Tascam 238 - Cassette 8 Track

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Today we look at the Tascam 238. An 8 track tape machine that used standard cassette tapes. We look at how Tascam managed to squeeze 8 tracks of audio on to a 1/8 inch tape while maintaining fairly good fidelity. We also listen to a song recorded on this format. Showing that you really could get a really good sounding recording using this machine.
Hear more of David Hillman's music here: davidhillman.bandcamp.com
Keith Leedham is an independent recording artists/studio owner/tinkerer.
He owns "The Tape Farm" a recording studio that specializes in transferring "pro-sumer" analog tape formats from manufactures like Tascam and Fostex.
Website: www.thetapefarm.com
Facebook: / thetapefarm
Twitter: / thetapefarm
As an independent recording artists Keith has released singles, EPs and full length albums. With styles ranging from Progressive Rock to Country to Singer/Songwriter to Hard Rock to what ever the song dictates.
Website: www.keithleedham.com
He also tinkers with various audio equipment such as tape machines, guitars and guitar amps. When he comes across something interesting he posts the progress/results on RU-vid.

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2 сен 2020

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Комментарии : 92

@GeekTherapyRadio 3 года назад

It is mind-bending how good the 238 and 688 sound. Part of it is the higher tape speed, but 99.9% of it is the miraculous sorcery of Tascam engineers fitting 8 tracks on 1/8th inch tape and making it sound on par with reel to reels...even BETTER than some. 8 tracks on 1/8th inch tape is like ~128 on 2 inch tape....just staggering.

@koozmusic 2 года назад

Let's not forget that DBX/Dolby S is doing a significant amount of legwork keeping the noise down. The NR does do an incredible job, at least to us as 3rd party listeners. But I'm willing to bet it doesn't sound the way it was _intended_ to at the time of recording. As most reel to reels (and those who operate them) do not implement NR, it would be a much fairer apples-to-apples comparison to have it turned off (if that were possible) on the cassette deck. Doubling the tape speed is essentially a must for mitigating dropouts (which I'm sure the recordings would be all the more susceptible to at half the standard track width), but I suppose it would have the added benefit of allowing for recording at hotter levels than usual before the tape is saturated. I noticed that the vocals were recorded on tracks 1 and 8, and I suspect this was done strategically as the edges of the tape are the most at risk for dropouts. Doubling up the vocal track in this way would (in addition to creating a nice stereo echo effect) provide redundancy in that likely event.

@Krikorparis 7 месяцев назад

That machine sounds damn good, and as today it flaws became its qualities.

@IslandDigital 11 месяцев назад

Back around ‘85 or so, I bought one for home recording but also brought it on the road with my sound company offering bands recordings of their live shows. Unheard of at that time by local sound companies. Love it. Great sound, ease of use !

@atronzton4401 3 года назад

I had a 238 with remote a little more than 10 years ago. It was minty. When I suggested to the guys in the band that we record our demo on it, I'm pretty sure I remember getting some looks.. ha. After recording, none of us could believe how good it sounded for cassette. Great video. "Rain" Killer band with a great vocalist. That's rare. Cheers!

@davidhillman8643 3 года назад

Thanks for the kind words about the band!

@fender1000100 3 года назад

Tape is amazing. Sure the background noise is greater. But the warmth and rounder sound is so worth it. Thats why theres renewed interest in the format. Its tactile, its warmer its REAL. Love live cassette recording.

@nonegiven9528 3 года назад

I had the Fostex R8's slightly earlier cousin. No detachable face. Great sounding little machine. Love the tank like build on the Tascam TSR8.

@TheTapeFarm 3 года назад

None Given I use a Model 80 for my transfers. I’ve also used an A8 back in the day. All great machines.

@nonegiven9528 3 года назад

@@TheTapeFarm Yes! It was the model 80 Fostex. I had the matching mixer.

@wehappyfewmusic 6 месяцев назад

Really interesting stuff! I love these 8 tracks

@vanshankguitars 3 года назад

I usually clock out at the 30 minute mark on weekdays. Longer videos I leave on my list for weekend views. But, up to 20 minutes, I'm fine with that. Great info by the way. I enjoy looking back to gear I used, or would have used back in the day. Keep them coming!

