Tascam Portastudio 414 MK II | tear down part one - open the case & change belts

[@olismiscclips6981]

when you put the large belt on and put it on the flywheel 'indent', i'm not convinced that it goes there, it goes around the black part i see in other videos. i was stuck trying to do it like you and it did my head in and probably stretched my belt out

[@Tetrakan]

Hahaha, that's wild. Yeah it should be in the black plastic part. I can't believe I did that. Its even in rhe thumbnail! How embarrassing.

[@olismiscclips6981]

@@Tetrakan lol! if it worked though that's the main thing. i'm surprised you got it to stay there

[@user-gv8vv2id7t]

thanks for the helpful vid! was able to repair my 414 portastudio today thanks to this

[@studionineproductions8173]

Thank you for these videos, they are very helpful! I just noticed when taking apart a 414 MKII that the holes containing screws are marked by a small raised dot. You can see these raised dots in your video at each hole you've marked with red tape. Hope that is helpful and thanks again.

[@Tetrakan]

Thanks for pointing that out 👍

[@awjaaa]

Perfect friggen video, dude. Just got one that was shipped from Japan for a steal. DoA. Opening it up, tonight (I have a large collection of belt grab bags, too, from dealing with old cassette-corders). Thank you! Liked & subscribed & commenting for The Algorithm.

[@Tetrakan]

Thanks for watching, good luck with the refurbishment!

[@awjaaa]

@@Tetrakan Got everything working on it except tape playback, the next week. Been using it withour playback ever since. Just bought another that works, so have this one opened up, again. It'll record to tape perfectly, all 4 tracks. I can play the tape on another player and it's fine. Not on here. Thanks to several of your other videos, I have sent signal down the P101 play line (pins 1=play, 3=gnd) and get signal all the way to the C144, which is after the dbx II (U104) chip and which appears to be just before it is sent over to the P601 header, pin 5, then heading to the mixer board via the "Jumper" boards. I get no signal on pin 5. I get signal on pin 1, oddly (should that loop back into the record head?) Anyway, I think I need to lift the bottom PCB out to check traces on the bottom. I've heard there is easy damage on one of the corners if it's been barely dropped, and those traces go right around the edges and one corner. Anyway, super SUPER thanks for all of your videos, man. I think I am going to bring this shoddy CamScanner'ed service manual into Photoshop, like you did. This thing has been through the ringer. Seems like people have scanned, copied, and faxed it around for decades, lol. Also, you took away my fear of sending signal down the path and probing. Also, you've just helped me to basically understand these audio circuits, in general. You are doing a good thing, brother. Thanks.

[@Tetrakan]

@@awjaaa that's great you've made progress. I've worked on this one a few times, but not often enough to follow what youre saying abput the schematic without actually dragging it out.. .sounds like you're on the right track, but if you need an outside pair of eyes hit me up!

[@camillepetitjean680]

Hello, thank you soooo much for this much needed video!! I recently bought a unit that seems to be working fine except for channel 1, I can monitor through it but when I try to record, the sound is very very low and very distorted... Could it be a problem from some broken component, or do you think it's more of a tape head problem? I was also wondering if anyone made a component list for recaping the 414 MK2 ? I am afraid to buy the wrong components... Thank you and have a great day! Regards from France

[@mmmmvermillion]

Great video! Why does my flywheel drop out when the belts have been removed? My machine won’t play because the wheel drops slightly when I hit play and thus the tiny gear on the underside of the flywheel disengages. I hope that makes sense and appreciate any pointers.

[@Tetrakan]

Hi, there should be an e clip slotting into the capstan holding the flywheel up. If it is missing an assortment of e-clips can be had for about £6 or equivalent from eBay, Ali express, Amazon, etc

[@mmmmvermillion]

Tetrakan Supermonobloc awesome, yep I see the issue now, thank you!

[@tonypail2003]

Hey man, great video. I was going to open mine up but not sure if I should. Basically, there is clicking and popping being recorded and played back on track 2 constantly. Though it comes and goes, do you think this needs to be opened up to look at?

[@Tetrakan]

You should be able to clean the mixer and reassemble it without doing it or yourself any damage. If the problem persists after cleaning it may be worth replacing the electrolytic capacitors in the ch2 signal path....that’d be more of a commitment. Like, you could almost certainly do it but if you’re not that tech curious it might make more sense to get overtime at your regular job and pay a tech?

