Tascam TSR-8

jjones1700

Learning, always learning
There is one listed here locally for $400. Is that a good deal for a TSR-8? After talking with the guy, he is the 2nd owner and has put about 4 reels through it since he has had it. I haven't actually gone over to test it out, but from what he says it functions properly. I'm just hoping it doesn't sound too flat from the narrow format. Finding Otari or Revox in Texas is damn near a myth, so I'm thinking of the TSR-8, especially since it won't see any place except my little studio room. Just figured I would pose the question to you gents. Thanks.;)
 
Everything I've heard about the the TSR-8 is positive. I prefer analog VU's and three heads but the TSR-8 is a slick package. I know it to be a solid performer, parts are relatively well affordable...I consider 400 to be a good price if it is healthy. I've seen less (but not much less) and much more. Look at those heads and trust your gut.

And BTW my favorite sounding deck was a 3340S with that same narrow format. ;)
 
That sounds reasonable so long as it's in decent working condition and the if the head still has some shape to it. Just remember, it's a 2 head deck, not a 3 so calibration will be a bit trickier but having the dbx built in is a real bonus as is the savings on the additional patch cords to hook that up!

It's also the last of the Mohican's as far as productions machines go so you've got a chance of it not being old and worn out with dry caps and oxidized, intermittent connections all over the place as a lot of 20 year + decks are showing at this point.

As for it being flat, it won't be. It's gonna have a nice warm bottom end bass response though it might sound a bit thin if you're used to 8 track 1" machines...are you?

Bottom line; check it out in person, make sure everything works, do a test recording on all 8 tracks and check for consistency, level weirdness, odd mechanical noises, see how smoothly it spools a tape, signs of moisture damage from poor storage...those sorts of things.

Good luck!

Cheers! :)
 
My first new eight tracker was a TSR-8. We made quite a few albums on it. I still have them on cd and they sound fine to me. It never gave any problems but I traded it for a MSR16s after a couple of years so I really didn't have it that long. In hindsight I think the TSR8 sounded better than the MSR16. Probably because it fitted just 8 and not 16 tracks onto 1/2".

Apparently there are a few watch outs on them now given that they're getting on a bit. I think there have been some posts on here about those and there are some people here who still own and operate them. I think you can sync two of them together as well. You could probably do a search and find those posts.

Fine machine in my view.

G
 
Thanks guys for the input. I didn't even think about it being a 2 head machine. I guess experimenting with tape echo is out, unless I try to do it on my RT-909 or the 122b deck. I won't be using it all that much since tape is at $75+ per reel. I tried snagging a 38 a few months ago but that didn't pan out. Ghost, no I haven't used a 1" machine.:p My RT-909 is the fanciest machine I've ever touched. I'm still pretty green to the recording world.

On the plus side, I do have a M-2516 which would work perfectly since it does have the 8 outs. I don't think I'll let 2 heads be a deal breaker. I'll definitely put the machine through it's paces before I fork over the green.;)
 
Having the 8 buss mixer is a real bonus! sounds like now all you'd need is a couple of 8 channel RCA-RCA snakes, some fresh blank tape and you'll be ready to become the next.................**insert favorite musical idol here.............**:D

Cheers! :)
 
Having the 8 buss mixer is a real bonus! sounds like now all you'd need is a couple of 8 channel RCA-RCA snakes, some fresh blank tape and you'll be ready to become the next.................**insert favorite musical idol here.............**:D

Cheers! :)

I don't know about the idol part.:p Hell, I'm still trying to learn to play the bass and guitar whenever (very rarely) time permits. I've got some friends in bands that I would like to try this out on though. I'd love to learn how to go through the whole process from recording to assembling an album. One step at a time though.

The guy is throwing in the snake and a couple reels of tape. He asked if I could hold off for a few days while he transfers the stuff onto his computer from the reels. Now I'm itching to get this thing and try it out!:D
 
On the plus side, I do have a M-2516 which would work perfectly since it does have the 8 outs. I don't think I'll let 2 heads be a deal breaker. I'll definitely put the machine through it's paces before I fork over the green.;)

This is a lot like my early set up, I had a M-224 and a TSR-8 (which replaced a TEAC 3340). I upgraded the 224 with a M-2524. This was a great set up. I like jedblue replaced my TSR-8 with a MSR-16S, as I needed more tracks but needed to keep tape costs low. The MSR16S was a good machine, I still have it, but I always have a soft spot for the TSR-8.

By the way, all of the above I bought new not long after they were released (showing my age), I now use a M-3700 with a MX2424 digital recorder or the MSR16S, sometimes both synced together.

If the TSR8 is in good working order it will be a good buy, last generation of the Tascam 8 tracks.

Cheers

Alan.
 
That’s a good deal for a TSR-8 in excellent working condition. Make sure the heads are good… not too worn.

The TSR-8 is what I chose many years ago after lots of research and comparison. In fact, it beat out the Otari MX5050/8 MKII by a good margin, which was also on my short list. I was used to working in a pro environment with machines costing many times that back in the day. With that background I set out to fill a costly order with a cost effective “semi-pro” solution for my home studio.

