The Sony Elcaset

The Sony Elcaset Page 1

The Sony Elcaset was a cassette tape system introduced in 1976. They were very solid and
durable machines of professional quality, developed to combine the high quality of open reel
tape recorders with the ease of use of cassette tape recorders. During recording and playback
the tape was pulled out of the cassette and guided along the mechanism inside the machine, so
that the quality of the cassette shell did not influence the quality of the recording.

The cassette was very solidly built. It had reel stoppers, so the tape reels were blocked when
the cassette was not in the machine. The tabs to prevent erasure of the tape were sliders that
could be clicked up or down, no need to break off something. It was also much bigger than a
compact cassette: 15 cm wide, 10 cm high and 2 cm thick.

The Elcaset used a tape 6.3 mm wide that was driven at a tape speed of 9.5 cm. There were
four tracks on the tape, for two stereo programs, one on each side. Because the tape width and
tape speed were twice as much as that of the compact cassette, a higher audio quality was
possible.

I am very happy with my Elcaset machine. Even today it sounds great, when it was introduced
it was way ahead of the compact cassette machines of those days, and it isn't too long ago that
cassette decks with comparable quality to the Elcaset became affordable. It was another
example of the innovations Sony often introduced on the audio market. Unfortunately it was
not as successful as the Walkman. Because of the very high price of the system not many
were sold.

The Sony Elcaset Page 2

I bought my EL-5 Elcaset machine for $ 250 with 16 cassettes from a misguided audiophile
who was switching over to the CD when the CD technology was brand new, around 1985 I
think it was. He actually believed that he was going to be able to buy all his records and all his
cassettes on CD, so he didn't need his Elcaset and his record player anymore. He even sold me
his very high quality record player and all his records too, I still have all of them today. I used
to take the Elcaset machine over to friends who had already bought a CD player and CD's,
and I recorded their nicest CD's which then sounded at home just as perfect as the originals :)

This is the EL-7 Elcaset machine of a friend. The EL-7 has three heads, so it was possible to
optimize the heads for their recording or playback function, and you could hear while
recording what was being put on the tape. It also has a dual capstan/pinch roller, so it has even
better control over the tape tension.

The Sony Elcaset Page 3

I have 16 tapes for my machine, 9 FeCr tapes (red tabs) and 7 SLH ferro tapes (blue tabs).
The ferro tapes are unusable now, the magnetic material is flaking off the tape, it's a mess.
The FeCr tapes are still perfect though, they play now just like when they were new. I have
been experimenting with replacing the tape in the ferro cassettes with tape from a reel-to-reel
machine, but I never found tape that sounded right.

Other machines
The next two pictures I received in an email from another Elcaset owner. Thanks Stewart!

The EL-4 appeared a while after the EL-5 and EL-7. It was a lower priced entry level piano
key version with minimal controls.

The Sony Elcaset Page 4

The remote control box for the EL-5 and EL-7.

A portable version of the Elcaset was available too, the EL-D8. This picture was found by
Raffaele Grieco, thanks!

The Sony Elcaset Page 5

Raffaele also found this picture of the top of the line EL-D9 machine.

I found this picture of an Technics RS-7500 Elcaset in an Ebay auction by 'Skubo'.

The Sony Elcaset Page 6

 The Sony EL-D8

These pictures were made by Raffaele Grieco.

