Tascam 388 Track 1 and 8 weak muddy playback

bmacca88 said:
I set the each tracks' playback level on the MRL test tape to be reading 0dB on each VU meter with the 1k tone. Then, I recorded a 1k tone (using protools tone generator, sending at -18dB into each PGM Buss in channels one at a time) on my blank ATR tape and set each tracks' recording level to match as close to the playback volume as possible. The lowest I could get everything on the recording level was about +3 dB.

I am a greenhorn with all this. Not even sure if I did it correctly but it sounds pretty good to me and is not clipping going in or on playback like it was.
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Step 1: do you have the operations and service manual? There is no sense in deviating from what Teac tells us to do as far as electronics alignment. You’re significantly deviating. Even if it sounds okay with tone, it may not with program material, may cause the dbx to mistrack, and we have no idea if your meters are lined up. Step 1 of the alignment procedure is to align the meters. So do you have the manual?
 
sweetbeats said:
Step 1: do you have the operations and service manual? There is no sense in deviating from what Teac tells us to do as far as electronics alignment. You’re significantly deviating. Even if it sounds okay with tone, it may not with program material, may cause the dbx to mistrack, and we have no idea if your meters are lined up. Step 1 of the alignment procedure is to align the meters. So do you have the manual?
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I do have the manual. Before I dig in, I have a question about the 1.4 Mixer Section check and tone generators. If I don't have an analog Oscillator to produce 1k and 400k tones to test the machine inputs and such, do I just send one off the computer at -18db (analog zero) ? Or do I get the level reading on a voltmeter at what the manual asks for (normally 0.3V) then send to the machine inputs.
 
You can use any decent tone generator, either analog or digital. I have an app I use on my iPhone for a lot of general stuff and have a low distortion module for my Tektronix TM 500 rig for critical stuff. You should not go by the metering or settings on the output of your digital generator…too many variables. You should measure with a voltmeter that is reasonably accurate at 400Hz and 1kHz and set the level to what the manual says.
 
sweetbeats said:
You can use any decent tone generator, either analog or digital. I have an app I use on my iPhone for a lot of general stuff and have a low distortion module for my Tektronix TM 500 rig for critical stuff. You should not go by the metering or settings on the output of your digital generator…too many variables. You should measure with a voltmeter that is reasonably accurate at 400Hz and 1kHz and set the level to what the manual says.
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Ok awesome. I am getting those readings on my multimeter. Thank you!

One more question...for now :) I do not have a test tape that has a 400hz tone. In the manual for adjusting 1-5.1 Reproduce Level, how do I "reproduce a Teac Test tape 400hz tone? Does it matter what the voltmeter is reading before it hits the 388? Am I recording the 400hz tone then adjusting the trim?
 
So though not ideal I would use the 1kHz tone, adjust the reproduce level trimmers so you have 316mV at each track output as indicated in the manual.
 
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