Tascam 38 decision time...

[WhinyLittleRunt]

Hey guys,
Been a while since I posted here, but I have been at my wits end with my Tascam 38 for so long and I basically haven't been able to just go and get it serviced yet, plus half of me is wondering if it's even worth it.

I bought it last year for about $350 with the knowledge that it likely needed a belt and all but one VU meter lamps. After replacing the belt and lamps, it worked well for a little while. I didn't use it frequently, but those times I did use it it seemed fine. Then I started developing a problem with the 5th channel, then the 8th channel, etc. I never spent the money to get a calibration tape because I didn't know how likely I was to keep the unit if it became a money pit. Well, it eventually crapped out all together; got power but no record or playback on any channel. We have pretty much narrowed it down to a power supply issue after months of questions, plus the one local guy who specializes in these units is 70 miles away and even said he doesn't know if it would be worth repairing.... I have seen the power supply boards on ebay here and there but if I buy one and it doesn't fix the problem, I'll be angry.

So here's the toss up - I haven't really gotten to enjoy the 38 at all since owning it. I did pick up a nice Tascam M-308 shortly after getting the tape deck which works well but it is sitting in a corner, useless at the moment! I may be buying a house within the next 6 months so I definitely want to hold off on any unnecessary purchases until I know what kind of studio/basement I'll be dealing with. Is it worth repairing the 38 with all the issues it has? Should I just sell it for whatever I can get for it and get something different? Do I even need an 8 track? Could I possibly get a nice Teac 4-track and like a 20-2 for mixdown? I need help because I know half will say keep it, half will say dump it, but I want to know why. I do plan on mixing in acoustic drums and would need at least 4 mics for that (which is much less than I'm used to but helps me size it down). I really want to go the best route on a working class budget.

 

[jjones1700]

It's kind of hard to say what's best for you. Only you can answer that question. Do you need 8 tracks? If so, it's a toss up on whether or not to fix the 38 or find another 38, or even a TSR-8. I would think that 8 tracks for drums would be a bit more flexible, in the fact that you could use all 8 tracks and only mix(for example) 6 of the 8 tracks that you thought sounded best. That's just my take on it.

Concentrate on getting the house first. You're obviously not going to be doing a whole lot of recording for the next few months. Sketch out how you want your studio and see which deck and board fit your space and needs better, and then worry about fixing/replacing the 38.

 

[Blue Jinn]

38's come up for sale reasonably often, and I saw a killer deal on one not too long ago, I think on Bainbridge Island (near Seattle) I have a "parts deck" (which is in decent working order -- I had to replace a capacitor and a rectifier) for my Otari 2 track, so if space permits, you could consign this deck to that role. That has actually been a backward benefit, in that I was OK with this being a parts deck, but have been able to use it as a platform to get confidence in repairing my own gear, and now I have two working Otari's.

I see 38's frequently offered in the 2-400 $ range by "I use pro-tools now for everything and it's been sitting in my studio unused..."