Tape Deck Help

Hey Folks,

I finally hauled in that big hunk (Franscisco?) Astro-Sonic 100 yesterday because I have to rob Peter to pay Paul for space. I'm just curious about the reel-to-reel tape deck. It says "Stereo Elite" and also says "Super Impose". Can anyone explains what those features mean?

I haven't opened up this unit yet, but at least wheeling the heavy damn thing in from the garage, it's a start, but I have no info on the tape deck. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!! --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Sound-on-Sound recording is a method of overlaying another sound along with a previous one.
Someimes called Synchro-recording, and I suppose the Magnavox version is coined Super Impose.

As for the Stereo Elite - it's just another Magnavox "name".

Thanks so much, Matt...

Would that be the same type of Sound-on-Sound feature on my two stand alone tape decks with the "X Cross Field"? The Roberts 770X on the left has two separate tube amps, and the AKAI X-1800SD is solid-state and has an 8-track recorder/player on the side. That's cool to be able to transfer from reel to 8-track and vice-versa, plus record from an external source.

One wouldn't know that they had speakers until you opened the side flaps as pictured. I read/heard years ago that AKAI bought out Roberts, and that's why these machines are so similar.

On a good note, the tall Roberts was given to me by an old friend back east in 1978 and still works. I did have it serviced years ago and still works, but think it needs a cap job because of a slight hum in one channel. I used it to record all my gospel choir concerts back in the 80's. It belonged to her grand dad who rarely used it.

The AKAI was also a freebie given to me about four years ago. The only issue with that is maybe a disconnected, broken linkage under the face plate when trying to switch to record mode.

I have close to a dozen reel machines and, being a visual person, love to see those reels turning. The same applies to record players with those LP's and 45's spinning. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Hello,

I recognize the Magnavox, they appeared over here in the U.K. They used to appear at our annual Audio Fair in London.

"Superimpose" was a term used by many manufacturers here, regardless of make.

When in this mode, the oscillator bias is removed from the erase head, but of course still fed to the record head.
Although it is therefore possible to overlay another recording on top of the original, there is some partial erasure at the point where the superimpose is made, caused by the bias current.
It usually doesn't sound too bad though, as the effect is similar to "ducking", in that the original audio level drops a little, with the new recording over the top.

I remember having great fun with that in the early days of reel-to-reel recording.
I like you have a fair collection of various reel-to reel machines.
Good luck with your collection.

Dave.

Thanks so much, Dave in the U.K. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Bobby,
"Stereo Elite" is something that would come from a "Marketing Dept." Remember the car company called "Datsun" ?
Well, their name has always been "Nissan", but when they decided t enter the US, they had their marketing dept sit around and try to think of names--You know how the came up with "Datsun", don't you--OK, I'll tell you--
That "sat" on this for awhile, until one day someone asked "when are we going to start in the US ?" Someone else said "tomorrow"--someone else said "Datsoon" ? --and that's how it was determined--about the same thing goes for all "marketing names", in most fields-- Ron Rich

Actually Akai made motors and tape transports for the Roberts/Rheem company. Akai began selling their tape recorders in the USA under their own name in 1965 with the M-9 forwards.

I like that old stuff and it tends to wear like iron. I remember these back in my younger days...





I especially remember these Wollensaks when I took four years of Spanish back in the 60's. My teacher always used these, sometimes would have two sitting on the desk working in tandem. Would anyone have one of these for sale? I had two, and let them go, Dumb A$$ that I was. --BB


Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona