In Need Of Some Comfort

H

HomesickAlien

New member
So I ending up buying a Tascam 34B as my first analog unit.

But.. Well,

I went over to the seller's house first and got him to demo it for me....
The machine worked well and was in great cosmetic condition.
It sounded fucking awesome.
Except..... there was a squeaking coming from the machine. He told me that it was most likely a roller... and upon further inspection I decided he was probably right.

I sat there and thought about it for a while and came to the conclusion that it probably isn't that big of a deal and could be easily fixed.

I went out on a limb and as I wrote before, I purchased it.
So now I have a couple of questions...

Is this going to be a big problem?
or
Will I be able to take it into a shop and get it fixed (or even fix it myself)?

Lastly:

I have already recorded with it to try it out and am totally blown away by the quality.
Should I stop using it before I get it fixed? I'm worried that if it is a problem that can be fixed, if I keep using it while it is squeaking that it will somehow put unnecessary strain on other parts of the machine.
Oh, and the squeaking comes and goes.
 
The 34B is a nice machine. Congrats!

Squeaking could be coming from almost any moving part. Usually the guide rollers or the capstan… or maybe the capstan drive motor. Could be something as simple as removing the two guide rollers and oiling the shafts with a drop of 3-in-one oil. It could also be the pinch roller squeaking as it turns on its shaft. If it’s the bearings in the capstan assembly it gets more complicated. Once something is squeaking metal-to-metal it’s causing wear each time you use the machine. Since we don’t know where the squeaking is coming from or even what you define as “squeaking” we can only offer our best guesses at this point. However, it never hurts to lubricate the places that need lubricating as part of normal maintenance.

If you see any rust on the shafts due to neglect or long storage you’ll have to buff that off before lubricating and reassembly.
 
If your comfortable with it,take a look at it yourself.
When I first got my 388,I opened 'er up right away,pulling out channel cards,opening up all the faders and cleaning them out and even located a cold solder joint and fixed that.And I am by no means a very technical person when it comes to that stuff.
But ever since I was a child I used to like opening things up and putting them back together.
I only do this if I feel comfortable with it though.
 
well upon further inspection i've narrowed it down to the right side of the deck, i think it is the roller with the black rubber band on it that is on the bottom of the tape after it comes out of the head casing......

but here comes another newb question... what the hell is ips? obviously it has to do with speed but what does it stand for and what is the difference in terms of the sound?

and here's the kicker.... the squeaking that my deck makes only happens if i am recording in 7-1/2... if i record in 15 ips then it doesn't make a sound. i'm guessing since it is rotating faster my tape will not last as long.

all that being said do any of you know what could be causing the noise in 7-1/2?
and which rate do any of you recommend that i should record in?

- mr. newb
 
HomesickAlien said:
and here's the kicker.... the squeaking that my deck makes only happens if i am recording in 7-1/2... if i record in 15 ips then it doesn't make a sound. i'm guessing since it is rotating faster my tape will not last as long.
Click to expand...

ips stands for INCHES PER SECOND, So you are correct, it has to do with the tape speed.

The faster the tape runs, the higher area you have to record on so you will get better quality. The standard tape speeds for consumer decks are 3.75 and 7.5IPS whilst pro is 15IPS or 30IPS. Obviously if you are doubling the tape speed (going from 7.5 to 15) you are using twice as much tape for the same record time so you get half the record time than you would with 7.5IPS.

Personally, I would be running it at 15IPS and if it isn't broken then don't fix it.

What tape are you using?
 
great to hear about the ips... no squeaking.. wee

Chilljam said:
What tape are you using?
Click to expand...

it came with 5 reels of used tape
and 3 reels of new tape
all are
10.5” Scotch 3M 226..
is this stuff known to be good or bad? i've tried searching around and can't really find any information about it.
any recommendations for a certain type of tape?

thanks again you guys!
 
HomesickAlien said:
great to hear about the ips... no squeaking.. wee



it came with 5 reels of used tape
and 3 reels of new tape
all are
10.5” Scotch 3M 226..
is this stuff known to be good or bad? i've tried searching around and can't really find any information about it.
any recommendations for a certain type of tape?

thanks again you guys!
Click to expand...

really no way to tell without trying it out; if the machine starts behaving strangely, slowing down, loss of high end -- then take the tape off the machine and clean the heads with Q-tips and 91% alcohol.

scotch 226 is known to be a "sticky-shed" (BAD) tape, but the ones you have look like they are from the last era they were produced (mid-'90s), which means they might be okay. the quantegy should be fine.
 
Oh, now there's a thought. When it squeaks in 7.5 mode, were you running it with the 3M stuff, or the Quantegy? I've just remembered that I have had slightly dodgy tape cause the transport to make strange sounds.

