guarantee the
operation of the product, even with
computers meeting the specifications,
due to differences in architecture and
implementation between computers.

Chipsets are also a concern with USB
audio. We’ve found that the most
dependable motherboards are ones
which utilize Intel-based chipsets. You
can determine your chipset by going into
the Device Manager. On the Windows
98 desktop, right click on My Computer,

: Pentium

and select Properties. Click on the
Device Manager tab, and then click on
the plus (+) sign next to Universal Ser ial
Bus Controllers. (see illustration 3. 01)

The following chipsets have been
successfully run with the US-428:

 Intel 82371 AB/EB PCI to USB

Universal Host Controller

 Intel 82371 SB PCI to USB

Universal Host Controller

 Intel 82801 AA PCI to USB

Universal Host Controller

 ALi PCI to USB Open Host

Controller

Some other chipsets, notably those
specifying Open Host Controllers or
OHCI (rather than Universal Host
Controllers or UHCI), have been subject
to occasional incompatibilities. While
most OHCI systems have no problems
with the US-428, occasionally some
older OHCI systems will exhibit
problems. We have found that, in the
majority of these cases, a PCI-based
USB card utilizing an Opti-chip controller
will work dependably. These cards (also
available in PCMCIA format for laptops)
are available through a number of
manufacturers. Please consult the
TASCAM website for further information.

13

Illustration 3.01 - Determining your USB Controller

MacOS: PowerPC running MacOS 8.6

or better, and a USB port. Any
Macintosh computer with one or more
USB ports running Mac O/S 8.6 or later
(the US-428 has not been tested with
Mac O/S X as of this writing. Please
check the website for updates).

Very early iMac computers may need
one (or more) firmware updates to use
the US-428. Which firmware update(s)
is (are) needed depends on which Mac
O/S version is installed in the early
iMac. Apple provides details in its Apple
Support Article #58174.

PowerBook G3 Series (or later) with
built in USB (or using a 3rd party
PCMCIA USB Card) have been tested
and work fine. Additionally, older
PowerMac computers using 3rd party
PCI-based USB cards also have been
tested and work fine. Any iMac, G3 or
G4 will work fine as well. A MacOS
version earlier than 8.6 will not
implement full USB support, and is not
recommended. Again, plenty of RAM
and fast drives are suggested.

3.2 Installation

Because the US-428 is a USB device,
connection is pretty straightforward.
Simply plug the USB cable into the US­428, and the other end into your
computer.

Make certain that your computer’s USB
host port is enabled. (Normally, most
standard PC BIOS settings default to
enabled, but make certain t hat it hasn’t
been turned off in the BI O S) .

NOTE: Handle the enclosed CD-ROM
with care. If it becomes dirty or
scratched, it will be impossible for a
computer to read it, and the software
cannot be installed. If t he disc becomes
unreadable, a charge will be made for
its replacement.

Do not attempt to play the enclosed CD­ROM using an audio CD player, as this
may cause damage to hearing, as well
as to speakers, etc.

Use only the enclosed USB cable to
connect the US-428 and the computer.
Do not use other types of cable for this
purpose, as some cables contain
resistors. If you attempt to use such a
cable, the audio input and output will not
work properly, and the sound level will
be inaudible or very faint.

14

3.2.1 Windows

The US-428 v3 drivers are available on
the CD as executable installers. You’ll
find two executable installer files on t he
disk, labeled as
“US428_Win9x_Install_3_05.exe” (for
Windows 98 Second Edition and
Millennium Edition) and
“US428_Win2k_Install_3_05.exe” (for
Windows 2000 and Windows XP).

Note that we have also included the
individual driver files as a ZIP file, for
users wishing to install via Windows
Hardware Manager. However, we
recommend using the installers, as they
will also locate and uninstall any files
pertaining to older versions of the US­428 drivers.

Also included on the CD are previous
(v2.0) drivers for your convenience.

To install under Win98SE or ME:

Note: The US-428 will run under W in98
SE (Second Edition) or ME (Millennium
Edition). Due to its limited USB
capabilities, First Edition Win98 is not
recommended.

Note: Run the Installer with US-428
turned OFF.

 Double click on the executable file

US428_Win9x_Install_3_05.exe.
(The blue US-428 icon). The
installer will run.

 Click the "Setup" button. The

Welcome dialog box will appear.

 Click the "Next" button. The driver

files will be installed to your hard
drive.

