tascam 388 - what tape to bias it for

N

nbu

New member
hi, i have a 388 that needs some work and which had been biased for 499 (!). i will have it rebiased.. the tascam new jersey service recommended 456. i am wondering if that is a good idea considering that it's 1.5 mil tape (is it gonna put too much wear on the trasport/heads?), or if i should have it biased back for the original 35-90 tape (which i'd be able to procure via ebay only at this point).

thanks for any help
 
The manual describes how to set it up to factory spec, including tape bias, levels, tension and such..... Have your tech follow the manual closely.

While some people use 1.5 mil tapes such as 456 (and God forbid 499 :eek: ), it is not advisable according to TEAC. The tape is physically harder to pull and may put undue stress on the motors, not to mention wear the tape path faster and not conform to specs of the 388.

I don't recall what operating level the 388 was set at from the factory [check manual] but have your tech not stray from that number (and check / set it as per the manual).

When this is done and the 388 setup, as per the service manual, you can then take your pick of just about any 1mil tape such as Quantegy 407, 457, EMTEC / BASF / RMGI LPR35 and of course the Maxell UD series. All of these share nearly identical bias levels and can be interchanged.

Note that while the Maxell and 407 have a +3 op level, the 457 and LPR35 have +6. That should not matter at all, however, as you will stay well below saturation anyway.
 
thanks cjacek!
the guy at the NJ tascam repair center said they usually bias them for 456 cause it sounds better and doesn't pose any problems. weird
 
456/457 & 406/407 are all bias compatible. If they set bias for 456, it is set for any 400 series tape.

Other adjustments like azimuth and reel tension are best made with the tape you’ll be using.

:)
 
Thanks for pointing this out Tim (Beck). I kinda strayed somewhat from the original question and focused rather on regular use of such tape. But yeah, even alignment tapes are 1.5mil and that would be used just to set it up, not to mention biasing it for any "compatible" tape, such as the 456. But make sure, as Beck points out, that only biasing is done with the 456 and the rest with a 1mil tape, like azimuth, tension etc... I've learnt from past experience to bring in the actual tape you plan to record with but make sure it is new, sealed and not some old stock either. That way the tech has less chance of screwing up if they have the tape you plan to use for the long haul.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top