Settings for tascam FW1884 and Sonar Producer 4.0.4 On a PC

Settings for tascam FW1884 and Sonar Producer 4.0.4 On a PC
“the baby step version”

Having problems with automation? Computer works with FW-1884’s faders but no automation from the board to your computer? Try doing this… it worked for me. I have had my Tascam 1884 for only a week and this has been driving me crazy I serched the message boards for Tascam and Sonar and I did a lot of tweeking on my own to come up with this fix. I am not a technition but I have had sleepless nights thinking all of this over and trying to be logical so this is what I did to end my frustration and it worked!

first make sure that you have the latest drivers and firmware…mine came with everything I needed right out of the box. Note: I keep the box thinking that I may need to return it now I am laughing at myself because I would have missed out on this awesome DAW had I not pulled back and took a few breaths so do the listed below settings to your PC and Sonar note: it’s very important that you follow the very last directions to the word and this should solve your problem with thinking that you just invested in a very expensive paper weight! Good luck and record some awesome music!


Start Here …
Your PC First “Settings” first
Go to Start/Control Panel/Sounds and Audio Devices
Volume:””select what ever you like”””
Sounds: Sound scheme: (select: No sounds)
Audio: Sound playback: Default device (select FW1884 Analog 1:2)
Sound recording: Default device: (select FW1884 Analog 1:2)
MIDI music playback: Default device: (select FW1884 Control)
Voice playback: Default device: (select FW1884 Analog 1:2)
Voice recording Default device: (select FW1884 Analog 1:2)
Hardware: leave it alone for now.

Now for the Sonar “Settings”
“Open a new project” in Sonar
now go to:Sonar/Options/Midi Devices
Inputs: (select FW1884 Port 1 and FW 1884 Control)
Outputs: (select FW1884 Port 1 and FW 1884 Control)
Assign Instruments:
(Select FW1884 Port 1/1) (Then select under Uses Instruments <default>)
Audio Options:
Playback Timing Master (select: 1:FW1884 Analog 1:2)
Record Timing Master (select: 1:FW1884 Analog 1:2)
Audio Driver Bit Depth ‘’’’depends on your system’’’’
Stereo Panning Law: (‘’’’depends on your system’’’’)
Sampling Rate: (‘’’’depends on your system’’’’)
Buffers in playback Queue: (‘’’’depends on your system’’’’)
Buffer Size: (‘’’’depends on your system’’’’) Now click on run wave profiler
Advanced Tab
(Boxes un-checked: Enable Read Caching and Enable Write Caching)
I/o Buffer Size (KB) (‘’’’depends on your system’’’’)
Driver Mode: (MME(32-bit) Dithering: Pow-r 3) (‘’’’depends on your system’’’’)
All other boxes leave unchecked except Full Chase Lock: Timing Offset (msec) set this to 0.000
Input Drivers
Select FW1884 Analog 1-2
Select FW1884 Analog 3-4
Select FW1884 Analog 5-6
Select FW1884 Analog 7-8
Output Drivers:
Select FW1884 Analog 1-2
Select FW1884 Analog 3-4
Select FW1884 Analog 5-6
Select FW1884 Analog 7-8
Driver Profiles
Show Profile for: (select: FW1884 Analog ½ (1 in, 1 out)
Stream> 16 bit data as: (‘’’’depends on your system’’’’)
DMA Buffer Sizes (‘’’’depends on your system’’’’)
Project Options
Midi Sync Output Ports: (select slot 1: FW1884 Port 1) leave 2 unchecked
Global Options
General: use what ever you want to use…
Time code: use what ever you want to use
Midi: use what ever you want to use but on MIDI Sysx Ports: put a check in the box for no.1 FW1884 Port 1 and check the box for no.2 FW1884 Control

Folders, Editing, Nudge and Audio Data: ‘’’’’depends on what your set up is’’’’’
Control Surface:
Add (Tascam FW-1884)
In Port (FW1884 Control)
Out Port (FW1884 Control)

OK Now… this may be strange but it’s worked for me… go ahead and close your opened sonar project…

Now do this in this order:
On your TASCAM choose on the far upper right side push the button that says “computer” straight down on the board look for MONITOR ANLG ADAT D IN make sure that the light is on for no.1 this would be MIDI CTRL 1 leave the Tascam on…

Now Shut down your computer do not choose restart but SHUT DOWN completely.
After your computer is off.
Turn your TASCAM off. And unplug the power supply and pull out the fire wire cable for 30 seconds.
Plug the power cord back in and then the fire wire and leave the Tascam off. Now Unplug your internet connection if you have one i.e., cable, DSL.
Start up your computer and wait until everything is done loading and your hour glass is gone leave everything alone! When it’s done,
Exit out of all of your programs on your tool bar i.e.: printer, QuickTime, Yahoo, virus protection, old soundcards like m audio etc.
Turn on your TASCAM and leave all the buttons alone…
Open Sonar and this should do it! I hope this helped.

Always do this in this order:

Turn on your computer
Shut off extra programs
Then turn on the tascam
Open Sonar

When done with your session:

Close Sonar
Turn off computer
Then turn off the Tascam


If by chance you turn everything on and it doesn’t work… go into Sonar and
Open: Options “control surfaces”
Make sure that it says
“control surface:TascamFW1884 In port: FW1884 Control: Out Port: FW1884 Control” if not, re-set to what I have just said re: control surfaces. make sure that the Tascam is in Computer mode…
now open a project in Sonar. Your faders should fly into place and you will have control over your PC with the record and play transport bar on the Tascam.


OK now for the reason why…
Who knows!! But this is what I’m thinking, I still have my old audio card installed it’s a M-Audio 4x4 I have not uninstalled it yet, reason being is that I was thinking that I will have some more in’s and out’s if I keep it in my set up. My computer sometimes likes to change my settings in my Sonar control surfaces or maybe it’s the tascam talking to my sonar “ I don’t know why” but if things are not working right… I know what the culprit is this has happened a few times and I just go to Sonar/Options and reset my control surfaces and then the problem is solved! Could it be that the old sound card is causing a conflict? If anyone knows shed some light for me. Thought I’d post this because it works!

Good luck,
Debbie

It's all good, and it's still working (big smile) maybe some steps might be unnecessary ... but it works and it beats waving garlic over the unit lol thanks for reading my post.