Tascam 38

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frosty55

Member
Does anyone know much about the Tascam 38?
I already own a Teac 80-8 and know someone who wants rid of a 38 and I want to know if theres much of a difference between the two machines.
Thanks.
 
lonewhitefly said:
Most here will likely prefer the 38 as it is more modern, but I like the 80-8 better, precisely for that reason !
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I second the 80-8. Its a tank, and its got da mojo.

Honestly, the 80-8 could probably do more damage to a human than a human can do to it. Carrying one up a flight of stairs is traumatic at best.
 
Very different machines outside of the basic format (i.e. 3-motor, 3-head, 1/2" 8-track).

The 38 is a lot more sophisticated in its tape handling, and may look better on paper and sound more "clean".

Me personally I'd go for an 80-8 because I'm drawn to character and I suspect it has more color to its sonic character. I had a 3340S and loved how it sounded...I've never comared the amp circuits to see if they are similar to the 80-8 but I thought it sounded great.

Expect parts and help for the 80-8 to be orders of magnitude less than the 38. Many more 38s made than 80-8s. Also expect, in general, an 80-8 to be in need of more service/TLC/repair than the 38.

There are some of my opinions on pros and cons.

I HAVE NEVER OWNED OR OPERATED A 38 OR AN 80-8

YMMV, grain of salt, blahblahblah...
 
frosty55 said:
Sorry, I meant to say how does it sound?
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38 will sound better while overdubbing as the sync head offers a full response where the 80-8 will sound a bit on the dark side because of the narrower response while in sync mode. This was done to minimize adjacent track bleed through while over dubbing where the 38 looked after that issue by promoting the use and purchase of their dbx units, which many a 38 buyer went for. A lot of 80-8 dudes went with no noise reduction even though there was an optional dbx unit for it.

Cheers! :)
 
...

I'll sell you a used 38 in good condition that been refurbished & recalibrated, $375 in Los Angeles County, cash & carry.
:spank::eek:;)
 
The Ghost of FM said:
38 will sound better while overdubbing as the sync head offers a full response where the 80-8 will sound a bit on the dark side because of the narrower response while in sync mode. This was done to minimize adjacent track bleed through while over dubbing where the 38 looked after that issue by promoting the use and purchase of their dbx units, which many a 38 buyer went for. A lot of 80-8 dudes went with no noise reduction even though there was an optional dbx unit for it.

Cheers! :)
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VERY good point, Ghost...I totally forgot the 80-8 sync response didn't match the play response.

The proper dbx unit for the 80-8 is the DX-8 right?
 
frosty55 said:
Sorry, I meant to say how does it sound?
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I owned and used an 80-8 for many years, and have recorded on a 38 (as well as owned and used a 22-2 for many years ... similar sound in my opinion).

The 38 sounds '80s and the 80-8 sounds '70s ... is how I would describe them. Of course, you could make '80s music on an 80-8 and '70s music on a 38! ... but talking the sonic character of the machine ... that's where it's at I think.

Hmm ... I always used 'NORMAL' (SYNC) on the 80-8, I actually thought it sounded better than the play head (forget what it's called, 'MONITOR' I think) ... maybe it had to do with the azimuth or something. But I think the response in terms of hearing range is the same? I think it's telling that they named the Sync head 'NORMAL' ... as in, this is the default recommended use of the machine.

I just sold my 80-8 ... provided 8 years of solid service.
 
The Ghost of FM said:
38 will sound better while overdubbing as the sync head offers a full response where the 80-8 will sound a bit on the dark side because of the narrower response while in sync mode. This was done to minimize adjacent track bleed through while over dubbing where the 38 looked after that issue by promoting the use and purchase of their dbx units, which many a 38 buyer went for. A lot of 80-8 dudes went with no noise reduction even though there was an optional dbx unit for it.

Cheers! :)
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I don't recall this being the case. The earlier Tascam 70-H series had different sync & playback specs but those of the 80-8 machine forward were identical.

I agree that the 38 is the better/cleaner sounding unit. It also punches quicker as the 80-8 was notoriously slow and even slower with the dx-8 in the chain.

While not as sophisticated, the 80-8 transport will outlast a 38 in the long run. It's AC motors can be rebuilt. The 38's DC types can't and their are no new ones to be had.
 
Ill agree the build quality was way better on the 80-8 than the 38. I had a line on an 80-8 that fell through and I was really bummed because it was a solid machine. I ended up with a 38 instead and now it sits on a shelf doing nothing because it once again needs what I would think are major repairs.. That's also the caveat to owning a 38 and I'm sure others will agree. In retrospect though, it did sound pretty nice.
 
Ive got a 38. I got it in real good condition, all ive done is replace the belt and remold the pinch roller. I dont use it much, just quick mess arounds with the band. But its fairly trouble free for me.
 
I recall one of the big issues I found out about after I had bought mine was that they suffer from cold solder joints all over the main boards. Essentially not a big deal if you feel like doing a tear-down and reflowing all the connections, which I did (other issues persisted), but then was left with the problem of all tracks being unable to erase. Only happened after reflowing the solder and putting back together. So I did it again, same problem. Clearly it's something I did, but I didn't bridge any joints, and I basically just lost interest and got involved with my 388 instead, which, since I've had it, only needed a belt replaced. Not using that as a comparison in general, just my dilemmas in particular. But the general concensus, at least when I bought mine a few years ago, was that they were troublesome machines and required a lot of maintenance. I'd be happy just taking it somewhere to get repaired but there really isn't anyone around here and I'm not prepared to pay for shipping on this thing just yet.. Anyway, like they say, "YMMV"
 
in the end it all depends on how good is the machine that you have a sight on. There are some machines that have seen very low usage and others that have been to hell and back many times. I bought a 32 which is the 2 track sister of the 38. It was almost new, in its original box and no head wear at all, cosmetically perfect and sounding great. Keep in mind that these machines are now reaching 30+ years of being manufactured and some of them abused. A big deciding factor is the shape that they are in and how much extra life you can get out of them. So if you have one at a good price at your disposal and in good shape then go for it. My personal 8 track 1/2" inch favorites are the 48, 58 and the TSR-8 and the 5050-8 Otari. From all the 1/'2" 8-tracks, the one with the worst reliability reputation is the 38 for sure (maybe fostex was worse but not familiar). Again, if it is in REALLY good shape with really good heads then i'd go for it. Otherwise i'd pass and go for something better like the other options that i mentioned for slightly more $$. Just my opinion. Cheers
 
I bought a brand new 38 in 1987 and it was a little problematic. The sound was good but Tascam has never been especially helpful to me. I second the Otari suggestion. Ive had great luck with Fostex machines though and Fostex synchronization options are phenomenal too.
 
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