a tape-machine tragedy in the works

[davidbarnhart]

this post is pretty much a big plea for help. after sitting hunched over my tape machine for hours with a tiny screwdriver, i've thoroughly decided that i have no idea what's going on inside my machine. here's the story:

i few months back i decided to join the league of tape opers and get a tascam 38. off ebay, but it was supposed to be working fine. the day it came i set it up, threw some 456 on and gave it a shot. the results were disappointing. when i monitored my input, it was clear and loud. when i monitored what it was being printed to tape, however, i found it was muffled (like somebody took a huge bite out of the high end) and far, far less loud.

so, i started trying everything. i switched tapes, switched tracks, switched test tone frequencies, cleaned the heads. finally i bought the manual and decided the machine was poorly calibrated. i went through and abnormally boosted the entire signal path, but it still was just so quiet. finally i gave up.

then last week i found a head demagnetizer at a thrift store. since it was only $3 and i still needed one, i thought that this might be the missing link. sure enough, to my great amazement, a few waves of the wand around the heads and things suddenly improved. signals would loud and strong on tape finally. i congratulated myself on finally fixing the problem and resolved to recalibrate the machine (after my first ill-fated calibration).

so tonight i sat down with some test tools in hand and began tuning it up by the book. to my disappointment, halfway through the cal i realized it was back to the same tricks again...clear on the input, muffled and quiet on the out. even when i boost the repro levels to their max, i can't get enough juice out of this. so...what's the deal. am i missing something? is this a case of a faulty machine or a faulty head?

[A.David.MacKinnon]

Find a good tech. I had a 38 for years and while it was a great starter machine it cost me about $300 a year to keep it running. Although I never had the problem you're discribing I did have tracks that would stop metering or stop working. Sometimes a track would record but wouldn't play back. I was told by my tech that the 38 has 2 circuit boards for each track (an input and output card). The cards would come loose over time (and with movement of the deck).
This might be your problem, might not. Best to find a good tech who will make house calls , ask them as many questions as you can and watch over their shoulder as they work.

[EasyGo]

Like junkshop says, get a tech. The technology is very serviceable, and when it is running right, it'll be SO worth it. I wish my PC ran as well as my Tascam 8 track.

[cominginsecond]

Computers are a hundred times cheaper and easier to maintain than aging tape decks.

[axial]

I like my 38, I have a tech in town and he is like family, this is what I suggest, get close he'll charge ya less and do more work, also the above post is correct in the fact that for some reason 38s are not the most stable workhorses, so learn all you can and check it almost every other session, this will help you to get to know what it has to offer in good working condition. I have never expeiranced your problem.sarsy

I wish you luck.

[@?,*???&?]

Tascam/Teac is in Montebello, California just south of Los Angeles by about 5 minutes. Send it to them and tell them what alignment you want for which tape formulation. They'll replace anything that hinders great sound. Well worth it to have the people who built it bring it up to spec.

[davidbarnhart]

thanks for the help everyone. sadly, i'm trying to be my own tech for most of my gear. maybe in a few more years and a few more dollars i'll hang up the soldering iron and sit back...but not yet.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

Even if you hire a tech once to guide you through the tricks of your machine you'll be better off than just blindly poking around under the hood. It'll probably even save you $$$$$$$ in the long run.

[xonlocust]

looks like they're down right now, but tascam has a great "analog and vintage" forum on thier site under support. when i had my 38, there were some dudes who just knew that machine inside and out and could help with anything. keep checking and when it's back up, look for some guy names longtimeuser. he knows his stuff. good luck!

[yuri t]

Have you ever calibrated an analog machine before? don't forget the are record level adjustments, bias adjustments, hi EQ, lowEQ as well as input and playback. Do you have a reference test tape? Without one trying to setup your deck is useless.