388 not passing signal

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iheartmeek

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Hello everyone. I just got a Tascam 388 today and its not passing signal. So far it lights up etc, but i dont see any movement in the VUs and i dont hear anything over the phones, not even hiss.

I made sure that everything was set up right mixer wise, still nothing. Does anyone have a clue as to where i should begin trying to find out what is wrong with it? Thanks.
 
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I took

I took a look inside, it seems like the fuse marked F3 is busted. Does anyone know if this could be related to the problem im experiencing?
 
Yes...I'm not positive because I get confused what transistors get involved but it looks like F3 eventually makes it way to the -15V rail from which most of the audio path is powered. The concern is what caused F3 to blow...try replacing it and if it blows then we need to isolate what is causing it to blow.

If it blows then the next step is to remove all the plug in cards that are in the cardbay bahind the meter bridge and power it up with a new fuse. Fuse stays intact? Then start plugging in one card at a time, powering down in between of course, and when the fuse blows then it is likely that the card you just installed has a problem. Then pull that card, put another new fuse in and try putting in the rest of the cards and see if the fuse stays intact. If it is still good then you can check and see if you can pass any audio on the cards that are in place.

If the fuse still blew when you pulled the cards then we have to go further at isolating the power supply.
 
Thank you

OK im going to try to get a fuse here as soon as i can so i can try it out. Seriously, you have NO IDEA how great it is to be able to ask a question like this and get help from a stranger. So i thank you immensely. Ive seen and read fully all of your "story" threads and even saved some pics to my hard drive that were too picturesque not to right click.

Whats strange is that these vintage recorders etc would simply be tossed aside into garbage bins and deemed "broken" by most. But i feel that they can recieve a second life as long as people who understand electronics are willing to give some advice. So thanks! Ill let you know what i find out.

So far all i know is:

The machine powers up.

No audio present at VUs or phones etc.

The transport controls do SOMETHING even though lifting the arm doesnt seem to cause the "whir" sound it normally does on reels.

VU meter 7 is out.

Missing the tape cover.

Its pretty clean though, hasnt been physically abused at least.
 
Do you have anything wired in the insert jacks? I know they have a different name on the 388; an insert jack on most mixers involves a shared jack for both in and out, but on the 388 there is a separate in and out for each channel. If anything is in only one of these jacks, or if it is wired up correctly but the pass through for an effect is not turned on, that channel will not work or register anything on the VU meter. I know, because I ran into this problem once on the 388 and thought I had lost my ability to pass a signal through my 388.

Hope this helps,
MD
 
themaddog said:
Do you have anything wired in the insert jacks? I know they have a different name on the 388; an insert jack on most mixers involves a shared jack for both in and out, but on the 388 there is a separate in and out for each channel. If anything is in only one of these jacks, or if it is wired up correctly but the pass through for an effect is not turned on, that channel will not work or register anything on the VU meter. I know, because I ran into this problem once on the 388 and thought I had lost my ability to pass a signal through my 388.

Hope this helps,
MD
Click to expand...

Nah theres nothing funky going on with that, its pretty much just sitting there with nothing but the mic or guitar plugged in. I think im going to try the fuse thing. Thanks though
 
fuse

Does anyone know what type of fuse i need for the F3 position in the Tascam 388? I have only a PDF manual and the text is so small and ugly no amount of zooming helps make it out. Thanks for any help. Also, where do you recommend i get a replacement from?
 
Its a 2A 250V fuse. Not sure where you are located but any electronics shop should have it, Radio Shack would likely be a good source or some other specialty electronics shop...
 
thanks

sweetbeats said:
Its a 2A 250V fuse. Not sure where you are located but any electronics shop should have it, Radio Shack would likely be a good source or some other specialty electronics shop...
Click to expand...

Thanks! Ill let you know what i find out.
 
got fuse

OK i went and got the fuse and put it in. Now i get signal perfectly on all tracks. Nice "dark" sounding preamps and better eq than my Tascam M30.

I loaded up the tape and i can get it to perform the load function and fast forward, but no rewind or play. Any suggestions as to what might be causing that?
 
Congrats on getting part of the way there! :)

  1. First let's look at the supply reel motor that's not spinning (as in REW). Without tape loaded, lift up the right tension arm and hit REW. Now while still holding up the right tension arm, lift up the left tension arm. Does the supply motor start spinning? If not, let go of the left tension arm...can you at least spin the supply reel table freely?
  2. Now let's look at the PLAY issue. Again, without tape loaded, lift up the right tension arm...is the capstan shaft now spinning? If so, now while still holding the right tension arm up hit PLAY. Does the pinch roller engage the capstan shaft? If the capstan shaft wasn't spinning when you lifted the right tension arm, can you hear the capstan motor turning on and turning off as you raise and lower the tension arm all the way up and all the way down? You'll have to have it quiet around you and you'll have to listen closely...its a quiet motor but you'll hear a faint click as it turns on and off.
 
...

