This is my go to recording deck. I picked it up for $25 US at a yard sale. Replaced the bellt several years later. Glad to see your expertise targeting this specific deck.
Awesome channel and hi from snowy Winnipeg Manitoba CANADA. I have recently begun to convert my 488 original 8 track song ideas to digital. I bought my 488 in 1991 and used it exclusively until I bought a Yamaha AW16g. I have some 200 cassettes made on the 488 with many song ideas. The 488 was an excellent first machine to learn how to multi-track and record with. I also used 2 passes to export my 488 songs to digital and I did notice the motor drift. Pass 1 included 4 tracks and pass 2 included the other 4 tracks. What I found is that I could export a maximum of 4 tracks at a time on the 488. 2 selected tracks were selected for group 1 and 2 and 2 selected tracks were used for group 3 and 4. In group 1/2 1 track was panned left while the other track was panned right. In group 3/4 1 track was panned left and the other was panned right. This gave me 4 tracks that I sent to my Yamaha AW1600. Once the 4 tracks were in the AW1600 I exported the 4 waves to the computer and imported them into CUBASE. I used the same process for the other 4 tracks. I imported each pass to CUBASE giving me 8 tracks but it was difficult to get both groups of 4 tracks to match. The motor drift was a problem that could not be fixed so I have been selecting the most important 4 tracks to export so the song could be worked on again. It is possible to export all 8 488 tracks to digital by assigning 2 tracks to group 1, 2 tracks to group 2, 2 tracks to group 3, and 2 tracks to group 4. However, you have less control now because each of the 4 exported tracks has 2 tracks on each. I recently purchased a Yamaha AW1600 because it has a USB out so I can now export my AW16g files to the computer rather than having to use CDs. I have 187GB of song ideas on CDs form my AW16g that I am slowly exporting to the computer. On the AW16g, song waves are backed up in a .cfs file and this file, when extracted on the computer using a Yamaha extraction program, gives the wave files for each track and the 2 stereo tracks if a mix-down was done. Your channel is a wealth of information for those cats who still have their cassette multi-track machines. Cheers : ) Mike
Back then a couple of affordable 8 track cassette recorders came out. I was absolutely thrilled and I knew I had to get one. Ultimately I decided on the Yamaha MT8X and I never regretted it.
I have one of these, I think the 488 is awesome! And I believe there is a workaround for getting more outputs for digitizing (never tested it, but in theory it should work): You can get 4 outs via the group outputs, two by using send 1 and 2, one more by using the cue bus with the phones jack and one by using the sync out.
I've actually got one of these machines. When it was working it was a fabulous sounding recorder. It's totally dead now, but I think it might need a new pcb. Nice video m8. 😎👍
Just new old stock off ebay. Its a crap shoot - a proportion of what I buy, a bit less than a quarter let's say - have drop outs or other issues. Thems the breaks buying 30 year old tapes with no idea how they've been stored!
I purchased this unit at a 2nd hand shop ,for 60 bucks CDN . The door was broken witch crazy glue solved . I also had broken function buttons on the tape . These fractures can be repaired with Model Glue ,polystyrene glue . The drive belt for the Capstan I suspect has broken , and don't know how to get at it .Any suggestions ? And the wow and flutter is a distraction . .The rest of it works fine .
Excellent review, I love the 488’s and as you mention they’re easier to get your head around than the 688. Do you think it’d be possible to mod one to allow for 8 tracks of simultaneous recording?
Not really, there are only four record amplifier circuits, you’d have to wire in another four and completely change the routing system. Mike terrible from mods and sods wires in individual tape outs all the time though.
Great review!! I recently noticed my 488 sometimes gives guitars/organ sounds a kind of very fast vibrato/tremolo (more noticeably on the high frequencies). Is that a sign of a fault maybe? Cheers!
If fresh rubber parts and cleaning and lubricating the cassette mechanism dont resolve wow and flutter issues then it could be the control chip on your motor pcb is overheating, see this video for more details czcams.com/video/h1BBVAtDtIo/video.html
Ive got a 464 I've recently fixed, thanks to your videos, and I didn't know type one cassettes leave a residue or whatever. If it gets too bad can I just open it and clean it with alcohol wipes? or do I need to switch to type two?
this is wonderful, been looking for a complete "30 years later" review. just got a 688 from a pawn shop and would be great to see a vid too. also possible modding to add an external bias knob to experiment with tape types and sound textures?
