Tascam US-16x08

This was my first multi channel interface. I got that because I was on a budget and I had to record a band for an ep with real live drums, so I needed inputs. Pretty basic design and no features at all, although the digital compression may save the day at some cases. The construction is not the best but it is ok for the money. the signal clarity is one of the worst on the market for an 8+ analogue input interface without being inadequate though. One other issue might be the lack of pad switch and the very hot input on all the channels.
In general is a very decent buy if you are on a budget and you want to buy a 16 analogue input interface. 5 stars because it saved me and I managed to deliver the work in a pretty good final quality, despite its drawbacks.

Pros:
- Cheap
- easy to use
- Lots of inputs
- quite sturdy for the price

Cons
- not the best signal quality (it actually has the worst in the class without that making it a bad interface)
- very hot inputs (you might find it difficult to deal with gain with different mics)
- no features at all except for the digital interface compression.

Yes, this is a 16 input interface, but with a small catch!

I am a drummer on a budget and wanted a 8-input interface to record myself for a long time. Discovered the Tascam US-16x08 by accident, and researched a lot about it. Decided to pull the trigger when my band started a new project, and have not regretted it.

The interface has 16 inputs, divided into 8 microphone inputs with preamps and 2 line/instrument level + 6 line level inputs, all recorded separately!. The 8 mic preamps are enough to record pretty much anything I throw with my drums, but after tracking the percussion I can also record vocals, amps, acoustic guitars and everything else that needs microphones, with or without multiple microphones from each source. The interface also has 2 instrument/line inputs in the front so if you need to connect your guitar/bass directly and use your Digital Audio Workspace's capabilities, you can also. To be honest, I haven't used the 8 outputs on the back (which can be used, when not plugged into a computer, as the line-out for the 8 mic preamps in the front), nor the 6 line inputs that are also present on the back, since I don't play keyboard or something that needs line level.

To summarize, it is a great and affordable-ish way to have 8 mic inputs + 8 line (or 2 instrument + 6 line) level inputs to record separate tracks if you are in a band or want to record drums. Highly recommended.

I've had mine probably a few years now (late review), and its stood up to abuse from moving around plus it sounds really great.

I mostly use mine for tracking a few synths at a time into Cubase or Ableton Live. Windows 10 here. It worked on Win7 just fine.

You can download all the latest drivers and software from Tascams website. NOTE that it says in the manual to set your Windows power management mode to "high performance", this is in fact essential, you'll suffer audio dropouts on the faster machines if you don't do this.

Sound: well it's as clean as any other interface and i have had Roland and RME interfaces over the years. No problem there.

I can only recommend this interface if you need 16 inputs via USB. 8x pres and 8x line inputs for that price. Amazing!

I had been messign around with options to record in the studio, and had tested and bought several different interfaces, looking for the right product and method to hook everything up.

The Tascam ended up being the best option for me, in terms of features and price, as well as overall quality of the brand.
16 seperate audio in channels , and decent quality, solid build without any noise or usb ground loop sounds or latencuy troubles.

Somewhere in between the budget multi channel interfaces and the high end stuff out there, but kind of offering both in my opinion.

If you have a multi synth set up, and u will probably expand , this is a nice alternative to a mixer, with a decent array of direct individual inputs for each instrument.

Exactly what I needed, works for me :)

This review has been updated - It is basic but has a reasonable sound with a hint of noise and is very loud so you need to keep an eye on levels.
Great format for rack mounting. Is it as good as the Behringer UMC 1820 with an ADAT? Since I have that as well I can tell you it isn't because feature-wise the UMC with a SPDIF cable has two more channels, has better gain staging and more outputs but it is cheaper and takes up less valuable rack space.
I bought it as a spare because if I didn't have at least 16 channels available I'd go crazy :)

Update: Comparing this to a product with new digital to analog converters the Tascam is let down by the cloudiness of its output - compared to my new Audient it lacks detail, however, with 16 clean inputs it makes for a sound DAC into your DAW.

There are not many interfaces with 16 inputs and 8 outputs, specially at an affordable price.
This one is simple to operate, 8 XLR, 2 Line/Instr jack input and phones at the front (all with individual gain/volume control).
at the back the other (8) inputs make it easier to link to the (direct out) channels from a behringer 2442fx I have(for drums). Allowing me to record all drum channels, individually, alongside the rest of the band.

The software allows you to use it standalone (as if it was a mixer), or it's easily integrated with DAWs, in my case Reaper. The latency is very low, allowing you to play with monitoring though a PA without lag.
A cool feature, is that if you don't plug the USB, it will bypass XLR channels 1-8 directly to the jack outputs (as it was a patch bay) Meaning you could keep all wiring in place, whether you are recording, or just playing/rehearsing

Con: Mac users might find a problem that there is only a USB2 interface. But I use a PC, so still a 5*.