[@tonypail2003]

@@Tetrakan Hey, thanks for getting back to me. I took it apart and tried cleaning everything, but the clicking is still persisting on track two. I am quite tech-minded, but I don't have a soldering iron and limited electrical knowledge, so I'd definitely be up for paying a professional. Do you know any reputable ones in the UK? I'm in Leeds but I suppose I could post it somewhere. Thanks again dude

[@Tetrakan]

@@tonypail2003 if you know how to solder you could probably just order the caps from digikey and spend an afternoon with a podcast some time replacing them one by one. Having always done these things myself, I’m not really sure who to recommend , but surely the music tech in any music shop would give you a reasonable quote to recap the naked mixer board?

[@tonypail2003]

@@Tetrakan Ok no worries, thank you. I may learn how to do that. Are the specific parts labelled in the manual or should I just take it apart and see which are the right ones to order? Thanks again

[@Tetrakan]

@@tonypail2003 either, if you check my blog the service manual is up there for free download, it may be easier to work from the parts list therein, good luck! And remember they’re polarised cap, I.e. make sure you solder them in the right way round!

[@seagreenyweeny]

HI. Just unearthed my 414 mkII after many years. It wasn't used much. Testing channel 1 only I'm finding that input, fader, eq, monitor etc all work fine. It just barely records the faintest sounds/ static/ noise to tape. Cap job probably required? Just downloaded the schematics to try to islolate the problem.

[@seagreenyweeny]

Oh and thanks for these great videos.

[@seagreenyweeny]

If anyone's interested, it works fine now. After ruling out the heads, I took a massively untechnical approach and just recapped it. It did sound like my previous experience of what a dead electrolytic sounds like. Online consensus seems to be that the "YEC" brand capacitors used throughout these are notoriously unreliable.

[@daylabeats]

I am hoping to get some help! I just picked up one of these an 414 mkii, but cant even press play, rewind, or fastforward with a blank tape inside. If i rewind i just hear a click and it stops automatically. If i press play it plays for a few seconds then the tape plays slower as if its having a hard time and stops automatically same with ffw. If i dont have a tape the fast forward and play work and the wheels move. Does it need the belts replace(6:55 in your video)

[@Tetrakan]

Yes, changing the belts should fix these issues

[@daylabeats]

@@Tetrakan appreciate it! It ended being the actual cassette tape. Idk if the tape was so old that it just wouldnt wheel. Opened a new maxwell xlii-s tape and it worked perfectly! I bought some extra belts on eBay just incase. These videos are mad helpful! Appreciate you!

[@julesnominal1804]

what sort of lubricant would you suggest for the gears? when i took mine apart i could tell there was either 3in1 oil or some kind of lube.

[@Tetrakan]

I've heard of people using wd40, but it's a viscous liquid so I wouldn't trust it not to get onto the tape path. For that reason I use silicone grease. I've used cheaper brands/ unbranded silicone grease but polycote and servisol both have good reputations

[@Deino13]

Amazing work. My tascam plays and sounds nicely but forward and backward function doesn't really work well. Guess its the belts... does them belts width important? Wanna buy a pack and it comes in packages of different width (2,3 and 4 mm).

[@Tetrakan]

A 2mm square cross section pack of assorted lengths would be best. Sounds like the capstan belt is okay but the shorter belt for the reel mechanism is loose. Thanks for watching!

[@Deino13]

@@Tetrakan Thanks to you! Already subscribed :)

[@mathewjohnson7350]

@Tetraken I have a Question, On my Tascam porta 7, it keeps stopping by itself. the play button flicks up like the tape is finished. I looked inside but found it hard to track down the issue. It may be that the gears need lubrication as it doesn't seem to run perfectly smooth, is this something you've come across before?

[@christianlocke7525]

My 414 mkii is having issues when bouncing tracks 1+2+3 onto the 4th track the 3rd track stays at the same volume and makes tracks 1+2 much quiter.

[@LexTreefrog]

Your videos have been super helpful. I stripped some wires out of the connectors you disconnect around 3:45. Do you know where I could order replacements for those color coated connectors and the right crimping kit to repair? I yanked em too rough :(

[@Tetrakan]

Try burning off the shielding with a cigarette lighter and soldering them back in first? Failing that, an engineer PA 09 is the only crimping tool I’ve found that goes small enough and it’s pricey…check the header pitch (space between pins) but I think molex XH headers connectors and pins are what you want.

[@Tetrakan]

Correction, it's JST XH headers and connectors I've been using on multitrackers with the PA09 crimp tool, and in case it wasn't clear, Engineer is the name of the company that makes the tool

[@DiegoCarvacho]

Your videos are gold! Do you take Hi resolution pictures of the machines? I have a problem with the transport of my 414. It makes a loud "clack" sound when playing. And I can't figure out why. I believe one spring isn't In the right position. But I can't tell. Thr exploded view of the service Manu isn't helping much. A good picture might help. Right to the take-up reel. Ps. On this video you installed the capstan belt on a different position to where it was originally.