Thanks! Regarding bias mods, I'd need to get clearer on the requirements for other tape types...if only a change of amplitude was required, it'd be a matter of mounting a little PCB with some passive components and a switch, but if a separate frequency was required that'd be more work. I do intent to look at this in more detail at some point on the channel.
@@Tetrakan as far as i know, bias works by making a set inaudible frequency and how much power is applied to that frequency. it would seem to myself as simple as jumping an external knob to the adjustment pots but i dont have much experience with electronics.
@@KrispieKomrad Yeah, to clarify what I was saying, AC bias is a sine wave at a frequency above the threshold of human hearing. The thing is, amplitude of that sine wave would be easier to modify because it is adjusted by passive components, that is ones that do not require a power supply. So It'd be relatively simple to run jumper wires to a switch on a little circuit board with an alternative variable passive component with a different setting - this is how tape speed changes are handled for instance...there are two variable resistors and fixed resistor networks hooked up to the motor and the switch chooses whether you use component set a and b. However the frequency of the oscillation (how many cycles of the sine wave are produced each second) is a more complex modification prospect because the adjustable component is built into the oscillator which is a little integrated lump consisting of many components and which requires a power supply. Therefore a switchable bias frequency modification would require more skill expense and space inside the portastudio, and there isnt a lot of space in there. I know how loud and frequent a sine wave type II cassettes require. I do not know how loud and frequent a sine wave is required by other tape types. So, if it transpired the bias requirements for type 1 tape (for instance) only involved a change of sine wave amplitude, that'd be quite an easy mod. But if instead or in addition adjustment a change of bias frequency was required, that would be much more challenging.
Hi Tetrakan, I know this video is unrelated to the Tascam 244 but I was hoping you could help me out. I just bought one last week (in good condition, everything in working order seemingly). But when I recorded using all four tracks I noticed there seemed to be a warble/ vibrato that was being produced on tracks 1&2 in playback. When I stop and start the tape there's almost like a latency as the tape picks up speed again. I've been looking all over forums and the like but not having much luck. I know its hard to diagnose but any advice would be appreciated, many thanks!
I’m sorry I don’t recognise that problem. There’s nothing like a delay line in the circuit, and any pitch undulations affect all tape tracks equally in my experience. If it’s drops in signal, anything I could suggest is included in my 244 and troubleshooting multi tracker electronics playlists.
@@Tetrakan no worries at all, really appreciate the response ! Very true though, if it was a playback issue then it should affect all the tracks. I’ll definitely look through the rest of your playlist. Hopefully find a solution. Your videos are super helpful. Thank you very much :)
Great video. Thanks for posting it. I have one of these units and want to transfer my 8-Track analog recordings to digital. I have a software program, and there are a variety of user interfaces available, but the challenge I'm facing is that there doesn't appear to be any way to get each of the 8-Tracks transferred individually. I don't want multiple tracks bounced together. I need to be able to remix each track individually. There aren't eight outputs or individual outputs for each track. Any ideas?
There's a hack where you use the effects sends sync out and headphone socket that brings you up to 8 outputs. Gain structure not ideal obviously, on the headphone socket especially.
Off the top of my head its like this....Tracks 1 - 4 to group outs 1 through 4 respectively ( use buss assign and pan controls so only track one appears on group out 1, etc); track 5 and 6 to effect send 1 and 2 respectively ( other tracks must have effects sends turned down) ; track 7 monitor in headphones (must be the only channel turned up in the cue buss) track 8 via the sync socket (sync turned on at the back of the unit)
Hi Sal. Over the last 7 years I have created at least a dozen support tickets with Tascam USA looking for support with their obsolete portastudios, and have never had a reply, which indicates to me that they are no longer supporting their legacy products. Therefore, I would surmise that whatever work they are giving your company , it doesn’t involve these old tape players….am I wrong?
Unless the mixer you connected to the 238 was a lot worse or the calibration and maintenance of the units was very different, I would expect the fidelity to be indistinguishable.
TLDR answer - yes. They use the same tape speed and head. Poor calibration in one or both units could spoil things a little, but if the DBX and amplifiers were set similarly on both units you should be able to move a recording from one unit to the other without any issues.