In some cases, Add Hardware Wizard
may ask for the f ile "US428WDM.SYS".
Should this occur, click Browse and
direct it to the path

Windows/System32/Drivers.

In some cases, Add Hardware Wizard
may ask for your W in98 CD-ROM if it is
unable to find all the needed system
files. We suggest you have it handy.

 The Setup Complete dialog will

appear. Click "Yes, I want to restart
my computer", followed by the Finish
button. The computer will reboot.

 Connect the US-428 to the

computer, plug it in, and turn it on.
The Windows plug- n-play will notice
a new USB device and start the Add
New Hardware wizard, which will
find the needed f iles on it s own. This
will take about 30-60 seconds.

The drivers are now installed and the
US-428 is ready to operate.

To install under Win2K or Windows
XP:

Note: Run the Installer with US-428
turned OFF.

 Double click on the executable file

US428_Win2k_Install_3_05.exe.
(The blue US-428 icon). The
installer will run.

 Click the "Setup" button. The

Welcome dialog box will appear.

 Click the "Next" button. The driver

files will be installed to your hard
drive.

15

NOTE: You may be prompted by a
message informing you that the
software you are about to install does
not have a digital certificate. Simply
click “Continue the installation anyway”
and proceed.

 If you are prompted to restart your

computer, do so.

 Connect the US-428 to the

computer, plug it in, and turn it on.
The Windows plug- n-play will notice
a new USB device and start the Add
New Hardware wizard, which will
find the three needed files on its
own. This will take about 30-60
seconds.

The drivers are now installed and the
US-428 is ready to operate.

To install using Windows New
Hardware Wizard:

 Unzip the driver files into a new

(empty) folder on the hard disk .

 Connect the US-428 to the

computer, plug it in and tur n it on

 The Windows plug-n-play will notice

a new USB device and start the Add
New Har dware wizard.

 Choose "Search for a suitable driver

for my device" and press Next

 Enter the path where the drivers are

stored and press OK

 After Windows finds the "firmware

download" driver, click Next

 Click "Finish" · The other driver

components will be automatically
discovered and loaded

 Click "Finish" if prompted, and

reboot if prompted

Illustration 3.02 - Windows 98 New Hardware Wiz ard

3.2.2 Macintosh

 Insert the CD-ROM into the

computer, double-click on the US­428 installer, and follow its
instructions.

 Connect the US-428 to the

computer, and connect power to the
unit. W hen the US-428 is connected
and powered up, the Mac will find
the drivers itself.

3.3 Setting Up OMS (MacOS Only)

Cubasis, ProTools and several other
applications rely on OMS for MIDI
implementation. OMS (Open Music
System) is a standard for MIDI
management on the Macintosh. Since
the US-428 relies on MIDI controller
commands for its communication with

16

the host computer, you will need to
install OMS. (The exception is Digital
Performer, which utilizes FreeMIDI. The
v3 drivers support OMS and FreeMIDI
independently.)

To set up OMS to work with the US-428:
 First, run the OMS installer. If you

do not have the current version of
OMS, it may be freely downloaded
at www.opcode.com

 Locate the “US-428 Drivers” folder,

which was placed on your desktop
when you ran the US-428 installer.
In this folder, locate the US-428
OMS driver. Drag the US-428 OMS
driver into the OMS folder inside
your System folder. Do not drag
this file into the Opcode folder on
your hard drive – it will not work
correctly.

 Restart your computer. Then turn

on the US-428 and start the OMS
Setup application (located in the
Opcode folder on your hard drive).

 Select “New Studio Setup” from the

File menu. When prompted to select
a serial (modem or printer) port,
leave both selections unchecked.
Click yes and continue. OMS will
assess all the MIDI ports attached to
your computer and build OMS
instruments for the ones it
recognizes.

 When the setup is complete you

should see a list of all your
connected MIDI ports. At the least
you should see four icons pertaining
to the US-428 specifically: the US­428 icon, US-428 MIDI ports 1 and
2, and US-428 Control port.

(Ports 1 and 2 correspond to the US­428’s physical MIDI ports. US-428
Control is the “virtual” MIDI port with
which the US-428 and its control surface

.

communicate with your host
application.)
Once OMS setup is successfully
completed, you can proceed with setting
up the US-428 with your chosen
application. Please refer to the specif ic
documentation for your application for
more details.

3.4 Tuning Your PC

A few words about computers and
audio. Much has been written about the
best ways to optimize your PC for
handling audio applications, and
generally speaking, it’s a much deeper
topic than we’ve got space for in this
manual. But here are a few basic points
to help you get the best out of your
audio programs:

 Don’t run extraneous applications.

