The Tascam 238 rocks.

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Jon Nolan
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Post by Jon Nolan » Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:53 am

RefD wrote: isn't the 238"S" the version with Dobly S NR instead of dbx?
yessiree. i don't have the "S," model, jus' dbx.

it's still loads o' fun. makes me wish that someone in my family had thought to buy me a fekkin' 4-track or something when i was in high school though, or that i had thought of it. it didn't even occur to me that these things were available to me! they weren't even on my radar. i can be thick like that sometimes. i could be so much farther along by now, but ah well, i'm having a blast now. i'm 33 and i've never even recorded anything on any cassette machine before. so fun! i never would have seen the light of day if i had one of these in high school. seriously.


jon

snatchman
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Post by snatchman » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:05 pm

I had the Syn-Cassett 234. Good sounding unit! Man...I kinda miss those days.... :( ..No worries about AD/DA converters,clocks,sync, etc. Just me, locked up in my room, with the Natural Light Beers, writing songs/having fun..!.... :wink: ......... 8)

Mane1234
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Post by Mane1234 » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:20 pm

Well for me at least the question of "what if you run out of tape in the middle of the night" is not a problem. My Walgreens, CVC, Walmart, and 7/11 tape stores all seem to have my favorite brands. My first multitrack was the Tascam 424. I still use it from time to time except the stereo outs on it are bad now and the #2 input is sketchy but I would never get rid of it. 4 and 8 track forces you to think much further down the path than even my limited Digi002. I made some great recordings on my old four track and that was back when I sucked way more at recording than I do now.
Of course I've had it in the ear before.....

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shedshrine
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Post by shedshrine » Thu Feb 08, 2007 10:37 am

Image
Last edited by shedshrine on Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Goldenvoice
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Post by Goldenvoice » Thu Feb 08, 2007 4:30 pm

I bought my first back in 88' - a Tascam 244 - still have it - it still rocks. Only 4 tracks, and dbx, but I smoked allot of goods, and got good sounds.

Much better built machine than the later Tascam units, too...

G :!:

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Mudcloth
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Post by Mudcloth » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:42 am

This thread inspired me to to finally fix my Yamaha RM804 mixer so I can use my 238 again after a few years of digital. I bought two of these and the sync box from a friend of mine thinking I might get a 16 track mixer one day. Maybe I should get a few rca Y cables and double up?
Man, I had a blast yesterday recording a J.J. Cale cover. The cool thing is that I have better mic's and pre's than I did back then so it's even more fun than it used to be. Shit, I used faders! I might even bounce a couple of tracks and throw in a tamborine.
I love the fact that 8 tracks makes you decide things right then and there. It definitely makes you more focused.
It seems like Tascam put a lot of effort into this model right before things went digital. This machine has a great auto punch in/out feature in case you do screw up a take and you're by yourself. This rig is permanently going along side my digital. I've got a bid on some rca to 1/4 cables on ebay so I can marry these two up.

I'm posting the song [Reality Blues] on my myspace in case anyone wants to hear what the 238 sounds like through my crappy mixing skills squashed to mp3. I used Rodc's modded Akai m-8 preamps on every track along with my new AT4047 on vox and acoustic and my new Heil PR-40 on everything else. Bass was Di'd through the Akai.
Cheers.
Matt Giles
Austin, Tx


http://www.mattguitargiles.com
http://www.myspace.com/mattguitargiles
http://www.thedrakesband.com/

How much is a stamp? I'll buy the goddamn stamp.

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Jon Nolan
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Post by Jon Nolan » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:27 am

Mudcloth Jones wrote:This thread inspired me to to finally fix my Yamaha RM804 mixer so I can use my 238 again after a few years of digital. I bought two of these and the sync box from a friend of mine thinking I might get a 16 track mixer one day. Maybe I should get a few rca Y cables and double up?
Man, I had a blast yesterday recording a J.J. Cale cover. The cool thing is that I have better mic's and pre's than I did back then so it's even more fun than it used to be. Shit, I used faders! I might even bounce a couple of tracks and throw in a tamborine.
I love the fact that 8 tracks makes you decide things right then and there. It definitely makes you more focused.
It seems like Tascam put a lot of effort into this model right before things went digital. This machine has a great auto punch in/out feature in case you do screw up a take and you're by yourself. This rig is permanently going along side my digital. I've got a bid on some rca to 1/4 cables on ebay so I can marry these two up.

I'm posting the song [Reality Blues] on my myspace in case anyone wants to hear what the 238 sounds like through my crappy mixing skills squashed to mp3. I used Rodc's modded Akai m-8 preamps on every track along with my new AT4047 on vox and acoustic and my new Heil PR-40 on everything else. Bass was Di'd through the Akai.
Cheers.
that's fucking great! i've decided to do my RPM album on mine. good times.

238,
jon

RefD
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Post by RefD » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:24 am

personally, i think the 238 deserves as much adoration as the 388.
?What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.? -- Seneca

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shedshrine
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Post by shedshrine » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:17 pm

Bought mine manual-free. I've checked the Tascam Support site where it isn't listed under the discontinued manuals offered. Admittedly the 238 is pretty point-and-shoot, i'd just like to have it. Anyone know if it's been uploaded to the net like that nice French lady did for the 388 manual? I've gone a good 20 pages into various google searches and never found anything.

RefD said:
personally, i think the 238 deserves as much adoration as the 388.
Somebody (If they would be so kind) post pics from the original 238/238s sales brochures if you got 'em!

kayagum
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Post by kayagum » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:20 pm

shedshrine- PM'ed you!

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rhythm ranch
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Post by rhythm ranch » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:34 pm

shedshrine wrote:Bought mine manual-free.
PM me with your address (snail mail) and I'll make a copy for you.
Mark

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floid
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Post by floid » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:21 pm

erm,
can i get in on this manual action?
Village Idiot.

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rhythm ranch
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Post by rhythm ranch » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:34 pm

floid wrote:erm,
can i get in on this manual action?
Just follow the directions posted above. :^:

creature.of.habit
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Post by creature.of.habit » Fri Feb 16, 2007 2:19 pm

Mudcloth Jones wrote:This thread inspired me to to finally fix my Yamaha RM804 mixer so I
i kind of miss mine. great/cool/cute mixer.

creature.of.habit
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Post by creature.of.habit » Fri Feb 16, 2007 2:21 pm

RefD wrote:personally, i think the 238 deserves as much adoration as the 388.
*hits ref on the head and avoids getting killed by putting on some tasty gal costa*

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