Tascam 388 Prices?

I just discovered this thread and I have to bump it. Apologies.

Sweetbeats - you don't sound like a snob at all. Everything that you said about the machine's operational efficiencies/defficiencies is accurate, as well as the mystique (small bands that got big) behind them.

The Oh Sees (a big reason these machines are jumping in price) are a great band. They could make an amazing record with a cassette four track because they are great musicians that understand the recording process as a way to elevate their art. Enter a younger/artistically inclined brain that is naturally going to be against digital because of wanting to adhere to a specific "scene or sound" and you have these sporadic price jumps in tandem with the supply and demand.

I'm 42 years old now. I bought my 388 when I was 20 for $400 and I will NEVER part with it because of an emotional bond I've developed with the machine...which is mainly due to how it easy it use to run and use when properly calibrated. Is it worth $2K. HELL NO.

To any younger heads that might find this thread...I am not trying to dissuade you...simply inform. For $400-800 you can get a mid to late 80s Otari MX5050 (which another poster already pointed out) which slays this machine. Take it to a tech (there are still a lot in bigger cities) and spend another $400 having it properly checked out and calibrated/biased. The Otari's are workhorses and their spare parts are ample. It might not impart the "lo-fi" sound you are looking for -- which Sweetbeats elegantly summarized -- but you can easily insert pedals ahead of your signal chain and use software (I know I'm the devil) to achieve that vibe. Why not have a tape machine that will last you the rest of your life, get better/cleaner results when you want them, if you want them?

I want to see Otari prices jump on eBay because of this post. Discuss!!

I'm curious to see where you're seeing an 8-track MX5050 for that price. I certainly can't find one for that price after a cursory search.

I'm not saying you're lying or wrong. I'm just sincerely asking where you're seeing that. Thanks
 
You are right and I apologies for not taking into account that an 8-track version of an Otari might come in at similar price range.

I tend to use tape machines in conjunction with digital, and as a saturation effect to get a mix together they way I like, so as I was ending the post, is was just thinking about using 2-channel and 4-channel Otaris in this manner.

The ease of songwriting with 8 channels in the format of the 388 is certainly a desirable trait...but I don't know if it's $2500 desirable...
 
Nice

Yes, blame me.:spank:

Mid-fi, unremarkable or undesirable,... of course there are more high end & versatile recorders and mixers out there.

Any time you pack that many features into one box, it will be difficult to service.

7" reels of 1/4" tape @ 7.5 ips & DBX is definitely a distinct sound of it's own. I find it pleasing to the ear.

A 388 is a significant upgrade to a cassette Portastudio. However, not all Portastudios were created equal.

I started recording on a 244, and almost overnight added a T-38/M30 setup to my arsenal.

During which time, I often felt I should have gone for a 1/4" media recorder, due to the high price of 1/2" tape.

Not to say it was totally regrettable, but in the mid-80s 1/2" tape was $45/reel. Look at tape prices today. Do the math.

7" reels of 1/4" tape is still an economical format to record onto, if you can find it.

I'm perhaps one of the only people to be sitting on a brand new 388 R/P head.

With all that being said, I hardly record anything anymore. My recording gear sits unused.

Plus, 388 prices today are overly inflated. I was picking them up cheaply 15-20 years ago. You have to really want one.

I can fix things as necessary, but prefer when things work right.
 
You need to find a reason to start recording again Dave. Maybe take advantage of the analogue nostalgia amongst Millenials and Post-Millenials?

---------- Update ----------

Also... Hi! I'm back again.
 
Sweet!

I'm Pretty Sure there's some Boomer Loving Fuckboi (or girl) near you who'd like to fuck around with tape heads, all those knobs and shit, at a righteous deal that would make your dad proud!:spank:

I would, but I'm full up on Boomer type gear that's underutilized.
 
Tascam 388 - musical instruments - by owner - sale
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I had to register an account just to confirm that this is a weird scam. Enough so that someone else posted an ad in response. I'll never understand people...

This guy is playing some kind of game and giving everyone the runaround. He'll ask for your music to 'prove you're worthy of the machine', then he'll tell you it's $1800 and his CL ad has a typo, then he'll tell you it isn't his ad to begin with. Be warned, don't waste your time.
 
So weird.

@@
I thought the CL ad was cleverly written and probably too good to be true.

The "who needs all the boomer shit and knobs" attitude was an obvious joke, but betrayed the author's true feelings.

This being a discussion of the virtues, drawbacks and prices of the 388, I don't want to make anyone cry when I say I was picking them up for $300-$500, and once I helped a guy buy one for $120.

I think most people don't understand enough about tape recording, buss mixing or signal routing in general to understand the 388.

We can thank the digital mentality, where one input is routed to one track, and everything is mixed in post production.

Not saying it's either good or bad, but that's the nature of modern recording, and attitude shift you have to take when you jump into analog. It's not for everyone. I'll agree that vintage analog prices are through the roof, and people are hopping on or cashing in on a minor analog craze, whether they understand it or not.

Thank you for sleuthing that crazy ad out for us, and welcome to the group!
 
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