It’s not really narrow track, unless you consider 2” 24-track to be narrow track… some people do, I guess. Because of the way Tascam designed the heads, track width is roughly the same. Depending on the manufacturer 24-tracks have a width between 0.038 and 0.041 inch. The TSR-8 is 0.039 inch per track. That goes for the other Tascam ½” 8-tracks as well.

What really sets the TSR-8 apart is gentle, consistent tape handling… very low torque; on par with closed-loop systems costing tens of thousands of dollars back then. The transport is microcomputer controlled. It also has the most tightly integrated onboard dbx NR I’ve ever seen (heard). It’s really unreal how they managed to bring this thing to market at such a low price… MSRP only $3499.00 in 1990. Omitting that third head and associated circuitry probably helped quite a bit.

The two-head design is no big deal when multitracking. For mastering with half-track I definitely want to hear what’s coming off the tape in real time, but not so much with multitracking. When you’re the engineer/producer/artist all in one you’re mostly in sync mode anyway.

Back to track width: 24-track on 2-inch doesn’t sound, “Thinner” than 16-track on 2-inch as much as it just sounds noisier… more tape hiss. Dolby Type-A and dbx Type-I noise reduction made 2-inch 24-track more practical. Same with 8-track on half-inch. With dbx on you have 108 dB signal-to-noise ratio (better than most digital systems) and crosstalk of 82 dB… pretty awesome.

So anyway, I knew I was buying a capable machine with the TSR-8, and experience with it over the years has not disappointed. I’m one happy TSR-8 owner.

~Tim
:)
 
Wow, thanks guys. It's decided then. I'll grab it when he is finished transferring his reels. I guess the next question would be what mix down deck would compliment this? The 22-2? I've got a 122b if I want to mix down to cassette, but I'm just curious about mixing down to a reel.
 
Hi,
I can agree with all that has been said. I started with a TSR-8, Then got an MSR-24 and forsaked the TSR-8 and sold it to a friend. Just last year I found out my friend who had moved out of state had my old friend still in the box in a closet. I bought it back, at half price of what I sold it for 15 years before, I love it and use it constantly. Right now I think They sound the best I have ever heard. I attribute this to the RMGI 911 tape I have been using. I say "they" because I now have 4 TSR-8's. I found 2 NIB recently on e-bay and When I thought my machine was bad from storage I bought a used one on e-bay. It turned out my heads just had some tiny dried specks of sticky shed. You really have to look at the heads with a magnifying glass. Good luck with your TSR-8, you wont be dissapointed.
VP:cool:
 
Yeah, a magnifying glass and a nice bright flashlight like an LED flashlight really helps for inspecting the stack.

jjones, so you haven't seen it yet?

Nice job everybody with the info. Kudos especially to Beck. That quantitative info is really valuable.

I was going to say another nice thing about sticking with the Tascam family of 1/2" 8-tracks is the rec/repro head is the same as found in the 38, 48, 58 and maybe even the ATR60-8...that's a lot of models and that makes for replacement heads being readily available and for some time I would guess.

And as I said, and like you've decided, 2 heads should NOT be a deal-breaker. Less heads to clean. :D It only really comes into play when you are biasing the deck and of course if you like to monitor off the repro head during playback but the audio performance is the same in sync and repro modes on all the above mentioned three head decks so there really isn't any advantage to monitoring off the repro head. When biasing you have to record your tone, rewind, reproduce, take note of the levels, tweak the level trimmers, record more tone, rewind, reproduce, etc. until its biased. With a three head deck you can track tone and monitor in real time off the repro head and adjust the bias on the fly. Its just faster that's all, but how often will you need to do that? If you use the same tape all the time it may be a set and forget more or less and then maybe check it if you get new tape (even of the same make and model...different batches can be slightly different), or maybe check it once a year or every 6 months or something in case its drifted a little. Not a big deal at all.

The other thing to think about is that with less static components in the tape path (i.e. no third head) there is potential for less scrape flutter and better audio performance. Probably cannot be detected without using geek tools but it it falls in line with the whole less is more idea.

I've never owned a TSR-8 nor seen the innards of one. I know I used to drool on pictures of them in catalogs in the 90's. I really like my 58. It was Tascam's pinnacle 1/2" 8-track at the time, but I can recall how shocked I was at the differences in design engineering over just a few years between the 58 and 48. Totally different tape path topology between the two...different market brackets too...but I can see where Teac managed the cost point in several areas and they were very smart about how they did that, and the way they put the deck together was just really slick. It stands to reason that the TSR-8 takes that further and on that assumption I'd say it is likely super-slick. Those specs Beck put up are indeed impressive.

Best wishes on the potential acquisition, and keep us posted!
 
Wow, talk about information overload.:eek: You guys are awesome. One quick question about syncing two of them together (like I'll ever get another one, but humor me). If I synced two of these together, I would end up with 14 usable tracks correct? Also, can a tape made on a TSR-8 be played back on a 38?
 