The Sony Elcaset Page 7

The Sony Elcaset Page 8
The Sony Elcaset Page 9
The Sony Elcaset Page 10
 The end of the Elcaset
I got a nice mail from Hanste Seppo of Finland, who told me where all the remaining Elcaset
machines ended up when Sony dropped the system. Here is his message:

I can tell you something about the "death" of the Elcaset system. It happened in late 1979 and
1980 when all (?) those machines were dumped into Finland. A Finnish company won the
auction (by Sony international) and later sold those machines with 25 cassettes at a very low
price: EL-5 + 25 cas. 795,- FIM and EL-7 + 25 cas. 1295,- FIM. It was mentioned in the ad
that plain cassettes would cost normally about 1200 FIM. I think that US$ was in those days
about 4,50 FIM, nowadays it's about 6 FIM. And you can believe it was a real sell-out. They
sold about 2000 decks in Finland. The company even guaranteed availability of cassettes and
service for 10 years. I don't know how many decks Sony manufactured, but I've been told that
the major part of Sony's Elcaset decks were dumped in Finland. Two years later the offered
cassettes 12,50 FIM if you buy a whole box (12 pieces). Quite a bargain!!

Here you can see the original pages of those newspaper ads (Helsingin Sanomat) from 1979
and 1981. I also scanned the brochure cover of EL-7. Of course they all are written in Finnish,
but why not start to learn Finnish -;) The last picture shows the result of building fluorescent
VU-meters (an article for DIY-hobbyists in HiFi-lehti in september 1981).

The Sony Elcaset Page 11

I have used my EL-7 now over 20 years and it still runs like a train - no problems. The only
minor problem is that sometimes cassettes get stuck due to drying of lubrication, but I solved
that with silicone liquid (same liquid as for car-door's rubber profiles).

And about the sound quality: I need headphones to be able to hear the tape noise when
monitoring the difference on source (CD) and tape.

I've been very satisfied in my Elcaset system, which I have enlarged via buying old cassettes
(about 2 $ piece and the old machine as bonus). Nowadays recording to CD-R has come also
familiar to me and use of Elcaset has decreased.

This is a Sony EL-7 test in the Finnish magazine Hifi-lehti from 4/79. The article is titled
"Tape format competition: Elcaset - dying oddity or replacing reel-to-reel".

The Sony Elcaset Page 12

They find the positive things: excellent audio performance, high operational responsibility,
tape monitoring, Dolby calibration and lots of connections. The very few negative things were
high price and rather slow VU-meters. Maybe the price was too high (5700,- FIM, more than
the average salary per month in those days). In the table they compare what Sony announced
and what the test shows. They measured Frequency response, Wow and flutter, S/N-ratio,
Total Harmonic Distortion, Rewind time.... To me the frequency response curve is quite
convincing compared to compact-cassette decks.

Five months later the dumping of those decks happened at "a very reasonable price". And the
rest is history.

The Sony Elcaset Page 13

 The Elcaset
The Elcaset was a consumer audio format introduced in 1977 designed to offer both the
convenience of the compact cassette and the high sound quality of open-reel tape.

Here are a few pictures of the Elcaset tape itself:

All the blank tapes I have seen are Sony, but apparently some were produced under the
Technics brand name.

The Elcaset was quite a bit larger than the compact cassette. The picture below is supposed to
give you the dimensions of the Elcaset tape, but it's hard to make out the numbers. The actual
dimensions are 152 x 106 x 18 mm (6 x 4-1/8 x 3/4 inches)

To give some perspective, the Elcaset was about the size of a Betamax video tape (another
failed format championed by Sony).

The Sony Elcaset Page 14

The tape itself was 6.3 mm (1/4 inch) wide and driven at a tape speed of 9.5 cm/s (3 ¾ ips, as
opposed to the 1-7/8 ips for the compact cassette). This resulted in extended frequency and
wider dynamic ranges (noticeable in the higher audio range) than those of the compact
cassette. The four-track tape width in the Elcaset, which was almost twice that of the compact
cassette and nearly equal to the four-track open-reel tapes, also resulted in achieving the
excellent signal-to-noise figures open-reel tapes were able to obtain. This picture shows the
tape used in an Elcaset compared to that of a standard compact cassette.

The Sony Elcaset Page 15

With a conventional compact cassette, the tape was guided by a tape guide pin in the cassette
itself, and the accuracy of tape travel was very much dependant upon the precision of the
cassette shells. This has been an obstacle in achieving high performance with the compact
cassette.

