With its preset modes for fast setup, and intuitive controls for straightforward operation, the black TASCAM MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42B is made for beginner and intermediate podcasters, gamers, and content creators looking to make their audio productions stand out on YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitch, and elsewhere in the online universe. This tabletop solution combines simple hardware with user-friendly software, putting all the essential tools for podcasting, live streaming, karaoke, and broadcasting right at your fingertips in a versatile interface that plugs into your Mac or Windows computer via USB. What's more, with a flick of its Creator switch, the US-42B becomes a powerful audio interface—allowing you to record vocals and instruments to your computer with studio-quality results.

The MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42B is streamlined to have first-time users up and broadcasting a two-person podcast in minutes. It features inputs for connecting just about any kind of microphone or instrument to record you and your guest with a clean, professional sound, and has two headphone jacks that let both the host and the guest hear themselves clearly. The US-42B allows you to create a polished and fully produced podcast on the fly without having to focus on engineering. Easy-to-reach controls and effect pads let you adjust levels, add reverb, instantly transform your voice, and even trigger fun sound effects like applause, air horns, or music. Hook up your favorite mics and headphones, and you're ready to hit the On Air button and start the show.

For Podcasting, Streaming, and Gaming    Tabletop Podcast-Production Studio    Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR Microphone    Tripod Desk Stand and Mic Cable    2 XLR-1/4" Mic/Instrument Inputs, +48V    2 Headphone Outs, 3.5mm Headset Input    Reverb, Voice FX, Assignable FX Pads    Audio Software with Easy & Expert Modes    USB Interface for 24-Bit / 96 kHz Audio

This USB audio interface is designed for easy personal broadcasting with audio effects. The US-42B allows the simultaneous use of two mics and has switchable modes that support personal broadcasting and production applications, enabling anyone to broadcast their programs to the world.

Even with personal broadcasting, audiences become bored with plain streamed video and audio. Skillful use of sound and video is necessary to raise the professionalism of your programs and increase your number of fans. With a US-42B, you can achieve sound with higher clarity and use special sound effects. The PON trigger function can be used to play clapping and cheering sounds like on a TV program, and the voice effects can also be used to entertain the audience.

The unit has three PON trigger pads. You can press a PON pad to play the sound effect or other audio file assigned to it. You can use the dedicated computer software to assign the desired WAV/MP3 audio files to the PON trigger pads by dragging and dropping them. Note that the PON trigger pads cannot be used when connected to an iOS device.

The appearance of guests is standard on popular programs. On talk shows that invite guests, you can use separate condenser mics for the host and the guest, and provide clearer sound to the audience. Using the built-in voice effects and audio adjustment functions, you can make different settings for each person to make the quality level of your program even higher. Technically, you can also bring in a remote call-in guest by connecting a cell phone's output to the aux input. However, that caller won't hear your music or sound effects, and there is no mix-minus function to inhibit voice loopback.

You can use the unit's internal voice effects to change mic input sounds by turning the effect button on. You can choose from five types of voice effects according to the purpose for your program. Reverb effects add spatial sound and are useful when broadcasting performances with singing and guitars for example. Turn the knob to add reverb to the input signals. You can change the reverb type and settings using the dedicated software.

Personal broadcasting of instrument performances and individual singing are also popular contents on the Internet. You can connect a guitar and mic to a US-42B, apply a reverb effect, and start broadcasting right away. Learn to use the built-in equalizer and compressor for high-quality audio that is like the work of a pro.

Connect an iPod or a smartphone to the external input jack and sing along with existing recordings to deliver quality karaoke to the world. Increasing the number of fans that come to your in-person live performances is not a dream if your online content becomes popular when you respond to audience's requests.

When you need material for your next program, hang the US-42B around your neck, and head to the world outside. Sit on a bench, open your computer, and connect to the Internet. Just connect the US-42B by USB, and you are ready. Since an iPhone connection is also supported, you can put together a mobile broadcasting system that is even more compact.

