I'm using Sonar Home Studio 6 XL with a Tascam US-122L (audio/MIDI interface) and a Shure Beta 87A condenser mic. The recordings are great, but I can't hear what I'm recording as I'm recording it. I've tried sending the output to both my headphones and also to my monitors, but I'm still getting nothing. Rather than hearing the sound from either of those while I'm recording, I'm just getting it during play back. I'm flying blind here...especially when I try to record my keyboard since I can't hear anything I'm playing. I must be missing something, but I need a little help figuring out what. I'm just looking for a dry recording, that's all I need. Any advice?

You could turn Input Echo on, but you may get a delay depending on your soundcard. A better option is to monitor through the interface instead of through the computer.

Yeah, I'm getting a slight delay with the Input Echo. I'll try to monitor through the interface and see if that works. Thanks!

If your getting an echo, then lower your latency so its under 5ms, then you wont hear any echo's. Or monitor threw your interface, that is the best way, expecially if your project is too big to playback under 5ms.
Cj

Yes, as CJay said, lower the latency or monitor THROUGH your interface. That is the best way, ESPECIALLY if your porject is too big to playback under 5ms.

Keph.

or you could record with one headphone on, one off(ear)
cheaper than upgrading your interface

-JD

With the cost of uncomfortableness.

Monitor playback and fresh recordings through the phones socket on the US-122L - no latency then. That's one of the big advantages of an external interface (or external mixer, of course)

I've tried to monitor through the interface by plugging into the phone jack and I'm still getting nothing. Do I need to change a specific setting on Cakewalk? It won't be of any use to record with one headphone off and one on because there is no fresh recording sound anyway. It's not that big of a deal with my voice and guitar because I can hear them without monitors, of course, but I'm playing the keys on my keyboard and hearing no sound and yet everything that I play is being recorded.

You have the microphone plugged into the US122-L Mic Input and the headphones plugged into the phones jack of the US122-L and you're not hearing anything? Don't plug the microphone into the Line Input because microphones need a preamp.

Do you have it plugged into your computer's USB port? It needs that for power.

Have you turned up the volume controls on the US122-L?