Scored a Tascam 238... got a few questions

[mertmo]

Hey everyone!

So I read the "238 rocks" thread a couple weeks ago. Got sad that I never had the
chance to play with one. Then, of course, I found one at the local music go round
for *50 bucks* !!! Just brought it home to check it out and see if it's worth keeping.
But I've never owned a cassette multitrack of any kind, so I have a few questions
for the 238 users -- and I know you're out there!

*what should I look for specifically, as far as red flags that would say "don't keep it".
what do I look for when giving it the once over?
The heads look decent, with not too much visible wear...
The transport seems solid and quiet, mechanically speaking...

*do I just clean the heads as usual, like on any reel to reel deck?

*should I demag the heads as usual, like on any reel to reel deck?

*if I keep it, are there any easy preventative maintenance tasks I could perform
that will keep this thing happier?

*where do you get good NOS tape stock nowadays? And which tapes do you
experienced 4/8 trackers perfer? Should I stick with 60 minute tapes?

lots of questions, any input is greatly appreciated!

BTW, this is the DBX version, *NOT* the Dolby S version.

[vvv]

I used to clean and demag mine like a regular deck.

The only problem I had was broken belts that I replaced from Tascam.

I recall I was able to align the heads some to reduce cross-talk, but you should be aware of it and try to stagger the tracks to deal with it.

I liked chrome tape - whatever I could get, but reco you don't use "metal" tape as I believe it will cause excessive head wear.

I think I tended not to use the N/R - on playback. I believe mine is the Dolby version.

It's boxed in the garage ...
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vlayman; THD; blog; TFP

[mertmo]

thanks, vvv.

[shedshrine]

When I find myself at a stopping point, instead of just looping the 238 for playback, I’ll do a quick and dirty mix to a minidisc deck and shut down the 238 to save capstan motor time, head wear and cleaning. Maybe overkill, but they are old units, and repairs are not cheap as I just found out at nearly $350 for a new motor, install and overall checkup on the 238 dbx.

I’ve got both the 238 dbx and 238 dolby S versions at this point. The tech said the direct drive capstan motor in these is the main reason he gets them in for repair. Beyond that I’d listen for any crackling or shorting on channels, and let the deck get good and warmed up when determining this.


Have fun with that thing. I bet you’ll really enjoy having a few different ways to record things, and $50 for a working unit is a very nice score.
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couple gratuitous pics from when I had just unpacked mine, dust and all:



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[mertmo]

shedshrine, thanks! Great tip about using a stereo recorder to loop the song, learn
your parts, etc. I have been thinking about that very method with my blackface
ADATs, which I have been recording on lately. And loving it too, I'm always happy
on my ADAT machines. Anyway, smart way to preserve your recorder a little...

I've been using the deck for a few hours now and damn. I already love this thing!!
If I can figure out how to manage hiss with mutes and fader moves, etc., and learn
to get the tracking right on it, I'm certain I could make cool recordings with it.

The deck seems solid so far. I've transferred an 8 track song from an ADAT.
During the transfer I submixed 3 tracks of drums to a mono mix. Then once the
song was ported over I replaced a few of the parts with new performances so I could
quickly get a feel for recording directly onto it instead of just listening to a transfer.

It's so crunchy and fun sounding! As long as this thing holds out, well...
I see good times on the horizon.

[rhythm ranch]

Let me know if you'd like a copy of the manual.

[vvv]

[kayagum]

Cross-talk: the theory is that you don't want a loud peaky track (i.e. drums) on a "middle" track (2,3,6,7- think 2-3 in the middle of the first head with tracks 1-4, 5-6 as the middle tracks of the 2nd head 5-.

Put simpler: put your drum tracks on either 1 or 8, if you have a choice. I did find this to be helpful when I did my tracking on my 238s.
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"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't." ~ Erica Jong

"No one wants advice — only corroboration." ~ John Steinbeck

[vvv]

Yep!

The reason is, the tracks can bleed over (crosstalk to) the adjacent tracks.

If mono drums are on 8, then they are only bleeding toward 7.

But the head adjustment can reduce that somewhat. The first link in my post above has the service manual, and that tells you how to adjust ...
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vlayman; THD; blog; TFP

[mertmo]

Ahh, thanks guys. got it. I remembered reading that you shouldn't put sounds with
important high end information on edge tracks, so yesterday I put my drums on 2 and
bass on 1, but perhaps that doesn't really apply here. Thanks for the theory, that's
exactly what I wanted.

I haven't gotten to play with the deck any more, I had to run off to "band night",
where I switched into modern Pro Tools producer guy. But on the way to band night
I went to Guitar Center to see if they might have any cassette tape. I thought it
was a total long shot, but they had some TDK "pro" multitracking cassettes. I
bought everything they had, 12 tapes. WOOHOOOO!! I also sometimes work for a
tape duplication company where I can get chrome 60 minute tapes in bulk. But
those can be dodgy with dropouts, etc. so I figured I should get some "real" ones too.

I'm pretty set, I have head cleaning and demag covered.

Shedshrine, regarding using another 2 track to loop songs and saving wear and tear
on the 238: when you said "shut down the 238..." did you mean turn it off?
Do you worry about powering the thing up and down while you're working, or is
preserving the deck just simply a higher priority than avoiding powering up and down...?
I know I don't like how that capstan motor just spins away endlessly...

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I appreciate it!

rhythm ranch, I'd love to get a manual from you. I'll send you a PM.

Keep the ideas and tracking theory coming if you guys got more...!

[bebopcola]

Hello fellow Tape Operators, I was wondering if some one would be so kind as to provide me with a copy of the manual for the most excellent Tascam 238. Much obliged

[shedshrine]

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=42311&start=45
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