Another problem with the compact cassette is that a multi-head (3-head) system has been
difficult to use successfully since heads of recorders are put into the very limited space of a
cassette. In the Elcaset, tape is in a case, but it is automatically pulled out by the transport
mechanism of the recorder. Therefore, there is no influence over stability of tape travel by the
lack of precision in cassette shells. As a result, characteristics such as wow and flutter,
modulation noise, cross-talk and level changes are also remarkably improved.

These next pictures show the tape path in the Elcaset. They show how the tape was actually
pulled up outside the shell to come into contact with the heads. The first picture demonstrates
an Elcaset tape being played on a two head machine (like the Sony EL-5), while the other

The Sony Elcaset Page 16

pictures demonstrate a three head machine (like the Sony EL-7).

The Elcaset had the same tape format as the compact cassette. This means the tape was
divided into two halves for side A and side B, each side permitting 2-track stereo or monaural
recording and playback. There was also a pair of "control" tracks running down the middle of
the tape, separating the two tracks of side one from those of side two. Each control track is
less than half the width of an elcaset audio track. The purpose of the control tracks was never
made clear, but there was speculation that they could have been used for slide
synchronization, cueing, or even selection finding in next-generation decks (unfortunately, the
format died before that ever happened). This picture shows the track pattern on the Elcaset.

The Sony Elcaset Page 17

Elcaset tapes came 60 and 90 minute lengths. They also came in three different types: TYPE
I had the feature of low noise output (called SLH tape by Sony). TYPE II had the same
performance as FeCr tape by Sony. TYPE III was the equivalent to CrO2 tape. Elcaset decks
had a tape selector switch which should be set to match the type of tape used.

The next two pictures show the hole pattern in the Elcaset shell which indicates the type of
tape used.

The Elcaset has tape protectors at left and right front ends. When the Elcaset is out of the tape
deck, protectors are closed to protect the tape. Protectors are opened automatically by the tape
deck for threading tape when the Elcaset is inserted and a function button is depressed. Here
is a close-up of the top of the Elcaset shell which shows the tape protectors.

Nevertheless, the tape runs along the top of the shell, and it is fairly exposed. Thus, Elcaset
tapes required more careful handling than a standard compact cassette. This picture shows
how an Elcaset tape was handled and loaded.

The Sony Elcaset Page 18

The Elcaset also had reel stoppers which would lock the rotation of a reel hub to prevent tape
from coming loose when the Elcaset is out of the deck. The stoppers were automatically
unlocked by the deck when the Elcaset tape was loaded.

With the compact cassette, recorded tapes are protected from accidental erasure by removing
a tab on the cassette shell. But once the tab is removed, the cassette cannot be erased or re-
recorded without covering the broken slot. By contrast, with the Elcaset, the protection is
achieved by sliding tabs. The first picture below indicates where the sliding tabs are located.

Most Elcaset decks could automatically sense the tape leader that existed at both ends of the
tape and thereby initiate an automatic shut off - in both play and record mode.

And finally, the Elcaset decks could automatically sense tapes on which Dolby noise
reduction was used in the recording. This picture shows the location of the notch indicating
whether Dolby was used.

ELCASET specifications

Tape speed 9.5 cm/s (3 ¾ ips)

Tape width 6.3 mm (1/4 inch)
Time constant 3180 micro-sec. +70 micro-sec.

The Sony Elcaset Page 19

Reference recording level 185 nwb/m
Types of tape TYPE I, II, III
Dimensions 152 mm x 106 mm x 18 mm

Much of the above overview came from the description of the Elcaset format found in the
Sony EL-7 owners manual. Click here for the original version of that overview.

The Sony Elcaset Page 20

 Elcaset Tape Decks
As far as I know, the Elcaset decks that were produced were as follows:

Sony EL-7
Sony EL-5
Sony EL-4
Sony EL-D8
Teac AL-700
Technics RS-7500U
JVC LD-777
Lo-D D-9000

The Sony EL-7, Sony's top of the line deck.

