Tascam 688 mods : motor kill switch, and speed reduction .. ?

[smop]

I have heard of someone having a modification done to their 688:
a switch that allows the motor to be turned off. to save the life of the motor while just using the mixer and not recording.
I was wondering if anyone knows how to do this. I want to mod mine.

Im also wondering if it would be possible to add a switch for reducing the speed to normal tape speed.

thanks

 

[Dex]

I don't know if you've ever looked inside a 688, but the transport is all electronic.

I don't know about the tape speed issue, but it should be simple enough to install a killswitch for the tape motors (there are more than one, remember). I'm not so sure that I would actually recommend doing it, but it should be possible.
If you know anyone with any electronics experience, get them to look at it to see if THEY think it's possible (and if they could do it).

Of course, you could always buy the service manual from Tascam for about $45 and get the real skinny on whether it's possible to do this without wrecking the machine.

D.