anyone familiar with Tascam 464?

[dai h.]

dunno if this is helpful but there is a (complete-looking) service manual for 488mkI on the web:

NOTHING THERE, NO INFORMATION LEFT OF ANY KIND!!

[drewl]

Thanks, that helps!

So, from what I've read the motor has four terminals, ground, +12v and A&B control voltage.
The A&B terminal voltage varies according to speed and pitch controls but the motor keeps spinning the same speed- way too fast.

So I guess that means the motor is bad then?

[dai h.]

sorry drewl I don't know enough to say for certain, however I have read of owners of Tascam cassette multi-track recorders having units with bad motors, so that sounds possible.

[drewl]

From what I've read, its probably the motor.
The digital counter changes speed with the speed controls but the tape speed itself does not.

[g1]

I don't know if that is possible. The counter doesn't just estimate what the speed should be, it has an actual sensor somewhere (under the reels usually?).
So if the counter speed is changing, then the tape speed is changing. Sounds like it is running overall fast, but still changing some with the pitch control.
Is the pinch roller making proper contact with the capstan?

[Enzo]

There you go, that is my suspect too. Maybe pinch roller not coming up enough to make a grip and so the takeup reel is pulling the tape through fast.

Visually, look at the transport, is the pinch roller coming up fully? Are the heads pushing into the tape good?

[drewl]

I'll check it out and see if that's the case, thanks.

The tape section is a little dirty/dusty/gunky and could use cleaning and lubrication.

[drewl]

Well I cleaned up the tape mechanism and heads and mechanically everything looks okay, just still running too fast.
The capstan is making good contact.
Spoke to the owner and even when he would record something it would play it back too fast.

What's odd is the counter runs faster in low speed mode, and slower in high speed mode but the tape runs the same speed, the clarity just changes.


Any other ideas?

[g1]

You said the A & B connections at the motor were getting different voltages when the speed switch was changed so it's time for a motor swap.

[Enzo]

Interesting that he can record something and it plays back fast. That would mean the tape moved at different speeds during record than playback. If the things is running 250% speed, I expect it to do that regardless.


None of this makes sense, tape counter moving at different speeds, speed control not working but changes tone.

You received this already messed with, so any chance there are some wrong connections? A couple of small connectors swapped or something?

[g1]

Oops! Thanks for catching that Enzo, I thought he meant tapes that had been previously recorded.
If recordings made now play back fast, then something weird is going on, not necessarily the motor. The counter thing is very strange.