Common Sense: Care And Maintenance - Teac TASCAM 388 STUDIO 8 Operation & Maintenance Manual

COMMON SENSE: CARE AND MAINTE-
NANCE
Even though the heads used in your Studio 8
are constructed of very durable materials, they
will show excessive wear much faster if they
are not treated properiy. If you follow the
procedures listed here, you will get the most
out of your Studio 8.
CLEANING
You need some head cleaner (TEAC HC
Series/TZ-261), some cleaner for the rubber
components {TEAC RC Series/TZ-261), and
some cotton swabs. Cleaning procedures should
be performed before each session, after each
session, and whenever your waiting for the
drummer to return from a break. Do itl You
won't regret it.
Here's why:
1.DIrt or oxide build-up on the heads will
forcé the tape away from the head gaps that
do the recording and playing back. A very smalí
distance is all that's required to produce a
noticeable reduction in the record and playback
quality. All the money you've spent, and all
the engineering expertise expended by TASCAM
on your Studio 8 can be wasted by a minuscule
bit of dirt or oxide on the heads. Wipe it off
with head cleaner.
2. Tape and the oxide on tape act like very fine
sandpaper. They slowly grind down the tape
path on your recorder. If you don't clean off
these abrasivas regularly, the wear will be
quicker and it will be uneven. Uneven wear on
the heads can be compensated for, to a certain
degree, by various adjustments. Eventually
uneven wear will create notches that will cause
your tape to "skew" and skip around on the
tape head. This skew wil l cause the tape to
wear unevenly, which will cause more uneven
wear on the tape heads. . . A very nasty business.
Eventually the oniy solution is the replacement
of the tape heads and tape guides. This is very
expensive, particularly when you add the cost
of ruined tapes, sessions, and lost time. Being
conscientious can more than double the life
expectancy of your tape heads and guides.
Cleaning
As we mentioned, this should be done every
chance you get. Using TEAC HC Series/TZ-261
and a cotton swab, clean the heads, capstan,
and tape guides until the swab comes off clean.
Wipe off any excess cleaning fluid with a dry
swab.
Clean the pinch roller at least once each day
the recorder is used. Use TEAC RC Series/
TZ-261 rubber cleaner.
1. Open the tape compartment door.
2. Press PLAY, move tensión arms so that
capstan spins, and hold a cotton swab that has
been lightiy moistened with rubber cleaner
capstan shaft. This will prevent the swab from
becoming tangled in the mechanism.
3. Clean it until there is no visible residue
coming off onto the swab.
4. Using a clean cotton swab, wipe off al l the
excess rubber cleaner from the pinch roller.
Make certain that there is no foreign matter
remaining on either the pinch roller or the
capstan shaft.
5. Clean the capstan by lightiy pressing a
cotton swab moistened with head cleaning fluid
onto the shaft. Clean thoroughiy and wipe off
excess fluid.
Erase Head
Rec/Repro Head
DEMAGNETIZING (DEGAUSSING)
A little magnetism rubs off onto the heads
every time a tape passes over them. It takes a
very small amount of the magnetism to have
a noticeable effect on performance quality,
Playing a tape ten times will deposit .2 Gauss
on the heads. Gauss is the unit used to mesure
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