the noises that were made were very loud high pitched screeches

What the Tascam does for me is boost my audio so that my vocal game cues sound clear and noise-free

Weird noises and sound interruptions immediately started

Lastly, the manual says before connecting audio equipment to set the Gain, Line Out and Phone knobs to their lowest values, as failure to do so could cause loud noises from the monitoring equipment that can damage both equipment and hearing

It is perfect for my needs - it is well made, and is very quiet - no line noise at all

If you don't you'll get sudden loud noises/screeches that could damage your equipment and your hearing

just remember to download your driver and update the firmware first (if you don't update the firmware you'll get the weird noises)