Tascam Tsr-8 Track I And 2 Problems,help!

[BOBURH]

hi we purchased a 8 track !/2 in on ebay that was very clean and the seller said it had 10 hours of use? i dont know about that but its clean ---anyway im using it with a tascam m-208 mixer and all is fantastic except
i cant get any sound back from tracks 1&2 !!!!!!! the LED,s light up as usual
but then nothing???? im a novice and i really hope this is something simple!!!!!
its been a month and its driving me crazy-
also i have not been using the FLB system to listen back to anything since its only me and i use TAPE button belo the trim control.
ps-also i tried switching cords, not it-
thanks
bob

[Beck]

So if you record a signal, the LED meters function during record and playback, but no sound on playback?

You said you switched cables, but did you also try sending tracks 1&2 to other channels on the M-208?

If you've tried all that you may have to take the bottom panel off of the TSR-8, then remove and reinsert the channel cards. Sometimes they just need to be reseated.

[BOBURH]

first of all i must thank you very much beck for these great questions and idea on how to fix this so FAST! i will answer the first question and try the other 2 ideas-and then get back to you -thanks again!!!!


So if you record a signal, the LED meters function during record and playback, but no sound on playback?

im getting the LED meter to function during recording but NOT playback-



You said you switched cables, but did you also try sending tracks 1&2 to other channels on the M-208?

never thought of it, but ill try that this afternoon and get back to you-


If you've tried all that you may have to take the bottom panel off of the TSR-8, then remove and reinsert the channel cards. Sometimes they just need to be reseated.

this might be it since it came ups and may have gotten loosened in shipping???
ok ill try the channel switch and get back to you-
BOB

__________________

[BOBURH]

well ive been trying your suggestions and what ever it was its almost fixed now!!!!
first i sent track 1 to channel 3 on mixer and it worked!
i did the same for channel 2 and the same thing happened.
then when i put the patch cords back where they were i decided to do a test before emailing you/post, and both channels started recording
as they should using there normal track.
i tested both and its great except track 1 is very low in playback/LED
but real hot when recording -i tested both(1&2) the same way-
do i need to use phantom power on track one???
anyway your the best !!!! i love my machine!!!

[A Reel Person]

.......................

[Beck]

Could be a few things going on.

You’ll want to concentrate on one component at a time or it can get you going in circles. If there is more than one problem you have to nail down one at a time.

-The TSR-8 could be dirty or need the cards reseated or the tape you're using could be old and bad. What brand and type of tape are you using?

-One or more of the cables going from the TSR-8 to the M-208 could be bad, causing intermittent loss of signal.

-Buttons, pots or jacks on the M-208 could be dusty or have some oxidation that interferes with the signal.

-All of the above

Make sure you have a clean tape path, as ARP said. You can use Q-tips and isopropyl alcohol for an initial cleaning. For future routine maintenance you should buy some 90% Isopropyl from a pharmacy or denatured alcohol from a hardware store.

It’s a good idea to open the TSR-8 and reseat all the cards, if you haven’t done that yet. This is a good idea when you buy a used TSR/MSR even if nothing is obviously wrong.

Best thing to do first is record a steady tone at 0 VU from an oscillator or a synthesizer directly to each track of the TSR-8, bypassing the mixer. Test each track, one at a time to see if the bargraph plays back at or very near 0 VU.

If the recorder doesn’t play at the same level as you recorded according to the meters on the TSR-8, then the problem is with the recorder. Get that working right before moving on to the cables and mixer.

[BOBURH]

well i have great news but first ill get to the tape being used question.
its new quantegy 456 but before i was was using BASF 468 but then switched cause i thought i was having alot of problems with levels when i first got it and was using that tape. should i go ahead and finish the BASF reel???

as far as getting the level up on track #1, i just did what you guys said and cleaned the tape path and rollers as well as demagnitizing the heads-
i had a kit coming just in case!
and now all 8 channels are loud n clear!!!!
again thanks and i hope i can help you one day!!!!!!!
bob

[Beck]

Originally Posted by BOBURH

...before i was was using BASF 468 but then switched cause i thought i was having alot of problems with levels when i first got it and was using that tape. should i go ahead and finish the BASF reel???

Glad to hear things are looking up.

If the 468 was new when opened, it should be fine. It may also be fine if it was used... but it could be used up from too many passes or it might not really be 468. 468 is the only tape with the number "468" printed on the backcoating along the entire length of the tape, so it's easy to be sure that's what you have.

We wish you great success in your music/recording pursuits.

~Tim

[6"taint]

with my Tascam 38. On playback, channel 4 seems to fade in and out. I changed the cable, plugged into a different channel on my mixer and nothing seems to work. When I was recording through the channel I had a nice strong signal. If it helps I am using Ampex 456 tape.

[hungovermorning]

M series mixers have this weird thing with the buttons on the mixer (EQ on, line, pretty much anything that actually gets pushed down). Sometimes jiggling those on the questionable channels can fix your troubles. I know I ran into that and it was just a dirty switch. I would like to think that the slew of profanity emitted beforehand helped clean the contact.

cheers,
scott