The Sony EL-5 was a two head deck (the EL-7 had three heads). It retailed for US$630.

The Sony EL-4, I think this must have been the low-end model, but it seems to be more rare
than the EL-5 or EL-7. I have heard of only a couple of people who have one.

The Sony Elcaset Page 21

The Sony EL-D8, the only portable Elcaset player/recorder that I'm aware of.

The Teac AL-700. The picture to the right shows how an external dbx noise reduction
adapter could be connected. It may have been the most expensive Elcaset deck - it retailed for
US$1100. Like the Sony units, some of the AL-700 decks came with wood panels on the
side.

The Sony Elcaset Page 22

The Technics RS-7500U. It retailed for US$650.

The Sony Elcaset Page 23

The JVC LD-777 - I don't know much about this deck. It apparently retailed for US$800. If
anybody has a picture of one, or knows anything else about it, please let me know.

This deck is labeled as the Lo-D D-9000. Lo-D is apparently a brand-name used by Hitachi
in some markets. But this Lo-D deck looks identical to the Sony EL-7.

Another EL-7 clone was apparently put out at the WEGA E-4950.

The Sony Elcaset Page 24

 Elcaset Articles

Here are some random articles about the Elcaset format that I have found buried on the web.

From Stereo Review October 1976, page 71

ALTHOUGH it won't be available until well into 1977, you'll be hearing more and more over
the next several months about a new tape format called the elcaset. No, it was not designed in
Mexico or in Spain-, it originated in Japan, and as of the moment it has the support of Sony,
Teac, Technics, Akai, and JVC. To appreciate where the elcaset is coming from technically,
rather than geographically, you first have to understand some things about the conventional
cassette format.

At the time of the cassette's birth a dozen or so years ago, its parents (Philips of the
Netherlands) never thought that it would one day grow up to be a high-quality recording
medium. As I remember the early ads, there were frequent references to a "sound-camera"
concept. The "compact cassette" (as it was, and is, known formally) was intended merely to
duplicate the convenience and simplicity of the Brownie box camera, to provide sonic
"snapshots" of a quality no higher than the Brownie's visual ones. The cassette's subsequent
history proves that one can make a sonic silk purse out of a sow's ear-if enough talented
engineers are put on the job. However, from the purist's point of view, the cassette still
suffers, when compared to the reel-to-reel format, from a variety of inherent technical
handicaps.

THE first of these is that there are just too many mechanical tape functions built into the
cassette itself. ("Cassette" means, literally, "little box," but in the audio sense it refers not to
the container, but to the tape unit contained.) Everything from the tape-to-head contact,
through the friction of the feed hubs, to the guidance of the tape as it passes over the heads is
determined, for better or worse, by the individual cassette and not by the machine playing it.
Thus each cassette is a separate potential source of mechanical (and therefore sonic) variables.
Other problems: the cassette's size and its single, slow playing speed (1-7/8 ips) are fixed:
Philips has been rather rigid in refusing to license any variations on their original patented
scheme. (As a matter of fact, there was for a time some question even about whether the
Dolby-B system was "compatible" enough for Philips.)

The 1-7/8-ips playing speed is the source of a variety of interrelated technical problems: low
overload margin, high-frequency distortion, and inadequate high-frequency response. These,
together with the cassette's narrow tape and track width, also make a relatively high hiss level
almost inevitable.

Nonetheless, it is clear that today's cassette machines work well, and, when tape of the highest
quality is individually and carefully recorded and played back on the best available machine,
it is frequently impossible to tell a duplicated program from a high-quality original. However,
for optimum results, everything has to be close to the state of the art including the user's
recording technique. There is very little margin for error, and the errors that do occur are, not

The Sony Elcaset Page 25

easily edited out. 'The better cassette machines and tapes certainly fulfill the recording needs
of the vast majority of home tapesters, but for the purist and the live recordist, open-reel is
still the preferred format for the reasons mentioned above and for several more as well.

