I
iheartmeek
Banned
thanks
I really appreciate your help.
Ill check out that link now.
I really appreciate your help.
Ill check out that link now.
I
iheartmeek
Banned
works
Well i got inside after wrestling with the most horribly stripped screws i have ever seen. Turns out the belt had just slipped off. So i put it back on and now it runs smoothly. I still plan on getting a new one of course.
And now, for the "sound" of it... gorgeous to my ears. You have to understand, i come from a recording history riddled with mine and my friends highschool cassette demos. All passion, no regard for state of the art fidelity etc. Ive seen posters (Zorf) on this board wondering why people like Tascam 388s so much because it doesnt measure up to a full blown 15 ips 1/2 machine. I cant speak for everyone, but i dont really need things to be super hi-fi. Im sure you can get up there with a 388, but for me i prefer it sounding a bit dark. If it doesnt sound "recorded" to me i dont feel satisfied. I can hear the "tape" on this thing way more than i could on the Tascam 38 that i owned a few years back. The 38 almost sounded too clean for my taste, and i found myself envying my earlier days recordings for their grit and sonic flavor.
As i listen to the 388 up close i think its the perfect mix between hi and lo fi for my style of production. It sounds like a super cassette. I have to record my bands next album soon and i am really glad i could get this thing to function because i wanted to record the tracks on it, then take them over into the CPU for editing. I can already tell its going to sound perfect.
For those into knowing what others are up to, ill be using the 388, a Tascam FW1804 interface, a Roland tape echo, a Joe Meek pre/compressor (the old school ones), a Shure Unidyne 3, SM58, Reslo ribbon, Shure SM7 (most useable mic ever), a Moog, a bunch of strange instruments, and the CPU.
Thanks for helping me get it running. Id still be staring at it like an idiot without your help. I plan on doing more, but for now im just going to use it lightly, replace the belt, see if i can figure out what i want to do about the track 7 VU being unlit, and possibly find a replacement cover for the tape area because this one is missing. Oh yeah, and get some tapes.
Thanks again.
Well i got inside after wrestling with the most horribly stripped screws i have ever seen. Turns out the belt had just slipped off. So i put it back on and now it runs smoothly. I still plan on getting a new one of course.
And now, for the "sound" of it... gorgeous to my ears. You have to understand, i come from a recording history riddled with mine and my friends highschool cassette demos. All passion, no regard for state of the art fidelity etc. Ive seen posters (Zorf) on this board wondering why people like Tascam 388s so much because it doesnt measure up to a full blown 15 ips 1/2 machine. I cant speak for everyone, but i dont really need things to be super hi-fi. Im sure you can get up there with a 388, but for me i prefer it sounding a bit dark. If it doesnt sound "recorded" to me i dont feel satisfied. I can hear the "tape" on this thing way more than i could on the Tascam 38 that i owned a few years back. The 38 almost sounded too clean for my taste, and i found myself envying my earlier days recordings for their grit and sonic flavor.
As i listen to the 388 up close i think its the perfect mix between hi and lo fi for my style of production. It sounds like a super cassette. I have to record my bands next album soon and i am really glad i could get this thing to function because i wanted to record the tracks on it, then take them over into the CPU for editing. I can already tell its going to sound perfect.
For those into knowing what others are up to, ill be using the 388, a Tascam FW1804 interface, a Roland tape echo, a Joe Meek pre/compressor (the old school ones), a Shure Unidyne 3, SM58, Reslo ribbon, Shure SM7 (most useable mic ever), a Moog, a bunch of strange instruments, and the CPU.
Thanks for helping me get it running. Id still be staring at it like an idiot without your help. I plan on doing more, but for now im just going to use it lightly, replace the belt, see if i can figure out what i want to do about the track 7 VU being unlit, and possibly find a replacement cover for the tape area because this one is missing. Oh yeah, and get some tapes.
Thanks again.
sweetbeats
Reel deep thoughts...
You're very welcome...I'm sincerely glad I could help and good job getting it going.
That's cool that you'll use it for tracking; that you got it going in time...and I know what you mean about super cassette and hearing the tape.
And when you get around to the VU meter on track 7 post back here...I can help you with that. Parts Express has the bulbs...It'll cost you under 10 bucks plus shipping to get a set of bulbs to do all the meters...the bulbs have to be desoldered and new ones soldered in so be prepared for that.
Enjoy your 388 and let us know if it gives you any trouble when you get to tracking.
That's cool that you'll use it for tracking; that you got it going in time...and I know what you mean about super cassette and hearing the tape.
