Parts seem in short supply or are crazy expensive. Also the machine itself isn’t getting any cheaper. I have an M308B and I thought about just getting a 38, TSR8 or even a 238 but 1/2” tape is expensive compared to 1/4.” The idea of everything being in one unit is nice. I’d love to get into tape but is it worth it or even sustainable?
Should I Buy A Tascam 388 In 2024
- Thread starter Steviek19
- Start date
TalismanRich
Well-known member
How big is your bank account, and do you have a competent technician that you can call when you have issues (and you WILL have issues. You're buying a 40 yr old machine with LOTS of moving parts). Have you ever really dealt with tape, or is this jumping on the latest bandwagon? I see lots of people going for the "in thing" without understanding what's involved.
Well I’m 43 and the only real tape experience I have was when I interned at a studio after high school. They were still in between tape and Pro Tools. I had a Porta studio 4 track at home. I don’t know a great deal about electronics but understand certain concepts. I feel I work better and more creatively when there are limitations. Recording into a DAW has become option overload and felt I was having more fun when recording to a 4 track cassette recorder. I’m definitely not jumping on any bandwagons lol Just looking for more tracks and routing flexibility than a 4 track.
Working with tape is a lot of fun. Sure there are drawbacks, maintenance, parts availability and of course tape costs.
And then compared to digital it sounds less than ‘pristine’.
There are plenty of people who started out on tape and then went to all digital and eventually moved to a daw that will never look back to the ‘good old days’ of tape.
Some are running hybrid studios with tape and a daw.
Some who use a daw exclusively will absolutely just shit on anyone’s desire to use tape. They remind me of the former smokers who have quit and are now the most rabid anti-smoker nazis.
But we’re all grown ups here capable of our own decisions and recording music how we want, on whatever medium we want.
Oh, did I mention recording to tape is fun??
I would advise anyone getting into all analog to definitely research and know what you’re getting into.
Many have described the 388 as sounding Lo-Fi. But who give a shit, it’s not like any of us are getting record deals. It’s just making music to be enjoyed by oneself and an audience limited by our sphere of influence.
So look into it and make yourself happy.
And then compared to digital it sounds less than ‘pristine’.
There are plenty of people who started out on tape and then went to all digital and eventually moved to a daw that will never look back to the ‘good old days’ of tape.
Some are running hybrid studios with tape and a daw.
Some who use a daw exclusively will absolutely just shit on anyone’s desire to use tape. They remind me of the former smokers who have quit and are now the most rabid anti-smoker nazis.
But we’re all grown ups here capable of our own decisions and recording music how we want, on whatever medium we want.
Oh, did I mention recording to tape is fun??
I would advise anyone getting into all analog to definitely research and know what you’re getting into.
Many have described the 388 as sounding Lo-Fi. But who give a shit, it’s not like any of us are getting record deals. It’s just making music to be enjoyed by oneself and an audience limited by our sphere of influence.
So look into it and make yourself happy.
TalismanRich
Well-known member
I don't really understand the "option overload" issue, Just because you're at the 120 item buffet table doesn't mean you need to eat everthing! I really don't use 95% of the stuff that comes with Reaper. It's there, but it doesn't have to be used.
My buddy had Model 5 with an 80-8 and the dbx module. It was fun but he paid a LOT for it. But that was home recording in the 80s. There was a time that I would have loved to have a nice big mixing board in the basement and a nice 1in 16 track deck in the basement. I still look at them with a bit of longing, but reality is that it wouldn't be worth the effort and cost today. Even the price of tape amazes me. $40 for 30 minutes of recording time is just too pricey for me.
As for workflow, when I got my AW16G, the workflow was basically the same as you would get with a Portastudio, except that EQs were on a menu rather than having 24 different knobs. Likewise, my R24 still has much of that same feel for tracking.
But if you understand what you're getting into, and can find a working machine at a decent price, go for it. Or since you already have the 308B, maybe finding a working 8 track deck might be an easier way to go.
sweetbeats
Reel deep thoughts...
