Tascam 488 compatible with normal bias tapes??!!!

F

Freya

New member
I opened up my Tascam 488 to try and replace the belt (see other thread) but I seem to have discovered something surprising! It seems that the 488 might be compatible with normal bias tapes as well as chrome. There seems to be not only a little arm to detect the write protect notch but also a little arm to detect for chrome tapes! Presumably if it doesn't detect a chrome notch it must switch over to normal bias instead.

I was under the impression that all portastudios were only compatible with chrome bias so this came as a bit of a shock to me and may become useful if the supply of chrome tapes drys up in the future!

Anyone know anything more about this surprising find?

Freya


P.S. If anyone can help me on the 488 belt replacement thread too that would be grand! :)
 
Nope.

One microswitch is Write Protect and the other is Cartridge In Place, which starts the capstan motor spinning.
All tape Portastudios are biased for Type II tapes.
:spank::eek:;)
 
So it will stop the capstan spinning if you put a normal bias tape in there to prevent accidental use of normal bias tapes? Seems a bit odd!
 
Freya said:
So it will stop the capstan spinning if you put a normal bias tape in there to prevent accidental use of normal bias tapes? Seems a bit odd!
Click to expand...

No, the type indicator is in a different position from the "cassette present" detector lever. You can use low bias tapes, but they will sound bad.
 
...

Technically, you can put any type of tape in there and it will function, but it's biased for Type II tapes.
:spank::eek:;)
 
...

It has no tape (bias) type microswitch sensor. It has Write Protect/Enable and Cassette In Place sensors.
:spank::eek:;)
 
Oh well that's a shame. There is a pot labelled bias which is handy but obviously a lot more difficult to set up if it comes to that.

Still we aren't at that stage yet! :)
 
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