Wow, talk about information overload.:eek: You guys are awesome. One quick question about syncing two of them together (like I'll ever get another one, but humor me). If I synced two of these together, I would end up with 14 usable tracks correct? Also, can a tape made on a TSR-8 be played back on a 38?

Yes 14 and yes so long as the 38 has the optional dbx units to decode the signal printed on the TSR-8.

Cheers! :)
 
Looks like some bad news...

It turns out it wasn't in as good of shape as we both thought it was. Email below:

I finally got a chance to pull the tascam tape machine out of the closet and try to check things. Things aren't quite in the shape I assumed, though, so I'll just be honest with you up front.

One of the rubber pinch rollers has been affected by the heat. I think it may have been caused by Hurricane Ike, because when we lost our power, it was out for almost 18 days, and our house got really warm. So it's a little gummy now. This means you'll want to buy a replacement pinch roller, which can usually be found on ebay from $40-50. For example: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-TASCAM-1-2-ROLLER-38-48-42-44-TSR-8-MSR-16-REEL_W0QQ

Also, the right-side reel holder is a little loose. From what I can tell, this won't cause an actual problem, but tightening a screw in the middle did not help the way I thought it might.

In addition, the metal rollers could use some polishing from the oxidation, and the heads could use some cleaning. However, I think this should be simple and cheap, such as wiping everything down with isopropyl or denatured alcohol. Everything else runs fine.

Would you still be interested in the unit, despite these problems? I suppose you have to expect to deal with problems when it comes to old tape machines, but no doubt if you have the time/money to invest, it's worth it.

Let me know what you think.

Suggestions? Should I turn this away or offer something like $250 - $300? Does the TSR-8 have channel cards or is everything integrated. At this rate, I'd like to pop the back on this thing and have a look at the innards as well.
 
If there is actual rust on the heads from the extreme humidity and heat exposure along with some degree of salty air from being near the water, I'd be tempted to walk away from this deal...even if it was free. Why? because if the heads are rusted, so to might be every other metal part on the deck and that includes all the connection points that connect one circuit board to another to say nothing of what other damages the owner admitted to such all the rubber parts being toast and one of the reel clampers being cracked.

If you have a lot of time and patience to nurse this patient back to to life, that's one thing but, if you wanted to buy this machine to actually use it...now, then it's definitely not going to accommodate that.

Visit the seller and check it out anyway as there's always a chance that the damage isn't as bad or exactly as the owner has described to you but, without the rubber being in place, you won't be able to do any recording and playback tests which is not a good thing. You could check the input electronics by inputting a signal to at least see if it will pass a signal and if the meters still work but, beyond that, you'll be buying blind.

And yes, make him a lower offer and it conditional on the damage only being as bad as what he has now described to you. If the damage is even worse, so too should your offer be.

Cheers! :)
 
I guess this is turning into the TSR-8 story

Thanks so much for the advice Ghost. We have swapped emails again and he is going to order and replace the pinch roller himself to get his material off his reels. He also clarified that the oxidation is from tape oxide, not the metal itself. The only thing that raises a brow after that is the reel clamp. I haven't swapped another email after finding this out, but I'm assuming the screw he is referring to in the middle of the clamp is for height/tracking adjustment isn't it? My RT-909 decks have that and every once in a great while I have to make a minor adjustment if the tape tries to rub a flange. As far as the one on the TSR-8 being loose, I'm at a loss at what would cause that. Is there a set screw of some sort that has to be tightened? Sorry for the ignorant questions, but I've never had to deal with these problems and I'm not familiar with the TSR-8.

One last question (for the moment): What is the preferred position to work with these decks? Upright? Laying down? Mounted horizontally? What is the advantage of one over the other? Thanks guys for your patience!;)
 
The issue with the reel adapter is that it is cracked. Common. You'll need to get a new one. Teac has them for way less than eBay. It may still hold the reel but it won't hold it firmly in place.

The deck will be happy upright, on its back or at an angle. I believe the preferred position is at an angle. Good compromise between on its back but still easier to access for the operator and not as hard on thrust bearings as fully on its back, yet easier on roller bearings. Not critical at all though.

Look it over closely, jjones...like Ghost said if there is any acital rust or oxidation I'd walk away.
 
The issue with the reel adapter is that it is cracked. Common. You'll need to get a new one. Teac has them for way less than eBay. It may still hold the reel but it won't hold it firmly in place.

The deck will be happy upright, on its back or at an angle. I believe the preferred position is at an angle. Good compromise between on its back but still easier to access for the operator and not as hard on thrust bearings as fully on its back, yet easier on roller bearings. Not critical at all though.

Look it over closely, jjones...like Ghost said if there is any acital rust or oxidation I'd walk away.

Awesome! Thanks man! I'll call Tascam on Monday to price the reel adapter. Just have to wait for the guy to get back in town from a work related trip now.
 
Lots of good info on here. Make sure you do call Teac like Sweet suggested because they are generally cheaper then junkbay. I bought 1 hub adapter from Teac and paid 10.00 less then the lowest price on junkbay.
 
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