[@Tetrakan]

Unfortunately I haven't been taking photos, but that's a good idea, and something I should aim for on my blog in future...thanks for pointing out the issue with the capstan belt, FYI of anyone wondering what difference that would make, it would mean any adjustment for tape speed via the internal trimpot would need to be redone, but the unit would still work. The clacking sound is probably a missing clip from the capstan pin causing the pin and flywheel to drop. The solution is to find a replacement c-clip, boxes with assorted sizes of c-clip including ones of an appropriate size are available cheaply from Amazon, eBay and the like.

[@Rubinski555]

Hi Tetrakan I really appreciate your videos and public knowledge! I have a 414 mk1 and the left side is not coming through on playback. I've checked headphone output, line out, and mon out, with the L-R setting on the monitor switch; only the right side is audible. If I pan all tracks to the left there is just silence. Do you have idea what might be the problem? Thank you!

[@Tetrakan]

Possibly your master master fader is at fault - try accessing the mixer and using the continuity tester on a meter to see if electricity will pass from the input pin to the output pin on the left side of the fader

[@Rubinski555]

​@@Tetrakan Thanks! I'm not really sure how to identify the input pins vs the output pins, schematics are somewhat alien to me... I used some deoxit on the master fader hoping that would help the connection but it did not do the trick...do you think its a good idea to just reflow the solder on all the master fader pins?

[@jamesrees]

Hi.. I've just picked up one of these, everything seems to work well apart from track two won't play or record... any ideas what might be wrong or how to fix?

[@Tetrakan]

Hey, thats a very broad question tbh... it could be that segment of the head isn't working - you'd test that by disconecting the head from the PCB and plugging dupont wires into the sockets leading to the play/record head and testing for continuity using a DMM - if the multimeter beeps, the coil is still intact. If the head is okay, next thing to understand is that there are three other systems which could cause your problem -1 ) the mixer channel 2) the playback amplifier 3) the record amplifier. You'd need to give me more information about how you have established that record and palyback haven't worked - have you tried playing back a prerecorded tape on channel 2 for instance? Give me some more details and I'll try to suggest some next steps.

[@jamesrees]

@@Tetrakan Thanks for the reply, this is all really helpful. I tried playing a cassette with some recordings on it that I'd made on another 4-track, tracks 1, 3 and 4 played back but nothing on channel 2 apart from the odd low end pop. I then tried recording on track 2 and flipping the tape over to see if it played back on track 3, nothing. I've recorded onto the other tracks using the mic/line input on channel 2 and this worked fine. I've opened it up too, to try and see if any parts were leaking, but all seemed to look ok inside, I haven't done any proper testing though as I don't have the correct equipment. I gave the heads a clean but this didn't make any difference!

[@dlower23]

Mine is running too fast. Any idea of the problem there? If it isn't the belts, i hesitate to open it and go to all this trouble (if it's something i can't fix, which includes just about everything) thanks!

[@Tetrakan]

It's a 9.5 cm/s machine. If you put 4.8 cm/s tapes for a car stereo Walkman or slower portastudio in there it'll sound crazy fast, that's normal...

[@novasys9119]

Would you happen to know why my 414 is playing at an extreme speed even when the pitch control is at the lowest setting? Thanks for the informative video!

[@Tetrakan]

Not completely certain but sometimes the control chips in those motors go bad. I have videos on replacing the chip, providing you can track down a new old stock replacement, thanks for watching.

[@lewisblair2389]

Hi, this might be a long shot but did you ever get this problem fixed? My machines doing the same thing

[@novasys9119]

@@lewisblair2389 Hey! So when I raised my question, I was trying to play a regular cassette on it. Turns out that the reason it plays at a high speed is because the tascam records at 2x the speed of regular cassette player; this is because recording at that speed is of a higher quality apparently.

[@tacklebruin5925]

Everything seams to work correctly on my Tascam 414, but the play but won't press down anymore. it was just working. Do you think it's a belt? or a motor issue?

[@Tetrakan]

i haven't encountered that before, but I can't think how the motor or belt would prevent the play button from being pressed... I thinks it is more likely the plastic or metal parts which move the shift arms and close little leaf switches on the cassette player have jammed.?Take it apart, taking photos as you go to help you reconstruct it, this will probabl;y not need anything more difficult than removing screws and e-clips. Refer to my series on the fostex x15 for the sort of mechanisms you are likely to see. Look for broken plastic,springs that have become detached at one end, levers that have come out of cams, etc. Good luck!

[@philharmonia5904]

anyone have a schematic for power pcb?

[@Tetrakan]

All schematics for 414 mk ii here tetrakansupermonobloc.home.blog/2019/04/26/tascam-414-mkii-user-manual/