And when you get around to the VU meter on track 7 post back here...I can help you with that. Parts Express has the bulbs...It'll cost you under 10 bucks plus shipping to get a set of bulbs to do all the meters...the bulbs have to be desoldered and new ones soldered in so be prepared for that.
Enjoy your 388 and let us know if it gives you any trouble when you get to tracking.
I
iheartmeek
Banned
something
One thing i will add to this is that i think when you are working on these kinds of projects you have to learn how to be patient and take baby steps or else you will start to feel burnt out. As i was working on cleaning this thing up and getting parts etc i was coming across many hidden speed bumps. The inaccuracy of the manual, horribly stripped screws, the cramped conditions of my work area, even the crazy traffic on the way to Radio Shack... i was getting a little burnt out. Mostly because im not used to these kinds of things and all i really want is to create music.
But here it is, a new day, and i feel alot better about the whole project and im going to move forward with fixing all these little things. Basically my point is this: not only is working on projects like this an exercise in effort, its an exercise in learning how to pace yourself so you dont forget that all this is supposed to be helping your life not becoming a massive bummer. Some people may be able to keep up a greater pace than others when it comes to these kinds of projects. I think finding your own pace and knowing when to put something down and when to come back to it is vital.
Thanks again for the help and im sure ill be on again eventually with questions.
One thing i will add to this is that i think when you are working on these kinds of projects you have to learn how to be patient and take baby steps or else you will start to feel burnt out. As i was working on cleaning this thing up and getting parts etc i was coming across many hidden speed bumps. The inaccuracy of the manual, horribly stripped screws, the cramped conditions of my work area, even the crazy traffic on the way to Radio Shack... i was getting a little burnt out. Mostly because im not used to these kinds of things and all i really want is to create music.
But here it is, a new day, and i feel alot better about the whole project and im going to move forward with fixing all these little things. Basically my point is this: not only is working on projects like this an exercise in effort, its an exercise in learning how to pace yourself so you dont forget that all this is supposed to be helping your life not becoming a massive bummer. Some people may be able to keep up a greater pace than others when it comes to these kinds of projects. I think finding your own pace and knowing when to put something down and when to come back to it is vital.
Thanks again for the help and im sure ill be on again eventually with questions.
I
iheartmeek
Banned
belt
I ordered the belt from tascam today. They have a bit of a weird system for taking orders for parts. Its as if they dont really want to be dealing with all this old stuff. Oh well.
So im going to get the belt in a few days and put it in and hopefully the performance will improve. As it is right now the old belt is near death and i sense its causing some problems. The machine works, but it feels a little "loose" and not quite as optimal as it could be. I remember this machine sounding way cleaner a few years ago when i first bought it, before it went into disuse for so long. I got it back from a friend i had loaned it to just recently. He hadnt abused it, it just sat there for years. Im crossing my fingers i can get it back to where it sounds best again.
I ordered the belt from tascam today. They have a bit of a weird system for taking orders for parts. Its as if they dont really want to be dealing with all this old stuff. Oh well.
So im going to get the belt in a few days and put it in and hopefully the performance will improve. As it is right now the old belt is near death and i sense its causing some problems. The machine works, but it feels a little "loose" and not quite as optimal as it could be. I remember this machine sounding way cleaner a few years ago when i first bought it, before it went into disuse for so long. I got it back from a friend i had loaned it to just recently. He hadnt abused it, it just sat there for years. Im crossing my fingers i can get it back to where it sounds best again.
sweetbeats
Reel deep thoughts...
Its not that they don't want to be dealing with the old stuff...they've just recently changed their system. They used to have to back-order lots of the older parts and they would keep track of all the back-orders and send out monthly notices. They went with a new inventory system that lacks some of the functions of the old so now they no longer manage backorders...but they WILL tell you when to check back. If it saves them money and helps them stay healthy I'm fine with having to put a note on my celendar for when to check back. And anyway, tell me a company that still supports their 20, 25, 30, 35 year old gear they way they do...I don't think you'll find one.
I
iheartmeek
Banned
belt in
OK so i got the belt and put it in. The old one was a huge floppy mess, the new one is tight.
But the problem now is... its still making the same ugly sounds on playback as it was before. Its not that i thought the belt was the cause, but it was wishful thinking i guess.
The machine sounds fine when playing instruments through the mixer. It rewinds, fast forwards, plays in a very fluid manner as far as the transport goes. The problem is the sound on playback. The machine has been cleaned and demagged. With or without NR the recorded tracks have volume surges and dips, as well as an overal crappy sound to them. I do not hear pitch variations at this point, just volume and tone fluctuations. To be honest it sounds like the tape is rotten. But, its only a few years old and i am recording over parts of the tape where no recordings had ever been made.