While it ’s likely you’ll sometimes use
your computer for applications other
than audio, it’s strongly
recommended that you avoid
running other applications at the
same time you’re running audio
programs. Processing digital audio
requires considerable overhead fr om
your computer, so don’t overtax the
system by running other applications
(especially graphics or internet tools)
that can steal those resources.

 Certain devices, such as network

cards and WinModems, can cause
conflicts with the native handling of
USB. Should you experience such
conflicts, the offending device can
usually be temporarily disabled in
the Device Manager. Refer to your
Windows manual for detailed
instructions on how to resolve
conflicts.

17

 Assuming your computer has an IDE

hard disk (most do), enabling Direct
Memory Addressing (DMA) on will
improve performance. Some
programs (such as Cubase VST)
allow you to configure the DMA as
enabled on install. If you’ve not
already done this, here’s how to
configure the DMA transfer mode:
On the W indows desktop, go to the
Start menu, Settings, Control Panel,
System. In the System Properties
window, select the Device Manager
tab. Click on the plus sign next to
Disk Drives, and highlight the IDE
disk listing, then click on the
Properties button. Check the DMA
box under options. (see illustration

3.03)

Illustration 3.03 - Enabling DM A on your IDE drives

In addition, a number of simple
hardware modifications and
enhancements can substantially
improve your computer’s handling of
audio, as well as your track count and
DSP capability.

 Increase the amount of RAM in your

system. While most digital audio
software will function with a
minimum of 32 MB, increasing your
computer’s RAM to 96, 128 or even

256 MB will markedly improve
performance.

 Consider the addition of a dedicated

hard disk for audio; preferably one
with a high spindle rate (over 7200
RPM is recommended for most
audio applications). Using different
drives for program and audio data
speeds up the seek time for the
audio track data. (Note that simply
partitioning a large drive will not
have the same effect, as the
computer will still be accessing the
same physical drive.) For best
results, add a SCSI or Wide-SCSI
drive and SCSI controller card. SCSI
(and particularly Wide and UW-SCSI
protocol) are capable of
considerably higher data transfer
speeds; you’ll notice a dramatic
increase in track count and in the
amount of signal processing plug -ins
your computer can handle. Note
that some of the recent UDMA-66
drives have proven to be almost as
fast (and certainly cheaper);
however, they are still limited in the
amount of physical drives allowed
and the bus length.

 If you’re presently using a PCI-

based graphics card, and your
motherboard has an AGP slot,
consider getting an AGP-based
graphics card. This will decrease
traffic on the PCI bus and allow for
faster screen redraws.

Special Note: For even more detail on
optimizing your PC for audio, please
refer to the PDF document
PC_Optimization.pdf included on the
US-428 CD-ROM. This document is
also available on the TASCAM website.

18

3.5 Notes on USB interfacing

The USB protocol is an extremely
versatile one, and much has been made
of the possibility of using multiple (over

100) devices on a single bus. W hile this
is certainly a possibility, we recommend
using as few other USB devices as
possible in a system equipped with the
US-428. The demands placed on the
USB bus by passing multiple tracks of
audio through it are considerable, and
adding additional devices will risk
reducing that bandwidth.

NOTE: The drivers of many other USB
devices, especially CD burners,
scanners, printers, and cameras, are
written to poll the USB buss on a regular
basis (usually once every millisecond).
This can lead to dropouts, clicks, pops
and other artifacts in your audio. We
strongly suggest unplugging any non­essential USB devices while recording
with the US-428. (USB keyboards and
mice are the notable exceptions – in
most cases they are passive devices
with very minor bandwidth
requirements.)

Another well-documented advantage of
USB is the ability to “hot-plug” devices
(that is, plug them in and out without
powering the computer down). While
this applies to the US-428 as well, we
recommend against plugging or
unplugging, or powering the unit on or
off, while running your audio application.
Doing so can result in audible pops, or
even hanging or crashing the progr am .

You’ll find a listing of web links and
resources on hard disk recording on our
website at www.tascam.com.

19

4. Hooking up Audio and MIDI to the US-428

4.1 Hooking up audio

To monitor output from your computer,
connect the analog outputs of the US­428 to your mixer, amplifier or powered
monitors. Output volume is contr olled by
the LINE OUT level pot. If you’ve got a
digital mixer, external D/A converter, or
other device with S/PDIF input, you may
prefer to monitor via the US-428’s
S/PDIF output.