@AriMalatesta 3 года назад

Man, I made so many awful wonders on one of these, back in the early 90's... It all started with a borrowed 4 track Tascam in my bedroom at 19, . That's how I learned the basics of recording and multitrack. And the pursue continues 30 years later. This brings back memories.

@spotmatic1 Год назад

Damn! I still have my 238! It's been ages since I've done anything with it so the transport might be worn or in need of attention. But I remember all the fun projects I did with it. One night I took it into a friend's high end 24-track room with baby Westlakes just to hear how it sounded on the system. It was amazing how good the cassette playback was. Maybe not the killer low end but mids and highs were definitely full-bodied with lots of dynamics. Had a few great nights of serious fun mixing! Yep... it's more about the ear than the gear. Always has been.

@Hermiel 2 года назад

I used to drool over this model when I was in my late teens. Eventually I got a Fostex A8, which was eight tracks of playback but only four tracks of record.

@johnsalazar3627 3 года назад

So stoked you did this video, I just bought one of these to build a demo studio and cassette label around! I'm pairing it with a Tascam 112 right now for mix-down but hope to move to the 122 when I can. Subscribed!

@spooktasticaparanormal 3 года назад

Absolutely fantastic video. I have the tascam 488mk1 machine and it's great. Thanks for sharing.

@michaeljinks1312 8 месяцев назад

Had a 234. Still rockin a TSR8. Remote and teac roll around rack.

@thallrudedjentstorm1756 11 месяцев назад

Dude, that sounds amazing

@susanhutchison1270 3 года назад

Nice video. Ampex is the tape. Ampeg is an amplifier. 7 1/2 is tape speed. 7” is size of reel. I own an Ampex 440 8 track 1” recorder the size of a refrigerator that came from United Sound Studio in Detroit. Also have an Ampeg V2 guitar tube amp. Thanks for the video.

@Siberiaslim1 3 года назад

I might know that machine and recorded on it. Did it ever live in Las Vegas area?

@susanhutchison1270 3 года назад

Hutchi57 name Bought it in 1986 in Detroit. Might have came from Vegas. Don’t know. United Sound Studio has an interesting history. Stones, Aretha, John Lee Hooker, Chili Peppers, George Clinton recorded there. Barry Gordy started Motown from there.

@Siberiaslim1 3 года назад

@@susanhutchison1270 machine we used was out of hitsville in Detroit yt won’t let me post photo of it. Nice sound. 1964 build if memory serves

@AleLoy 3 года назад

thanks very much for this!

@rodrigobelinchon2982 4 месяца назад

sounds gorgeous

@memorylaneMK 3 года назад

The trick was: both 4-channel heads were out of fase to eachother and that killed the crosstalk! So: no crosstalk!

@JerimiahHam797 2 года назад

In 1998 I bought a few of these second hand, and found the external sync unit AND the remote for them that let me get an effective 14 tracks (1 track per deck for a smpte timecode stripe). It was a delightful setup and I'm sad to report that finances forced me to sell that system about 4 years later. Wish I still had it!

@TheTapeFarm 2 года назад

Yeah… we’ve sold stuff we wish we hadn’t. I totally get it. But that sounds like a sweet set up.

@arlandajim 3 года назад

The capstan on my machine went bezerk!! It is fixable but rather complicated . i think even 8 track analog on cassette practically sounds better than digital from today !

@TheTapeFarm 3 года назад

Yes. New capstan motor which cost more but easier or replace caps on existing motor which is cheaper and harder. Plenty of resources online on how to do both. I had to do it on my machine as well. I went with a new motor.

@arlandajim 3 года назад

@@TheTapeFarm thank you i will make researches.

@bonno666 3 года назад

A new motor was not available at Tascam. So.... I recapped the motor pcb too, speed was freaking out. But it did not come out perfect. The SMD elco's leaked and destroyed some of the pcb and solder joints just broke off. I had to mount normal elco's and made a few bridges. After that it worked perfectly. Maybe it wil last longer with bigger size components. I did not replace the 2 bi-polar elco's bridging the motor coils. Those where ok. Check the schematic diagram to understand that.

