488mkII track 2 inconsistent playback, severe dropouts.

[lucymtork]

Hello! Recently, I purchased a refurbished Portastudio 488mkII for me and my bandmate to record with. When it arrived, it had a number of issues regarding some levels (especially track 2) and we sent it back and the issues appeared to have been taken care of. However, recently, we have noticed that track 2 does not play consistently compared to the other tracks, and it occasionally has severe dropouts (with the recording becoming entirely audible for a couple seconds in some instances). The larger dropouts are definitely on the tape, but concerning wavering in level occurs during playback. Does anyone have any experience with this kind of issue? Is there anything we should do to troubleshoot? Should I send it back again? Thank you in advance! Apologies if I did not follow the forum rules, this is my first post - lucy

 

[Mark Richards]

Welcome to the community @lucymtork.

There are numerous possibilities for what you're experiencing:
1. If the tape isn't newly purchased, it could have a damaged or degraded edge.
2. The tape heads could be misaligned slightly.
3. The tape heads could be dirty, or worn unevenly.
4. The pinch roller and/or capstan could be dirty.

Less likely:
Worn or loose drive belts; a failing/failed component in the track 2 circuit; dirty selector switch; record bias not set properly for track 2 or the track 2 bias oscillator circuit is failing/failed.

I suggest starting with basic maintenance by cleaning and demagnitizing the entire tape path. If the tape path is dirty, switch to a newly purchased tape from a reliable manufacturer and vendor, making sure the tape is a specifc match for the 488 MkII.

The owner manual should have information necessary.

Please let us know how this works out so the entire community can benefit going forward.