Problem with OUTPUT on my Tascam 38

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gg38

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hey guys
love your forum, i check it everyday.
I just wanted to ask you. I recorded 7 tracks on my tascam 38, and what happens is track 1 and 2 won't play back. It is recording the material, because when the VU plays back the track on 1 & 2 it moves according to the track i recorded. I've check it out with the mixer and all the mixer channels are functional, i tried new cabling on the 2 tracks and the same results. I'm guessing it is a problem with the out puts of Track 1 and 2 from the unit. I disengaged and unplugged the dbx, so its not that. Could it be from the head, (i've tried both sync and repro) they play back fine it seems according to the VU, just no sound. I've never opened up my 38 and don't really know where to start. Any help is appreciated.
cheers
 
Try...

Try recording on all 8 tracks, test signal if necessary, & then carefully reverse the reels on the deck & play the tape in reverse. See if the disfunctional tracks move location or stay the same.

Sounds like (easy stuff first) ...if... there's a miswired output channel between the deck and mixer,... might prevent you from hearing the playback from the affected tracks. Mixer setup and wiring should be verified 100%.

Beyond,... sometimes the switching relays on the audio cards can become sticky or disfunctional, which could block the switching and signal flow. A real jacked up relay could do this, but typically it's only on the Repro or Sync head side exclusively, not usually both,... but not entirely out of the realm of possibility. The "easy" way to verify this would be to remove the bottom cover and CAREFULLY start removing audio card and swapping them between slots. This should be done very carefully, I can't emphasize enough. The motherboard mates with the audio cards on multiple connector pins, each one could be susceptible to a bend or breakage.

HEY,... it just occurred to me that if this deck was recently purchased and shipped to you, then the audio cards could have been jostled a little loose, and might benefit from being removed/inspected/reseated. THAT's a real possiblity. Shipping could cause this issue,... if you will.:eek:;)
 
Make sure the power is off when removing and installing the cards. Also apply some Deoxit to the connectors. Radio Shack should carry Deoxit.
VP
 
My 38 has thoes kind of fits sometimes as well. I have never figured it out. It doesn't happen often.
 
so i've tested the mixer and wiring, and its definitely not that. So that is ruled out. I'll try out what Dave was telling me. I wasn't shipped either. The Repro and Syn head both show the VU meter playing the signal that was recorded but nothing is being outputed from the outputs of channel 1 and 2. I'll also buy some deoxit. But i'll take a look over the next few days. Til then it's a 6 track. Thanks for the tips guys.
 
I second what Dave suggested. Reseating the amp cards is a great first step along with a dose of contact cleaner.

The relays, as he said, can indeed be problematic, but the meters are downstream of those relays (obviously, since the meters display levels of that which you are monitoring), so if the relays were buggy then the meters would reflect that bugginess.

If reseating doesn't work, then swap cards. If the problem follows the card then it is something wrong with the card and we take it from there. If the problem stays on channel 1&2, then it is something between the output on the card and the output jack, which is basically nothing but wire (trace on PCB and wiring)...the opamps on the cards drive line-level signal so you can test continuity between the output jack and the corresponding socket the carries the output signal from the card...maybe you've got a couple bad jacks.

Question: Can you get audio to pass through from the channel 1&2 inputs to the corresponding output jacks when you switch the monitor source to the input?
 
So , i opened up the bottom and the back, just to get familiar with the insides of my 38-8. I took out the 2 cards from the bottom, numbers 1 and 2. They were a bitch to take out. I looked inside, and there are the series of pins that the card was attached to. Should i spray the deoxit on those things, and then try the cards back, then swap the cards? Also i looked on the outputs in the back and everything looks soldered pretty good. The one thing, the mother board behind the outputs, looks dusty. Should i spray some compressed air to get that out. And also, on the main mother board there are these rows of 8 Red 8 black 8 white, little lego looking things, also attached to pins. Should i take those out one by one, and Spray De-ox on it and then put the plastics back. I'll be buying the Deoxit tommorrow night after work and try out all the stuff, over the next day, and let you guys know. I did notice on the bottom where the channel card 2 is, that the top set of pins looked a bit bent that go into channel 2's card. And the white little plastic piece on the channel card where the pins go into, was slightly bent. Should i bend those horizontally back? Sorry if this all sounds really amateur as i don't know what the pieces are called.
Hey sweetbeats, the audio can get to the tape through channel 1 and 2 and record onto the tape, but when i put, Repro input or Syn, it won't output audio. So nothing on the output of 1 and 2.
Can't wait to buy some DEoxit or contact cleaner.
 
Yah...but try reseating and swapping cards too...Me personally I'd try that before messing with the pins, though be careful reseating those cards.
 
hey -- all of this is exactly the same problem we're having. Channel two records, but doesn't play back on repro or synch. We brought the machine to our friend who resoldered all of the pin points on several of the cards. Upon bringing it home its still having the same problem. Its something between the card (switching cards reveals the same problem) and the output jack. Any ideas of what we can do...? Thanks
 
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