Quick Pick: 388 vs 80-8

[technoplayer]

I have a chance tonite to buy a 388 ($150) or and 80-8 ($75) both local pick up.
The 388 is described as very nice and working. I do not know anything about the 80-8 except is a complete machine with hub adaptors and the DBX unit.
I know there are a lot of you rubes who will say grab them both, but I am in the gear-downsizing mode rightnow (sold 4 r2r amchines in the last month) and trying to shed my gear-sluttiness a bit.

BUT......either price seems too good to pass up....

I never owned a 1/2" machine before, and logic tells me it ought to be a good investment, even if for parting it out. On the other hand, I have a nice 388 already and really like it, and 1/4" tape is cheaper and more available.

Reality: both will end up being resold later on, but I like to buy and play and get the bugs out.....

So.....someone convince me what to do.......

 

[RRuskin]

A properly working 80-8 will out perform a 388 in the same condition without question. That's a fact. There is plenty of new 1/2" tape available now. It's just more expensive than it used to be.

 

[sweetbeats]

If you ;ve already got a 388, then get the 80-8...$75 with DX-8 is unreal.

Or...wait...no.....nnnnnooooooooooo!!!! I....can't get......freeeeee!

[grotesque physical transformation takes place before your very eyes.....after a bizarre and uncomfortable pause sweetbeats grunts:

Get both of them.

 

[technoplayer]

Get both of them??? Can I read you or what....

Seriously, whatever i buy I will be turning around and selling anyway. eventually. The price of either seems attractive (like I no lose any $$) and I've never owned a 80-8.


Although.......

I have always wanted to carve up a 388, take the mixer section and clone it onto the chassis of my 388 to make it a 16 channel input mixer. Done right it would look wicked cool. i dunno where I got this idea...maybe from someone who stuck two M312s together into a 24 input setup hehehe

 

[sweetbeats]

Seriously, whatever i buy I will be turning around and selling anyway. eventually. The price of either seems attractive (like I no lose any $$) and I've never owned a 80-8.

From that perspective I'd say get the 80-8...the market seems to have been on the incline for that era, and I believe the 80-8 to be better known amongst those who are not so much...er...in the know (i.e. I think the 388 is one of the coolest hunks of gear...way better cooler than an 80-8, but I can just hear somebody saying "Dude! Boston, like, recorded their first album on one of those..." y'know? Not knocking Boston or the 80-8 by any means, its just funny what drives the market...)

If it was me though, and I already had a 388, I'd be snatching that $150 deal up as a potential parts deck, but I guess that's kind of my M.O. anyway...I've got pairs of decks.

I have always wanted to carve up a 388, take the mixer section and clone it onto the chassis of my 388 to make it a 16 channel input mixer. Done right it would look wicked cool. i dunno where I got this idea...maybe from someone who stuck two M312s together into a 24 input setup hehehe

Heheheh...A Ghost-ized 388...yyyyyyeahhhh...something like this:

 

[cjacek]

+1 to what sweets said..

For that kinda price and local too, I'd grab both of 'em, without hesitation, if in acceptable condition.

BTW: TASCAM 3816! Nice one Cory!!

--

 

[technoplayer]

I already have a 388, so I bought the 80-8. The seller turned out to be an older gentleman who claimed to be the original owner who bought it for , go figure, home recording. I was pleasantly surprised by the overall condition of the machine. I was a bit put off at first cause the heads and guides looked like that had paper mache all over them. A little scraping and I realized that they were totally caked with tape oxide and binder...massive sticky shed. The guy said the last time he tried to run one of his old tapes on the machine it all gunked up. Well, other than dust it looked pretty good, and has the onboard DX-8 and something I was not familair with, an accessory speed control box VS-88 for capstan speed control.

So home it went. Crap is this thing heavy!!!!

Heads and guides: Once cleaned up, the heads look like they have never had tape run over them. Upon taking a look at the capstan roller, I noted it has a consistent grain pattern to the rubber, that is, no wear spot in the middle. Maybe its been replaced, but I wouldnt bet on it.

So it looks to be a low mileage machine, and mechanically runs quiet. Now all I have to do is get some half inch tape so I can check it out electronically.
My first thought when I bought this way to buy, refurb, and sell, but now I don't know. Thisllooks like a really nice machine!!!


Some questions for you all:

>> Was the VS-88 a standard feature or an option? Any info on it like speed range?

>> The DX-8 has four sets of jacks...Input, output, encode, and decode
Do i presure my external signal in and out go the inputs and outputs, and the encode and decode jumper to the 80-8?

>> Any recommendations for tape type to look for?

>> Anybody have a pdf of the manual for this beast?

>> How good of a machine is this in terms of recording quality?

 

[RRuskin]

Some questions for you all:

>> Was the VS-88 a standard feature or an option? Any info on it like speed range?

>> The DX-8 has four sets of jacks...Input, output, encode, and decode
Do i presure my external signal in and out go the inputs and outputs, and the encode and decode jumper to the 80-8?

>> Any recommendations for tape type to look for?

>> Anybody have a pdf of the manual for this beast?

>> How good of a machine is this in terms of recording quality?

The VS-88 was an option that came out a few years after the 80-8 hit the market. The installation involved replacing the original A/C capstan motor with a D/C one. The same as found in the 38 machines, in fact. You might want to ask the seller if he has the original motor as it's rebuildable. The one you have isn't.

Use new (not n.o.s.) 456 bias compatible tape. 1.5 mil will withstand the rigors of multiple passes/uses better than thinner stock.

Your dx8 patch sounds correct to me but it's been awhile since I've done it.
When in use, it slows punch in/out times aprox. 1/10th sec. This is due to its "single card" configuration and not the dbx process itself.