@audvidgeek 3 года назад

Frequently the surface-mount metal film capacitors fail on these. If you are good with a soldering iron, or know someone who is, you can replace them. The malfunction is also common on the more commonly found 122 and 112 cassette decks, which used the same capstan motor. If you DIY, this is a cheaper alternative than finding and installing a rear, new motor. I've successfully repaired several motors on 122 and 112 decks.

@koozmusic 2 года назад

This was my first time coming across your channel. This was a great video, despite 95% of it just being a guy talking to the camera. =) You speak my language though (tape head). Subbed!

@ArmchairRamb0 6 месяцев назад

I had one in 1996, loved it. 8 tracks, two songs fit easily on each HQ cassette. I got it for about $320. I had a 16ch Tascam board that connected up with it via RCA plugs in 8-ch RCA snakes, worked great. Insert channels were terrific, I had several outboard hardware effects that worked well and connected easily to the sends. A really good product before Frontier and when Tascam's stuff went to shit.

@TheTapeFarm 6 месяцев назад

What a great little set up.

@bobjerome5390 3 года назад

hi in the uk studio spares london had super prices on reel to reel tandy used to sell 3600 for a £10 they did not have alot for sell

@bobjerome5390 3 года назад

the tape run's at 3 3/4 ips i have 3 speeds on a 238 yes 3 speeds i put in s new capstan tec it's a rock now no more playing up i have a reel to reel that take 8 1/4 inch spools basf ones 1/8 some one i did deals with died and left alot of cassette gear yes the 238 sounds super ace when working at all i have watched alot of your video's there's got to have more tec help put out i don't mind the talk one bit i have a 100% working 6 track the motors got geased up hard around the motors easy fix love the betacam sp deck look in to the decks the audio levels are mind blowing 4 channels picked up working decks silly low price;s

@jeremyjames8678 Год назад

That extra 1/2" makes all the difference

@TheTapeFarm Год назад

Nudge nudge wink wink say no more…

@mtf347 26 дней назад

Man, you know your stuff! Pleasure to listen to you. Do you have a program on the 688, I just bought, but the routeing system is a bear!

@user-iy5nb4el5n 5 месяцев назад

Yo for DJ mixtapes so rad

@ray_notes8170 9 месяцев назад

I have to admit the audio was slightly better than I might have imagined, though I think ultimately I would have felt consistently frustrated with the results if I were recording anything other than rough ideas.

@blackcloud77 3 года назад

Good to see these machines getting some love. The 238S machines are dying out, I have yet to see one for sale in fully tested and working condition. And trust me, I've been looking. I'm sure Keith knows this but for others, the noise reduction whether DBX or Dolby-S on the 238 is processed on removable cards, kind of like PCI cards in a computer. 8 cards, one card for each channel. I'm not sure why Tascam decided to implement removable NR modules. It's a very interesting choice because nearly all 238 machines up until the end had the same DBX noise reduction, so there's no reason they'd need to be interchangeable. The DBX cards don't seem to have any problems, so it's not like they needed to be replaced frequently. Unless the plan to offer multiple noise reduction options was in the product plan for a long time, and it never got done until the very end. I'd be interested to find out what the story was behind that. The DBX cards are pretty reliable but the Dolby cards use some cheap components that deteriorate and eventually render NR on that channel unusable. Technically though, you can pull out the Dolby cards, plug in DBX cards from another machine and have a usable DBX 238. Of course, that's of no help to someone like me with a bunch of Dolby-S encoded tapes. It's unfortunate that the poor quality materials were used in the 238S because Dolby-S enabled the 238 to achieve a S-N ratio that almost rivaled digital recording. Sadly, Dolby-S came on the scene just as musicians were getting their hands on hard disk recorders and computer CD burners, so its fate was sealed. Unless there's a bunch of basement electronics wizards out there fixing these things while shunning the internet...I'd bet my bottom dollar that there are fewer than 5 machines out there that are still fully functional. If even that many. I was lucky enough to get my 238S in 1996 as a high school graduation gift. I remember they were heavily discounted on Musicians Friend at the time, so they probably didn't last much after that. If I recall correctly, we paid about $1400 for the 238S. Can't get those days back!

