hum during recorded portion and blank tape portion

  • Thread starter Thread starter pizixixu
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pizixixu

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I'm new to recording, I'll fill in the details so someone can help me better I hope:
Tascam 414MKII
maxell high bias XLII tape
mic plugged into track 1 XLR (vocalist)
mic plugged into track 2 XLR (guitar amp)
mic plugged into track 3 through impedence matching transformer (drums).
monitored through headphones (i know, i know...)

Issue: I have this loud hum in my recording, it's very prominent, and it exists even when the recording is done and only blank tape is playing, turning off all the levels on the tape cue nobs just makes it less, I can still hear it.... What's the diagnosis?

thanks for the help. pizixixu.
 
Break your system and connections down into seperate pieces to isolate the cause.
-does it hum with all the mics disconnected?
-how about with the Tascam by itself? Is it connected to a monitor amp? Does it hum with just headphones? Only while in 'play'?
Wayne
 
Make sure all connected gear is plugged into powerstrips starting from the same wall outlet. It may also be the transformer mic setup that is causing the problem. I would use the transformer on scratch guitar or vocal parts then overdub it later with the real mic preamp.
 
More from the author of the problem....

I have a feeling it's not an issue with any of the external components.

I'm sitting here now with just the tascam plugged into the wall outlet and a pair of headphones plugged into the phones jack, nothing else. It's set to monitor the tape cue, and the monitor is at half, and there is a low hum. If I switch the monitor source to"L/R" there is a louder hum. And when I remove the phones, plug the line out to my computer and monitor from there, there is again a loud hum when the master switch is at 7, (very little when it is at "0"). The hum is consistent when I hit play, yet it increases if I push up the levels on individual tracks (but the increase is the same regardless of which track, or if I increase more than 1)...ideas?

pizixixu
 
Be sure that NOTHING but the headphones is plugged into the Tascam but the headphones. It sounds like you did but make sure. If it still hums it is in need of repair or more likely replacement.
 
You mentioned you computer. Have you tried turning off your computer screen?
 
Sounds like your problem stems from a short in the unit's output circuit usually caused by a disconnected or loose wire leads that run parallel to outs.
MK414 was my 1st ever multi-track unit and I had the SAME PROB. This problem appeared thru hed-phns or amp via monitor or L/R.
Opened unit up, traced input path connections to outputs to determine in channel's was prob, then traced Mon/L-R connections and discovered that leads were not fully connected to master & pots. Why? I had no idea(unit was purchased used
& seen better days). Re-soldered connections and was good to go.
Mind you, I'm no electronics technician but have learned that humm appears in either bad cabling, loose internal connections,
A/C-Power Line conditioning or unit-to-unit cross-interaction.
Your problem def'ly sounds like an internal issue.
 
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