On Wed, Oct 29, 2003 5:41 AM, Per Liljesson
wrote:
Have an old trusty Tascam 38, 8ch halfinch Reel-to-Reel.
The other day it started to do random variations in tape speed.
Turned out the band member using it had filled up the tracks while
having the pitch nob in "out" position.

you can't fix that... you'll have to redo those tracks if you want to use
them, or find how ever many chanels of digital pitch shift you need.



Do anyone know if this unstability could be caused by unstability in the
circuitry adjusting the capstan speed when using the variable option.
And if so, could it be stable when set to off?


If the pitch control is pulled out .. I doubt that the machine's pitch will
be accurate.


Or... should i throw it in the river considering the cost of a new capstan

motor if at all available?



Mine was having some major wow and flutter problems, turned out to be back
tension and Pinch roller problems.

Email me off the list if you don't have the owners / Service manual .. I
can photo copy the relevant parts for you.

take the i out of my email to respond.

Per Liljesson wrote:

Or... should i throw it in the river considering the cost of a new capstan
motor if at all available?


River.

Just kidding.

I have a 38, and I don't see how the knob being out would cause
variations in tape speed. There would be, of course, the relative change
in pitch while recording, but if one is monitorig the other tracks
during an overdub, that wouldn't matter, right?


Don

(Per Liljesson)

Have an old trusty Tascam 38, 8ch halfinch Reel-to-Reel.
The other day it started to do random variations in tape speed.
Turned out the band member using it had filled up the tracks while
having the pitch nob in "out" position.
Do anyone know if this unstability could be caused by unstability in the
circuitry adjusting the capstan speed when using the variable option.
And if so, could it be stable when set to off?

Could be the capstan motor is dying.

Or... should i throw it in the river considering the cost of a new capstan
motor if at all available?

I replaced the capstan motor on my 38 once upon a time and it didn't
really hurt too much. You might call Tascam directly in California, ask for
the parts department and ask them what the damage would be -Tascam
323-278-8584.


Will Miho
NY Music & TV Audio Guy
Off the Morning Show! & sleepin' In... / Fox News
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits

(Per Liljesson)

Or... should i throw it in the river considering the cost of a new capstan

motor if at all available?

Here's the parts link

"Tascam Parts Department
(323) 727-4840


Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm Pacific Time

The Parts Department handles anything that is not a standard retail item. This
includes owner's and service manuals, replacement parts, and firmware updates
for products."

Will Miho
NY Music & TV Audio Guy
Off the Morning Show! & sleepin' In... / Fox News
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits

Per Liljesson wrote:
Have an old trusty Tascam 38, 8ch halfinch Reel-to-Reel.
The other day it started to do random variations in tape speed.
Turned out the band member using it had filled up the tracks while
having the pitch nob in "out" position.

Why did he do this?

Do anyone know if this unstability could be caused by unstability in the
circuitry adjusting the capstan speed when using the variable option.
And if so, could it be stable when set to off?

When was the pinch roller last replaced? Was it more than five years ago?
When did you do the tension alignment and lube the pinch roller solenoid?

Or... should i throw it in the river considering the cost of a new capstan
motor if at all available?

It's probably not the capstan motor.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Could also be that the variable speed pot hit a really dirty section of the
carbon element & that skewed the speed. Try it with the VSO bypassed.

Scott Fraser

Per Liljesson wrote:

Have an old trusty Tascam 38, 8ch halfinch Reel-to-Reel.
The other day it started to do random variations in tape speed.
Turned out the band member using it had filled up the tracks while
having the pitch nob in "out" position.
Do anyone know if this unstability could be caused by unstability in the
circuitry adjusting the capstan speed when using the variable option.
And if so, could it be stable when set to off?

Or... should i throw it in the river considering the cost of a new capstan
motor if at all available?

The varispeed control is a potentiometer. When the potentiometer gets
dirty, it gets flaky. So when you have the varispeed engaged, you get
fluctuations in tape speed. Shut off the varispeed, and it's fine.


ulysses

Justin Ulysses Morse
The varispeed control is a potentiometer. When the potentiometer gets
dirty, it gets flaky. So when you have the varispeed engaged, you get
fluctuations in tape speed. Shut off the varispeed, and it's fine.

... if you shut off the varispeed and you _still_ get fluctuations in
speed (with a calibration or known to be good tape with tone or something on
it), maybe the capstan motor is dying (like the one on my 38 did after I ran it
about every day for 3 years). Make sure the pinch roller isn't turning into
goo either... g


Will Miho
NY Music & TV Audio Guy
Off the Morning Show! & sleepin' In... / Fox News
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits

Gosh thanks everyone for these tips, now i know where to start.
It alsi feels good some of my ideas of probable cause of this
problem weren' totally off.

Cheers

--
/Per

I once used mine to change pitch somewhat for adding a vocal line and the
machine went off on a tangent, running at maximum speed without the
adjustment having any further effect. Turned out to be a broken hub. $25
for the part and it works like a charm. Symptoms don't always point to the
problem.

--


Roger W. Norman
SirMusic Studio
Purchase your copy of the Fifth of RAP CD set at www.recaudiopro.net.
See how far $20 really goes.




"Per Liljesson" wrote in message
...
Have an old trusty Tascam 38, 8ch halfinch Reel-to-Reel.
The other day it started to do random variations in tape speed.
Turned out the band member using it had filled up the tracks while
having the pitch nob in "out" position.
Do anyone know if this unstability could be caused by unstability in the
circuitry adjusting the capstan speed when using the variable option.
And if so, could it be stable when set to off?

Or... should i throw it in the river considering the cost of a new capstan
motor if at all available?



--
/Per