TASCAM 388 capstan motor (which others share same part #) ?

[cjacek]

Do any of you guys know which other TASCAM / TEAC recorders share the same capstan motor as the 388 ? Thanks!

[Herm]

Boy Il bet your out of luck there dan I maybe wrong but I think the 388 got its own motor.
I know all of the 22 series and 30 series share the same motor but not with the 388

[jpmorris]

Tascam seem to have junked virtually all their capstan motors, at least their UK parts dealer reckons they're discontinued. The TSR, MSR, BR20 and the 388 are all gone, everything except the 30-series. This is one of the reasons I have three TSR-8s.

However. You might be able to get someone to rebuild it. If one of mine should cook, that's what I intend to do.

You might be able to find someone locally who will do this, since it's probably a fairly common thing - not just for tape machines either. If all else fails, JRF - do motor rebuilds, but it might cost more than the machine, though...

On a similar note, I've just ordered a spare TSR-8 head lest they go the same way as the capstan motors. The erase head was dropped as soon as I bought one, so I have a strong suspicion I've got the last one ;-)
The audio head cost about $800 in US money - twice what I paid for the recorder
So I guess it really depends how much you love your Tascam, and how much money you can spend on it.

Another option which I thought of upon learning the bad news about the TSR-8s, would be to get a 30-series capstan motor. Unlike the 388, TSR and BR20, these motors are pretty much self-contained and don't need an external servo board. So assuming you can mechanically fit it (probably a bit difficult) and ensure it runs at the right speed (trivial), you could probably mod your system to use one of those at a pinch. Don't expect to be able to make it sync as a slave if you have to go down that route, though, and varispeed may or may not be possible.

[cjacek]

Thanks for taking the time to answer, guys. Yeah, that's what I was affraid of about the 388 having it's own unique motor. I mean, mine still works but I'm seeing a couple of things: (1) the capstan (which contact the tape) spins with a slight, tiny wobble and (2) I can hear a bit of lower frequency, wobble noise (not the typical motor running noise). Again, it all works good and passing test tones onto tape proves no wavering and such so everything works but the capstan motor def has a potential problem that I may deal with at a later date. Thanks again for the replies, Herm and jpmorris.

[Beck]

I’ve looked through all the parts lists for the machines I have for exact matches, but no luck. By the way the part number is 5370005900 if you don’t already know it.

Some of the motors are actually the same inside, but TASCAM part numbers are for assemblies. A different mount and pulley will change the part number in some cases, so you’ll need to talk to an old timer at TASCAM familiar with the nuts & bolts. Some parts can be adapted… someone out there might know which stators and rotors are interchangeable. In some cases that’s all it would take.

I vaguely remember someone mentioning the 22-2 and 388 having the same capstan motor. The part numbers aren’t the same though and I can't get a feel for the dimensions in the exploded parts view. Do you still have that old 22-2 around?

[cjacek]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the reply and noting down the part #. Makes me indeed think of that 22-2 that came damaged. I could have left the capstan motor but then again I wasn't sure if it was ok. Still, as you said, the part #'s don't match, plus Herm, if I'm not mistaken, has the 22-2 and also the 388 so he'd know intimately about the difference from actually looking at the parts. Makes me conclude that the 388 has an exclusive capstan not shared by any others.

Thanks for taking the time, Tim. I really appreciate it.

~Daniel

[MCI2424]

Originally Posted by cjacek

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the reply and noting down the part #. Makes me indeed think of that 22-2 that came damaged. I could have left the capstan motor but then again I wasn't sure if it was ok. Still, as you said, the part #'s don't match, plus Herm, if I'm not mistaken, has the 22-2 and also the 388 so he'd know intimately about the difference from actually looking at the parts. Makes me conclude that the 388 has an exclusive capstan not shared by any others.

Thanks for taking the time, Tim. I really appreciate it.

~Daniel

I don't know about TASCAM motors, but I got my MCI 2" capstan motor rebuilt like new from ATR. Here are some companies:
http://www.audiomagnetics.com/serv02.htm
http://www.precisionmotorworks.com/Services.htm
http://www.atrservice.com/service/

Good Luck.

