Tascam 388 ebay Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter omanrock
  • Start date Start date
Ok

So I ended up buying this, and there are a few problems with it in addition to the problems noted:

1. Left reel sometimes makes a high-pitched squeal when playing/recording.

2. Sound is either not captured or barely captured on all channels. The VU meters move, so sound is getting into the machine, but when I play back, I have to crank the faders all the way up to just barely hear what I just recorded or, on some channels, I can't hear anything at all.

Do these sound like they may be fixed with a thorough cleaning and demagging of the tape path, or can it be deeper issues? I don't have the $ to bring it in to the shop right now - any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Ok sorry your having problems with your 388, They are a great unit when working.
Also sorry if you have already tried the things I am going to suggest but its the only things I can recommend at this time and am not sure of how much you know about the machine.

Fisrt I would start by cleaning the whole tape path with head cleaner or some Isopropyl Alcohol. Highest as possible. Even 91% will work in a pinch and you can get that at Walgreens.
Second you need to clean your pinch roller. And it needs to be a rubber conditioner for this kind of thing. But Some plain old soap and water is not going to hurt it for now. There is also another roller there that has rubber on it that has ridges in it that needs to be cleaned also.

Also the tape you are using is it new or something old that came with the machine? If its old and has been sitting around along time like the machine has it could have sticky shed and is hanging up on your tape path. That can make things slow down and not work right. Get some new tape if you can. Quantegy 457 is in order here or 407 works well.

When you record are the master faders at the right of the channel faders up in the 7 and 8 area or the shaded area of the slider? They need to be there for recording and play back. (THe orange and red faders)

Do you have the stereo button pushed on the channels and on the right hand side of the machine when you play back? And have the volume control turned up below the monitor select buttons?

Are you placing the knife switch in remix rmx on the channel when you go into playback?

When you record are you putting the fader at the shaded area again the 7 8 area and turning up the trim control to get a good level on the record meters?

Under the top cover is a set of boards. You might pull the cover (WITH THE MACHINE UNPLUGGED) And slightly rock those back and forth a little with easy pressure and make sure they are seated well.
Some folks will pull those but if you dont have to take them out then dont cause the connectors on these machines are starting to get corroded to the pins on the circuit boards and can break if you pull the board out. So go easy here. Also while you are in there you can check your fuses but it sounds like you maybe ok there.

For now thats about all I can say. Maybe Reel person will come in here with some other suggestion that I cant think of right now. Good luck with your unit.
 
re

Wow - thanks for the reply! I have all of the settings as you described below and I'm using brand new Quantegy 457 tape. I'll give the head cleaning a shot and see what that does. Thanks again!
 
You shouldn't press any of the white Assign buttons simultaneously as the red L/R

button, otherwise the monitor/L-R signal path gets muted, (to prevent an internal feedback loop). The Buss/Tape Monitor uses the same signal path as the Stereo L/R submix output, and they may not be selected simultaneously.

Are you using the Monitor section (white knobs) for monitoring playback tracks?

Is your playback system connected to the Stereo L/R Outs?

Is there any response in the headphones?

;)
 
re

Thank you Reel Person - I've tried everything suggested, and read through the manual a bunch of times, but still get the same results - I'm able to hear everything through the headphones/monitors, and VU needles bounce, but still no/little sound on playback. Looks like I'll just be using it as a board only for a while until I get the $ to bring it into the shop. Thanks again guys!
 
388 - muted

hey,
It sounds to me like the heads are dirty...quite often you'll have muting starting on the outside channels and progressing in the dirtier the heads get. Try giveing them another scrubbing. You prob also have a belt problem as is often the case w/ slow rewind/ ff ..belts are cheap...the squeel can result from using incorrect tape..wrong length etc. throws off the arms. ..they may need to be adjusted if it continued to be a problem.... hmmmnnn ...thats all i can think of now..
good luck,
Pj
 
Agree/disagree.

I agree that the head should be checked and properly scrubbed. With enough layered oxide, there can be an almost total blocking of the record function.

Slow RW/FW, I'm sorry isn't the belt, as it's servo driven. The RW/FF servo adjustment can be "juiced up" to run faster or slower, and the tension arm position also plays a minor role in the balance of the servo system, which in turn may affect RW/FF speed. In general, the centers of the tension rollers should "intersect" geometrically with the bottom edge of the tach/idler rollers. If you can't eyeball that, consult the manual for diagrams.

Third, with the added symptom of "squeal" it leads me to believe more in a common cause, that is the tape. If any single tape begins to shed, not only will the RW/FF become sluggish due to friction, but it may interfere with normal Play forward motion of the tape. Also, if the tape's shedding that badly, it could squeal as you described, and could leave a thick sludgy layer of oxide on the head that you'd need to scrub off with concerted effort. That would tie all 3 symptoms up with one cause, and the tape path should be cleaned and scrutinized, as well as sourcing a brand new reel of tape for testing.

Lastly, I'd be somewhat concerned at this point that the tape may be threaded incorrectly, in an orientation that is presenting the back side of the tape to the heads, which doesn't record very well at all, and ultimately sounds like you describe: very dull and hardly any signal.

So, that's 4 things to check:
Tape threading/correctness
Tape quality/shed
Tape head & path/cleanliness
Possible servo adjustments, (after everything else has been covered).

;)
 
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re

Thanks again for the info guys...The tape I'm using is brand new Quantegy 457 right out of a sealed box. Should it be ready to go as is, or do I need to prep it somehow? Will it automatically be set up so that the back of the tape is presented to the head, and do I need to flip it somehow?
 
The supply reel should spool out in a CCW direction, w/tape coming off the left side.

Occasionally new users mount the reels or thread the tape wrong, so it's something to check.

I've also seen where a twist in the tape is inadvertently introduced between the right tension arm & the takeup reel while threading the tape, and in one pass all the tape becomes wound upside down on the takeup reel. Yes, I've done that! :eek: Hint: It doesn't sound too good that way.;)

Sight unseen, it's hard to tell what is squeaking, but you should verify the problem with other tapes. Also check that the reel isn't rubbing against the deck.

;)
 
re

Thanks again guys - I got it working. I scrubbed the tape path again, and loaded a new reel of tape, and it works perfectly - all of the problems I was having are not there anymore.
 
Chalk another one up to head cleaning!!

...................................;)
 
re

Now my follow-up...is the reel of tape I had on originally totally useless now? Or can I still use it, just use the later sections of the tape? And will re-loading it re-dirty the heads?
 
You just have to test it.

If it gunks up the heads again, either toss it or "bake" it. Baking tapes in a food dehydrator can revive them and stop the sticky shed problem.
 
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