Illustration 4.01 - Connecting audio to the US-428

To record audio from the US-428 into
your computer, simply connect a device
to the appropriate input. Microphones
should be plugged int o the INPUT A or
B XLR inputs.

Note that the US-428 does not supply
phantom power, so if you’re using
condenser mics, you’ll need an external
preamp or power supply. You can
connect line-level sources (e.g.,
keyboards and sound modules) into one
of the four LINE I NPUTS (A through D).
If you wish to plug in a guitar, bass,
or other high-impedance source, simply
use input C or D, and move the sliding
switch next to the input connector to the
“Guitar” position. Finally, dig ital sources
(e.g., CD players, DAT’s etc) may be
connected to the S/PDIF INPUT.

The inputs of channels A and B are
available as either balanced XLR mic­level inputs or balanced TRS (1/4”) line­level inputs. While both sets of inputs
are capable of functioning
simultaneously, in actual practice this is
not recommended, as the signal level of
the inputs will be summed and very
likely interfere with each other.

Inputs C and D are switchable between
the unbalanced 1/4” analog inputs C
and D and the
S/PDIF digital input. The input source is
selected by pressing the INPUT C+D
switch.

Input level for analog sources is
regulated by the TRIM level pots
(diagram), located directly above the

20

faders. To use digital audio input , switch
the INPUT C+D selector to Dig ital. The
INPUT C and D TRIM controls do not
affect digital input. Sampled audio from
the S/PDIF digital input is passed
directly to the application without
modification. To reduce t he level of the
digital audio signal at inputs C and D,
you will need to reduce the output level
of your digital source.

A note about levels and gain structure
here. The TRIM controls directly affect
the input level at the A/D converter s on
the US-428, so it’s advisable to use the
SIGNAL and OVER LEDs to help set
your levels. Unlike analog tape, when
recording digital audio, it’s important to
keep your input level close to 0dB, but
never to exceed it. If the input level is
too high, the audio signal will clip - not a
desirable sound. If the input level is too
low, then the dynamic range that the
US-428’s A/D’s are capable of is not
being used, and the signal will be closer
to the noise floor than it
needs to be. In either case, this can not
be fixed after the tracks have been
recorded, so it’s important to make this
adjustment carefully.

Illustration 4.02 - Input trims and level indicator LED’s

4.2 Hooking up MIDI

The two MIDI in and out jacks are
independent, giving you a total of 32
channels of MIDI I/O. Simply connect
the MIDI out of your keyboard or other
device to a MIDI in jack on the US-428,
and vice versa. If you’ve got a MIDI sync
box, you can dedicate one of the two
MIDI I/O’s to sending and receiving
MTC (MIDI Time Code). This allows you
to sync tracks from your MTC-capable
Portastudio, DTRS multitrack, or any
other machine that accepts time code
with your digital audio software, for
transferring tracks back and forth for
editing and processing.

21

4.3 Using the Input Monitoring

In digital audio, the amount of time it
takes for the input signal to pass
through the circuitry of the unit and the
software processing and arrive at the
outputs will sometimes result in an
audible delay. (This is commonly
referred to as “audio latency”.) This
added delay can be confusing when, for
example, you’re trying to overdub to
previously recorded tracks.

The INPUT MONITOR mixer built into
the US-428 eliminates this problem by
providing a way to listen to the signals
you’re recording directly, without any
computer processing delay. When the
INPUT MONITOR button is depressed,
the first f our channel faders control the
input levels of inputs A, B, C or D t o the
US-428’s internal mixer. Changes in
these levels affect the monitor and
headphones outputs, but have no eff ect
on the audio levels seen by the audio
software application. The first four
MUTE buttons also affect the four
inputs, and PAN is also available in this
mode; the four inputs come up panned
to center, but can be SELected and
PANned anywhere within the stereo
field.

NOTE: In INPUT MONITOR mode

faders 5-8 are inactive.

NOTE: All the controls mentioned here
are also accessible via the ASIO control
panel, which displays the current status
of the INPUT MONITOR section.

NOTE

E

4.4 Monitor vs. Master Level

It’s important to make a distinction
between MONITOR LEVEL control and
level of the stereo bus output, as
controlled by the MASTER FADER.

When using the US-428’s analog
inputs, only the TRIM controls actually
affect the input level to the audio
software application. When using the
US-428’s Digital inputs, the dig ital audio
data received at the US-428’s digital
input is passed directly to the audio
application without any gain or other
modifications.

