Inside Your Shiny-New-Ouside Vintage Portastudio

[Dr ZEE]

That's in case one may wonder why it (the legendary porta!!!, that is ) seems not to be good even for a demo
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This is TEAC-144,

Here's a high resolution shot: http://www.mzentertainment.com/photos/teac_144_dust.jpg
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The problem is that (due to the way it is built, (and it is built WELL!)), in order to just see what's going on and in order to be able to clean all the pots of mixing section you must almost completely disassemble it. (here's how it looks: http://www.mzentertainment.com/photos/teac_144_parts.jpg )
And there's no way around it. Even if you get around opening the unit up and removing the face cover you still will not get there.
And you have to clean all the pots and sliders. I has to be done.
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btw-1:
The little mixer is a killer there.
The recorder is cool, that's so if the transport works, of course , heh heh

btw-2,
I've made bunch of photos, when I get time, I maybe put together sort-of-step-by-step how to get to change a VU-meter, lamp, clean pots etc. It's a trip, I must say. We had a topic or two in the past in that respect as I recall.
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Here's a "clean shot":

 

[Beck]

Yikes... I haven't had a 144 apart in about 25 years.

Hey Mike, those faders could use a little of this.
(unless it's cat hair... in that case you can save the $3.99 and lick it off)

 

[Dr ZEE]

Hey Mike, those faders could use a little of this.

heh heh, I have one of those and MORE, use them regulary depending on the time of the year and my dog's moods
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serious point, though, again, I just want to highlight. I am attaching another photo, that is when you take the face plate off. See how nice and clean it looks , and on the bottom side there two layers of PCBs: Record/Play Amps/Dolby + Power Supply, and then inside there is the mixer's board. You can't see nor you can get to the pots from here. Spraying DioxIt through the holes here and there and around would not do good at all, actually it may make things worse ..heh heh
Does not 244 have the same (or similar) construction?
here's the "nice'n clean" inside (yet not so!) photo:

 

[Beck]

Yes, the early portas all have the inner metal chassis... but that's a good thing. It's sturdy and well grounded and shielded.

They should really come with dust covers though. I have a 20-year-old 246 that looks new inside and out, but I bought a custom dust cover from the (now defunct) Gotcha-Covered company at the time I bought the 246.

I have dust covers for all my keyboards and mixing consoles as well… even my little Roland TR-707 drum machine has a dust cover.

Unfortunately the only thing you can say when you see an old piece of gear full of dust and pet hair is… they should have had a dust cover. Then take it apart clean it up and get a dust cover. And no dogs (or cats) in the kitchen.

 

[Dr ZEE]

....no dogs ... in the kitchen.

Can't do that.
here's my recording engineer baby Margo:

 

[Beck]

Well that's different... if she's on the payroll get her a hairnet and you’re done.

She is cute.

 

[Dr ZEE]

... if she's on the payroll

nop. I am.
She's the boss.

 

[Beck]

This one goes out to the boss then...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyZ44B27pdw&feature=related

 

[Dr ZEE]

heh, thanks
also, we 've got that one here on the right medium,
here's the art of proof through a genuine antique british glass:

 

[cjacek]

Mike, this is great stuff! I always love to see this type of work, the tell all guide to the insides of vintage tape gear and such, especially the TEAC / TASCAM gear! I'd love to see more 144 picts and your work as it progresses (in picts as well). Hey, I know how much time and effort it goes to posting all this but it's appreciated. Thanks again!

 

[cjacek]

Gotcha-Covered

That's a hell of a good name for a "covers" company.

Man, all of this has made me curious to see some picts of your setup! [insert drool smilie]

 

[analog aaron]

There's no doubt in my mind that the original Teac 144 porta is built better than any "newer" porta, but (providing it still worked) do you think "sonically" speaking it would sound better than a "newer" porta? Just curious?

 

[Bobby Darko]

hey aaron

the 244 and 246 are built equally well, if not better. And my 688 hasn't let me down yet either and that's a machine from the early 90's..