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| Common TASCAM motor compatible w Mabuchi specs |
I just restocked a supply of common TASCAM Portastudio motors. These are NOS (new old stock) motors from a reliable manufacturer, not contemporary Chinese motors with untested performance. Not all Portas use this type, but I can make this work perfectly in many high speed machines. The original ones were made by a Japanese company called MABUCHI and are pretty much all long gone. You might have ended up here Googling EG-530-KD-2B, for example. If you buy one on ebay it is most certainly pulled from a used deck. The specs of the motors include voltage, direction, size, rpm. The feedback circuits for speed control are also a factor and must be checked in each application. These motors have a small PCB inside and can be accurately controlled via an external resistor but they are not all the same from brand to brand. Any high speed deck (most Portas) will want an RPM of around 3600 and these motors are suitable.
In my experience, motor failures are not the most common, since perishable rubber parts usually kill the machine first, but you will find PORTAs with bad motors if the customer (like me) tended to leave them on with a tape in for many years (a state of readiness, OK?). Most models spin up the capstan motor anytime there is a tape inserted, even if the machine isn't playing.
If you are having speed stability issues even after changing belts, you might have a very dirty or worn out motor! Not the end of the world by any means.