Service charge for a Tascam Porta One

[zenbrowncoat]

Hello, Used to read and post here a couple of years ago in the mp3 mixing section. I've inherited a Tascam Porta One 4 track cassette multitrack recorder. It plays back unevenly, slows and speeds up. The only place in Kansas City that works on this type of equipment, wants 60 dollars an hour, plus parts. Is this a reasonable price to get this piece back up and running ? I keep telling people I prefer audio tape over digital, and they think I'm nuts. I didn't realize that this forum was here, since I haven't messed with analog for years. I miss it though.

Any feedback would be much appreciated, John

 

[cjacek]

Hello, Used to read and post here a couple of years ago in the mp3 mixing section. I've inherited a Tascam Porta One 4 track cassette multitrack recorder. It plays back unevenly, slows and speeds up. The only place in Kansas City that works on this type of equipment, wants 60 dollars an hour, plus parts. Is this a reasonable price to get this piece back up and running ? I keep telling people I prefer audio tape over digital, and they think I'm nuts. I didn't realize that this forum was here, since I haven't messed with analog for years. I miss it though.

Any feedback would be much appreciated, John

Hi John,

Here's my 2 cents....... Yes, 60 / hour seems reasonable. Not cheap but about what tech services go these days. Another point to consider is if the tech has a good reputation and knowledge when dealing with this type of gear and, of course, warranty.

While I have never played with a porta one and I'm not sure what may be wrong with it, it definitely pays to check the most obvious things first, that you can do prior to going any further. How's the capstan belt (if it's belt driven)? Most likely it will need changing and may likely produce uneven results in its current state. I would check that first and then clean the tape path and especially the pinch roller (carefully with a rubber cleaner) as it may have hardened over time and is losing grip on the tape. It needs to have "grip".

If none of the above remedies the situation, paying a tech at least $60 + parts may not be worth it as you can get a similar unit, in a much better condition, for around that much. But, still, you will need to change at least the capstan belt (straight forward operation) in just about any unit approaching 15 - 20 years.

Another option is to look for something a bit newer (but still inexpensive) and the TASCAM 414MKII would fit the bill. I see them all the time going for around a 100 bucks, some in their original box and new!

 

[The Ghost of FM]

My local tech guy charges $100 an hour, but he is specialized in studio gear repairs so if your guy is competent, $60 an hour is reasonable. Keep in mind, many fully working Portastudio's sell used for under $200 and in many cases, much less then that so get an estimate first then decide if it's worth it.

Cheers!

 

[zenbrowncoat]

thanks for the replies, guys

I am definetely, not sure what to do with this. I took the back off of the unit and the belts sure seem loose to me, but I've little experience with the technical side of analog recording gear. Hell, it's taken me the better part of 5 years to get a real good handle on digital recording. I like the convenience, but I truly prefer the sound of analog magnetic audio tape. I miss my cassettes. My cd's sometimes only last for a few weeks before being scratched and skipping. This is only from taking in and out of players. I keep them protected. Whereas, I used to have cassette tapes that still played fine after 15 years.

Anyway, I'm in a quandry. I think the unit works well except for that stuff. So thanks again, for the info, John