I found some of them easy to spin with one finger end, while others were stiffer and required two fingers to move. The interfaces both sport unusual flat, rubbery rotary knobs that are just a couple of millimetres proud of the metal case, so you have to spin them with the ends of your fingers, rather like you would a turntable. They are also USB-powered, which will make them popular with laptop owners who don't want to cart around yet another power supply. Tascam offer two very similar models in their new 'US' range - the US144 and the US122L - both featuring flat tube-like metal casework that seems very rugged, and moulded end-cheeks (black for the US144 and white for the US122L). There's still nothing wrong with USB 1.1, but for anyone who wants more than two channels of 24-bit/96kHz audio, the extra bandwidth of USB 2.0 is mandatory.
Until recently, there were relatively few USB 2.0 audio interfaces available to musicians (Edirol were one of the very few manufacturers with any on offer), but this situation finally seems to be changing, with new models from Emu and Tascam emerging over recent months. The selection of USB 2.0 interfaces widens with the launch of these new models from Tascam.
