Wobbly Audio! Wow and Flutter Ruined my Tascam 122 and How I Fixed It
After my Tascam 122 video went live, I noticed something I really didn’t want to notice.
The deck I used for the demo had horrible wow and flutter.
Then I realized the bigger problem: I had accidentally used the wrong Tascam 122 from my collection.
So in this follow-up episode, I’m taking that deck apart to find out what caused the unstable audio, why it couldn’t hold speed properly, and whether I can get it working the way a professional cassette deck should.
This video is part correction, part repair, and part reminder that vintage electronics will absolutely humble you if you get too comfortable.
We’ll look inside the deck, inspect the transport, check the likely causes of wow and flutter, and work through what might be creating the speed instability. Belts, idlers, lubrication, pinch roller condition, capstan issues, motor control, tape path problems, and general age-related weirdness are all on the suspect list.
The original Tascam 122 is a serious professional cassette deck, but even serious gear needs maintenance. Especially after decades of sitting, working, aging, and occasionally pretending everything is fine.
If you watched the original Tascam 122 video and thought the audio sounded a little wobbly, you were not imagining it.
This is the follow-up.
New episodes every Wednesday at 2 PM Central.
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