Head Cleaning

[sheise]

I just bought a Tascam 388 and I'm having some trouble getting a strong signal to record on track 8. I am going to try cleaing the heads hoping that this will fix the problem. My question is what do I clean the heads with? Is there something I can buy at Radio Shack? Thanks for your help.

[acorec]

Originally Posted by sheise

I just bought a Tascam 388 and I'm having some trouble getting a strong signal to record on track 8. I am going to try cleaing the heads hoping that this will fix the problem. My question is what do I clean the heads with? Is there something I can buy at Radio Shack? Thanks for your help.

Clean with %95 or higher Iso Alchohol found in the drugstores. Use new or known good tape. Don't use q-tips but use cotton buds and swipe in the direction of tape travel (not up and down). If the unit has high hours, then a head alignment is in order as a consistantly low track can be a head that has azimuth alignment problems. Head re-lapping is next in order. Don't be surprised if track 1 starts to have the same problem. When the heads wear, the first to go are the outside tracks. If cleaning does not fix the track, then take it to a tech and find out if the heads are bad.
\
Hint: Every 388 I have seen that had track 8 problems were head re-lap candidates. I hope that a cleaning is all you need but track 8 or 1 problems usually tell a different tale.

Good Luck with it and keep us up to date.

[mikey@thecave]

are you sure the track#8 defeat switch isn't on.its on the back of the unit

[sheise]

Well, I cleaned the heads and am still having the problem. I also noticed while doing so that on the record head there does seems to be a little bit of wear on the last track(closest to the machine) which I assume is track 8 (but I guess could be track 1). This could be the source of the problem.

I will check the defeat button as soon as I get home but I am a little worried that it is the head.

I may have to have a little talk with the guy who sold this to me as it was supposedly in "perfect" condition.

Oh yeah, what exactly is the defeat switch all about?

thanks guys

[apl]

Lather, rinse, repeat works for me.

[mikey@thecave]

the deafeat button is incase you want to put a sync trank on track 8

[mikey@thecave]

the defeat button cancels the dbx on that channel