When monitoring audio playback from
the application via the US-428, the level
is controlled by that track’s software
gain control (which, in turn, is controlled
by the US- 428’s channel FADERs), the
MASTER FADER, and the LINE OUT or
PHONES OUT level controls.
The LINE OUT and PHONES level
controls directly affect the audio levels
that appear on the LINE OUTPUT and
PHONES jacks, respectively. The audio
level produced at the DIGITAL
OUTPUT is not affected by either
control.

The MASTER FADER is the final level
control affecting the digital stereo output
to the application, consequently
changes made to the MASTER FADER
level will also affect the output level to
the speakers.

Thus, if you want to simply reduce the
volume of your listening environment,
you’ll want to use the MONITOR
LEVEL control to do this without
affecting the level of your stereo mix.

22

5. The US-428 Control Panel

5.1 Main Page

In the Control Panel’s main page, you
can specify a number of options of the
US-428’s ASIO handling.

Illustration 5.01 - Control Panel Main Page

The Control Surface Protocol setting
governs the type of MIDI messages
used to send fader and button
information from the US-428 to
applications. The corresponding drop­down box allows you to select from a
number of options, including US-428
Native, JL Cooper CS-10 emulation
(both standard and Pro-Tools specific),
Native Instruments B4, and two diff erent
Four Controller Banks m odes. For more
information on the various “non-native”
modes, refer to the specific chapters
pertaining to these applications and
uses. For use with most DAW
applications, it’s recommended that you
leave the default “US-428 Native”
selection.

The Master Fader always sends
changes in position via MIDI. It can also
be used to make the US-428 itself
change the output level coming fr om an
application. (This is useful f or programs
that do not have their own master
volume control, such as Sound Forge.)
In Cubasis, select the MIDI only option.

The Status area provides a view of the
US-428’s current settings:

 Clock source: Internal or

Digital In

 Sample rate: 44100 or 48000
 Resolution: 24 Bit or 16 Bit
 Digital input:

 Signal:

o Red - no digital input
o Green - digital input

active

 Fmt:

o Red - improper format
o Green - proper S/PDIF

format

 Lock:

o Red - digital in not ready

to record,

o Green - digital in ready to

record

The Input Monitor area is a viewable
and controllable version of the US-428
INPUT MONITOR mixer. Here you can

23

control the level and position of each
US-428 input as it will appear on the
LINE OUTPUT, DIGITAL OUT, and
PHONES connectors. Three controls
(level, pan and mute) are available for
each input A, B, C and D. Note that
these controls can also be changed
from the US-428 by pressing the INPUT
MONITOR switch on the unit, and using
channel strips 1-4. If you make the
changes this way, the controls displayed
in the US-428 Control Panel will be
updated to reflect the new values.

Any settings shown in the input monitor
section of this control panel can be
saved as one of four Snapshots. To
save your settings as snapshot number
1, for example. click on “ Save” and t hen
click on “1”. Any snapshot can then be
recalled by just clicking on its
corresponding button.

You can also control the input monitor
settings that will be used when the US­428 first starts up. You can choose
either the last settings in effect at the
previous system shutdown, or any one
of the four snapshots.

safety against other system activities
interrupting the audio and producing
clicks, pops or other audible artifacts.
Smaller buffers provide lower latency
when using the computer to send input
audio to output channels in order to
monitor the input. The initial driver for
the US-428 had a fixed buffer size. This
version of the driver lets users select
which buffer size works best for their
computer and audio application. Note:
This adjustment does not affect the
latency of the US-428’s hardware input
monitor, which is always less than an
ultra-low 1.5 ms.

To adjust the buffer size, run the US­428 Control Panel and go to the System
tab. The Audio Latency slider lets you
change the buffer size f rom a minimum
of 256 samples (128 samples on the
Mac) to a maximum of 2048 samples.
All audio programs t hat use the US-428
must quit before a new audio latency
setting takes eff ect. Using Cubase VST
at 44.1 kHz sampling rate, a 256 sam ple
buffer size gives appx. 12 ms of
monitoring latency, while a 2048 sample
buffer gives appx 43 ms latency.

5.2 Buffer Size Adjustment

The US-428 Control Panel contains a
second page, tabbed “System”. On this
page the buffer size can be adjusted.
Smaller buffer sizes will result in lower
latency, but requires a faster system .

About Buffer Sizing:

The US-428 driver temporarily stores
input and output audio samples in
buffers. Larger buffers provide more

24

Illustration 5.02 – System Tab