@@Tetrakan Thanks for getting back to me - I appreciate your knowledge being made public very much. I do have one more question - I've seen on eBay, a service offering 8 direct outs for a 488 mkii. My question is, what do you know of this mod? It sounds like good content. Also, do you know if it's possible on the regular 488 as opposed to the 488 mkii? THANKS TETRAKAN!
How about these Portastudios with the digital displays...if the digital goes aren't you basically SNAFU'd? I'd imagine fixing digital circuits is not easy. Or are they pretty bullet proof and it's the moving parts that fail much more so? I sold a 414 2 years ago which I regret and I wanna buy a new Portastudio or a reel to reel 4 track or something. Just want to get back into tape.
Question: On the 488Mk2 can you export all 8 tracks at once? Does the 488Mk2 have 8 RCA outs for each track? On the 488 you can only export 4 tracks at a time as there are only 4 RCA outs.
the mk 2 is actually more limited in this respect, it only has one stereo line out! Btw there is a hack to digitally capture 8 tracks from the original 488 using the effect sends sync out and headphone socket for the other 4 tracks.
@@Tetrakan Thank you Tetrakan, I recently stumbled upon the hack in the bowels of the internet. Your website is awesome and this intrepid explorer of obsolete cassette technology appreciates all the hard work you do to provide us with your information and advice. Happy holidays and keep well. Michael Lukie, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada :)
@@Tetrakan Question: For the TASCAM MidiStudio 688. I recently found one for sale in Canada. Are the cassettes from my 488 cross compatible with the 688 and does the 688 have line outs for all 8 tracks?
Its amazing how much the 488 is getting destroyed by mt8x in terms of I/O and grouping / routing possibilities. No separate outs, no returns, inserts no adjustable grouping, no mid eq and one effect per channel!!
Maybe, if you have one track free, you can record a sync track to that one. Ofcourse you would need a syncman or something like that. Then you can record it to your pc, while syncing the pc to the sync-track via MIDI with the sync-machine again. That's at least 7 tracks synced (but with unsynced wobble). I'd really like a 488 MKII.
@@TetrakanAh, ofcourse. It slipped my mind that sync would need its own output as well. So it only works when track 8 is available. Btw, thanks for your work, you helped me fix two 464's (75 euro's each) a while ago. Both bad belts and c-gears replaced, great stuff!
@@Tetrakan thanks so much. Just got into cassette recording and just discovered your channel. Perfect. Probably gonna be watching a lot of your videos!!
If anyone knows where I can get my hands on one let me know. Trying to play my masters again. Sold my old one for 300 years ago and it looks like imma have to pay 600 to get one now? That’s wild.
I'm selling one on uk eBay at the time of writing. In thd US look up Mods and Ends, Monolith Gardens and Recursive Delete on Instagram, all three of those guys repair and sell such things.
@dabigcheezprod I'd be willing to 8f you coveted postage, but duties and carriage are so high across the Atlantic I'm not sure it'd be worth your while, probably better for you to go with the American techs if possible?
This is my go to recording deck. I picked it up for $25 US at a yard sale. Replaced the bellt several years later. Glad to see your expertise targeting this specific deck.
What a score! Lucky find.
Love these videos am delighted every time I come back
Awesome channel and hi from snowy Winnipeg Manitoba CANADA. I have recently begun to convert my 488 original 8 track song ideas to digital. I bought my 488 in 1991 and used it exclusively until I bought a Yamaha AW16g. I have some 200 cassettes made on the 488 with many song ideas. The 488 was an excellent first machine to learn how to multi-track and record with.
I also used 2 passes to export my 488 songs to digital and I did notice the motor drift. Pass 1 included 4 tracks and pass 2 included the other 4 tracks. What I found is that I could export a maximum of 4 tracks at a time on the 488. 2 selected tracks were selected for group 1 and 2 and 2 selected tracks were used for group 3 and 4. In group 1/2 1 track was panned left while the other track was panned right. In group 3/4 1 track was panned left and the other was panned right. This gave me 4 tracks that I sent to my Yamaha AW1600. Once the 4 tracks were in the AW1600 I exported the 4 waves to the computer and imported them into CUBASE. I used the same process for the other 4 tracks. I imported each pass to CUBASE giving me 8 tracks but it was difficult to get both groups of 4 tracks to match. The motor drift was a problem that could not be fixed so I have been selecting the most important 4 tracks to export so the song could be worked on again.
