Tascam 2488, Tascam 388 and Ferrographs

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

My upgrade didn't work. It's supposed to come equipped with a Seagate ST340014A Barracuda 40g hard disk, and the ST3160023A 160 GB is a recommended upgrade.

So I bought an ST3160023A. When I took the cover off the recorder I found it was NOT fitted with a Seagate drive, but a Samsung SP0411N. Surprised

I installed the new drive, switched on, and it read "Looking for H/D". After a long wait it came up with a message "H/D Error." Sad

Now I'm going to put the old disk back in and hope it still works......

Joey Ace · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

I did the same upgrade a few years ago, and it worked, effortlessly.

I don't remember the brand of the original HD, but suspect it doesn't really matter.

Check for bent pins, try the HD somewhere else to see if it's OK.

Question

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

I handed the hard disk over for testing to our computer guru, who pronounced it a paperweight, so I've sent it back. I'll try a different disk when I can find one.

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

Alan
Is your Tascam 2488 the Mk1 or Mk2? I have an eye on the Mk2 version 80gb. It looks a compact machine compared to my desk and reel to reel from the Jurasic age.
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E,

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Ken: It's the Mk. 1.

By the way, all my 60s jam sessions were recorded on a Ferrograph 632H reel-to-reel. It was heavy, but it never let me down. Most of my recordings over here have been done on a Tascam 388 8-channel reel-to-reel Portastudio. The worst problem I've ever had with it was a tape broke once. But I've had all sort of disk write errors recording with a Tascam Minidisk Portastudio.

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

Alan
I remember the Tascam 388 very well. It was the first pro spec all in one recorder/mixer. I was tempted to buy one at the time, but went for the Tascam 38 and a separate mixer desk because of the 1/2" tape.

Ferrograph - there's a name to conjure with. Built like a tank, and along with Revox, the staple recording machine for home recordists and some pro studios for mastering in the 60's & early 70's. Very Happy

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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E,

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Here are Series 5 mono and stereo Ferrographs.

I used series 6 machines.
With series 7 they changed the entire design and they were never as robust.

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

Wow - that's just simply a wonderful machine Alan. I always hankered after one of those when I was a kid, but couldn't afford one. They were quite costly in those days for a new one.

My dear old Tascam 38 is gathering dust in the corner of my music room. Shame really - it is a nice reliable machine but I suppose analogue has had its day compared to what can be bought these days on the digital front.

Incidentally, I have bought a Tascam 2488 Mk2 and I am very impressed with it. 80Gb hard drive. I got it mint on eBay, and it had only been used once by a bagpipe band in one of the band member's lounge. Seriously !! I soon wiped that recording off the hard drive when I got it home. Laughing

Hope you have managed to overcome your hard drive upgrade.
_________________
Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E,

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Yes, those old Ferrographs could be relied on no matter what. The BBC standardised on them and used them in every environment from rain forests to the Antarctic.

There's an interesting story about the 632H. (That's the stereo machine that played at 3.75"/7.5"/15" per second.) I saved up and bought the mono version (631H) as soon as I left school. It took months of saving, and I had to order it from Amateur Radio in Birmingham. A couple of years later I saw the stereo version on sale in Exchange & Mart for £95. I knew it would go quickly so I sent a postcard to the fellow in Southend, offering him £100. He replied by postcard saying that he'd had dozens of offers of the £95 but I was the only one offering more than he asked for, and could I come and collect it on Saturday. I didn't have a car, and on Saturday there was thick snow, so I set out on the bus for New Street Station, with a bag of tapes to use to test the machine, with wellies, a heavy raincoat, and a scarf. I cought a train to Euston, took the underground to Liverpool Street, and a train to Southend. When I got to Southend there had been no snow and it was blazing hot. To top it all I learned that he lived two miles from the station, so I set out, pouring with sweat, and everyone looking at me as though I was crazy, with all those clothes and wellies on a hot day.

I eventually reached the fellow's house. He was a classical musician who had been using the Ferrograph to record his orchestra. He was selling it because he'd bought a Levers-Rich 1/2" studio machine. I tried out the machine with my tapes of my chums and I strumming folk songs. But he was polite about it.

Then, after a couple of cups of tea I had to do the whole thing in reverse, but this time carrying, not only the test tapes, but the Ferrograph, which seemed to weight about the same as my Dad's Morris Oxford. But I made it home, and the Ferrograph was in constant use until I moved to California in 1980. I still have all the session tapes made on that machine, and they don't seem to have deteriorated over the years, (which I guess has more to do with the BASF tape than the Ferrograph.)

When I moved to California I realised that the two Ferrographs had to be left behind. Not only would they have cost a fortune to ship, but they were 240 volt units. I had no trouble selling them, and I imagine they're still in use to this day.

I still look on eBay, and maybe someday I'll buy another just for old times' sake. On the other hand, looking at retirement in a few years I might have the same problem in reverse; shipping them and all my other accumulations back to England. Shocked

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