Help! I hurt my Tascam 388, degaussing went wrong!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Notsmiles
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I think the monitor sub mix pots do affect the sound I will have to retest, but I'm 99% sure because I was testing it with and without the L/R button on and it affected the signal both times it just got louder with the L/R switch. By BUSS faders do you mean the orange pair of faders?

If it is the chip will it be hard to replace or would it be better to just find a replacement PCB? Thanks so much!
 
The chip replacement depends on your soldering skills. It's not a job for a novice.

As to replacing the pcb, first you have to find one. Then you run the risk of it also having a failed or failing chip.

So if you're not confident, the pcb along with the replacement chip could be taken to someone skilled. It wouldn't be that much cost wise because the troubleshooting and removal of the pcb is already done.

This is of course based on that chip actually being bad.
 
Double check if the monitor pots do or do not effect the sound when all L-R switches are in the UP position, AND whether they do or do not effect the sound when ANY L-R switch is in the DOWN position. Report back in specific detail.

If you haven't soldered much, or never removed and installed components on a PCB, particularly a chip, it is not something I would recommend you start learning on. If you can find some scrap board and practice removing and reinstalling components that would be good.
 
And yes by BUSS MASTER faders I mean the orange knob ones...sorry for the confusion...I see now they are labeled as PGM MASTERS, not BUSS.
 
Can I suggest you make a short film and post it on You Tube demonstrating what you think is wrong with the machine? Trying to explain through words what might be wrong is sometimes impossible. Most phones these days make it easy to film and post.
 
The monitor submix pots do affect the sound with the L/R switches up, also I think my tape counter isn't working correctly. It counts to -0.02 and doesn't move.
 
Sounds like you maybe have some complex issues going on.

But first of all can you reiterate the audio output issue? Are you saying the output at the MONITOR OUT jacks is quiet compared to the headphones or the STEREO OUT jacks? If that's what you mean, how much quieter? Can you measure the difference and report back in any way? The MONITOR OUT jacks are going to be quieter than any of the other outputs by design. For whatever reason that pair of outputs doesn't have an output booster amp on them.

In what way did the PGM MASTERS faders get bent? Describe the event that occurred which caused the damage and can you put up a pic of the damage?
 
''the headphone outs seem very quiet, but I haven't used a 388 besides the one I have so I don't know for sure that its a problem. With the gain on the monitor submix maxxed out and the monitor/headphone knob next to the headphone jack turned up it's extremely quiet. I don't have monitors to test the monitor outs or other outputs. Its not the biggest deal because it records and plays back fine, so I may hold off on repairing it. How loud should the headphones be? The tracks are all showing between -3 and 0 on the vu meters? Could it be a fuse?
 
No. a blown fuse would mean no power to the entire audio system, or no power to the transport, or no power to the logic. Period.

What headphones are you using? With the controls set the way you are describing, it should be too loud in the headphones to keep them on your head.
 
Okay, thats what I figured but I wanted to double check. I'm using a pair of AKG K52, They have 1/8" plug with the 1/4" adapter.
 
Yeah there's no reason those headphones should be exceptionally quiet.
 
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