It is possible to export all 8 488 tracks to digital by assigning 2 tracks to group 1, 2 tracks to group 2, 2 tracks to group 3, and 2 tracks to group 4. However, you have less control now because each of the 4 exported tracks has 2 tracks on each.
I recently purchased a Yamaha AW1600 because it has a USB out so I can now export my AW16g files to the computer rather than having to use CDs. I have 187GB of song ideas on CDs form my AW16g that I am slowly exporting to the computer. On the AW16g, song waves are backed up in a .cfs file and this file, when extracted on the computer using a Yamaha extraction program, gives the wave files for each track and the 2 stereo tracks if a mix-down was done.
Your channel is a wealth of information for those cats who still have their cassette multi-track machines.
Cheers : ) Mike
Back then a couple of affordable 8 track cassette recorders came out. I was absolutely thrilled and I knew I had to get one. Ultimately I decided on the Yamaha MT8X and I never regretted it.
Really enjoy your teaching style and of course the content is always top notch
Thank you John!
Great and informative video. I had the 4 track version and LOVED it. I found it intuitive and very easy to use.... cheers mate.
I have one of these, I think the 488 is awesome! And I believe there is a workaround for getting more outputs for digitizing (never tested it, but in theory it should work): You can get 4 outs via the group outputs, two by using send 1 and 2, one more by using the cue bus with the phones jack and one by using the sync out.
I’d read about that too and keep meaning to test it out. You can definitely do it on the 488 mk2.
Ha, hadn’t thought of that, good hack!
Couldn't you also use smpte to sync to the DAW so your transfers line up?
I used to have one of these, and sold it without exploring it as deeply as it should've been. Regret it to this day.
Ah. Thank you for this! I own one of these. This is so helpful!
I've actually got one of these machines. When it was working it was a fabulous sounding recorder. It's totally dead now, but I think it might need a new pcb. Nice video m8. 😎👍
Just sold one super cheap on Reverb. Two channels (4 and 8) don’t seem to want to work, and I don’t have time to mess with it.
these are really cool machines, I never should have sold mine
Thanks!
Great review, thanks for doing that!
Where do you buy your type 2 cassettes from?
Just new old stock off ebay. Its a crap shoot - a proportion of what I buy, a bit less than a quarter let's say - have drop outs or other issues. Thems the breaks buying 30 year old tapes with no idea how they've been stored!
I purchased this unit at a 2nd hand shop ,for 60 bucks CDN . The door was broken witch crazy glue solved . I also had broken function buttons on the tape . These fractures can be repaired with Model Glue ,polystyrene glue . The drive belt for the Capstan I suspect has broken , and don't know how to get at it .Any suggestions ? And the wow and flutter is a distraction . .The rest of it works fine .
Excellent review, I love the 488’s and as you mention they’re easier to get your head around than the 688. Do you think it’d be possible to mod one to allow for 8 tracks of simultaneous recording?
Not really, there are only four record amplifier circuits, you’d have to wire in another four and completely change the routing system. Mike terrible from mods and sods wires in individual tape outs all the time though.
@@Tetrakan oh yeah, that’d be more of a rebuild than a mod.😊
Great review!! I recently noticed my 488 sometimes gives guitars/organ sounds a kind of very fast vibrato/tremolo (more noticeably on the high frequencies). Is that a sign of a fault maybe? Cheers!
If fresh rubber parts and cleaning and lubricating the cassette mechanism dont resolve wow and flutter issues then it could be the control chip on your motor pcb is overheating, see this video for more details czcams.com/video/h1BBVAtDtIo/video.html
300 pounds... $350 for a fixed 688! amazing deal lmfao how can someone complain about that?
Ive got a 464 I've recently fixed, thanks to your videos, and I didn't know type one cassettes leave a residue or whatever. If it gets too bad can I just open it and clean it with alcohol wipes? or do I need to switch to type two?
Just clean it more often and it’ll be fine. And yeah I’m using alcohol wipes for that with no issues.
this is wonderful, been looking for a complete "30 years later" review. just got a 688 from a pawn shop and would be great to see a vid too. also possible modding to add an external bias knob to experiment with tape types and sound textures?