The promoters of the elcaset format have it as their intention to profit (in both senses) from
the shortcomings of the cassette by combining the convenience of the cassette with the
technical advantages of open reel. How? First of all, by increasing the tape width to 1/4 inch
and the tape speed to 3-3/4 ips. The wider recording track and the faster speed are
tremendously helpful in providing greater recording-overload headroom and reducing both
distortion and noise level. They do, however, make for a larger (see photo above) cartridges -
6 inches wide, 4-1/8 inches deep, and 3/4 inch thick-and (for the moment, at least) a
maximum playing time of 45 minutes per side.

An additional, though not visible, benefit of the elcaset system is that the tape is actually
drawn out of its shell during play. This means not only that the playing machine handles the
tape in much the same way as open reel, but that it can be edited easily. There is also accurate
tape guidance, precisely controllable tape-to-head "wrap," and full support to prevent skewing
and help provide a smooth wind. The same open-reel head configurations-and the same high-
quality heads that have served with distinction for many years can now be built into a
cartridge-format machine. And, since the back of the tape is now accessible, use of a
crossfield-bias head becomes feasible.

Almost all users are aware that the compact cassette has knockout tabs on the rear to prevent
accidentally re-recording over an already recorded tape. In addition, some cassette
manufacturers supply another notch that provides (on some machines) automatic switching to
CrO2 bias and equalization. Elcaset has these same coding slots and notches plus several
more, including one with tabs that are labeled noise reduction.

Track arrangement on the elcaset is the same as for the compact cassette (two adjacent
parallel tracks in each direction), except that there is also provision for a pair of novel
"control" tracks running right down the middle of the tape, separating the two tracks of side
one from those of side two. Each control track is less than half the width of an elcaset audio
track. As of the moment, the projected purpose of the control tracks has not been made
explicit, but they could serve for slide synchronization, cueing, or even selection finding if the
appropriate sensing electronics are built into the player.

As a prerecorded-music format, the elcaset appears to be ideal. It should be far easier for a
duplicator to turn out high-quality copies in elcaset form than in cassettes. And, as mentioned
above, some sort of automatic selection cueing signal could be recorded on the control tracks
along with the music on the other four tracks. The advantages of the elcaset as a home-
recording medium, however, are not quite that clear-cut. For example, at the moment the
elcaset has a 45-minute maximum playing time per side; a standard 1,800 foot, 7-inch open-
reel tape operating at 3-3/4 ips will provide 90 minutes per side. The question, then, is not
whether the elcaset can match open-reel quality (it is safe to assume it can), but whether those
tapesters who are really concerned about recording quality are also terribly bugged by the
several inconveniences of open reel.

It is clear that the designers of the elcaset have fulfilled their intention to provide in one
format both the technical advantages of open reel and the convenience advantages of the
cassette. Now it is up to time and the tape consumer to determine whether the elcaset is a

The Sony Elcaset Page 26

superbly designed solution to a nonexistent problem or whether it is the format breakthrough
the tape world has been waiting for. How do you feel about it? -Larry Klein

The three elcaset units on the cover were introduced at the June Consumer Electronics Show
in Chicago (see September cover story). They are, top to bottom, Sony's Model EL-5, the
Teac prototype, and the new machine from Technics.

From: Dead Media Project, Dead Media Note 06.6 -

Dead Medium: the Elcaset cartridge tape and player

The Elcaset was a cartridge tape format introduced by several Japanese electronics firms in
the late 1970s for use in high fidelity audio home systems.

