Tascam 388 right channel

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illuminations
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Tascam 388 right channel

Post by illuminations » Sat Apr 20, 2019 10:24 pm

Hi all,

I'm having an issue with the right channel I'm hoping someone may be able to help with. Essentially, the right channel is not giving any playback. Anything panned right just goes silent. I've had the machine for a while so I know I'm not missing anything as far as normal functions go. Also, the right VU meter is functioning properly.

I've tried replacing both bus pcbs as well as the monitor pcbs with ones from my parts machine and it's still going on.

I've searched high and low here and on other forums and have not found a solution. It seems like this has been an issue for others but the solution never seems to be found.

Does anybody have an idea of what other parts night be worth swapping out? Is there some other area of the machine I should be looking into?

Thanks

kslight
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Re: Tascam 388 right channel

Post by kslight » Sun Apr 21, 2019 6:07 am

To be clear, this problem appears on all channels? Mic, input, and remix mode? Through the headphone out AND the xlr outs?


Here’s a wild card, i know you said you replaced the bus boards, but several times now i have come across bad faders on these causing weird symptoms like “bad channels.” Maybe try swapping out the right bus fader.

illuminations
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Re: Tascam 388 right channel

Post by illuminations » Sun Apr 21, 2019 3:23 pm

So I just checked and yeah it's happening across the full spectrum. Just replaced the right bus fader but it didn't help. I'm going to try changing the master fader tonight to see if that helps. Any other thoughts? I've had pretty good luck trouble shooting but swapping parts, but this might be the tough one. Not even really sure if there is somewhere to take it in Chicago that will fix it at a reasonable price.

kslight
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Re: Tascam 388 right channel

Post by kslight » Sun Apr 21, 2019 3:34 pm

illuminations wrote:
Sun Apr 21, 2019 3:23 pm
So I just checked and yeah it's happening across the full spectrum. Just replaced the right bus fader but it didn't help. I'm going to try changing the master fader tonight to see if that helps. Any other thoughts? I've had pretty good luck trouble shooting but swapping parts, but this might be the tough one. Not even really sure if there is somewhere to take it in Chicago that will fix it at a reasonable price.
I'm assuming your R meter is showing signal as well?

Did you try with/without any of the buss buttons (per channel) depressed? The PGM master section?

What happens when you press the mono button? Do you still lose right panned stuff?

You're in a similar boat as me...I've gotten pretty far on these just swapping parts around doing basic common sense...but I have my limits. I'm sure there's someone that could fix it...but I don't think a cheap tech has ever existed... I do know a guy in KC, who did get one of mine going which had a few really weird things going on...and then I had him align both of my machines. But he's not cheap.

illuminations
pluggin' in mics
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Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:28 am

Re: Tascam 388 right channel

Post by illuminations » Sun Apr 21, 2019 4:33 pm

I pretty much tried some combination of every button pressed and not pressed.

Thanks for asking about the mono and meter. Forgot to mention that the first post. When mono is engaged both channels produce sound. And both main meters are reading correctly whether it's mono, stereo, panned left/right. Just no sound. The sound does taper as I pan from center to right.

Not sure if this would effect anything, but I was getting intermittent static on channel 8 before this problem started. But when I was running it to test it wasn't happening.

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Nick Sevilla
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Re: Tascam 388 right channel

Post by Nick Sevilla » Mon Apr 22, 2019 10:49 pm

illuminations wrote:
Sun Apr 21, 2019 4:33 pm
I pretty much tried some combination of every button pressed and not pressed.

Thanks for asking about the mono and meter. Forgot to mention that the first post. When mono is engaged both channels produce sound. And both main meters are reading correctly whether it's mono, stereo, panned left/right. Just no sound. The sound does taper as I pan from center to right.

Not sure if this would effect anything, but I was getting intermittent static on channel 8 before this problem started. But when I was running it to test it wasn't happening.
Check the post fader amplifier for the Right Master. It may well be after the Mono tap, which is getting fed from both channels.
Try this: Take a right faded channel (full right) and engage the Mono button. Dos sound come out both speakers / any speaker?

Channel 8 has nothing to do with the Right Master issue.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

illuminations
pluggin' in mics
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Re: Tascam 388 right channel

Post by illuminations » Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:43 am

I can give that a shot this evening.

I should say, yesterday when I was looking things over, the issue actually changed. Now what's happening is it's switched to a weird mono thing. Essentially what is happening now is that both channels are coming through with sound but it seems to be a mono signal. The sound seems to be stronger when centered and slightly lower in volume when panned left or right. The main meters are reading correctly. The strange thing is it's even happening in my mixdown deck. It's connected to the unbalanced stereo outs. The left and right meters are moving correctly when I pan, but monitoring through headphones of the mixdown deck I'm getting the same weird mono-ish anomaly. When I press the mono button it gets a little louder, but it's doing the same thing. When I pan left or right the sound gets a little quieter but it comes through on both the left and right channel.

The one exception is the monitor outs. This is the only thing correctly will pan the sound.

This morning when I first fired it up it was back to no right channel sound. So I pulled out my headphone cable and plugged it in to my mixdown deck and it was back to the weird mono thing. I then plugged the headphones back into the 388 and it was still doing the mono thing.

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