Thanks! Regarding bias mods, I'd need to get clearer on the requirements for other tape types...if only a change of amplitude was required, it'd be a matter of mounting a little PCB with some passive components and a switch, but if a separate frequency was required that'd be more work. I do intent to look at this in more detail at some point on the channel.
@@Tetrakan as far as i know, bias works by making a set inaudible frequency and how much power is applied to that frequency. it would seem to myself as simple as jumping an external knob to the adjustment pots but i dont have much experience with electronics.
@@KrispieKomrad Yeah, to clarify what I was saying, AC bias is a sine wave at a frequency above the threshold of human hearing. The thing is, amplitude of that sine wave would be easier to modify because it is adjusted by passive components, that is ones that do not require a power supply. So It'd be relatively simple to run jumper wires to a switch on a little circuit board with an alternative variable passive component with a different setting - this is how tape speed changes are handled for instance...there are two variable resistors and fixed resistor networks hooked up to the motor and the switch chooses whether you use component set a and b. However the frequency of the oscillation (how many cycles of the sine wave are produced each second) is a more complex modification prospect because the adjustable component is built into the oscillator which is a little integrated lump consisting of many components and which requires a power supply. Therefore a switchable bias frequency modification would require more skill expense and space inside the portastudio, and there isnt a lot of space in there. I know how loud and frequent a sine wave type II cassettes require. I do not know how loud and frequent a sine wave is required by other tape types. So, if it transpired the bias requirements for type 1 tape (for instance) only involved a change of sine wave amplitude, that'd be quite an easy mod. But if instead or in addition adjustment a change of bias frequency was required, that would be much more challenging.
Hi Tetrakan, I know this video is unrelated to the Tascam 244 but I was hoping you could help me out. I just bought one last week (in good condition, everything in working order seemingly). But when I recorded using all four tracks I noticed there seemed to be a warble/ vibrato that was being produced on tracks 1&2 in playback. When I stop and start the tape there's almost like a latency as the tape picks up speed again. I've been looking all over forums and the like but not having much luck. I know its hard to diagnose but any advice would be appreciated, many thanks!
I’m sorry I don’t recognise that problem. There’s nothing like a delay line in the circuit, and any pitch undulations affect all tape tracks equally in my experience. If it’s drops in signal, anything I could suggest is included in my 244 and troubleshooting multi tracker electronics playlists.
@@Tetrakan no worries at all, really appreciate the response ! Very true though, if it was a playback issue then it should affect all the tracks. I’ll definitely look through the rest of your playlist. Hopefully find a solution. Your videos are super helpful. Thank you very much :)
Hello Tetrakan. Is there any coincidence in portastudio models with the plastic cassette lid? Any clue on how to get a lid of a Midistudio 644? Thx :)
The door from a 424 mk 1 or mkII, 488 mk 1 or MkII or a 688 will fit your 644.
Thanks for the info!
You're welcome, thanks for watching.
Great video. Thanks for posting it. I have one of these units and want to transfer my 8-Track analog recordings to digital. I have a software program, and there are a variety of user interfaces available, but the challenge I'm facing is that there doesn't appear to be any way to get each of the 8-Tracks transferred individually. I don't want multiple tracks bounced together. I need to be able to remix each track individually. There aren't eight outputs or individual outputs for each track. Any ideas?
There's a hack where you use the effects sends sync out and headphone socket that brings you up to 8 outputs. Gain structure not ideal obviously, on the headphone socket especially.
@@Tetrakan Do you have the hack instructions/directions?
Off the top of my head its like this....Tracks 1 - 4 to group outs 1 through 4 respectively ( use buss assign and pan controls so only track one appears on group out 1, etc); track 5 and 6 to effect send 1 and 2 respectively ( other tracks must have effects sends turned down) ; track 7 monitor in headphones (must be the only channel turned up in the cue buss) track 8 via the sync socket (sync turned on at the back of the unit)
My name is Sal and I am a customer service representative for TAP Electronics. We are the factory service center for TASCAM USA.
Hi Sal. Over the last 7 years I have created at least a dozen support tickets with Tascam USA looking for support with their obsolete portastudios, and have never had a reply, which indicates to me that they are no longer supporting their legacy products. Therefore, I would surmise that whatever work they are giving your company , it doesn’t involve these old tape players….am I wrong?
Could this cure the capstand hum from my 488 aswell?
If you're getting hum from the capstao make sure the cicuit ground on all the boards are joined up. You can test that with a continuity meter.
