porta02 question

[spacegirl]

hi,

i've been using the tascam porta02 for the past year or so and i'm running into a problem - the 4th track isn't recording or playing. i've checked things like the volume, input, etc. but have not taken the machine apart or anything.

this happened to me before with a porta01 after awhile. is it just the machine wearing down? should i go digital? this is really frustrating. thanks for any help.


spacegirl

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Have you been maintaining a regiment of cleaning the heads and entire tape path with Q-tips and isopropyl alcohol?

If you ignore this basic maintenance item for a long enough period of time, you can build up a layer of oxide that could prevent you from recording or playing your tapes.

If you are doing this cleaning regularly, (every 10 to 30 hours of tracking), and are still experiencing this problem, your machine may require professional service. I don't suspect you have actually worn anything out. There is probably just an electronic component that went bad or something as simple as a cold solder joint on a connector, switch or PC board that can be found and fixed by a competent technician in about an hour of shop time.

I wouldn't automatically recommend you switch to digital if you were pleased with the results and ease of use you were getting with your cassette Portastudio. Many people prefer the sound of analog, (me included) and to get something in a stand alone digital work station that works with the same user friendliness will be a larger investment then repairing what you have now with all your work on it's format.

Cheers!