Sound presentation is important not only for personal broadcasting but also when creating video. Switching to Creator mode automatically changes settings to ready the unit for use in creative work. Sound from vocals and instruments passes through audio circuits inherited from professional equipment, so you can achieve high-quality audio just by connecting mics and instruments to the unit. Connect monitor speakers to check your recordings, and get started making original music and audio tracks for videos.

In any live TV or radio program, it is not that easy to adjust the volume of music playback while talking in real time. With the ducking function, the playback volume is lowered automatically when the mic input signal is detected. You can even select the music source in the settings.

Between the Broadcast/Creator switch and the US-42B's mode presets, you can easily recall settings based on your purpose without having technical knowledges of the settings. Of course, you can also make your own preferential settings using the Expert tab.

• Broadcast mode: Perfect settings for standard online broadcasting services. The loopback function is turned on and the inputs for mic 1/2 are automatically set to mono.
• Creator mode: Perfect settings for video production or music production using DAW software. The loopback function is turned off and the mic 1/2 inputs are sent to the computer separately.
• Karaoke mode: Perfect settings for online karaoke.
• Talking mode: When using Internet voice-call software, this is the setting you need; it will automatically shut off the loopback signal in the application, so you can enjoy your voice calls without risking a feedback loop.

If you are using a webcam with a video-capture card for Internet broadcasting, the audio and video may be out of sync in your live broadcasting. The USB Delay function enables you to adjust the audio signal to sync to video. It creates an audio delay of up to 500 ms. Use this function when the audio signal is ahead of the video.

There are different ways to monitor depending on what type of sound source is recorded in music production. The Direct Monitor setting enables you to select mono for vocal monitoring, or stereo for monitoring a keyboard or any type of instrument that comes with stereo inputs. Furthermore, you are able to switch this setting off when not recording.

Using the loopback function mixes in the playback sound from the computer (WDM) and sends it back to the computer. You can play program background music using music playback software (iTunes or Windows Media Player) that is already installed on the computer. Since this loopback function is always on, no special setting is necessary. Moreover, the stereo aux input mini jack enables the connection of an iPod or other portable music player to use for BGM playback. You can also connect a synthesizer or other stereo instrument to the aux input jack using a conversion cable (available separately).

The input monitoring method allows you to listen to the audio using headphones before it is sent to the computer. The input sound is always sent to the headphone output, so no special setting is needed to listen to the input sound. The On Air button is a switch that controls audio transmission to the computer. Press the On Air button to start sending the sound that you are hearing in the headphones to the computer. The button will light when sound is being sent.

The lightweight design of the US-42B units means you do not have to hesitate to take one with you. You can attach a commercially available camera strap and use the unit hanging from your neck. The mic input jacks use locking mechanisms to avoid disconnection during movement.

The Easy tab breaks down your options for manipulating audio into three categories: Sound presets for your particular sonic setup, Effect presets for manipulating your vocals upon pressing the effect on/off button, and Reverb presets—types of ambience with which you can effect your vocal. Beneath these knobs, you may assign sounds to the trigger pads, and set the volume of each pad sound.

The Expert tab gives you comprehensive controls for the US-42B's compressor, 4-band equalizer, and reverb. In this panel, you also have control over buffer size, as well as the ability to manipulate the trigger pad's settings. For example, you can set the rate of fade in and fade out for the sample being triggered.

