Tascam T-3000 problems

[lo.fi.love]

I'm starting a new thread on this topic, since the thread I posted yesterday was wiped out of existence in the database hiccup.

The Problem: Dupes made in my Tascam T-3000 duplicator are missing the left channel on the B side of the tape. This seems to be a problem with the master deck's read head, or something connected to it.

Someone (I think Tim?) suggested that I use a digital multimeter to diagnose the problem, starting at the read head. Tim, you mentioned something about inspecting the master deck read head with a magnifying glass, but I forget what you said that I should look for. Can you please refresh my memory?

OK. More to come soon. Thanks!

 

[Tim Gillett]

OK. A cheap DMM will only cost you 10 bucks and it will pay for itself on just this one job compared to paying a tech to check the head windings. But even before that...

I'd be looking closely at the head face under a strong magnifier and a strong light. It only takes a small speck of stubborn dirt on that part of the head to severely cut output on a track.

Also high speed duplicators are notorious for worn heads because they have so many tapes pass through them. The heads are the first thing to look at in a used duplicator.

The bad track could have a completely worn pole piece on that particular track, as shown by a small black vertical line at (for track 4) the top of the band where the tape runs across the head. Or being an edge track it may have lots of dirt wedged in the crevice.

I thought you said the problem was the RIGHT channel of side B.

Cheers Tim

 

[lo.fi.love]

I thought you said the problem was the RIGHT channel of side B.

Cheers Tim

Yeah, I think it was actually the left channel. I need to try another duplication and then see. But, I will do all of the things you mention above and then post back here when I've done so.