"Basically, Elcaset is a king size cassette [i.e. Large cassette, hence the name] measuring
about six by four inches, versus about four by two and a half inches for the Philips cassette. It
is three quarters of an inch thick; the Philips is a half-inch thick. The Elcaset runs at 3 3/4 ips
[inches per second]; the Philips at 1 7/8 ips. " [reference two]

The Elcaset was a compromise between the all-out performance of an expensive reel-to-reel
deck and the convenience of a cartridge format. The machines were heavy, sturdy devices
more like professional equipment in construction than most home tape recorders. Although
the tape was stored in a plastic cartridge, when it was inserted in a player a loop of tape was
drawn into the workings of the machine, where the precision mechanism pulled it smoothly
past the tape heads:

"In the new format the tape transport is responsible for accurate movement of the tape past the
tape heads. The tape is 'pulled' out of the Elcaset and moved between guides built into the
transport. In the Philips system, tape movement accuracy is controlled by guides built into the
cassette." [reference two]

The tape was divided into six tracks; four were used to store two stereo music programs, the
other two were control tracks used to store cueing information. Machines used a form of
Dolby noise reduction and some (like the TEAC AL 700) could use optional, external Dolby
units to achieve slightly better performance.

Introduced at a time when ordinary audio cassettes could not meet reel-to-reel performance,
the Elcaset seemed to have some appeal for serious home recording enthusiasts. However, the
machines were more expensive than high-end cassette units ($650-1200) and record
companies never offered a catalog of recorded Elcasets. The machines were pulled off the
market within a couple of years, following slow sales.

Models actually offered for sale included the JVC LD-777 ($800), the Sony EL-5 and EL-7
($630 and $880), the TEAC AL-700 ($1100), and the Technics RS-7500US ($650). Marantz
announced a line of Elcaset recorders, but I have not confirmed that they actually were
offered.

The Sony Elcaset Page 27

Sources:
Reference 1: Larry Zide, "Will the Elcaset Make It," High Fidelity's Buying Guide to Tape
Systems (1978), pages 28- 30
Reference 2: "Elcaset" Hi-Fi/Stereo Buyers Guide volume 13 (January/February 1978), pages
48, 82.

Dave Morton
IEEE Center for the History of Electrical Engineering
Rutgers University
d.morton@ieee.org
dmorton@rci.rutgers.edu

From the Sony EL-7 Owners Manual:

In the audio market, the Compact Cassette of the Philips standard has been widely accepted
and has been extended even to use in hi-fi recording as a result of its easy operation and
advanced technical development. On the other hand, open-reel tape is still strongly supported
by music and audio enthusiasts, for its high quality sound reproduction, which has been
difficult to attain with the Compact Cassette.

Your "ELCASET" system not only realizes both the convenience of the Compact Cassette
and the high sound quality of open-reel tape but also has the following advanced features.

Wider Dynamic Range

The ELCASET tape is 6.3 mm (1/4 inch) wide and driven at a tape speed of 9.5 cm (3-3/4
ips). This results in a more extended frequency and wider dynamic ranges (noticeable in
higher audio range) than those of the Compact Cassette. This ample headroom does make a
difference in the reproduction of many recordings.

Stable Tape Transport

With a conventional Compact Cassette, the tape is guided by a tape guide pin in the cassette
itself, and the accuracy of tape travel is very much dependent upon the precision of the
cassette shells. This has been an obstacle in achieving high performance with the Compact
Cassette.

Another problem with the Compact Cassette is that a multi-head (3-head) system has been
difficult to use successfully since heads of recorders are put into the very limited space of a
cassette. In the ELCASET, tape is in a case but it is automatically pulled out by the transport
mechanism of the recorder. Therefore, there is no influence over stability of tape travel by the
lack of precision in cassette shells. As a result, characteristics such as wow and flutter,
modulation noise, cross-talk and level changes are also remarkably improved.

