Tascam 22-2 Calibration (help)...

F

fred s.

New member
I think my 22-2 needs some tweeks, after a couple years of use, and 1 cross country move.

I only have MRL "21J303-A" 1/4" calibration tape, which works great with my Fostex Model 80, but isn't intended for the Tascam 22-2.

Is there a way around this? Can I possibly use it to adjust the 22-2 as well?

I really would rather not get more MRL tape unless it's a last resort. :o
 
According to the catalog over at MRL that's a 320nWb/m 15ips multifrequency tape...that will work for calibrating the 22-2 at the 15ips, though I would set the playback levels at -2VU since 320nWb/m is a bit high a nominal level for the 22-2 which would normally be referenced to 250nWb/m.
 
All the pots to make adjustments on the 22 are really hard to get at. Tascam did not really intend for these to be user-adjusted I think.
 
Hey guys,

I'm resurrecting this old thread because I started a project to calibrate my 22-2 tonight and ran into some pretty heavy problems. I don't find any info on the web about this (shocker!) so I thought it would be helpful to document the process (for good or ill) here. I am using the Mara Tape Calibration app for iOS along with a brand new MRL tape. I have never attempted this before and instantly ran into a problem.

The pots are at the bottom of the machine! They're underneath a circuit board and impossible to reach with only the back taken off of the machine. It's like Tascam designed this to be next to impossible for anyone except techs. Both my Fostex decks (Model 80, R8) had easy to access cal pots and are considered to be a step beneath most Tascam decks in design quality. Anyways... I am going to have to strip the thing down, starting with removing the front and back faces in order to reach the pots. Below you'll see the back of the machine with the face off, and a peek inside where one of the pots is barely visible. I'll keep you posted on my progress and if there's anyone here with some advice feel free to join in.

IMG_2506.jpgIMG_2509.jpg
 
Yeah wow I haven’t seen a 20-series machine in person before...I figured it couldn’t be that bad, but I just read through the maintenance manual and there is no guidance specific to effectively accessing the board with all the cal trimmers on it, and the figure in the manual that shows the location and designation of each trimmer shows the board from the trace side...the bottom of the board that you see when you open up the back...I’m assuming this is because when you are locating each trimmer you are doing so looking at the bottom of the board just like it is mounted in the machine. That’s pretty lame. I wish I could help more. If I had one in front of me I imagine I might be able to identify ways to make the process as easy as possible, but I think no matter which way you slice it I’m thinking it’s not as easy as most other machines. My Dad has a Pioneer RT-909 and that thing has trimmers peppered all around in the machine in all manner of impossible-to-access locations. At least the 22 has them grouped, but...couldn’t they have designed that PCB to be mounted so the component side is up?? Who knows why the did that, but it certainly is not evidence of a well integrated design team. :(
 
Is it not like the 30-series where you remove the bottom panel with the feet, and calibrate with the machine sat on its back?

EDIT: Ew, that's nasty.
 
jpmorris said:
Is it not like the 30-series where you remove the bottom panel with the feet, and calibrate with the machine sat on its back?

EDIT: Ew, that's nasty.
Click to expand...

It is. Just take off the feet and bottom panel and you can get to the trim pots. Not convenient. I've just decided to leave the bottom panel off and put the feet back on. If I want to calibrate I just tip it over.
 
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