Low Volume

[SebastianB72]

I just purchased a used 2488 (silver) and I can’t get hardly any volume through headphones or Monitor speakers. The monitor volume seems to have no effect. Any Ideas?

 

[Mark Richards]

Welcome to the forum.

A search found these posts (click on the "Site Results" tab).

Perhaps you'll find something there to help get you pointed in the right direction.

The Block Diagram in your owner manual (OM) may also help you find a solution. If you don't already have the OM, you can download it from the TASCAM web site's support section.

 

[SebastianB72]

Thank you!

I searched the forum but did not find anything quite like this issue. Also I have the manual but haven’t found anything addressing this.

I am getting signal in as the meter is moving on the individual tracks and changes to trim effect those levels. The Main L/R meter is showing some level but very little. Turning Monitor level has little to know effect on volume. Track Slider set to 0. Stereo set to 0 as per manual but no setting changed anything. Same for headphones and powered monitor speakers. Have changed out cables. ???

 

[SebastianB72]

So I routed my monitors from the RCA (unbalanced) out and was able to get additional volume but looks like the pot for monitor volume and the slider for Stereo are no good. Monitor pot has no effect on volume and Stereo is at 12 and does not move regardless of slider and I can’t move it on screen. Fun, fun, fun. Guessing this may end up being semi major surgery. Seller said it was working fine when it was shipped. Guessing it got roughed up in transit as 2 screws fell out of the inside of case when I unpacked it. Seller insured so hopefully USPS will make it right.

 

[-mjk-]

The Main L/R meter is showing some level but very little.

You need to get more level to the L/R bus then. More fader or I don't know what, but you can't hear what isn't there to begin with. If you have doubts about your recorded tracks you can import test tracks and see how they play back.

Monitor pot has no effect on volume and

If you are not plugged into the jacks that are controlled by the Monitor pot (i.e. the Monitor outputs), of course the monitor control won't have any effect. You are apparently monitoring off the L/R bus in order to hear it louder. But the real issue is low levels on the L/R bus.

Stereo is at 12 and does not move regardless of slider and I can’t move it on screen

I don't know what 12 is, but the L/R fader should be at 0dB.

 

[SebastianB72]

How do you suggest I “get more” to l/r bus?
The amount going there is with input just under ol. Any more and it distorts.

As I stated in earlier post- when plugged into 1/4” monitor outs I have even less volume and still have NO control of volume by monitor pot. It does nothing.

When plugged into RCA (unbalanced) outs is the only way I get any decent volume at all.

Is there a way to perform a system reset to return to factory default settings? Because as it stands now when following manual and quick start directions it is not behaving as it should. While I am pretty sure there is a physical issue(pots) I would like to rule out that some parameters are changed from factory settings causing the issues.

 

[SebastianB72]

I tried to post pics but apparently don’t have permission to do so.

 

[SebastianB72]

Note: this is not just on playback but all the time. With Trim set just under OL on any input and faders set anywhere from 0 upward to Max I am not getting but bare minimum output.

 

[SebastianB72]

Update:
So was able to get volume on playback up to a listenable level by going into EQ for each track and putting gain up to max but this is less than ideal I would think. Monitor level pot still has no effect (using monitor out 1/4”)

Stereo Slider pot has no effect on anything.

Definitely have some serious issues but at least I can hear playback better.

when recording The volume is still very low.

No level in Headphones but will try another pair.

 

[-mjk-]

If you have doubts about your recorded tracks you can import test tracks and see how they play back.

I would import tracks of a known level and check how they play back. You should be getting unity gain to the L/R bus. If the individual track levels are too low that would be an issue.

 

[SebastianB72]

Not a possibility at this time as I have no access to any nor way to import them. And there is no Demo file on the hard drive.

Also would not explain why Monitor level pot and ST slider has no effect on anything. (Level doesn’t change no matter position of either pot)

 

[-mjk-]

The Stereo fader does not affect the level on the LR meters on the display?

For the monitor control to not affect the level of the monitors would mean that either the Monitor Select is not set correctly, or there is no level present to adjust.

What is the nominal level of the tracks you are listening to?

 

[SebastianB72]

No, the stereo fader does not effect the level on the LR meters.

Monitor is set to stereo as it should be.

With Gain (eq)maxed on tracks I have gotten level up to ~16db on LR meter. Monitor level has no effect on the volume no matter what the level is.
I am almost sure that this is not a settings issue but an actual physical issue. Everything is set as per manual. The physical controls (ST slider pot and monitor level pot) do not seem to be functioning.

unless there is some setting issue at work in the logic that is not visible which is why I was hoping there was some sort of way to put everything back to factory defaults but I haven’t found anyway to do that.

 

[SebastianB72]

If it is as I suspect a physical fault with the potentiometers I bet there isn’t a chance in heck that anybody has a parts list out there...
Guessing the 45mm slide (ST fader)is a 10k but that’s a guess. No clue on the Monitor level pot.

 

[SebastianB72]

If it is a physical issue:
The issue with the Monitor Pot suggest the knob is not actually moving the wiper along the resistor thereby changing the volume But there is a signal going through it since there is some sound at the monitors.
Same could be issue with ST slider pot.

I really hope it’s not cause it’s going to be a royal pain to get to those and replace them but I can’t find any settings/logic issues that would cause this. Gonna investigate more before I tear into it and appreciate any and all advice/suggestions.

 

[Mark Richards]

...signal in...meter is moving on the individual tracks and changes to trim effect those levels. The Main L/R meter is showing some level but very little...Track Slider set to 0.

Look in your OM for information on "fader matching". It could be that the physical and internal (software) fader settings are not in sync.

Is there a way to perform a system reset to return to factory default settings?

A forum search turned up this on factory reset:

Note the caveat that it reformats hard drive.
www.tascamforums.com/threads/help-2488-neo-acting-up.121/#post-553
​

There's also a bunch of 2488 info here in this sticky thread that might be helpful:
https://www.tascamforums.com/forums/documentation-and-manuals.56/

 

[SebastianB72]

Levels matching except ST and it has a value of 12 on screen (just barely off min.) and the physical slider position has no effect on it and I can find no way to change its value as the cursor will not highlight it.

Performed manual initialization to factory settings as per forum post linked above.
Same Problems so it wasn’t a settings issue.

That leaves a firmware problem or a physical issue.

As soon as I can get use of a computer I will attempt to do an update as I believe it is operating on v 1 and I read somewhere there is a newer version out there.

If that doesn’t fix it then I can’t think of anything other than a physical component issue with the potentiometers. If it was a broken physical path (broke wire, bad socket, burnt solder trace) I feel the odds of getting any signal would be lower. Sooner or later I guess I’m gonna have to open it up and check resistance across those pots and how it changes when they are moved. Ugh.
Thank you all for the suggestions and ideas!

 

[SebastianB72]

Has anybody here taken apart their machines to perform soldered component swaps? Guessing it’s gonna be a royal PITA! Never understood why companies make it so difficult to work on things other than to discourage repairs. I had a 1962 Fisher console stereo that you could access every part easily. Of course it cost 800$ in 1962 so it was not a disposable item. But I digress. Fun fun fun....