Wow, that's a lot of crap to have lying around, and I AM mechanically inclined. I think I'll take mine to a tech. Ha:
Yeah it is more than I have lying around too.
I just drove up to Spokane and purchased a Tascam 388 Studio 8. The guy had the manual to go with it. This unit was introduced in 1985 and my 48's were introduced in 1984.
I noticed that they added a little statement to the 388 manual that the 48 manual didn't have.
It reads as follows:
"The guarantee provided for the Studio 8 has several restrictions. The Studio 8 will perform properly only if it is adjusted properly and we guarantee that such adjustment is possible. Set-up is not covered by Warranty. If your attempts at internal adjustments are unsuccessful, we will charge you for readjustments.
Recording is an art as well as a science. As a result, your finished product may be judged more by artistic criteria than technical performance. Art is the province of the artist and TASCAM can make no guarantee that the Studio 8, by itself, will assure the quality of your work.
Your skill as a technician and your abilities as an artist will be significant factors in the results you achieve.
Understanding what is going on inside your equipment will help improve your sound. Think of this manual as a reference book. You won't need to memorize it to get started, but try to find the time to read it thoroughly at least once. That way, you will be familiar with its contents, and if you need answers, you'll know where to find them."
Knowing your machine, and owning the manual seem pretty important to me. Keeping up on maintenance and correcting problems as they surface is important. Whether you work on the machine or take it to a competent tech doesn't really make too much of a difference, except in the wallet. In my situation with the nearest tech being 3 hours away and a minimum charge of $150 each time, I have decided to take the time to accumulate this test equipment and learn how to work on these things.
