Tascam 388 for me?

[Erockrazor]

Shedshrine, that sounds great. Very nice sound. I love the main acoustic guitar riff. Cool sounding, a little creepy even. Good vocals, I think it came out really good. Do you use the DBX on your machine when you record?

 

[shedshrine]

Shedshrine, that sounds great. Very nice sound. I love the main acoustic guitar riff. Cool sounding, a little creepy even. Good vocals, I think it came out really good. Do you use the DBX on your machine when you record?

Thanks, and congrats on your 388. You're going to have a lot of fun with it.

Dbx on, yeah. I've experimented in all kinds of ways, but so far the dbx on just sounds best.

I don't actually have an acoustic, keep meaning to get one. Kind of embarassing actually. I just miced an unplugged tele (with some tuning I wish I'd written down ). Goes to show you how much a ribbon mic can smooth things out.

As for the vocals, I used a Hamptone jfet pre I assembled from a kit, a nady ribbon mic, and the art provla.

-Mike

 

[Erockrazor]

I don't actually have an acoustic, keep meaning to get one. Kind of embarassing actually. I just miced an unplugged tele (with some tuning I wish I'd written down ). Goes to show you how much a ribbon mic can smooth things out.

As for the vocals, I used a Hamptone jfet pre I assembled from a kit, a nady ribbon mic, and the art provla.

Sounded to me like a trebly acoustic. Fooled me though I'm not sure if you were going for that. It came out with a cool sound either way. It did strike me as a little strange to be honest but I just assumed it was an acoustic. I've been thinking of trying to pick up one of those budget ribbon mic's when they pop up used or on ebay some time. Kinda interesting. I wanna hear it on a kick.

 

[cjacek]

Still a little gunk on the tape path. If you see anything more to clean, speak up please! As for the tapes. All of the Scotch 226 but one ("mastering tapes") are still shrink wrapped. The Ampex 456 is completely sealed. The Scotch 808 ("recording tapes"), one is wrapped and one is open. I was planning to use the open one.

Stop! Don't use any of the Scotch 226 tapes (even sealed) and what is the date code of that Ampex ? (I still wouldn't use it as it's a 1.5 mil tape). The Scotch 808 I don't know about but I wouldn't use it either. What you're watching for is sticky shed (bad binder falling appart). Many Scotch and Ampex tapes have it, save a few, that's why I ask for the date code on the box (spine). What you want to use is 1mil tapes and the one I'd recommend is RMGI LPR35, on 7" reels, currently in production. They're the same quality BASF / EMTEC formulations only renamed as RMGI. Here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/EMTEC-RMGI-1-4-...ryZ15000QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Again, I would stay clear of the tapes which came with your 388. Don't use 'em. Maybe as take-up reels so don't throw 'em out either.

 

[cjacek]

The pinchroller seems to appear in good condition. No goo. I do have rubber cleaner as well. I have read that soap and water may not be a good idea. The water will dry out the rubber quicker. I'm going to try and get a new pinchroller anyways.

That it's not sticky or gooey is good. If it's hard / slippery then it's not good either. Yeah, clean it with your rubber cleaner (using a lint free cloth). What you want is to restore a good healthy 'grip' to the rubber. (Get a new pinch roller anyway).

 

[cjacek]

Still a little gunk on the tape path. If you see anything more to clean, speak up please! As for the tapes.

Use a soft, lint free cloth, and some 90% or better isopropyl alcohol. Clean in the direction of the tape travel. Clean every area that comes in contact with the tape, until it's spotless. (For rubber parts, including the pinch roller AND counter roller - the ribbed to the right of the pinch roller - with rubber cleaner).

 

[cjacek]

Looking again at picts, clean the pinch roller AND counter roller with rubber cleaner. The rest with alcohol.

The tape path (tape lifters and head) appear to have more wear than the seller led 'us' to believe. I'm not sure if he divided the real total by 5 or what but it's def not a "under 200 hrs" machine. Pronounced flat spots on tape lifters and head. Still, this is NOT bad at all. I'd consider it a typical use machine. Still has a lot of life left. Hey, it is still a very good deal!! Down the line you may consider proper servicing including head relap but for now enjoy your new purchase!

 

[cjacek]

Any way I can order tascam parts through tascam online? Maybe a little far fetched ...

The only place [and a brilliant one at that] which does online ordering is this place: http://www.openreel.net/index_e.html but they're back-ordered on pinch rollers and belts.

As you seem more comfortable with the online thing, I'd scrap my earlier suggestion and actually order a belt on eBay and treat your pinch roller with the rubber cleaner that you have, until you get a brand new pinch roller.

BTW, did you check the condition of the belt? When you raised the rightmost arm, did you hear the capstan motor engage and disengage, even if the capstan shaft did not rotate?

