Tascam 388 Low playback/remix volume

ferrell123

New member
Having an issue with my Tascam 388. Everything seems to work on it but when I go to playback, I put it into "rmx" mode, undo the red rec function button. However, the sound is extremely low. I have to max out channel volume and master to even hear it. What I do hear sounds great; no warped crap or noise or anything like that. Just sounds very low. Headphone volume is maxed too. Any ideas?
 
So let's back up...

Your channels that are sourced to "RMX"...where are those assigned to? PGM busses? The L-R buss?
 
example: i would record on channel 1 and assign to channel one with the L/R button pressed in and arm track and record. could very well be an operator error because I'm pretty new to the board.
 
I'm not asking about when you're recording. You said yourself you are getting good signal to tape according to the track meters on playback. What I'm wondering about is when you are playing back and have a channel or channels sourced to "RMX", what is that channel or those channels assigned to? Do you have the 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, or L-R buttons pressed on that channel or channels during playback?
 
Both ways? What do you mean by both ways? I'm trying help but you need to answer questions directly and specifically.
 
when i remix i press down the L/R button and turn down the monitor mix when i switch to remix and thats when it goes away. i still leave the 1-2 pressed down as well
 
So...

• Channel X is sourced to RMX
• make sure ALL assign switches are UP on ALL other channels EXCEPT channel X, and ONLY have the L-R switch DOWN on channel X
• channel X fader up
• stereo master fader up
• monitor/phones source select switch set to STEREO
• monitor/phones pot up
• roll tape

Anything in the phones jack?
Anything at the monitor out jacks?
Anything at the stereo out jacks?
 
correct. I have tried using just headphones in the phones jack. i have plugged monitors into the stereo outs and neither way made a difference.
 
Yep. That's what we are narrowing in on.

@ ferrell123, now just to be sure, what about if you connect a monitor to the tape out jack for the tape track you are trying to monitor through the channel strip?
 
It will play when i plug a monitor in to the corresponding tape out but the faders have no effect on the signal. nothing changes how loud it is coming out of the tape out but it will play.
 
That's okay. The faders won't have any effect on the tape out jacks. Those jacks feed straight off of the record/play head during playback. I wanted to confirm signal was printing to tape.

I'm pretty sure you have the increasingly common hex inverter failure U104 on the BUSS B PCB. My hunch is you need to replace that part with a new one, and I recommend spending the few extra cents and getting a TI branded part from a reputable parts retailer like Mouser or Digikey.
 
Hi people,

I realised this is a fairly recent thread and thought id ask a similar thing.
So my problem is almost identical to ferrell123's however, i have full signal only through the right side of the stereo field.
When i hard pan channels to the left there is a small crackly noise hardly audible at all.
Any thoughts on this? Does it sound like the same problem mentioned before?

Thanks so much
Jimmy
 
No. Different issue entirely I believe.

That sounds like a bad component. My first suspect would be a failed opamp. Could be a bad cap or transistor too.

Does it make any difference if you press (gently) straight down on the stereo master fader?

Is your issue present at the:

*monitor out jacks
*stereo out jacks
*headphone jack

?
 
Thanks for a fast reply.

So, i took the back off and just made sure the pcbs were all tight, put it back together and wolaaa, working fine now!
Issue was present at all three of those outputs.
Hopefully this doesn't happen again!

Thanks again sweetbeats.
 
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