Just an idea. I would definitely agree with the consensus to run it at 15ips, though.
 
I've only been using the 3M stuff as I never got any Quantegy tape, just a take up reel.
So perhaps you are on to something.
The heads do tend to get dirty pretty fast with both the new and used tape so I'm in the midst of trying to figure out which kind of tape I should invest in.
 
I'd recommend RMGI 911 as it's basically a drop-in replacement. SM900 would really want the deck recalibrated, and the only other option is ATR, which is expensive (and would also want the deck recalibrated).
 
i know it probably seems like i have a never-ending amount of questions but....

i do.
so here comes another one...
if i use a different type of tape why do i have to get it recalibrated, and what are you essentially recalibrating?
 
HomesickAlien said:
if i use a different type of tape why do i have to get it recalibrated, and what are you essentially recalibrating?
Click to expand...

Record level, basically. Different type types require a different amount of energy to record a signal that plays back at the same output level.
Related to this is the amount of bias needed to energize the tape correctly. Bias is complex and even though I had an idea of the theory it took me a while to really understand it from a practical viewpoint.

Basically, if you print a signal directly to tape it will come back distorted. To prevent this, a very high frequency signal is superimposed on the recording (say 150Khz). This excites the tape media and it will accept the signal properly.
However, different tape formulations require different amounts of bias relative to the signal and it has to be set just right. Too much and it will distort, too little and you'll get more noise. You have to find the sweet spot and it's something I've never been terribly great at myself.
 
HomesickAlien said:
i know it probably seems like i have a never-ending amount of questions but....

i do.
so here comes another one...
if i use a different type of tape why do i have to get it recalibrated, and what are you essentially recalibrating?
Click to expand...


also, it depends on the tape. Scotch 226 is basically a common, "standard" bias, so it would work well with Quantegy 456, Quantegy 406, Scotch 206, RMGI 468, RMGI 911. there are slight differences (particularly with the RMGI stuff), but they are generally compatible; you don't HAVE to re-bias for these tapes.
 
HomesickAlien said:
great to hear about the ips... no squeaking.. wee

it came with 5 reels of used tape
and 3 reels of new tape
all are
10.5” Scotch 3M 226..
is this stuff known to be good or bad? i've tried searching around and can't really find any information about it.
any recommendations for a certain type of tape?

thanks again you guys!
Click to expand...

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but there is no 3M/Scotch 226 on the planet that doesn't have some level of sticky shed. It is one of the worst. Dump the tape and keep the nice metal reels. You can purchase tapes in pancake form (without reels) and spool it onto the reels you have. You can get new RMGI 911 cheaper without the metal real flanges. And now and then you'll see other brands in pancakes such as NOS Quantegy 456/457 406/407 and 3M/Scotch 206/207. 206/207 is one of the best tapes ever made. Also look for AGFA/BASF/EMTEC 468 in pancakes. Great tape!

Trust me, don't record anything on 226. Even if the sticky shed hasn't progressed to the point of leaving crap all over the machine... it will and you'll wish you hadn't. :( 226 was made from 1979 to about 1990 or 91. All of it was made with the same unstable urethane binder similar to what Ampex used in that same era. 226 was discontinued because of the binder problem and replaced with a new bias compatible… 3M 966/986 about 1991-92.

Tape with sticky shed like 226 can cause squeaking as it drags across non-moving parts in the tape path... and it will be more audible (lower frequency) at slower speeds. So, what you're hearing on the right side of the deck may be the pinch roller shaft needing lubrication or it may be the sticky shed 226 tape dragging across the non-rotating tape guide between the repro head and the rubber roller or the one just above and to the right of the rubber roller. Now knowing what tape you’re using I suspect it’s the tape.

And by the way, unopened NOS tape that is prone to sticky shed will be bad right out of the box. Doesn’t matter if its used or not. Whatever other problems you might have with the machine you need new tape.
 
alright well that blows, but oh well....

so basically i should first try buying:

SM911-34130 1/4" 10.5"x2500' Pancake in ECOpak

transferring it to a metal reel, cleaning the tape path and hope for the best?
are there any problems with any RMG batches that i need to research or is it all reliable tape?

thanks again guys... i'm definitely not gonna mess around with the scotch tape
 
Assuming your deck is set up for 456 or 226, here are the tapes that i would get, in this order (based on my own personal preference) - and you can search eBay for NOS tapes; these ones are usually good:

1 - Scotch 206
2 - Quantegy 406
3 - Agfa / Basf 468
4 - RMGI 911
 
If you're looking for new tape, check out Splicit.com or Fullcompass.com. I've purchased tape from both companies and have been satisfied. Both carry RMGI SM 911, which is a good tape for your machine.

-MD
 
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