Some good advice here afaic. The growing problems with the 388 include the bloated market prices, and significant decrease in the number of offerings that are in healthy running condition. The 388, as much as I like them and still think they are a super-cool and unique device, are relatively unwieldy to troubleshoot and repair because of the complexity of how they are designed; how the different power rails propagate through the machine for instance. I see a growing number of machines needing help with complicated transport logic issues and record/reproduce issues, and it’s a relatively less straight-forward machine to repair and troubleshoot…difficult to isolate subassemblies for testing…and the service manual is full of errors. On top of that one needs to consider that eventually there will be no serviceable record/reproduce heads available. It was an assembly unique to the 388 and even if one wanted to have one custom made I know I’ve never been able to get hold of the specifications for the factory part.
I completely agree with the suggestion to, since you already have a good mixing console, but have understandable concerns about the cost of 1/2” tape, look for one of the 1/4” 8-track Fostex machines, the R8 or Model 80. You could consider the A8 too, but IIRC that is 8 tracks but only 4-track simultaneous record capability. And the oldest of the bunch and may need more attention than the others, and have more difficult to source parts and community support when needed. There are a good number in serviced condition for relatively reasonable prices on Reverb right now.
I completely agree with the suggestion to, since you already have a good mixing console, but have understandable concerns about the cost of 1/2” tape, look for one of the 1/4” 8-track Fostex machines, the R8 or Model 80. You could consider the A8 too, but IIRC that is 8 tracks but only 4-track simultaneous record capability. And the oldest of the bunch and may need more attention than the others, and have more difficult to source parts and community support when needed. There are a good number in serviced condition for relatively reasonable prices on Reverb right now.
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sweetbeats
Reel deep thoughts...
I'm surprised it never occurred to Tascam to produce a standalone 1/4" 8 track given that they already had the head formula ready to go in 1985. I know they introduced the 238 and 238S in '89 and '88 respectively in response to TOA's MR8T, which lead to the 488 and 688 models; but, for some reason, they never explored 8 tracks on 1/4" beyond the 388
I’ve thought about getting a 238 because it would basically be like my old 4 track but on steroids
sweetbeats
Reel deep thoughts...
I’m pretty sure the 238 came before the MR8T…Tascam pioneered the application of the split head design for cassette multitrack and TOA copied them…the split head design was introduced to the world decades prior in the instrumentation recorder industry; the IRIG format.
I have a hunch Tascam never entered the standalone 1/4” 8-track open reel market because Fostex had such a well-established presence there, and it wasn’t a big enough market niche engage. Tascam’s response to what Fostex was doing was to introduce the 388…compete in the market with something different and unique. That’s my hunch anyway.
Not according to this SOS review from '88
And here's the TOA MR8T review from two months earlier
Papanate
Well-known member
If you have Time and Money and enjoy old school by all means go for it - if you don’t just get a Laptop, DAW and audio Interface and be done with it.
jpmorris
Tape Wolf
The basic Fostex A8 can indeed only record 4 tracks at a time. There's a bank switch allowing to to choose from 1-4 or 5-8. There was also a later A8LR which can record all 8 tracks at once. However mine felt pretty clunky. The Model 80 with microprocessor-controlled transport would definitely be a step up in tape handling.
However the 1/2" 8-track format definitely wins in terms of crosstalk. I had lots of issues with the A8 swamping neighbouring tracks during record, and that was a lot harder to do on the TSR-8 that replaced it.
However the 1/2" 8-track format definitely wins in terms of crosstalk. I had lots of issues with the A8 swamping neighbouring tracks during record, and that was a lot harder to do on the TSR-8 that replaced it.
sweetbeats
Reel deep thoughts...
I had no idea…!
I wonder if one came before the other in the US and the other way in UK…but regardless the evidence is clear. Fascinating. Thanks for straightening me out!
I'm already running a M2 Max Mac Studio running Pro Tools, Logic and Luna. My interface is a UAD Apollo. I've been working in the box almost 20 years now. So that parts cover LOL