The Tascam 388

[E.Bennett]

don't push down l/r until playback. On mixer channel 1, if you push down bus 1-2 then pan left, signal will go to track 1 of the record head. if you pan right, it will go to track 2 of the record head. if you leave the pan centered, signal will go to both 1 and 2. The PGM faders control the level of odd tracks and even tracks. Search for a manual, it is a very easy read.

[TheRealRoach]

How to multitrack record simultaneously?

To record 8 independent/separate tracks:

- Zero the entire board placing all buttons in their up position and faders at zero.
- Put both orange faders to 7, and the red fader to 7.
- Then select either Mic or Line at the input selector.
- Next press the following "assign" buttons down and panners to the indicated position:
Channel 1 - 1/2, Pan Left
Channel 2 - 1/2, Pan Right
Channel 3 - 3/4, Pan Left
Channel 4 - 3/4, Pan Right
Channel 5 - 5/6, Pan Left
Channel 6 - 5/6, Pan Right
Channel 7 - 7/8, Pan Left
Channel 8 - 7/8, Pan Right
- Arm All Channels 1-8.
- Place each Channel's fader so that the VU is reading the desired level.
- Hit Record.

Note:
- turning up the desired Monitor knob will let you hear the input of an armed track or the playback of a disarmed track.
- do not press any of the L/R assign buttons. Pressing the L/R sends the channel's Input (Mic, Line or RMX) to the Main Stereo Out and effectively disables the Monitor Path. It should be considered a "solo-in-place" button during the recording process.

[appreciative]

Many thanks for all your help.

What are the benefits of having the odd/even program channels controlled by two respective faders?

[TheRealRoach]

Many thanks for all your help.

What are the benefits of having the odd/even program channels controlled by two respective faders?

Are you referring to the Orange Faders?

[the brill bedroom]

Just spoke to Kelley Stoltz in Boston a few weeks ago and we were totally geeking out, showing each other photos of the new 1" 8 tracks we both have purchased, which are both being tweaked by techs as we speak. I just got a MCI JH-110 and he bought what has to be one of the first Ampex 1" 8 tracks not at Atlantic Records or Les Paul's house. We did chat about how much we loved our old reel to reels- Tascam 338 for him, Otari MX5050 for me.

I'll tell you who else had a 338 and loved it; my bets friend as a pimply youth was a monster guitar player named Richie Kotzen who later went on to play with Poison, Mr. Big, Stanley Clarke and release about 10 gold albums in Japan. He actually recently did a tour of Japan opening for the Rolling Stones under his own name - not too shabby a gig. We started off together making 4 track recordings in his barn and I remember being blown away when he upgraded to a 338. It was a huge leap in fidelity form the cassette 4 track. He used that machine to record his first shred album for Shrapnel records when he was 18.

[erockrazor]

I posted this on another forum but since this seems to be a popular place for info on the 388, I figured I'd post it here. Hope it helps somebody

Reel Servo Tension Roller Adjustment

The following process CAN help/cure playback, fast forward, and rewind issues on your Tascam 388. A simple adjustment to the Reel Servo "knobs" can adjust how your tape machine does these functions.

Step 1: First, power on your 388. Take off top cover of 388, behind the VU meters and above the in's and out's. Do it gently as to not harm your pride and joy.

Step 2: After cover removal, find the section of about 8 "knobs". They are above the tape window in a vertical orientation. They don't look exactly like "knobs" but that's why I'm putting quotations around it. If anyone can inform me the technical name for it, please do!

Step 3: Press play on your tape recorder.

Step 4: While tape is in motion, find the "knobs" named R 112 and R 212. These are the adjusters for the Tension Rollers.

A Reel Person's suggested Tension Roller orientation.
Quote:
"The centers of the tension rollers should be even with an imaginary line that's drawn and extends from the BOTTOM EDGE of the capstan and idler rollers."
For me, my tension rollers worked best a little lower than A Reel Person's suggestion.

Step 5: Watch the adjustments made to your rollers. Try playback fast forward and rewind. Work until you find an adjustment where everything is working well.

Step 6: Feel great about yourself because; no, it's not a dead motor, no, it's not the end of your 388, and yes, you just fixed your most prized recording possession.

The beauty of this DIY fix up, is that you can't really screw up your 388 in the process if you just stick to the aforementioned process. It's all mechanical and you can fiddle until it works up to your standard. Another positive thing, is that none of this altered my play/record speed and that's the most important thing on this board!

Now go record something!!!!!!

[vivalastblues]

Just bought one of these real cheap with several problems included, and want to troubleshoot it one step at a time. First things first - reel movement is really temperamental - sometimes Play works fine, sometimes it speeds up as if it's fast-forwarding. Fast Forward seems to work perfectly, and rewind is sporadic.

I'm also hearing mostly noise upon playback through the headphone out, with some faint sound in the background (this tape has been used before). Admittedly haven't given the heads a proper clean yet so that could solve that problem.

If anyone can tell me what to do that'd be great.

By the way, all 8 VU's are lit up!

[TheRealRoach]

Admittedly haven't given the heads a proper clean yet so that could solve that problem.

Clean the machine top to bottom!!! ...then get back to us. Gummed up heads can cause so many problems, especially if you just picked the thing up and god-knows-when it was cleaned last.

[the velour fog]

i miss my 388.

[TheRealRoach]

i miss my 388.

... and it misses you.

[vivalastblues]

Finally got around to fixing mine, the first and most obvious problem is one of these is missing:



Well I've got it but it's in bad shape.



Anyone know where to get a new one?

[shedshrine]

one of these is missing:

[Anyone know where to get a new one?

http://tascam.com/contact/parts/

Ask for "analog support", You need to order a new pinch roller.

[TheRealRoach]

Oh my god what the hell happened to that thing!? HA. It looks like it was a dog's chew toy.

[shedshrine]

Terry at Terry's Rubber Pinch Rollers says..
"What to use for cleaning pinch rollers and other rubber items
Many people ask me what to clean their pinch rollers with. I wish I had a good super secret formula I used and could tell you about, but I don't.
I see daily and have heard what chemicals do to rubber, and it isn't good. Sooner or later the rubber will be ruined.
Some types of rubber dry out, crack, and get hard, while others get soft and gooey.

My advise and its only my opinion, and I know this doesn't clean as well as some high octaine chemical,
but I suggest just plain old dish soap and water, then rinse well. "

http://www.terrysrubberrollers.com/

[vivalastblues]

one of these is missing:

[Anyone know where to get a new one?

http://tascam.com/contact/parts/

Ask for "analog support", You need to order a new pinch roller.

Done, thanks a lot for that. Now we'll see if they get back to me till next year...

Oh my god what the hell happened to that thing!? HA. It looks like it was a dog's chew toy.

That's a good description. It was in that condition when I bought it and didn't want to ask the guy what had happened. He was a real weird guy and I mostly just couldn't wait to get out of there with my $250 388...