Tascam Porta Two HS recording issue - weak level

famous beagle

Well-known member
Hey y'all,

I happened upon this machine for free, since it was not working. You couldn't even get a tape in because the head stack wasn't recessed.

Replacing the belt took care of that, and then things seemed to be going well. All four tracks play back really well, and I began to get excited.

However, when I made some test recordings (yes I thoroughly cleaned the heads), I discovered that tracks 1 and 3 are recording very well, but tracks 2 and 4 are a bit weak in level (2 is the worst) and a bit static-y as well. It sounded to me kind of like a dirty connection issue possibly, so I unplugged all the ribbon connectors leading to and from the transport section and cleaned them with contact cleaner before replugging them, but that didn't make a difference unfortunately.

I don't have the time or energy to really lay into this thing, but I thought I'd mention it just in case someone else had experienced a similar symptom and had a good idea of what it may be. Since I got it for free, it would be great to get it up and running. If I can't though, I'll most likely sell it for parts/repair.

I know that the weak level could possibly be a calibration issue, but I'm not so sure on the static/popping noises.

Anyway ... anyone with a clue?

Thanks
 
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