@fender1000100 3 года назад

You can get them. I bought a Toa MR8T off of Ebay a few weeks ago for only £145.00 in fantastic recently serviced condition. I had one back in 92. And that's fantastic too. As good as the Tascam 238S. But with a basic but functional mixer onboard too. That said you dont use tape to get cold sterile CD or digital quality. You use it to get a warmer more Lo-fi quality. The warmth and rounded sound is worth some background hiss. It really is. Drum machines for example sound better on tape than digital. The tape naturally compresses the sound..and makes them sound punchier and crisper. Instead of harsh and brittle. Tape is WONDERFUL. Theres a revival going on for a reason.

@blackcloud77 3 года назад

@@fender1000100 The 238 machines (without the 'S' designation) are often for sale, usually a couple at a time can be found on eBay and Reverb in various states of repair. What you will almost never find is the 238S; an upgraded version of the 238 that used Dolby-S instead of DBX noise reduction like the standard 238 and likely the Toa models as well. That's the one I'm referring to. There is one guy to my knowledge who has figured out how to fix the Dolby daughtercards, which suffer from the same leaky capacitor problem that the capstan motor does. The combination of the pure rarity of the 238S machine, the high failure rate of Dolby cards and the fact that there's almost nobody fixing them means very, very few are likely to be operating in studios today. I am lucky enough to have one that does in fact work properly.

@travisraab 3 года назад

@@blackcloud77 Just saw a 238s for sale. Really really expensive

@blackcloud77 3 года назад

@@travisraab Yes, one popped up on eBay last week or the week before, turns out it's the guy who fixed my 238S selling it. He has completely reverse-engineered the Dolby-S daughtercard, and is able to construct brand new replacements... I hit him up when I saw the eBay listing, he confirmed he was selling one that he had fixed. Also, he said that there are a couple Tascam Dolby-S reel-to-reel recorders that likely use the same daughter cards, and those units may be able to come back to life as well. The 238S is are expensive for sure, rivaling their original sticker price without accounting for inflation. I myself was a little concerned that the money I've put into fixing mine would be lost, because I think people would rather buy the model that doesn't have this kind of failure rate (dbx version) and add to that the fact that parts aren't available. Now, not only are entire daughter cards available, but the gentleman (Denis Petrov) has released the PCB configuration files and schematics so folks can potentially fix their own machines too. Check him out at 238pro.com.

@wogfun 3 года назад

It looks like if you tried flipping the cassette over not only would the tracks play in reverse but they would also not be in sync due to the offset head design.

@ramruido 26 дней назад

amazing sound! could you please tell me what effect/s did you put in that mono main vocal track? thanks in advance

@TheTapeFarm 25 дней назад

@@ramruido I think I used waves ADT, it’s a doubling plugin. www.waves.com/plugins/reel-adt?w_campaign=687706845&searchl=1&msclkid=0931f519a145176b867c9388c36b68f9&Search-Brand-US&Plugins%20-%20Reel%20ADT

@joiglans Год назад

Heyo. Is it possible to calibrate the input gain on the 238? since i‘m using it in combination with my teac model 3 mixer. However, i somehow cant get the faders up on the teac high enough to get a good sound to noise ratio, before the inputs on the 238 are getting into the red; which leaves me with alot of noise on the recording. It’s somehow as if the signal that comes out of my teac is way too hot when faders of the teac beeing at unity. Any advice?

@anokatomichali Год назад

Dear Tape Farm, you forgot to tell that the two recording heads of the 238 are out of phase with each other, which minimized crosstalk completely.

@TheTapeFarm Год назад

You are correct. I really wish RU-vid would allow creators to edit videos after they are posted but unfortunately the only option is to take the video down and repost it, which the all knowing and all seeing algorithm frowns upon. So alas, sometimes we just have to live with our mistakes. Thanks.

@anokatomichali Год назад

@@TheTapeFarm No problem. You can mention it yet in the description if you like. 🙂

@morbidmanmusic 10 месяцев назад

Yep, simple genius move!!

@Scott__C 3 года назад

Nice video. Are you only using these to transfer things nowadays? Would you record something with this today?