I had a hum for a while and then the capstan stopped spinning. That's where I'm at now and gotta open her up
What would be the sound quality difference in this and say a Tascam 238 synacast
Unless the mixer you connected to the 238 was a lot worse or the calibration and maintenance of the units was very different, I would expect the fidelity to be indistinguishable.
Is the 488 format compatible with a 688? Meaning, if I'd recorded on a 488, could I put the tape I'd recorded on into a 688 and have it cooperate?
TLDR answer - yes.
They use the same tape speed and head. Poor calibration in one or both units could spoil things a little, but if the DBX and amplifiers were set similarly on both units you should be able to move a recording from one unit to the other without any issues.
@@Tetrakan Thanks for getting back to me - I appreciate your knowledge being made public very much. I do have one more question - I've seen on eBay, a service offering 8 direct outs for a 488 mkii. My question is, what do you know of this mod? It sounds like good content. Also, do you know if it's possible on the regular 488 as opposed to the 488 mkii? THANKS TETRAKAN!
How about these Portastudios with the digital displays...if the digital goes aren't you basically SNAFU'd? I'd imagine fixing digital circuits is not easy. Or are they pretty bullet proof and it's the moving parts that fail much more so? I sold a 414 2 years ago which I regret and I wanna buy a new Portastudio or a reel to reel 4 track or something. Just want to get back into tape.
Question: On the 488Mk2 can you export all 8 tracks at once? Does the 488Mk2 have 8 RCA outs for each track? On the 488 you can only export 4 tracks at a time as there are only 4 RCA outs.
the mk 2 is actually more limited in this respect, it only has one stereo line out! Btw there is a hack to digitally capture 8 tracks from the original 488 using the effect sends sync out and headphone socket for the other 4 tracks.
@@Tetrakan Thank you Tetrakan, I recently stumbled upon the hack in the bowels of the internet. Your website is awesome and this intrepid explorer of obsolete cassette technology appreciates all the hard work you do to provide us with your information and advice. Happy holidays and keep well. Michael Lukie, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada :)
thanks Michael, ditto!
@@Tetrakan Question: For the TASCAM MidiStudio 688. I recently found one for sale in Canada. Are the cassettes from my 488 cross compatible with the 688 and does the 688 have line outs for all 8 tracks?
Yes and yes. Tape speed is the same, noise reduction scheme the same, heads are the same part number, 8 individual tape outs.
Its amazing how much the 488 is getting destroyed by mt8x in terms of I/O and grouping / routing possibilities. No separate outs, no returns, inserts no adjustable grouping, no mid eq and one effect per channel!!
Fair enough.... note that the 488 MK II addresses a lot fo these shortcomings.
Maybe, if you have one track free, you can record a sync track to that one. Ofcourse you would need a syncman or something like that. Then you can record it to your pc, while syncing the pc to the sync-track via MIDI with the sync-machine again. That's at least 7 tracks synced (but with unsynced wobble). I'd really like a 488 MKII.
Yes that’s definitely possible. There’s a facility to defeat DBX on track 8 only so the companding doesn’t interfere with the sync pulses.
@@TetrakanAh, ofcourse. It slipped my mind that sync would need its own output as well. So it only works when track 8 is available.
Btw, thanks for your work, you helped me fix two 464's (75 euro's each) a while ago. Both bad belts and c-gears replaced, great stuff!
Looks like I found my people ..488
Is this model all analog? Or is it partly digital?
The signal path is 100% analogue
@@Tetrakan thanks so much. Just got into cassette recording and just discovered your channel. Perfect. Probably gonna be watching a lot of your videos!!
Actually, the 688 quite famously does NOT have phantom power.
Errata acknowledged
If anyone knows where I can get my hands on one let me know. Trying to play my masters again. Sold my old one for 300 years ago and it looks like imma have to pay 600 to get one now? That’s wild.
I'm selling one on uk eBay at the time of writing. In thd US look up Mods and Ends, Monolith Gardens and Recursive Delete on Instagram, all three of those guys repair and sell such things.
@@Tetrakan awesome, thanks the help. I assume you don’t ship to the US?
@dabigcheezprod I'd be willing to 8f you coveted postage, but duties and carriage are so high across the Atlantic I'm not sure it'd be worth your while, probably better for you to go with the American techs if possible?