488 help!! Don't let me go digital.

[Be Loveless]

Briefly...
Had flutter
Changed capstan belt (from friendly knowledgable local electronics store and directions on this board)
Still got warble and flutter (Only really noticeable on guitar)
Ideas?

[Be Loveless]

Have cleaned heads, demagnetized, and cleaned the pinch roller AGAIN (it was pretty dirty. Warble whatever you want to call it is still there. seems to only be "noticeable" on high frqunecies. also notice tha specifically on track one if I record no signal there is this "rumble" sound in the background kind of like a muffled wind blowing.
Come on guys. I just bought a house, my loan for recording school just got denied, I started setting up my room and now my recorder farts out on me, I can't afford a new one right now and i desperately need to make a new demo cause my band has like 0 gigs lined up. I'm gonna freak the fuck out.

[Track Rat]

Come to the dark side...........come to the dark side............

[Be Loveless]

I can't afford the Dark side. Besides he's behind in the polls after the debates (just one joke people, by me, on the thread I started please don't turn this into a Cave fight.)

OK, Listened to some old tapes and they play back fine EXCEPT for this vocal that I recorded recently on track 1 through channel 1.
I'm confused. I would think that if it records wobbly then any tape would also play back erratically if indeed if it's a problem with the speed remaining constant. Sooooo first i'm going to try another fresh tape, I'm guessing that the constant overdubbing and DBX on and off that I did while trouble shooting may have fried them a bit ? But if a fresh tape has the same difficulties I,m going to assume that this is not typical belt/maintenence problem, maybe head alignment? But if the heads were not aligned correctly would'nt I get some kind of bleed through or track overlap? wait a minute! On the recently recorded troublshooting tapes i could hear some things in the cue monitor that were not assigned to it but in the old tapes (which play back fine) there was no such problem. I GOT GREMLINS. This does'nt make any fucking sense!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Ghost of FM]

Try a fresh tape and re-start the project.

Any older recordings you made on an unhealthy machine will gladly show all their frailties on a fixed one.

Don't start messing with head alignment!! Especially if the original set-screw glue is still in place...it couldn't have drifted that badly to do what your describing.

dbx noise reduction can produce its own breathing artifacts and especially so on certain instruments at certain frequencies. This problem can be magnified if you are not watching your recording levels closely!

Keep the levels between -7 to -3db on the meters and the dbx will track more transparently. Push the levels hard and you will invite trouble!

Judge the warbles or distortions on the entire finished recording. Not on a singular part. Odds are too that you are more critical of the imperfections then a bar manager is going to be when auditioning you for a gig in his bar. He'll want to know that you can play, not that you are George Martin's ghost.

Cheers!

[Be Loveless]

Ghost, thanks for the response but I have the problem regardless of the DBX on or off. Also The older tapes were playing back BETTER than the newer ones. Though I still have'nt gotten a chance to try a fresh tape I will try to do that before practice tonight. Oh one thing, There are two silver screws on either side of the spindles which you can see when the cassette cover is open. I had to undo them in order to access the unit and misplaced one. are they very important?

[The Ghost of FM]

If those screws were just holding down an interior cover plate that hides the mechanical guts below it then no, they're not critical to anything involving your problem.

After re-reading your initial post though, I am curious if you changed the belt with the proper replacement one or one that was pretty close to the right one? If the belt is different in any significant way in terms of length, width or thickness, it could be part of the continuing problem.

If it was a genuine TEAC belt that was used, then I am stumped.

Sorry.

Cheers!

[Be Loveless]

It was NOT a genuine teac belt. But the consensus in some previous threads was that one should get a belt that was simply a few mm shorter than the one that needs replacing. I guess the consensus was wrong. I mean its very subtle You can only really hear it on Clean guitar in the higher treble regions but just enough to annoy the piss out of meand I'm guessing that just because it's not obvious with the deeper tones does not mean its not there. I'll try ordering anothe belt from teac. Then I guess its off to the service center and maybe off to buy a digital DAW. Got rid of my Dart and bought a Jetta. Got rid of my tube amp and bought Solid State. Maybe it's time to get rid of tape and by some digital box. I can't afford anything now but I guess it's better to wait for awhile and buy something halfway decent then to keep recording shit. Why the hell am I involved in this damn hobby it's nothing but heartache. I wanted to go to school for this but my loan got denied. Who the hell am I fucking kidding, like I could of made a living doing sound anyway and why the hell am I recording for anyway? To keep feeding some pipe dream or maybe some club owner can use my disc as a coaster and 20 of my friends tell me that I did a good job? Unrewarding. futile. ahhhhhhhhhhh fuck this. Thousands of dollars so I can sing to myself through speakers. Nobody gives a God Dammn who the hell am I.