@marcuslacovara6982 2 года назад

I'm overwhelmed with the knowledge you have on the 238. I'm currently looking to buy one to get that analog sound on a rock, punk, acoustic record and if I have some troubles I'd love to contact you. You made me feel good about taking the plunge on the 238.

@TheTapeFarm 2 года назад

Hey Marcus. Two things to look for. 1 - make sure the capstan motor is working properly. They are known to go bad. 2 - get the version with dbx, not the version with Dolby S. There are a lot more of the dbx machines out there so finding parts of needed is a bit easier.

@saren6538 Год назад

@@TheTapeFarm hi do you mean get the standard 238 and not the 238 S ?

@TheTapeFarm Год назад

@@saren6538 yes. While the 238s is technically a better machine, there were far fewer of them made. So sourcing parts is nearly impossible.

@saren6538 Год назад

@@TheTapeFarm thanks Marcus And I’m a new subscriber really enjoyed the video, could have listened to hours of this

@Stage_5_Entertainment Год назад

I saw a 238 for sale 1100 euro in belgium

@gan9e 3 года назад

Talking of the Fostex R8, I've got one with the original metal reels... I'm going over to the 238 perhaps but wondered about the price of an R8 today, would you happen to know ? thanks

@TheTapeFarm 3 года назад

Like with everything, it all depends on condition. I’ve seen them as cheap as $250 and as much as $3000 (NOS unit)

@lindsaycorstorphine4261 3 года назад

Anybody know where to get rack ears for these?!

@renemies78 2 года назад

I have a Tascam 238 and I want to record an album. But my problem is that it will stop playing or recording every single time I use it. It almost takes time for it to "warm up" then it will not stop as much but it still stops and it drives me nuts because I'm in the middle of recording and it stops. I really loved this video.

@TheTapeFarm 2 года назад

Inside the the door to the upper left there are two small arms that control a couple of sensors. The one to the far left makes sure the tab on the top of the cassette is still there. If that tab is missing you can’t record. The arm to the right of that one controls a sensor that makes sure there is a cassette in the machine. That sensor might need to be cleaned. One thing I do before I use my machine is “exercise” those two sensor arms. My machine use to do the same thing. By moving those arms up and down for about 10 seconds cleans the contacts and I no longer have that issue. Eventually you might need to replace one or both of those sensors, but try this first.

@DerekHundik 3 года назад

Is that introduction song on bandcamp ? What is the title ? Thx

@TheTapeFarm 3 года назад

The info is in the description.

@meme5068 3 года назад

What’s the song at the beginning

@TheTapeFarm 3 года назад

It's a tune called "Ships" by the Client who sent the tape. A longer clip of the tune is featured later in the video.

@Mark761966 3 года назад

What's in the rack above the 238?

@TheTapeFarm 3 года назад

Tascam 134. Awesome machine. Not very many of them made.

@QR_Code 2 года назад

radio shack sold the 7" tape all the way up to the time they went outa business iirc

@aejacobs101 3 года назад

You think you could play 238 tapes in an yamaha mt8x recorder?

@TheTapeFarm 3 года назад

No… the heads were set up differently. So half the tracks will have a delay. You could sync them after the fact.

@aejacobs101 3 года назад

@@TheTapeFarm Thanks for the info!

@aejacobs101 2 года назад

@Kevlar It's just that I have a bunch of 238 recorded cassettes from the 90's and I'm waiting to save up to get a tascam 8-track recorder from eBay. they're still expensive.

@bobjerome5390 3 года назад

HI to all out there danger this is a money pit i have 2 myself i am a tec when they go down they go down the capstan is easy to fix. i have 2 had have that have 2 bad ic's on the transport board i got them to play back only

@TheTapeFarm 3 года назад

bob jerome yeah... that’s one of the details I cut out. I had to replace mine. Like you said it’s an easy fix.

@truthfinder4973 3 года назад

i wont a dat that is like vcr

@ruffrecords 2 года назад

I think your reel to real tape costs are rather high. I had a Fostex R8 and I still have some Tandy 7 inch tapes with their price sticker on at £7.99. I think your $25 price is more like the price for a 10.5 inch NAB spool of half inch tape.