Compatible Tape Track Pattern Between Stereo And Monaural

The ELCASET has the same tape format as the Compact Cassette. This means tape is divided
into two halves for side A and side B, each side permitting 2-track stereo or monaural

The Sony Elcaset Page 28

recording and playback. This track pattern assignment makes possible stereo and monaural
between them. The four-track tape width in the ELCASET is almost twice that of the
Compact Cassette and nearly equal to the four-track open-reel tapes. This also attains
excellent S/N figures open-reel tapes are able to obtain.

Lids For Tape Protection

The ELCASET has lids at left and right front ends. When the ELCASET is out of your
recorder, lids are closed to protect the tape. The lids are opened automatically by the tape
deck for threading tape when the ELCASET is inserted and a function button is depressed.

Reel Lock Device

Reel lock device is also provided in the ELCASET to lock rotation of a reel hub to prevent
tape from coming loose when the ELCASET is carried. The reel lock is automatically
unlocked by your recorder when the ELCASET is loaded.

Erasure-Proof Tabs

In the Compact Cassette, recorded tapes are protected from accidental erasure by removing a
tab in a cassette. But once the tab is removed, the cassette cannot be erased or re-recorded
without covering the broken slot. In the ELCASET, the protection is achieved by sliding tabs.

Types of Tape

There are three different types of tape for the ELCASET which are indicated on the labels.
One is called TYPE I which has the feature of low noise output (called SLH tape by Sony).
TYPE II has the same performance as FeCr tape by Sony. TAPE III will be for the tape
equivalent to CrO2 type. For optimum recording and playback results, match the tape selector
on the tape recorder with the type of tape used.

Automatic shut-off with ELCASET leader tape at tape-end The ELCASET has leader tapes at
both ends of the tape. When the ELCASET is used on the tape recorder having the
photoelectric method, tape motion automatically stops at end of tape for any operating mode.
This is because the tape deck senses the leader-tape portion and activates the automatic shut-
off mechanism.

ELCASET Specifications

Tape speed 9.5 cm/s (3-3/4 ips)

Tape width 6.3 mm (1/4 inch)
Time constant 3180 micro-sec.+70 micro-sec.
Reference recording level 185 nwb/m
Types of tape TYPE I, II, III
Dimensions 152 X 106 X 18 mm

From: alt.collecting.8-track-tapes FAQ version 1.7 -

http://www.8trackheaven.com/faq.html#19.

The Sony Elcaset Page 29

19. WHAT WERE ELCASETS?

Well - it is neither an 8-track nor has it the advantage of 'endless playing' but it fits into that
time - and shared the 8-track fate.

In the early 70's Sony decided to roam the market with their brand new development: the
ELCASET. They combined standard-1/4-Inch tape-material with a Philips-like mechanism
operating at the same speed of 9.5 cm/s which 8-tracks use. Their intention: easy handling
(like the cassette) and wide-range audio features (like reel-to-reel), saving costs (they use the
same tape like 8-tracks and reels). But: they failed. It was too late - the Compact Cassette
(CC) was already there and rolling up the market. They had a variety of equipment available,
home-desks and portables, where the home machines had about the size and look of standard
front-loaded CC-recorders. There was a feature planned to adapt the ELCASET on a standard
reel-to-reel machine. for example for studio works. It might have been a good idea - but
wasn't. The first units were presented in SONYs 1973 catalogue and last mentioned in that of
1975. I don't know any private person who ever bought or used one. I'm searching the flea-
markets around my home-town for years now, but couldn't find one. At least I saw one - about
1979 in a HiFi-studio in Bielefeld, operational, working and for sale but in those days I
weren't interested.
Peter H. Wendt <phw@compunet.de>

The Sony Elcaset Page 30

 Sony EL-7

The Sony EL-7 was Sony's top of the line model. It retailed for US$880.

It appears that the EL-7 came in both silver and black. Based on the units I have seen, the
silver was apparently much more common.

