488mkII heaven

[malcomi]

my trusty old 488mkII (yes, 8-track cassette multitracker) has died, not even turning the wheels when I press play. Any ideas as to how I get my old material off the tapes and onto my computer? For two track stuff i can play it through an ordinary tape deck and double the speed, but how about multi-track recorded stuff?

any suggestions gratefully received

 

[A Reel Person]

It's hard to say, but...

it could be a matter of replacing the 488mkII's capstan drive belt. The belt is usually the common failure item in Portastudios this age and older. It's an inexpensive part and a relatively easy fix,... nothing nearly approaching rocket science!

Once you've fixed the 488mkII, there is a way to extract all 8 tracks off the tape in discrete 8-track format. There's an article on this procedure on the info page of this site. In a nutshell, it involves using the 4-buss outs, the monitor outs, and the inserts used as outputs, to get all 8-tracks feeding off the 488mkII simultaneously. It can be done. I've read about it, and monty has actually done it. The obvious point is you'd need an 8-banger sound interface for inputs on the 'puter side.

Good luck with your repair! It might not be as tragic as all that. The belt's an easy fix!! Try it!

 

[Doc Holiday]

If you can't get it fixed, you can probably pick up another 488mkii off ebay without spending a lot of cash. I got one off ebay a few months ago for less than $150. It's in great condition. Good luck!