TASCAM US-100 USB Audio Interface

I was skeptical about this interface, because of its slightly off reviews on various sites. When I got it (used, I might add), it was in mint condition. I loaded Audacity (which I know isn't a great program, but for what I record it's just fine), plugged it in and adjusted input and output levels, and recorded a song within 10 minutes of having it. It works great, records decent quality audio, and is great for beginners. I would definitely reccommend this to anyone!

..I do some home studio work with this box, recording guitar tracks to my Logic and GarageBand and it works great. No latency issues and it is solidly built. If you want to use a mic, make sure it is not a condenser cause the US100 doesn't have phantom( don't say nobody told you..etc). No problem recording with my SM-57 though, since it's a dynamic. For the price, it's a keeper, and I am very happy. The only con would be the lack of power switch, but now I know I will turn off my computer little more often:) Nice interface that replaced my guitar usb cable, which is a huge upgrade..sound wise and for just a little more money.

A few months ago I got a copy of Guitar Tracks and installed it on my laptop. But I quickly learned that the mic input of a laptop is not suitable for recording, not to mention the latency of the built-in sound card. When I received the US-100 I was eager to try it out, and I was very pleasantly surprised at the ease of installation and intuitive design of this thing. It solved my problem of not being able to recorded guitar and microphone inputs to my laptop. And I love the fact that it functions without having to install any drivers. Within minutes of plugging it into my laptop I was recording guitar tracks for some of my projects. I tested both on the Windows XP laptop, and a Windows Vista desktop and got the same great results. The unit feels very solid with its metal casing, and it's not exactly lightweight. The balance control on the front panel is extremeley useful - it allows you to get just the right mix between the recorded input and the playback audio without having to adjust either level. So as a simple, low cost solution for recording guitar or microphone inputs to a PC, this device is a winner.

If you've just started or are planning to start experimenting home recording, this audio interface is a very good start. It works great with Garageband.