The Tascam 388

[TheRealRoach]

I can deal with 1 missing track, but it'd be great to get them all working!

I know... it's frustrating.

I would remove the guide again and try something that makes me cringe a bit but it worked for me. Take a reel and fast forward or rewind the entire reel across the tape heads. You'll have to push the tape lifter switch in. It could be a total fluke but I cleaned and did everything that you've listed. I guess the theory is that the tape friction will "sand down" a small ridge that may have formed as a result of a slightly different tape width. What tape are you using anyway? RMG LPR35?

What you can also try is to play some tones off the tape and manually push the tape up against the head to help it out a little in case it is just a matter of the tape not making proper contact. You should print tones on all 8 tracks and then flip the tape over so that track 8's tones will play on track 1's head.

[fuadramsey]

I would remove the guide again and try something that makes me cringe a bit but it worked for me. Take a reel and fast forward or rewind the entire reel across the tape heads. You'll have to push the tape lifter switch in. It could be a total fluke but I cleaned and did everything that you've listed. I guess the theory is that the tape friction will "sand down" a small ridge that may have formed as a result of a slightly different tape width. What tape are you using anyway? RMG LPR35?

What you can also try is to play some tones off the tape and manually push the tape up against the head to help it out a little in case it is just a matter of the tape not making proper contact. You should print tones on all 8 tracks and then flip the tape over so that track 8's tones will play on track 1's head.

Okays makes sense. Yes I'm using the RMG LPR35. Did you do the rewind/fast forward thing on the regular side of the tape or the flipped side? Where is track 1 located on the heads: top or bottom?

Thanks!

[E.Bennett]

if it does need relapping, the price should be reasonable. plus jrf will do an ultrasonic cleaning and optical headstack alignment. well worth the expense.

[fuadramsey]

I would remove the guide again and try something that makes me cringe a bit but it worked for me. Take a reel and fast forward or rewind the entire reel across the tape heads. You'll have to push the tape lifter switch in. It could be a total fluke but I cleaned and did everything that you've listed. I guess the theory is that the tape friction will "sand down" a small ridge that may have formed as a result of a slightly different tape width.

It works! I don't know how, but I tired a combination of things: over and over again.

First I tried your tip: I removed the tape guide and fast forwarded the tape with the tape lifter switch in. This did not work, so I did it in reverse too.

It seemed liked it helped a little bit initially, but the second time the sound got worse. I think this was because of the buildup of tape material. I cleaned the head really well with denatured alcohol and had to scrape off some gunk that I was barely able to see with a bright light right on it. I used (forgive me people) a piece of a clean bamboo skewer. I figured I did not have much to loose since that track was toast. I went easy and cleaned the top part of the head which I assume is track one.

After I did this it helped out and sounded better. I ran the tape again fast forward with the guide off and the tape lifter in. I cleaned it again with the alcohol and a q-tip this time. I mean I really got in there.

This time it sounded a tad better but not much. I told myself this was the last time. I got in there again and really cleaned the tape path and really got in on the head again. As I was looking with the flash light at the tape path as the tape was in there. It looked like the tape may have had a slight bump towards the bottom part of the tape guide. This could have been a shadow with the light since it was so small to really see clearly.

Anyways I paid careful attention to this area and did the q-tip alcohol thing again.

Now all 8 channels work! I did a bunch of tests on the tracks using tones, tone sweeps and a drum track comparing the channels to each other. It seems like channel one may not be as bright as the others, but just by a tad if any at all. Anyways it's toally workable now.

Thanks everybody for the tips!

[TheRealRoach]

Now all 8 channels work! I did a bunch of tests on the tracks using tones, tone sweeps and a drum track comparing the channels to each other. It seems like channel one may not be as bright as the others, but just by a tad if any at all. Anyways it's toally workable now.

Thanks everybody for the tips!

Great! The lack of brightness/fidelity on track one is not unusual. On any tape machine the outside tracks (in our case, tracks 1 and will never quite show the same stability on the outside tracks, especially at high frequencies. If you print a bunch of tones on the tape (50, 100, 1k, 10k, 15k) you'll see that especially at 10 and 15 the VU's on playback on tracks 1 and 8 will be a bit more wobbly then others.

[fuadramsey]

Okay I'm closer to the last steps to record with this baby.

My buddy was telling me a horror story where they tracked their band. When it came time to overdubs the song was out of tune at different parts of the tape.

What's the best way to test this? I was thinking of grabbing a test tone from my computer (440hz) for 4 minutes. I would then test it against a known instrument or that same tone from the computer.

Any other methods?

[fuadramsey]

Okay I'm closer to the last steps to record with this baby.

My buddy was telling me a horror story where they tracked their band. When it came time to overdubs the song was out of tune at different parts of the tape.

What's the best way to test this? I was thinking of grabbing a test tone from my computer (440hz) for 4 minutes. I would then test it against a known instrument or that same tone from the computer.

Any other methods?

Test worked fine. I generated a test tone with Audacity. I then ran an out from my hardware interface (Fast Track Ultra) to an input on the Tascam and recorded it for 4 minutes. I then sent the monitor out on the Tascam to a portable tuner. The tuner read exactly at the correct pitch. A couple times it moved a little bit, but not much to notice the pitch if playing with it.

[slickguy2000]

Hey fellow 388'ers, does anyone know where I can get a replacement tape compartment lid? If not, any recommendations on an alternative?

Thanks!

[j.harv]

They're not being made anymore,but yo could make your own with a piece
of tinted plexiglass.

[Mark]

I just did something very silly.

My 388 was looking a bit dusty, so I thought I'd vacuum the top of it. As a result I lost one of the caps on my assign switches (the little square piece on the top. Apparently this one was lose enough to get sucked up into the bag).

Since I hate the idea of my 388 looking less than perfect does anyone have a spare/know where I can buy a new one (the cap. Not a new 388 )?

I really must change my avatar.

[E.Bennett]

Gloves, mask and patience... Shouldn't take too long to sift through that bag

[shedshrine]

Gloves, mask and patience... Shouldn't take too long to sift through that bag

Hey Mark, long time no see. If you'd use the thing more often it wouldn't get so dusty you know..

(I hear Dyson's don't even have a bag. Just something to think about.)

[Mark]

I had to cut the bag open (which ruined a less than half full bag), but I found it eventually.

Hey Shred. Yes it has been a while. I took some time off music and recording.

[kslight]

Gloves, mask and patience... Shouldn't take too long to sift through that bag

Hey Mark, long time no see. If you'd use the thing more often it wouldn't get so dusty you know..

(I hear Dyson's don't even have a bag. Just something to think about.)

Yeah Dysons are bagless. Expensive vacuums but totally amazing, the only vac I've bought that hasn't failed in a year.

[shedshrine]

Hey Mark, long time no see. If you'd use the thing more often it wouldn't get so dusty you know..

(I hear Dyson's don't even have a bag. Just something to think about.)

Yeah Dysons are bagless. Expensive vacuums but totally amazing, the only vac I've bought that hasn't failed in a year.

Ha. Yeah, we actually have a Dyson too. I liked James Dyson's ad where he said went through 500 prototypes on his way to making a vacuum cleaner that "worked properly". I just wanted to give Mark a hard time.
Glad he got his insert cap back!