[The Ghost of FM]

Glad to see you're maintaining a positive attitude!

If it's any consolation, I have spent more on my recording gear and I too am not a rock star.

Shit happens and in most cases, shit doesn't happen.

Would you have preferred to have spent your money on crack and then on the Betty Ford clinic?

I'm glad to have wasted mine on gear and meeting fine folks like you.

Seriously.

Cheers!

[DigitalSmigital]

Originally Posted by Be Loveless

Got rid of my Dart and bought a Jetta. Got rid of my tube amp and bought Solid State. Maybe it's time to get rid of tape and by some digital box.

Get a hold of yourself, man! Hobbies have their ups and downs, like life. Pick yourself up, and write a song about it.

We care. Fix the link to your Soundclick page. If you dare.

[Be Loveless]

It's just a lot hitting at once this year and that includes good thigs too. I was really looking forward to going to school, and that possibility AND my current abbility to even pursue the hobby conked out on me within a few days of each other, I' m real perfectionist when it comes to things that I care about and get pretty worked up when things don't go well. I've been doing this for about two years or so and have only made one recording that I find "acceptible". I don't know if this is because I'm very anal about it and will not accept anything less than "perfect" or that i suck.
It HAS been a big year for me I got married, I took my first plane ride, I left the country (the east coast for that matter) for the first time, I bought a house, I decided to go back to school, I put a dog down, I had to escape a violent situation from my landlord and live like a freakin refugee for a month, I started a new job..quit..and got my old job back..................I think I might be a bit burnt out.
Sorry for all the ranting, as for the 488 I'll try the belt again then the service center then who knows.
thank you all for the replies. Sorry if I freaked out a bit there but I really needed to vent.---Benjie oh the link its www.soundclick.com/thebluehumours
but I'm not happy with any of that stuff anymore check it out anyway if YOU dare

[A Reel Person]

except maybe each other. Hearing yourself sing over your own speakers is worth whatever it costs. Having your friends, and maybe sometimes strangers, hear you singing over speakers is worth what it costs.

Most people into home recording will never be "stars", never record a "hit" record, never sell a song, or maybe never be heard outside their own small circle of friends. The internet is changing that, somewhat, and there are exceptions to every rule, as well as legitimate "pros" who hang on these boards, occasionally, but my point remains the same.

It's a worthwhile creative hobby for most people on these boards, and it's worth the cost. If you're hung up on the cost/return aspect of home recording, I think you're in the wrong hobby.

If my analog Portastudio was broken, I'd have it fixed, or if it was simply worn out, I'd replace it with another analog Portastudio. Most people have never heard me, except a fairly small circle of family & heads on this board, and it was worth the cost to put my stuff in their hands. That's just me, though.

Offered as words of encouragement. Hang in there, & all that.

[A Reel Person]

except maybe each other. Hearing yourself sing over your own speakers is worth whatever it costs. Having your friends, and maybe sometimes strangers, hear you singing over speakers is worth what it costs.

Most people into home recording will never be "stars", never record a "hit" record, never sell a song, or maybe never be heard outside their own small circle of friends. The internet is changing that, somewhat, and there are exceptions to every rule, as well as legitimate "pros" who hang on these boards, occasionally, but my point remains the same.

It's a worthwhile creative hobby for most people on these boards, and it's worth the cost. If you're hung up on the cost/return aspect of home recording, then I think you're in the wrong hobby.

If my analog Portastudio was broken, I'd have it fixed, or if it was simply worn out, I'd replace it with another analog Portastudio. Most people have never heard me, except a fairly small circle of family & heads on this board, and it was worth the cost to put my stuff in their hands. That's just me, though.

Offered as words of encouragement. Hang in there, & all that.

