Starting to get discouraged. :o(

[famous beagle]

I've owned many portastudios over the years, and I've gotten rid of them all for one reason or another. The last good, fully-functional one I had was a Tascam 424 MKIII about a year ago.

For the past few years, I've really been getting more into the vintage vibe and have been outfitting my studio as such. I ended up selling the 424 MKIII to get my hands on the Audio Technica AT-RMX64 4-track for $65 on CL, which I posted about on here a few times.

That was such an awesome machine, and I was thrilled. However, it had some issues with the transport. After fixing it (I thought) 3 different times, more issues surfaced, and so I finally ended up selling it on the Bay for parts or repair.

After scouring eBay for a replacement (I really want one with VU meters), wading through all the "for parts" listings, I scored a Fostex 250 that supposedly "worked great." It just arrived last night, and this morning I fired it up for the first time.

It's pretty filthy, which is not something you like to see, though the heads look practically brand new, which was promising. The pots are scratchier than a cat fight, as are some of the faders, but I'm hoping some DeOxit will take care of that. I actually really enjoy cleaning up machines, so that doesn't concern me too much.

What concerns me is the mechanical noise of the tape transport. Upon powering up the unit, it's dead quiet. But when I insert a tape, you can hear the motors rev up, and it's definitely louder than any portastudio I've ever used. It's loud enough to where I don't know if I'd be able to record a track with a mic in the same room. It may be possible with some towels laid over it or something, but I'm not sure. When I remove the tape, you can hear the motors slowly wind down to a stop.

I was wondering if anyone else has had experience with this and if it's normal. I made a video to show what I'm talking about.

Fostex 250 tape transport - YouTube

When I shot this video, the AC was running, and the noise didn't seem as bad to me. But I think that may be because some of it was being masked by the AC. And when I watch the video now and listen through speakers, I can barely detect the noise at all. And even with headphones, it doesn't seem too bad.

I do remember, though, when I first turned on the unit and first inserted a tape, I was really taken aback by the noise. (I don't think the AC was running then.)

Could it be possible that it really was louder when I first put a tape in, simply because maybe the unit hadn't been used in a long time (I don't know if that's the case or not), and the motor needed to get some kinks out or something?

I've been able to record on all 4 tracks so far with the two different inputs I've tried, and everything seems to be functioning well, and it sounds really nice so far. So even if the mechanical noise is still an issue, I'm considering keeping the unit and possibly building a little sound-deadening box that I can close during a take if need be.

This is the auction I won by the way. I got it for a steal!

Fostex 4 Track Tape Recorder Mixer Model 250 | eBay

Any thoughts?

Regarding the title of this post, I'm starting to think that, if this doesn't work, I may have to end up going with a 4-track from the 90s or so, like a 414 or 424 or something like that. That means no VU meters, but I need a machine that I can use!

Thanks!

 

[famous beagle]

Damn ... I try to be brief ... but my posts are always so damned long!

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Just watched and listened to the you tube clip. That does seem loud! But I've never owned one of those to know if that's normal or not. I owned a TASCAM 244 many moons ago and it was whisper quiet.

Maybe the motor bearings are slightly worn? Hard to say without seeing it in person or with the belt off to see what sounds the motor makes all on its own.

Cheers!

 

[famous beagle]

Thanks for the listen Ghost.

Well, damn. It looks as though I'm going to have to return this one as well. All 4 tracks will record, but Track 3 won't erase; it just keeps piling each take up on top of the last. Also, the tape's not playing quite up to speed. I suspect that this may be tied into the noisy transport. Maybe something is making contact with something. I don't know.

Damn, though. This is really starting to get in the way of just making music. I think I'm going to have to step into the 90s decade with the Tascam MKII or III line and say bye bye to VU meters. I can't keep wasting time with machines that won't work.

 

[The Ghost of FM]

All I could suggest is try looking for a local unit on Craig's List where you can go to the seller's home and try it out before you hand over your money.

eBay is a snake pit of sellers who plead innocence and ignorance far too often. Waste of time, IMO, unless you keep your expectations extremely low.

Cheers!

 

[Johnny Nowhere]

Here's something to consider: Since you got the first deck for 'a steal', and you're planning on trying to obtain another, I'd keep the first one as a parts deck. When I got my first 388, the next thing that I did was start looking for another. Soon as I found one, I started tearing them both down and trading out the best parts from each one. Yes, that took time, but I was rewarded by one flawlessly operating machine plus an assload of spare parts if something ever happens to break. You will not regret it.

 

[famous beagle]

Here's something to consider: Since you got the first deck for 'a steal', and you're planning on trying to obtain another, I'd keep the first one as a parts deck. When I got my first 388, the next thing that I did was start looking for another. Soon as I found one, I started tearing them both down and trading out the best parts from each one. Yes, that took time, but I was rewarded by one flawlessly operating machine plus an assload of spare parts if something ever happens to break. You will not regret it.

That's a really good idea, and I hadn't thought of that. As an update, I already did send the unit back for a refund and purchased a newer 4-track unit (a Yamaha MT50) supposedly in excellent condition for a good price (about the same as I had paid for the Fostex). However, I'm not a a pack rat at all when it comes to gear and have no problem with selling one thing to get another. So I may think about your suggestion in the future if the Yamaha doesn't scratch my itch.