Cleaning/Maintenance on Tascam 488 - need some tips.

DiMMaX

New member
Hi,

I recently got this Portastudio 488 MKII and before I integrate it into my studio I'd like to clean it and give it a proper maintenance. I'm waiting now for brand new tapes to arrive because there was a lot of noise over my recordings when I tried with a tape I had lying around years (it was the proper type II tape).
I've been searching the net about this but I also like to get some hands on experience from people doing this before. Things to look after, things I shouldn't be doing or botter with. Things like that.

So yeah, anyone around like to share some insights?
What's the main thing to look after?

Oh and another question related to this: is there any 'home-made' tool that can be used to demagnetise the heads? (I have no real demagnetiser at hand)

Thanks a lot in advance ;)

Grtz!
 
Thanks for your reply.
I already had seen the video (and a bunch more) so I've been doing the cotton tip cleaning already. I guess there isn't much more to it then.

Except the demagnetising, I haven't done that. Not sure where to get such a tool where I live (Belgium). I guess I should start looking around then, if there's no home made tool :)

Oh well, I have a Sony TC 378 and 366 to clean as well, so I guess the investment in the tool is worth it.

Thanks again ;)
 
Don't get too crazy with the demag....maybe initially, and then just once a while, depending how much use you do.
Clean often, every session...but demag only occasionally.
 
You probably already know this but I notice tons of noise on my portastudio when I’m not using the DBX noise reduction. Is the noise present when you’re using a line in too, or just a mic?
 
You probably already know this but I notice tons of noise on my portastudio when I’m not using the DBX noise reduction.

Yeah I knew thins indeed. That's why I have the DBX on. Not sure yet if I want to keep this on all the time. I can think of moments where teh noise might be wanted. But for now (as I just bought it) I want to see/hear how low the noise can get. And at this point the noise is freakin' high, even with the DBX on.

Is the noise present when you’re using a line in too, or just a mic?

Well, interesting you ask because I was playing with it yesterday and I noticed that the noise is present all the time. Like yesterday, when I had nothing plugged into any input (or even output for that matter, except the headphones) and I noticed there was already quite some noise present.
When the faders of all channels are on the 7/8 mark and the headphone output level at 12'o clock position I hear quite some noise. When I bring the faders down per channel the noise is reduced dramatically to an acceptable level.
So this means I can clean the heads or even demagnetise them as much as I like, it won't help. The noise must be on the circuit.
But then again, the levels I'm talking about might be too high anyway and so I might be hearing the noise floor being raised due to my output volume being on a too high level. Dunno...
I'm used to work with a noise floor in an analog chain, but this level of noise seems a bit higher to be just the noise floor...

I'm waiting for the new tapes to arrive so I can start testing with actual recordings and see if the noise level is 'abnormally high' or not.
 
Don't get too crazy with the demag....maybe initially, and then just once a while, depending how much use you do.
Clean often, every session...but demag only occasionally.

Yeah I figured,.. I'ven been reading up on the topic and came to the same conclusion. There's even people advising you should even clean them during a break in a session. But I think that might be a little too much :)

The thing with the demagnetising is that this unit is quite old (1993 or so) and I'm sure the previous owner (who wasn't the first owner) didn't clean or demagnetise the heads at all. So I figured a demagnetising might be necessary. But then again, maybe even not. Not sure if what I'm hearing is a result of a magnetised head or not.
So yeah, if it turns out I don't really have to botter with the magnetisation at all, then I'm happy to move on and skip that. So yeah, how important is it and what's a better description for the symptoms of a magnetised head than 'it causes noise'? :)
 
Amazon?

Amazon.com: Universal HEAD DEMAGNETIZER for Cassette Tape Deck Recorder Reel to Reel 8 Track VHS Audio Video: Musical Instruments

Or Tonar, a brand that sells lot of accessories:

Tonar tape demagnetizer - MFBfreaks.com

Thanks!
I googled it and for some reason I couldn't find one. Well, not this kind. I could find the cube shaped and ring shaped ones, but no this 'pen like'.
Seems like the second link will be the easiest. Thanks for sharing!

Or most Philips shops?

Yeah well, apparently not as they say on that page that this product isn't available anymore :)
But hey, both links above will do just fine ;) thanks ;)
 
Some Philips shops still sell stuff from years ago...

You have to find one, tho. There's one in Antwerp (Berchem, Statiestraat). All boxes in the window are UV bleached :D
 
Yeah I knew thins indeed. That's why I have the DBX on. Not sure yet if I want to keep this on all the time. I can think of moments where teh noise might be wanted. But for now (as I just bought it) I want to see/hear how low the noise can get. And at this point the noise is freakin' high, even with the DBX on.



Well, interesting you ask because I was playing with it yesterday and I noticed that the noise is present all the time. Like yesterday, when I had nothing plugged into any input (or even output for that matter, except the headphones) and I noticed there was already quite some noise present.
When the faders of all channels are on the 7/8 mark and the headphone output level at 12'o clock position I hear quite some noise. When I bring the faders down per channel the noise is reduced dramatically to an acceptable level.
So this means I can clean the heads or even demagnetise them as much as I like, it won't help. The noise must be on the circuit.
But then again, the levels I'm talking about might be too high anyway and so I might be hearing the noise floor being raised due to my output volume being on a too high level. Dunno...
I'm used to work with a noise floor in an analog chain, but this level of noise seems a bit higher to be just the noise floor...

I'm waiting for the new tapes to arrive so I can start testing with actual recordings and see if the noise level is 'abnormally high' or not.

another thing you might try ( since the noise is the same for all channels), is to try different plugs around the house to see if you can reduce the noise. Maybe you’ll get lucky.... :)
 
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