It's a very good sounding machine. The 38 may sound a bit crisper but ymmv. The transport is a tank. I know where an auto locater can be found for it, btw.

 

[technoplayer]

Thanks for the info.

Auto locator!!! ANOTHER TOY!!!!!

I presume the auto locator takes up one of the tracks? That would be a very nice option. Was that something Teac offered as an option later on also?
What woukld that set me back?
I probably should wait till I run tape on this beast, as you never can tell with a near 30 year old machine if something in the signal path is amiss.
I am a great at electromechanical trouble shooting and repair, but if there is any deep electronics issues I may be lost. The nice feature of these older machines is the discrete electronics, which are somewhat easier to diagnose and repair. But i am getting ahead of myself here.
Good to know the 38 motor is the same in case of a future failure.
I will contact the seller about the motor, but its proabably history. He had landfilled the tape and sold off all his other gear. He didn't think the 80-8 was worth much since "everythings gone digital".

?? Any idea what remote works with this? i have an RC70 which looks like the same connector type, but I am reluctant to randomly plug it in in case the pin outs are different

 

[RRuskin]

Thanks for the info.

Auto locator!!! ANOTHER TOY!!!!!

I presume the auto locator takes up one of the tracks? That would be a very nice option. Was that something Teac offered as an option later on also?
What woukld that set me back?

?? Any idea what remote works with this? i have an RC70 which looks like the same connector type, but I am reluctant to randomly plug it in in case the pin outs are different

The locator is completely outboard and takes no track space. I'm not certain how many functions it has but I do know that it has a very accurate "return to zero." A friend of mine still has it from his old analog rig and mentioned it to me the other day. I'm sure it can be bought but I won't be part of the process. I'll get you in touch if you want. This device will plug into the remote socket as far as I can recall.

 

[sweetbeats]

Wwwwwoowwwww

Well, techno, you got yours alright...That is a fantastic deal for a low use 80-8 with Dx-8 and VS-88...Congrats!!

You said it has the "onboard" DX-8...you mean the transport and DX-8 are integrated, like joined together with the long side panels??? If so, that's cool. Pretty rare I think, and it makes for one monolithic chunk of gear.

He didn't think the 80-8 was worth much since "everythings gone digital".

Love that...more and more people need to think that way......wait...no...no more...no more...nope-nope-nope...where's that 388?

 

[RRuskin]

Well,

You said it has the "onboard" DX-8...you mean the transport and DX-8 are integrated, like joined together with the long side panels??? If so, that's cool. Pretty rare I think, and it makes for one monolithic chunk of gear.
/QUOTE]

That setup may look cool but having everything squeezed together like that generates a lot of heat where you don't want it. Back in the day, we would keep the units physically apart and prop open the 80-8 meter panel a bit so heat could escape more efficiently. Not pretty but it saved lots of grief during long sessions.

 

[sweetbeats]

Huh! I can see that, Rick. I remember the first time I had my 58 on for a prolonged period and the heat was really flowing out of the top vent panel.

 

[Richard King]

Crap is this thing heavy!!!!

I used to have that exact machine with the extended side panels to hold the DBX. I didn't have the variable speed motors though. You think it's heavy the way you have it.... I used to pack it up in an Anvil case with an attached caster board. I would pack it up and load it into the back of my 1972 Datsun 510 station wagon for location recording gigs.

 

[technoplayer]

I passed on the 388. Like I said, I was trying to downsize my gear

Maybe I'll call him next week and see if he dropped the price hehehe

Yeah, the dbx is located below the transport, and it does have the long side panels. Heavy MF. I have a tascam rosewood floor cart i picked up a few years ago and by my measurements the 80-8 with the dbx is a perfect fit. I have another piece of gear in it now, but i may try to see how it works.

The VS88 is a little odd however, as it is not a rack mount or anything...just a box. Kind of random

 

[Richard King]

Here's my old 80-8 in its custom studio stand I used a matching stand for my half track mixing machine.

 

[sweetbeats]

techno...can you put up some pics?

Yeah, the VS-88 was designed as a tabletop unit, the idea being that you would have it where you were whether it be with your instrument or at the mixer...same reason a remote control is not rack mounted.

Hey Richard, I'm pretty sure your custom studio stand is actually a tilt-back amp stand... Great pic BTW.

 

[technoplayer]

I always have trouble with pics........

This is just like I picked it up...precleaning and pretesting.
The VS88 is the extrnal box. if you don't have it plugged in and turned on, the capstan motor is dead. Alternmatly, this thing will run the capstan with everything else powered down...weird.

I am going to disassemble it over the holidays and do a cleaning/ lubrication. PM and all. Maybe try it in the Tascam floor rack for fit. Now just need tape

 

[sweetbeats]

Sheesh!

Yup. You pretty much scored. That is awesome. Keep us posted after the cleaning and such. Verrry cool.

Hey techno...I see a 300-series mixer behind the 80-8, and your 388 to the left...what deck is behind the 388, and which 300-series mixer do you have??

 

[technoplayer]

Thats a 308B on the right. Its actually sitting on top of the Tascam floor cabinet I think the 80-8 will fit right into. I have the 308B mounted up top as it was easier to see all the control setitings when it was angled up. Might have to forgo that now.
The tape machine behind the 388 is a 35B-2 two track. Its a bit uncommon, but I like it cause it has an extra playback head for 4-track repro. I have several other 2 track 1/4" machines and one or more is gonna have to go in the downsizing. I'd probably let the 308B go if I could find a smokin deal on an M-520 like yours. The last two 520s I checked out were thrashed and one was missing the power supply, which is a pain.

Need to find another ex-recordist who thinks analog is dead!!