TASCAM's Model 12 Keeps Hip-hop Beatmaker Kimchi Kriminal on the Cutting Edge

June 2023... Since 2006, beatmaker/producer, Kimchi Kriminal (AKA Menco Jungerius) has been active in Hip-hop production and beat creation for a wide range of musical activities, including theatrical production, various beat tapes, mixtapes, and more. Like many others working in Hip-hop production, Kimchi Kriminal has turntables, a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), Akai MPC X drum machine/sequencer/sampler units, and more in his studio—and at the center of his production activity is the Model 12 integrated production suite from TASCAM.

Kimchi Kriminal described his fondness for the TASCAM Model 12, "I've used the Model 12 in several different ways—depending upon the nature of the project. I use it as a mixer, an audio interface for multitrack recording, and I've also used it for live streaming projects. Coincidentally, I also discovered that it's a lifesaver when doing Zoom or Microsoft Team meetings. Being able to use the EQ and compressor to compensate for someone's poor laptop microphone and acoustics on the other end make those meetings a lot more comfortable for everyone involved."

Kimchi Kriminal discussed his primary setup with the Model 12, "For roughly the past two and a half years, the Model 12 has been my primary audio mixer. Except for my turntable, all my audio runs to and from the Model 12. I have all the outputs from my MPC X running straight into the Model 12. This way, I can mix on the board and record a quick stereo out or can multitrack everything simultaneously straight into my DAW if the project I'm working on requires it. This level of flexibility provided by the Model 12 is something I really like. I also have the Model 12's Sub Outs running to the inputs on my MPCs so I can easily sample something from the sample library on my computer or sample myself playing a VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plugin without any hassle."

When queried about those Model 12 traits that he finds most appealing for his manner of working, Kimchi Kriminal offered the following thoughts, "First of all, it's a terrific compact studio mixer with excellent audio quality. Everything is right where it needs to be, and this results in a great timeless, tactile feel. In particular, the Model 12's 12-in/10-out USB Audio Interface with DAW Control Integration is extremely convenient—offering so much flexibility for interconnecting analog audio with the digital domain in a very straight forward manner. And for streaming audio applications, the Model 12 makes it so much easier to have high quality sound."

Reflecting on one of his more challenging audio production projects, Kimchi Kriminal shared his experience while on Instagram Live. "I was invited to do an interview and beatset on Instagram Live, but I didn't want to have all my audio running through my smartphone's mic. I hate having to blast my beats through my studio monitors, hoping that the phone will catch some decent audio quality when participating in social media activities. I discovered I could connect the Model 12 with a TRS cable to my phone, enabling me to have my condenser mic and MPC going into the Model 12, and then feed that audio straight into the livestream while also being able to communicate with the interviewer—all without any annoying feedback. The Model 12's flexibility in so many different types of audio production tasks is one of its most endearing traits."

With many of today's musical electronics, questions inevitably arise—so capable support services are crucial. Here too, Kimchi Kriminal was very upbeat about his TASCAM experience. "TASCAM's website and owner manual is very thorough in terms of conveying information, so I really haven't had much reason to contact support. What I can tell you is that, prior to my purchase, TASCAM support personnel were very knowledgeable and responsive, and that was a key motivating consideration for choosing the Model 12."

Before shifting his focus back to the business of the day, Kimchi Kriminal offered these parting thoughts regarding his experience with the TASCAM Model 12, "The Model 12 is a Swiss army knife that seamlessly fuses analog audio with digital audio. It has a straight forward, timeless design in terms of its hardware features while also being very easy to integrate into the DAW computer realm. These characteristics make the Model 12 a very modern and future-proof piece of equipment. For the way I work, it's been a great choice."

To discover more about Kimchi Kriminal, visit him online at https://open.spotify.com/album/2tnpcI0CqU30N0Iuu9FL1d?si=g3_gsxEpTk-oJ4AGEgvIGQ&nd=1 and experience Getting Jiggae With It.