• Two combo XLR/TRS jacks support balanced input for microphones and instruments
• HDDA (High Definition Discrete Architecture) microphone preamps with individual level controls, up to 45 dB of gain, and +48V phantom power to accommodate dynamic and condenser microphones (an external gain-boosting device may be necessary for low-output dynamic mics such as the Shure SM7B)
• Preamps double as Hi-Z inputs for your electric guitar or bass
• TRRS and TRS connections for gaming headsets
• 3.5mm stereo aux input can be used to connect a smartphones, tablet, or portable media player
• Unit can be connected to record or stream on an iOS device using an Apple Lightning to USB camera adapter (available separately)
• Meter lets you visually monitor the level of the mic inputs
• Stereo 1/4" and 3.5mm jack headphone outputs with shared volume knob
• Stereo RCA outputs with level knob for connecting unit to a PA system, powered speakers, or an external audio recorder
• 3 PON sound-effect pads for triggering preselected audio sound bites, songs, or samples of your choice (bell, buzzer, and applause samples are included)
• Use the illuminated On Air button to start or mute broadcast transmission
• Creator/Broadcast switch: select Broadcast to turn on live streaming; or, select the Creator switch to activate the two-channel USB interface, and record audio straight to your computer (music or video recording software is available separately)
• USB-powered operation is supported when connected to a Mac/Windows computer
• When using with an iOS device, the unit can be powered via a USB power adapter or the TASCAM BP-6AA external battery pack (both available separately)
• Support for high-resolution recording formats up to 96 kHz / 24-bit
• Works with all major streaming software/services (YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitch, Skype, and more)
• Compatible with major DAW software including Audacity, SONAR, Pro Tools, Cubase, Live, Studio One, and GarageBand

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. Is there an onboard way to mute the mics individually?

A: The only way to mute the mics individually on the Tascam MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42B Podcast Studio is to use their individual volume controls. However, when the On Air button is illuminated it can be used to start or mute the entire broadcast transmission.

Q: 2. Can this take usb microphones?

A: No, the Tascam MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42B Podcast Studio is for use with analog microphones only. USB microphones connect directly to a computer.

Q: 3. Would this work well with an ATEM Mini pro as a livestreaming audio interface?

A: Yes you can use the Tascam MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42B Podcast Studio alongside the Atem Mini Pro for livestreaming.

Q: 4. Can I use this as a Karaoke device?, audio track in one input and mic in another and feed the out to amplifier?

A: Technically you can, although it will not remove vocals from pre-recorded music.

Q: 5. Is it possible to mute the mic lines individually?

A: Unfortunately the mic channels do not have their own designated mute buttons to be able to individually mute each mic input on the Tascam US-42B.

Q: 6. Anyone feeding the signal from this interface into adobe audition? My PC does not recognize it. Does it require the Tascam software to achieve this task? Does the Tascam software have the ability to edit? Thx for your time in advance

A: Also, in Audition you have to go into Settings Audio Hardware... and select MIniStudio as the default input and output. Running on a Mac so I can't give you the complete path but it is in Settings

Q: 7. How can I connect a Skype, Facetime or similar call to record a podcast?

A: Without knowing the specifics of your hardware, it is next to impossible to give any meaningful advice. That being said, and while technically you can do it, I would strongly recommend against using the Tascam US-42 with a phone of any sort. Unless you use an additional piece of hardware meant for phone calls (known as a Mix Minus), you are bound to have a very undesirable call experience to say the least.

Q: 8. What external power supplies are available and when would I actually need to use it?

A: The TASCAM MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42B Podcast Studio does not require an external power supply, as it runs on USB bus power. If you want to use it with a device which does not supply enough power, such as an iOS device, you can use the TASCAM BP-6AA External Battery Pack (BH #TABP6AA).

Q: 9. Will this device power a Polsen MVP-3 mini shotgun mic through the TRS aux or TS mic 3.5 mm ports?

A: The TASCAM MiNiSTUDIO Creator US-42B Podcast Studio's 3.5mm mic input jack will accept a mic such as the Polsen MVP-3. This will override mic channel 1.

Q: 10. Can this interface support 4 Audio Technica ATR 2100s (which sports both XLR and USB)? It looks like I can use the 2 XLRs, but is there a way to connect 2 more for recording 4 separate tracks to Audacity? Thank you.

A: Please kindly go in for Tascam US-4x4 4-Channel USB Audio Interface which can take four microphones at a go and u can achieve your aim.