I am going to order some new tape and hopefully it will clear up this problem. If not, i will be totally confused as to what might be causing this problem. I was thinking about getting some RMGI. I hope it fixes it because beyond this i dont really know if i have the skill set to fix this recorder.
OK so i got the belt and put it in. The old one was a huge floppy mess, the new one is tight.
But the problem now is... its still making the same ugly sounds on playback as it was before. Its not that i thought the belt was the cause, but it was wishful thinking i guess.
The machine sounds fine when playing instruments through the mixer. It rewinds, fast forwards, plays in a very fluid manner as far as the transport goes. The problem is the sound on playback. The machine has been cleaned and demagged. With or without NR the recorded tracks have volume surges and dips, as well as an overal crappy sound to them. I do not hear pitch variations at this point, just volume and tone fluctuations. To be honest it sounds like the tape is rotten. But, its only a few years old and i am recording over parts of the tape where no recordings had ever been made.
I am going to order some new tape and hopefully it will clear up this problem. If not, i will be totally confused as to what might be causing this problem. I was thinking about getting some RMGI. I hope it fixes it because beyond this i dont really know if i have the skill set to fix this recorder.
cjacek
Analogue Enthusiast
What exact tape are you using and do you leave dbx ON when recording and then playing back and, if you're recording without dbx, do you leave it off when playing back?
I
iheartmeek
Banned
tape
Ive tried both having the NR on while recording and playback, and having it off during recording and playback. Same exact results.
I am using the unused portion of a reel of Quantegy 457 that was bought about 2 years ago. It is possible that the tape might have been stored improperly, but you cant tell by looking at the actual "tape".
I am going to have to buy a reel of new tape i guess, test it, and go from there. But, to be honest, the way the tape sounds on playback its almost as if the tape itself had been scrumpled and then wound back onto the reel. But it hasnt. It looks perfectly fine.
Also, the previously recorded material sounds all messed up as well, so its not just what im recording now thats playing back wrong. Even the old stuff recorded when the machine was working fine and the tape was new 2/3 years ago is playing back like garbage.
Ive tried both having the NR on while recording and playback, and having it off during recording and playback. Same exact results.
I am using the unused portion of a reel of Quantegy 457 that was bought about 2 years ago. It is possible that the tape might have been stored improperly, but you cant tell by looking at the actual "tape".
I am going to have to buy a reel of new tape i guess, test it, and go from there. But, to be honest, the way the tape sounds on playback its almost as if the tape itself had been scrumpled and then wound back onto the reel. But it hasnt. It looks perfectly fine.
Also, the previously recorded material sounds all messed up as well, so its not just what im recording now thats playing back wrong. Even the old stuff recorded when the machine was working fine and the tape was new 2/3 years ago is playing back like garbage.
I
iheartmeek
Banned
Correction
Sorry i made a mistake in my last post, the machine DOES play back the old tracks fine. Its the ones i record now that sound like crap. Sorry for my mistake.
Sorry i made a mistake in my last post, the machine DOES play back the old tracks fine. Its the ones i record now that sound like crap. Sorry for my mistake.
I
iheartmeek
Banned
also
This thing is still getting HOT man. The top gets warm, but that thing on the back with ridges (not sure what its called) gets so hot its not touchable after just 15-20 minutes of it being on and using the transport controls for rewinding playing etc.
This thing is still getting HOT man. The top gets warm, but that thing on the back with ridges (not sure what its called) gets so hot its not touchable after just 15-20 minutes of it being on and using the transport controls for rewinding playing etc.
cjacek
Analogue Enthusiast
My instinct tells me, with all the troubles you're having with sound and then with the heat, that this unit needs attention. I have no idea what could be wrong but it needs to be troubleshot. I personally wouldn't use it until this was done. Obviously you're uncomfortable enough to be worried and I'd listen to that. Have the unit looked over.
I
iheartmeek
Banned
yeah youre right
Yes i think you are right, it does need to go into a shop to be looked at. There are a few in town here, but i dont know when im going to be able to take it in, mainly because of money. Im pretty broke as it is, and this would be just insanity for me to spend money on during these times.
Thanks for everyones help, i sincerely appreciate it. Ill let you know what i decide, but i honestly think this things going into the corner of my room for another 10 years with a dust cover on top.
Yes i think you are right, it does need to go into a shop to be looked at. There are a few in town here, but i dont know when im going to be able to take it in, mainly because of money. Im pretty broke as it is, and this would be just insanity for me to spend money on during these times.
Thanks for everyones help, i sincerely appreciate it. Ill let you know what i decide, but i honestly think this things going into the corner of my room for another 10 years with a dust cover on top.