Got a Brand new TSR-8 today

Amj Music

New member
Hello everyone and I'm happy to be here in this forum
i just got a brand new Tascam TSR-8 today and I can't believe it hhhhh I've done the unboxing myself...
since I'm fairly new to this kind of machines and have no real experience before and after watching some youtube videos I found a way to do a quick test
to check the transport and it seems ok .... but since this thing is maybe at least 20 years old and this is its first wake up, are there any things to take into consideration
knowing that I'm still waiting for the tape to arrive (I've ordered sm911 from recording the masters)?
thanks for any help in advance...
 
The belt may not be in great shape. Not only do they tend to disintegrate with age, but also 20 years in the exact same position could cause it to deform in interesting ways. Also check the pinch roller hasn't gone sticky either.
 
The belt may not be in great shape. Not only do they tend to disintegrate with age, but also 20 years in the exact same position could cause it to deform in interesting ways. Also check the pinch roller hasn't gone sticky either.
Thank you so much jpmorris ; as I've checked thie pinch roller is in factory state, this machine smells new like you can't believe in 2021, the retailer did a very good job in keeping the stock intact , i'm just blown away... i'm not shure about the belt yet as the capstan turns but i'm not confident in it's power ... i will wait for the tape to arrive to do the tests ... and please do you advice any lubrification for the motors?
 
Thank you so much jpmorris ; as I've checked thie pinch roller is in factory state, this machine smells new like you can't believe in 2021, the retailer did a very good job in keeping the stock intact , i'm just blown away... i'm not shure about the belt yet as the capstan turns but i'm not confident in it's power ... i will wait for the tape to arrive to do the tests ... and please do you advice any lubrification for the motors?
Yeah, that is an amazing score.
Lubricating the motors is above my pay grade, unfortunately. If the capstan doesn't have enough torque or slips a bit on startup that's nearly always the drive belt stretching and becoming loose.

The weak point on the older TEAC machines tends to be the lever for the pinch roller, and sometimes the braking system - the grease there can harden solid, but I don't know if the TSR-8 is susceptible to this in the same way.
 
I have a 90's TSR-8 that's been in the family since new. Aside from keeping the heads clean, the only thing I've had to do with it is replace the belt. It finally snapped on me a couple of years ago.
Oh, do be careful how hard you push the record arm buttons for the tracks. The plastic gets crumbly, and the buttons can get stuck in. I have a remote for mine, so I don't have to use the switches on the machine, but I did have one get stuck that way before I got the remote, and had to use a pocket knife to pop it back out.
 
I have a 90's TSR-8 that's been in the family since new. Aside from keeping the heads clean, the only thing I've had to do with it is replace the belt. It finally snapped on me a couple of years ago.
Oh, do be careful how hard you push the record arm buttons for the tracks. The plastic gets crumbly, and the buttons can get stuck in. I have a remote for mine, so I don't have to use the switches on the machine, but I did have one get stuck that way before I got the remote, and had to use a pocket knife to pop it back out.
Thank you so much ... i will do my best and for sure .... i'm planning to get a remote control for it , i see you have a very good experience with this machine but i'm totally new to this kind , so if possible can i have some good advice on the recording process with it , i'm actually planning to use this machine to gain tape saturation and character on my digital tracks ...
 
Thank you so much ... i will do my best and for sure .... i'm planning to get a remote control for it , i see you have a very good experience with this machine but i'm totally new to this kind , so if possible can i have some good advice on the recording process with it , i'm actually planning to use this machine to gain tape saturation and character on my digital tracks ...
Really nothing much different than any other tape machine. I recommend checking the specs in the manual for what it's biased for if you're going to record on it. My Dad always believed the repro head was better quality than the sync head. They look about the same to me, but I still use repro for transfers.
 
Really nothing much different than any other tape machine. I recommend checking the specs in the manual for what it's biased for if you're going to record on it. My Dad always believed the repro head was better quality than the sync head. They look about the same to me, but I still use repro for transfers.
Sean what machine are you talking about? The TSR-8 is a two-head machine.
 
I've just opened my machine today to verify the belt condition and as jpmorris said earlier the belt was loose ... so now i will need a replacement for sure....where can i find the technical specs of it please as i dont wanna be waiting weeks for over seas shipping...
 
Not sure what the belt's dimensions are, unfortunately, but it's the same belt as for the Tascam 388 if that helps any. You can find them on ebay fairly widely so it's probably a fairly common type of belt - I just don't know what.
 
Not sure what the belt's dimensions are, unfortunately, but it's the same belt as for the Tascam 388 if that helps any. You can find them on ebay fairly widely so it's probably a fairly common type of belt - I just don't know what.
Thank you i will do my best
 
Hello everyone and I'm happy to be here in this forum
i just got a brand new Tascam TSR-8 today and I can't believe it hhhhh I've done the unboxing myself...
since I'm fairly new to this kind of machines and have no real experience before and after watching some youtube videos I found a way to do a quick test
to check the transport and it seems ok .... but since this thing is maybe at least 20 years old and this is its first wake up, are there any things to take into consideration
knowing that I'm still waiting for the tape to arrive (I've ordered sm911 from recording the masters)?
thanks for any help in advance...
I’m not sure how long they were made but I bought mone in 1990, so it may be 30 years old. That said, if it was still sealed in a bo, it should be in mint condition. Only the belts may have gone dry and rotted out. The motors will be fine. Good luck
 
I’m not sure how long they were made but I bought mone in 1990, so it may be 30 years old. That said, if it was still sealed in a bo, it should be in mint condition. Only the belts may have gone dry and rotted out. The motors will be fine. Good luck
Thank you so much, yes it is in a mint condition, I couldn't believe it myself when the service guy gave me the unit it was not open since the 90's when they ordered it from Tascam but nobody was interested in that particular model...I'm the lucky man hhhh... when I opened the box the machine smelled new I still say I didn't believe it hhhh... and yes actually the belt is faulty as there was no real power on the capstan and when the pinch roller closes it stops moving....well i opened the machine and get to the belt which was clearly loose ... so now I'm hunting for a sweet able replacement as these are not available anywhere near...but I will find a solution...if the motors don't need anything then this is really great....
 
I meant to say earlier the motors shouldn't need anything. Unlike many earlier generations of machines, the motors in the TSR-8 use shielded cartridge ball bearings. These are lubricated when manufactured and are not meant to be re-lubricated. The only complication could be if the grease has dried up, but that's not likely the case. If they spin up and seem happy and strong, then they are happy and strong. I was going to mention the capstan belt and pinch roller. Obviously the belt is toast, with the pinch roller the rubber should be grippy and...rubberey...not hard, slick, cracked, etc., -OR- soft so that it can be permanently deformed or in worst cases gooey/tarry. The other thing that can happen is that the lifters, pinch roller and brakes can develop an issue where they don't disengage well. If these things are working crisply and positively both in how the engage and how the disengage then you're in good shape. The cause of these problems is a rubber stepped washer or "cushion" that is placed between the solenoid body and the retaining clip on the solenoid plunger...basically the cushion reduces the *clack* noise when the solenoid engages and the plunger is retracted into the solenoid body. Its not necessary for operation, but this rubber cushion can also become soft/gooey/tacky and cause the plunger to get stuck to the face of the solenoid.

Congrats on your find and good luck finding a belt. Hopefully you'll be up and running soon!
 
Thank you again and I'm happy to say that none of the problems you mentioned earlier are there ... only the belt ... I'm lucky enough that today I found a belt at a local store that is almost the same .... it's doing its thing and I'm happy but I will confirm the good functioning of it only when I got the tape and do recordings ... Thank you All for the great help...
 
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