Tascam 22-4 Recording - Please help a total noob

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Hi everyone,

I recently purchased a Tascam 22-4 reel to reel and I'm having trouble recording. Now let me start by saying that this was demonstrated to work when I bought it.

The guy who sold it plugged his ipod in and showed me that it did indeed record - the signal went onto the tape. He also cleaned it up before he gave it to me so I'm confident it is not tape on the recording head.

Basically I'm running signal through my mixer with a standard RCA cable into two of the inputs on the back. I'm running out of the phones output into a PA (have also tried the output on the back). When I put signal through the mixer the 4 track reads the signal (ie the vu meters move) but when I push record and then go back there is nothing on the tape.

I remember him saying that it was designed to be used with a DBX unit (which it came with) and you have to plug RCAs into the extra encoder and decoder section to record but I didn't see how he had it plugged in and no matter what combination I put it doesn't seem to work.

Could someone please explain to me what I'm missing? I am very confused!

Thanks.
 
What is the end result that you are hoping to achieve. It sounds like you could just plug a 1/4 in cable into one of the channels(of your 4 track) from your mixer's phone jack and you should be fine. Is what is coming from the mixer have multiple channels that you are trying to bounce down to just one channel?
 
Thanks for the reply. Basically I just want to understand why the signal isn't being recorded. I have done everything that seems logical to me, yet when I push record the signal isn't on the tape.

The reel to reel only has RCA ins no 1/4" jacks. I have tried sending a signal without the mixer as well. I only wanted to use the mixer because I want to bounce a few things down to one channel. It's not essential at all.
 
When you record, do you have the tracks armed ("Function Select" buttons, red lights should flash)? When you go back to listen, is the "Output Select" section have the "Play" button pushed in?

Are you certain the tape is threaded correctly?

Edit: Red "record" lights don't flash on the 22-4, they just stay on.
 
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Please read the manual and try to do a basic recording test using the steps outlined in the manual.

There are a million possible reasons why you are unable to record and if you follow the manual, you eliminate about 90% of them. If you are new to something you should read the manual anyway.
 
yeh, you want to make sure RECORD mode is ON while recording and PLAY is on for playback. i just realized this sounds very obvious! not just the actual RECORD and PLAY buttons, but the fuction buttons, as mentioned above.
 
I would also check the heads to make sure they are clean.

Go over them with isopropyl alcohol and Qtips.

Make sure you are using a compatible tape as well!

Try a different reel of tape.

This is not a DBX issue. The DBX is to lower the noise floor.

Another big area- look at rear and make sure "Encoder" and "Decoder" RCA's are jumpered top to bottom. If the "U-Links" are not there use RCA jumper cords.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I don't have access to the manual - can't find a pdf to buy/download. I do have the tracks armed and I am setting the output to play when I try to listen back.

Positive I have the tape threaded correctly but I'll clean the heads again and re-thread or use a different tape as suggested.

GCalo could you please explain what you mean by jumper the encoder and decoder RCAs top to bottom? Sorry I just think that this is the main area I'm going wrong. I was using RCAs to try get them to work originally - not sure what a u-link is either.
 
U-link is a heavy wire U shaped item about 16 mm on center. See photo.

On the encode and Decode RCA's there is an upper and lower row of RCA jacks. The U-links would go into those or you can user cable w/RCA plugs to do the same.

These jacks connect to the DBX unit you had mentioned.

W/O the DBX the RCA jacks must, therefore, be jumpered.
 

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Okay, I'm starting to get what you're saying. Now with the upper and lower levels do I have to connect top to bottom across the deck ie encode to decode or is it literally one above the other on both sides?
 
for the purposes of testing, you might want to disconnect the dbx units and just try to record something to see if it works.
 
Concur on the disconnecting the dbx unit. BTW which dbx unit is it?

Note that the DX-4D's don't work with this unit unless modded, and then AFAIK you leave the jumpers in and connect the dbx unit in line w/ your board and ignore the encode/decode jacks. Even though the control cable looks the same... So for testing, install those jumpers and ignore the dbx for now. I have one of these, I'll try to post a picture of the back later today.

The manuals are available from Teac. I have the part number on a yellow sticky somewhere in a box. Give them a call. Do a search here for Teac Montebello or Teac parts and you'll fin d the number.
 
DX-4D's do work with the 22-4. The multi-pin connector is included on the machine.

Modded DX-4D units are better.

Ben does not have a DBX so that's a moot point now.
 
GCalo said:
DX-4D's do work with the 22-4. The multi-pin connector is included on the machine.

Modded DX-4D units are better.

Ben does not have a DBX so that's a moot point now.
Click to expand...

I'll accept it could be operator error, but I've tried a DX-4D w/ a 22-4 without success, and all my research suggests that the 22-4 uses the RX-9 which, despite the same plug, has different control signals. I tried the same DX-4D with a Tascam 38 to make sure it unmuted and it worked with the 38. So I modded it. I don't have 3440 or RX-9, but I think the 22-4 has the same encode/decode rca connector setup as the 3440 and the control cable looks the same from the diagrams. Per this thread, thd 22-4 uses the RX-9: https://homerecording.com/bbs/general-discussions/analog-only/tascam-22-4-noise-reduction-168361/

See this thread as well as someone apparentlty queried Teac directly:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/gener...connect-tascam-dx-4d-teac-3440-help-178011/2/
 
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