 

[Erockrazor]

BTW, did you check the condition of the belt? When you raised the rightmost arm, did you hear the capstan motor engage and disengage, even if the capstan shaft did not rotate?

I haven't gotten to look at the belt yet. My time has been limited. I want to read the manual a little bit more. There is a belt on ebay, hopefully the right one! 5 days left though and no buy it now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/TEAC-TASCAM-REE...ryZ67814QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


The capstan motor does engage and disengage, I can hear it. I don't think the capstan was turning. Would the belt make the right reel spin as well as the capstan? I have to look at the belt and the manual to get a better understand.

As far as the tapes go, I will try and take your advice, though it's very tempting. I will get the dates on the boxes so we can straighten it out. I would just hope I have something to work with. The anticipation is killing me!

Nice site. Even though the belts are on backorder, it's good to know that there are still places to cater to that.

Under 200 hours is next to nothing. Between playback, recording, and anything else ... it adds up and takes its toll. I would not find it hard to believe that it was used much more. He was also not the first owner so maybe the first person did the majority of the hours.

I will bookmark that site and try to check in for pinchrollers. I want my belt now! I want tape that works now! I want to cut a track already!

Thanks again for your guidance again cjacek.

 

[jpmorris]

The capstan motor does engage and disengage, I can hear it. I don't think the capstan was turning. Would the belt make the right reel spin as well as the capstan? I have to look at the belt and the manual to get a better understand.

No, the reels are driven by separate motors, usually direct drive on TASCAM machines. The capstan is usually belt-driven, so the belt is always the first suspect in this situation.

 

[shedshrine]

For reference, here's what a new record head + tape lifter looks like in comparison..

 

[Beck]

There is a belt on ebay, hopefully the right one! 5 days left though and no buy it now...

DON’T USE ANY OF THOSE TAPES!

TAPE
226 and 808 will have sticky shed. It makes no difference if a tape is sealed or used. The Ampex 456 is probably bad too, but I would have to see a picture of the front of the box to say for sure.

Another issue with the tapes as Daniel already mentioned… they are technically the wrong kind for the 388, even if they weren’t sticky. The 388 calls for 1-mil tape like Ampex/Quantegy 407, 457, Maxell UD 35-90, XLI 35-90B and EMTEC/RMGI LPR35.

WEAR
Using the thicker tape will increase head wear, which by the way, I see a significant amount of wear on the rec/repro head. It can look worse if there is a build up of tape residue, and/or the picture has some glare. A shame if the previous owner used 1-mil all this time. Whatever wear it has it would be less had he used the thinner tape.

BELT & ROLLER
If the owner hasn’t changed the capstan drive belt recently, get a new one from Tascam parts. The original belt is probably too loose or will have turned into a gooey blob by now. The pinch roller may be sticky or dry and slick… it depends on the kind of rubber they used and what environment it was in. The roller should be soft but not tacky.

Water won’t dry a pinch roller, but alcohol will. Unscrew the cap on the pinch roller, take it out and clean it with Windex first. Watch out for two little washers… one on top and one under the roller. If it’s right on the edge of going sticky, rubber cleaner can make it worse if the roller is made from a certain type of urethane

I’m not sure about that belt on eBay. The TSR-8 and 388 use the same Tascam belt, but the BR-20 is a different size, so that belt may be a compromise in width and/or length.

It’s best to call Tascam Parts rather than try to communicate with them through email. They’ll send the parts right out when you order on the phone.

TEAC/Tascam Parts: (323) 727-4840
Montebello, California

CLEANING
I notice there is quite a bit of tape residue on the tape path. Clean it as Daniel recommended and also use Q-tips in hard to reach places. One thing to be careful of when using a cloth and your finger on the heads is that you could apply too much pressure and knock the head out of alignment. The force you can apply with your finger is much greater and covers a greater area than a Q-tip would. You want the solvent (90+ % isopropyl or denatured alcohol) to do most of the work while moving the Q-tip or cloth from side-to-side.

The capstan has a lot of oxide on it. If you can clean it with a cloth that’s good, but make sure it’s not dripping wet with the alcohol because it will run down into the bearing. I usually clean a capstan with it spinning, but if you have a nonfunctioning capstan belt you won’t be able to do that right now.

 

[Hi_Flyer]

listen to these dudes RE:using old tape. I got some old tape with a tascam 38 and I tried it, against advice given to me on this board. Sure enough it was shedding all over. buy the new RMGI tape, 1/4" reels are cheap enough.

you could also check out www.reelprosoundguys.com for parts too. I got some parts for a 38 at decent prices.

be prepared to spend some time re-conditioning this thing to get it working tip-top. I went through all the same stuff with a 38: replacing all the rubber parts, etc...

