The Tascam 388

[jrdamien]

Somebody put their 388 on the curb for free? That's got to be a cruel, unusual joke.

Again, here's what I did on the 388: www.crookedsaws.com

All this "the 388 is going out of style" is vicious trolling, yes?

[jrdamien]

[metodd1]

Hi guys, I apologize for what a stupid question I am about to ask, but I have recently acquired a 388, this is my first reel to reel setup. It's in great shape, I've got a de-magnitizer, head cleaner, etc., I've replaced the capstan belt...yet I have a really basic question that I can't seem to find an answer to -- that is, in between uses, can the tape be stored in the machine or should the tape be taken out after each use? I didn't know if keeping the tape in the 388 would put unnecessary strain on the tensioners, etc. Just want to know proper procedure. I know to de-mag and clean the heads and pinch roller regularly. Thank you.

[kslight]

In the interest of being "tidy" then its not a bad idea to take the tape off and clean after and then before the next use.

In practice, I wouldn't say its absolutely necessary, at least not for the reasons you suggest. It really depends on how you use it. For a little while I was recording some stuff for myself on one of my 388s and left the tape on a lot, and had it on for a couple of months without any use at all without any problems, but I wanted to clean it to run it again so its not like I really gained anything by keeping the tape on if I had to pull it off anyway...so the answer is yes, you CAN store it there if you are feeling lazy/inebriated at the end of a session and don't want to deal with it, it won't hurt anything. But i guess the point is you are probably going to want to clean it regularly so having the tape off obviously gives you a better opportunity to do this thoroughly..

[metodd1]

Got it -- just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something detrimental by leaving the tape in the machine. Thanks!

[wastedhotdogs]

Well, after recapping the majority of my 388, my capstan won't spin. I've gone through most of it looking for loose connections and reversed capacitors, but I've yet to find any. One thing I did find though is that the 2W resistor(R405) on the control PCB gets very hot. I'm not sure if this is indicative of a problem, possibly related to the capstan not spinning, and I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this or would be kind enough to check. I do have the service manual and a multimeter, so I'm not completely working blind. Ive found that the control board and capstan servo board are getting power, and the tension arm that should be starting capstan is switching the voltage as it should when moved. I'm not sure where else to look.

[tweak]

Dumb question here, do I need leader tape when I load the tape into my 388? Is it cool if the ends of the tape a a bit bent?

[kslight]

[kinetic]

Hi Guys,

I just acquired a 388 that wasn't working when I got it. The "forward motor" (right reel motor) wasn't spinning.

I've:

1. Checked all fuses (no fix)
2. Re-capped power supply, reel servo board (no fix)
3. Replaced a faulty transistor & resistor on the reel servo board (no fix)
4. Opened the motor covers to check for burn outs. Everything looked cool except I think I might change the 4.7uF 50v Bipolar caps in there but they're functioning.

After opening the motor covers, the forward motor started to spin. I loaded some tape, however the tape spools onto the inside of the reel instead of the outside! Is it possible the motor is spinning the wrong way, and how could I change this? I did replace the transistor, but I confirmed the pinout with the supplier so I'm sure that is correct.

Here's a pic!



EDIT: Just thought I might add, I found it weird that the RMGI LPR-35 tape apparently runs shiny side to the head, and the back is a matte material. I confirmed this with my supplier, has anyone else encountered this?

[j.harv]

The brown oxide side of the tape faces the heads.
As for the reels???
It looks like the tape on the right reel is threaded to the wrong side????
Im not sure if what Im seeing in the picture is actually possible physically.
Try unspooling the right reel and thread it so the tape is on the outside.

[kinetic]

Thank you for your prompt reply.

That's exactly my dilemma! I load it how I perceive is correct and the machine spins the reel the opposite way, resulting in the picture above.

[kinetic]

[Utah Blues]

I'm looking for a 388 for parts. Let me know if you have one.

Thanks,

Jon

[Al Breadwinner]

I use a 388 for everything. http://www.youtube.com/thebakerystudio

[kinetic]