Check, test and/or change all the fuses!:eek:;)
 
Ooooo...right you are, Dave. ;)

Fuses can look good but still be shot. Best thing is to take a multimeter and check continuity from fuse holder to fuse holder. Even a cheapy digital multimeter will work for this. If you find one that doesn't pass the continuity test then pull the fuse and check the fuse itself. The reason I say to do the holder to holder test first is that sometimes it can just be an oxidized contact...this has been rare for me but it happened so I start there.

Reel is right...check them fuses with a tester thingy first, then try all my little suggestions.
 
what i found

I went in and tried the things you said. Rewind is now working somehow. Only "play" isnt functioning. When the right arm is lifted and Play is pressed, the machine starts to go but instantly stops. Its like a "CHK" sound, the same as when you press Stop.

I have a question, the fuses in mine numbered 1-3 are all valued at 3A 250V, but they all look different slightly, is that normal? Fuse number 4 is 4A 250V. I got replacements for the 3A 250V ones here, but havent put them in because the ones in there are visually different looking even though they are valued the same.

Should i put the new ones in?

BTW, thanks for your help, its literally making my day.
 
Also

When the tape isnt loaded, if i lift the right arm and press play, the machine starts to play (left hub starts spinning). It stops immediately if i raise the left arm.
 
The fuses are specified in the manual as follows:

#1 3A 250V
#2 2A 250V
#3 2A 250V
#4 2A 250V
#5 3A 250V

They may appear different...that is okay...what is important is that they match the specified values. ;)

I went in and tried the things you said. Rewind is now working somehow. Only "play" isnt functioning. When the right arm is lifted and Play is pressed, the machine starts to go but instantly stops. Its like a "CHK" sound, the same as when you press Stop.
Click to expand...

When the tape isnt loaded, if i lift the right arm and press play, the machine starts to play (left hub starts spinning). It stops immediately if i raise the left arm.
Click to expand...

I'm confused...it sounds like you are saying two different things. In the first you are saying it doesn't play, and in the second you are saying it does. In the first scenario is the tape loaded or unloaded?

Again, tell us whether or not the capstan shaft spins when you raise the right tension arm.

BTW, it is normal for the left hub to start spinning if there's no tape and it is in PLAY...its spinning clockwise right? The transport logic thinks tape is loaded because the right tension arm is raised, and it also thinks there is a bunch of slack on the supply side because the tension arm is all the way down, so you see the supply table start to spin in the opposite way that the tape comes off the reel because it is trying increase the tension on the supply side to take care of the slack it thinks is there...if you slowly raise the left tension arm at that point the left table will slow down and finally stop as the tension arm is raised to its stop, like the tape tension coming up and raising the tension arm. Does that make sense? The tension arms not only provide the physical shock absorbtion for the tape during changes in the transport speed and direction, but also tell the logic how much tension is on each side of the tape path based on how much the tension arms are deflecting so the logic can control the reel motors to keep the tape at a constant tension...makes for better performance. The capstan shaft sets the speed of the tape and the tension arms are the logic's sensors so it knows what to tell the reel motors to do to keep the tension constant and hence constant pressure between the tape and the heads.
 
clarity

Sorry for the lack of clarity. What i meant was, no the tape doesnt "play", but when the right arm is lifted the left hub does spin.

Capstan doesnt spin when i raise the arm.

Also, for some reason on my 388 the circuit board shows the fuses as 1-3 3A 250V, and the 4th one as 4A 250V. I replaced the one that was broken with the same value that was printed on the board.
 
Okay. Yes. When in doubt follow what the fuse board has printed on it. I just checked both of by 388's and both have fuses 1 ~ 4 as 3A 250V and #5 is 4A 250V...is that the same as yours? You only listed 4 fuses... :???:

I double checked and the fuses that are actually installed do indeed match the board...there are a lot of inconsistencies in the manual...changes they made after the manual was published. It happens. Good catch.

Okay. Make sure it is nice and quiet around you and raise that right tension arm and see if you can hear the capstan motor turn on. If you can then it is likely your capstan belt is broken or has slipped of because it is aged and needs replaced. Teac in California has these in stock for not much money.

The fact that the capstan doesn't spin is why it just goes CHK! when you hit PLAY with tape loaded. The capstan actually is what moves the tape and the reel motors just maintain constant tension and keep the tape winding. If you hit PLAY and the capstan doesn't turn and move the tape then the natural result is the transport immediately goes into STOP mode.

Check to see if you can hear the motor and then report back.
 
sound

Yes, when i lift the right arm i hear the motor but the capstan doesnt move.

What is the easiest way to get to the belt to see if it slipped or needs to be replaced? I plan on replacing it anyways, but ill still need to get to it. Do i flip it around so its back is facing upwards?
 
You are in luck my friend...

I was hoping for this opportunity...forum member shedshrine put together an EXCELLENT tutorial on replacing the capstan belt on a 388. It is a relatively easy DIY job...easily accessible and lots of room to work.

The thread is here:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=273674
 
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