[manning1]

be loveless if you DO decide to go digital you can get a nice daw based on the PC for about 1k. including pc,mixer,sound card,mic,recording software.
that will do 60 track multitracking. ive even helped friends set up for less than 1k using a used computer that will do 40 tracks.
a friend awhile back found a good deal on a used amd duron pc system for 100 bucks that will do 40 tracks if he puts in a new hard drive.
if you want some suggestions search under my name or just ask.
just trying to help.
by the way there used to be an organisation here in canada called tele-tech.
i think they are still in business. very knowledgeable service people
about studio gear including tascam. might be worth looking them up on google.
and maybe an email to see if they can help you.
peace and all the best.

[cjacek]

To: Be Loveless

Hang in there my friend, hang in there ... I have met a bunch of genuinely good folks here and am sure you will too ... but somethin' tells me you already have ...

Hang in there ...

Daniel

[Be Loveless]

Okey dokey........Have now installed 2nd belt this one being from tascam and still the same problems.........Shes done folks Im not going to put anymore money into this recorder. I have decided to investigate the Yamaha md8 as a tide over before I can get a decent Computer DAW setup. Bye Bye 488, it was nice knowing ya................................................Bye bye Tascam user forum.................................. oh I'm being too Melodramatic ...........

[The Ghost of FM]

Originally Posted by Be Loveless

Okey dokey........Have now installed 2nd belt this one being from tascam and still the same problems.........Shes done folks Im not going to put anymore money into this recorder. I have decided to investigate the Yamaha md8 as a tide over before I can get a decent Computer DAW setup. Bye Bye 488, it was nice knowing ya................................................Bye bye Tascam user forum.................................. oh I'm being too Melodramatic ...........

Gee wilikers!

That sucks, B.

I feel for ya but, seeing as you're kissing TASCAM and all us fine folks goodbye along with your 488 we'll wish you a bon voyage over to the world of Yamaha-ha-ha and wish you better days, clear sky's and smooooooth sailing.

Cheers!

[Be Loveless]

my name is Benjamin and I'm an
IDIOT
I think I,ve got it now . I've been cleaning th pinch roller all wrong without engaging the heads for 2 years!!!!!!!!! Man I went through like 12 swabs at least. I used to just kind of scrub while it was dis engaged DUMB DUMB DUMB. At first test everything seems fine so we will see what what hapens. Idiot!, stupid!!!, moron!!!!, asshole!!!!, incompeten.............
.................................................................................................... ...
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[A Reel Person]

So, is it to say, that the "warble" sound you heard was from an unevenly cleaned pinch roller,... that was "sucking" the tape a bit unevenly?... causing minor tape deformations that caused the "warble"?? ... or, just "pulling" the tape unevenly enough to give it uneven contact with the head??

I see!

GEE! I, for one, am glad,... it's seemed to work out for the better.

I've been rooting for you to resolve this issue, & get more useful life out of the 488mkII! (Hint: It's never hopeless!)

The 488mkII is a fine machine, which is not to say the Yamaha MD-8 is not,... it is too. The MD-8 and 488mkII have many comparable features, as I've detailed in many posts.

More power to your 488mkII.

[Be Loveless]

Hey Reel its a 488 not a mkII. But yes problem is solved for now. I also noticed that while I started clean it (properly) that the roller was barely making contact with capstan. My theory is that the dirt acted as a spacer, a lubricant, and a tape etcher all in one. I will hopefully will get another year or so out of the 488 but while researching the alternatives the MD8 really sounded appealing to me, but it can wait for now. Thanks everyone.

[A Reel Person]

The 488[std] is still a good machine!!

[Be Loveless]

Its okay. Its the only one I know. I wish it had xlr and phantom power and a monitor out and a 3 band eq and 2 seperate auxillary sends per channel.......I wish it WAS a mkII or better even yet.....a 688!

[A Reel Person]

Yeah, yeah, yeah,...
YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

[Benreturns]

I got my first set of Demo's turned down today by Sony. Mothaf*ckers it thought! Got me down some, but I went right back in the studio and started on some fresh stuff.

At least our hobbies (well im sure - like me, songwriting is more than a hobby, its a lifeline) have some point to them. You can't get a lucky break and rich collecting stamps can you? I now officially join the long list of wannabee rejects, but im still good for plenty of new demo's yet!

And to finish of ARP's lovely song for the day, Id like to add that lovely 6th note:
Yeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[A Reel Person]

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