 

[Herm]

yea I agree with tim there and wouldnt put that tape on the machine.
Maybe the ampex stuff for a few moments just to make sure things are working right before you buy more tape.
If money is a issue I would spend it on a belt and a couple of tapes first.

 

[cjacek]

Erockrazor, a great wealth of information is contained herein so be sure to read all of it carefully. KUDOS to the contributors of this thread!

 

[cjacek]

A shame if the previous owner used 1.5-mil all this time. Whatever wear it has it would be less had he used the thinner tape.

Especially critical point.

If it’s right on the edge of going sticky, rubber cleaner can make it worse if the roller is made from a certain type of urethane

Exactly, and I'd say if the pinch roller is hard but not tacky or sticky, that it's ok to use rubber cleaner but I always see it as a temporary solution. Ones best bet is to always replace as necessary.



--

 

[cjacek]

There is a belt on ebay, hopefully the right one! 5 days left though and no buy it now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/TEAC-TASCAM-REE...ryZ67814QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The bidding usually starts toward the end of the auction and, many a time, ends up higher than it need to and it may end up being not the correct belt.

Do as Tim (Beck) recommends, and do whatever you have to and order a belt and pinch roller straight from TASCAM.

The capstan motor does engage and disengage, I can hear it. I don't think the capstan was turning. Would the belt make the right reel spin as well as the capstan? I have to look at the belt and the manual to get a better understand.

As jpmorris said, only the capstan is belt driven. You need a new belt. The old one is done for. Make sure you clean the flywheel (and even the capstan motor shaft - where the belt also attaches) prior to replacing the belt.

As far as the tapes go, I will try and take your advice, though it's very tempting. I will get the dates on the boxes so we can straighten it out.

As Beck said, don't use 'em.

Thanks again for your guidance again cjacek.

Welcome!

--

 

[Erockrazor]

Okay, to update.

I have taken off the back and diagnosed the belt. The belt was snapped and gooey. I am trying to take the measures to get one of these belts online. I might ask my friend today if he would order using his credit card and I will give him cash. I took the belt out and cleaned the flywheel.

The Ampex tape is, Grand Master 456. I don't see a year on it anywhere. It's 1.78 mm thick though. I will not use any of this tape. Is there anyone that would be able to put these tapes to use though? I'd hate to just throw them out. I wouldn't want to sell them on ebay if they are just going to hurt someones machine. But is there anything at all that can be done? Decorate the walls with the reels? Frisbees? Mischief night?

Cjacek, the tape you showed me on ebay is 1.5mm thick. But you said 1mm thick is the tape my machine would be calibrated for? Is this just a compromise for buying new tape?

Hi-flyer, cool site. Couldn't find anything for the tsr-8 or 388. I should bookmark it to keep it in check. thanks!

I'm gonna keep cleaning the tape path. If I can persuade my friend to order it for me, I will order a pinchroller as well with the belt. Thank you everyone for your continuous mentoring. I feel like the oblivious apprentice. Your help is ... very helpful. I have more confidence with the 388 because of you guys. Thanks, Eric.

 

[jpmorris]

A suggestion for the existing tapes: New tape, especially in it's 10.5" / 2400ft form, can be purchased as a 'pancake' or 'hub' - just wrapped around a central NAB core without any sides.

If you have the patience to wind it by hand, or access to a machine than can take 10.5" NAB spools, you could buy a couple of pancakes and wind them onto the empty spools. A single spool of 2400ft or (thinner) 3600ft tape should fit on two 7" spools.

 

[Beck]

I have taken off the back and diagnosed the belt. The belt was snapped and gooey. I am trying to take the measures to get one of these belts online...

You’ll have a hard time trying to get the right measurements from an old stretched, sticky belt.

All you need is the Tascam part number, which is 5800698201, to order from Tascam. But for your records, if you have a local source here are the dimensions in inches:

Circumference: 13.15
Width: 0.29
Thickness: 0.03

As for tape thickness, tapes vary in total thickness within a class like 1-mil or 1.5-mil. A 1-mil tape can be as much as 1.5-mil and some 1.5-mil tapes are over 2-mil in total thickness. Generally speaking, if the tape is 1800 ft long you have 1-mil tape.

Those in the 1-mil class that are good for the 388:

Ampex/Quantegy 407 & 457
3M/Scotch 207
Maxell XLI 35-90B (UD 35-90 in a pinch, but it has no backcoating)
EMTEC/RMGI LPR35.

There is at least one exception to the rule. EMTEC or RMGI SM468 does well on machines made for 1-mil tape and is one of my favs.

7" Ampex won't have a date code on the box. As I mentioned before I could tell you by looking at the front of the box if you post a pic. The reels are good for other tape as JP mentioned (but it's a pain) or for the empty reel itself as a take-up reel. The Ampex you have should be the nice smoke color reels.