[jpmorris]

Originally Posted by MCI2424

I don't know about TASCAM motors, but I got my MCI 2" capstan motor rebuilt like new from ATR.

Cool. How much did it cost?

[MCI2424]

Originally Posted by jpmorris

Cool. How much did it cost?

Mine was $350.00 BUT it was an MCI 2" capstan with a ceramic shaft. The price will be lower for yours.

[Herm]

The 22-2 uses the same capstan as the 38 34 32 22-4 But there is a difference in the pulley that comes on the 22 series but it comes off with a set screw.

[jpmorris]

Originally Posted by Herm

The 22-2 uses the same capstan as the 38 34 32 22-4 But there is a difference in the pulley that comes on the 22 series but it comes off with a set screw.

It probably is, but I bet you it's a completely different animal to the 388 motor, at least as far as the electronic interfacing goes. AFAIK the 388, like the TSR and the other late-model machines has a computer-controlled capstan drive with a great big servo control card somewhere in the machine. The 30-series has its own little servo circuit on the assembly. Now it might just possibly have the same internal mechanism, but unless you're contemplating my last-ditch suggestion of modding it to take the wrong capstan motor, it's probably not the way to go.

Originally Posted by MCI2424

Mine was $350.00 BUT it was an MCI 2" capstan with a ceramic shaft. The price will be lower for yours.

Shipping to the US would probably even it out again. Or make it more expensive...

[cjacek]

Originally Posted by MCI2424

I don't know about TASCAM motors, but I got my MCI 2" capstan motor rebuilt like new from ATR. Here are some companies:
http://www.audiomagnetics.com/serv02.htm
http://www.precisionmotorworks.com/Services.htm
http://www.atrservice.com/service/

Good Luck.

Great links, thanks!

[cjacek]

Thanks again guys.

[Beck]

Rebuilding is a good idea. As I mentioned, it will often involve just changing bearings, which are usually the first things to go. There are at least four shops in my area that I know of that can rebuild almost any electric motor. Check in the phone book under Electric. If it’s anything like ours you will see electric-motors-repair or something like that. You can also ask local music stores with repair techs and auto parts stores if they know who rebuilds motors in you area. It shouldn’t cost too much.

[cjacek]

Thanks Tim.

[MCI2424]

Originally Posted by Beck

Rebuilding is a good idea. As I mentioned, it will often involve just changing bearings, which are usually the first things to go. There are at least four shops in my area that I know of that can rebuild almost any electric motor. Check in the phone book under Electric. If it’s anything like ours you will see electric-motors-repair or something like that. You can also ask local music stores with repair techs and auto parts stores if they know who rebuilds motors in you area. It shouldn’t cost too much.

I would definately talk to an experienced Tape Deck rebuilding house first before going anywhere else. I don"t know about the 388, but my MCI has a ceramic shaft that is actually ground into the bearings for 0 tolerence. If they don't know this, they could destroy the capstan motor. A 388 could be totally different, but it is worth the time to talk to the pros on this as there could be some hidden info that is not obvious.

[cjacek]

I definitely will take this into account. Thanks MCI.

[jpmorris]

Originally Posted by cjacek

I definitely will take this into account. Thanks MCI.

Good point, although the Tascam designs generally use a belt-driven capstan system so the motor shaft itself shouldn't be quite so critical.

[Beck]

Originally Posted by cjacek

...the capstan (which contact the tape) spins with a slight, tiny wobble and I can hear a bit of lower frequency, wobble noise...

Hold the phone!

I completely missed that until JP said something.

If the capstan itself is what's wobbling then it's the capstan. Until I went back and read it again, I was picturing the motor shaft wobbling. A wobbling motor shaft won't cause the capstan to wobble, but it will translate into audible pitch variation as in wow & flutter.

The capstan consists of several different parts and a number of things could go wrong. The screws that attach the capstan holder to the flywheel could even be loose.

[cjacek]

Thanks JP and Tim, I'll have to look a bit deeper into the issue and see what comes up.

[jpmorris]

I must admit I didn't read his original question properly - I assumed it was an electrical problem with the motor which required its replacement. If it's the capstan assembly itself, that's a different kettle of fish entirely.