Tascam 564 Portastudio Hum problem

[technik]

I have a Tascam 564 Portastudio which has a noticeable hum via headphones and monitor out through amplifier and speakers, even when nothing connected to the Tascam except headphones and just powered on but nothing playing.

This was purchased used and the seller is claiming I have it set up wrong or bad mains supply, or that as this is professional equipment it is prone to hum unless used in a recording studio.

Is there a known power supply fault with Tascam Portastudio's in general, or is hum a common problem on these machines?

I have tried it plugged into various mains wall sockets and it always has this mains hum/buzz on the output.

 

[The Ghost of FM]

even when nothing connected to the Tascam except headphones and just powered on but nothing playing

If nothing is connected to it and it still hums, then there is a an internal fault that a technician would need to take a look at to trace down. And as it could be any number of issues from a bad capacitor to a loose ground connection at one of several points, it's impossible to say over the Internet.

It is not normal or common for these units to hum and the line the seller gave you about it needing to be used in a professional studio is total BS!

Check your local Yellow Pages, etc, for a service shop that has some experience with TASCAM gear and get an estimate. Odds are its something quick and easy for them to find and fix.

Cheers!