Some units came with wood side panels (actually they are particle board with a vinyl wood-
grain laminate). The wood panels are removable and are interchangeable among any Sony
Elcaset unit (EL-4, EL-5 or EL-7). Since the wood panels are more prone to visible damage
than the metal parts of the unit, removing them can, in some cases, make the unit look better.
Just remove the two screws from each side of the unit, slide the panels back about 2
centimeters, and then pull them away from the sides. However, you must be careful if you
want to do this. The side screws used in the units with the panels are longer than those used
on units without, and replacing the long screws after removing the panels can severely
damage the unit. So be sure to shorten the screws before replacing them.

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 LOCATION AND FUNCTION OF CONTROLS
(From the EL-7 Owner's Manual, pages 4-5)

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(1) POWER switch
This turns the power on or off. The VU meters will light when the unit is turned on.
(2) TIMER switch
This permits automatic recording or playback at any desired time by using a commercially available timer. For
recording, set the switch to the REC position (the red lamp will light up); for playback, set the switch to the
PLAY position. Be sure to set the switch to the OFF position when the timer is not used. Otherwise, with the
TIMER switch set at REC position, the previously recorded material will be erased if the power is turned on.
(3) MEMORY switch
When the cassette is rewound to "000" of the tape counter (actually "999" in order to avoid cutting off the
starting point of the tape), the tape motion stops from rewind mode with the switch set at STOP position, or will
replay from rewind with the switch set at START position.
(4) TAPE counter and reset button
At the start of recording, depress the reset button (000). The figures on the tape counter change as the tape
passes. Note the counter number for later reference.
(5) HEADPHONES jack
This jack accepts 8 - 32 ohm headphones to monitor the input signals being recorded, or to listen to playback of
recorded material. The volume can be adjusted with the PHONES LEVEL control.
(6) FUNCTION buttons
Rewind button--Depress this button for rewinding the tape.
Stop button--To stop the tape motion, depress this button. When a tape is fully wound in any operating mode, the
motor will stop automatically.
Forward button--Depress this button for playing back the tape. For recording, depress this button and the red
button simultaneously.
Fast-forward button--Depress this button for fast winding of the tape.
Record button--To start recording, depress this button and the red button simultaneously.
Pause button--To momentarily pause during recording or playback, depress this button. To restart, depress it
again. Also, use this button for smooth start of recording. (See "Recording" on page 8.)
(7)DOLBY NR switch*
FM: Use this position only when recording Dolby encoded FM broadcasts. For playback, set the switch to the
ON position. (See "Recording Dolby encoded FM broadcasts" on page 10.)
ON: For recording and playback with Dolby NR process.
OFF: For non-Dolby NR processed recording and playback.
CAL: At this position, a fixed 400 Hz calibration tone is produced by the oscillator. While recording this tone,
the tape sensitivity can be adjusted by setting the CAL controls so that the VU meters read "O (CAL)".
*"Dolby" and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Inc. Noise reduction system
manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories Inc.
(8) EJECT button
Depress this button to open the cassette holder lid. It cannot be depressed when the tape is in any operating
mode.
(9) LINE IN (STEREO) jack
Use this stereo binaural jack as an auxiliary input for recording from another tape recorder or tuner, etc. If the
LINE IN jacks on the rear panel are engaged at the same time, you can only record through this jack.
(10) MPX FILTER switch
Set this switch to the ON position only when recording FM stereo programs with Dolby NR process and Dolby
encoded FM programs. When recording other programs, set the switch to the OFF position. This switch is
inoperative in playback mode.
(11) MIC jacks
Any high-quality low-impedance microphone equipped with a phone plug may be used. If your microphone is
equipped with a mini plug, a plug adapter for converting to phone plug is required.
(12) TAPE SELECT switches
On recording, set the EQ (for the correct equalization characteristics) and BIAS (for the optimum bias current)
switches correctly according to the type of tape to be used. The type is indicated on the label of the ELCASET.
The switches have no effect upon the playback.
TYPE I for Sony SLH tape
TYPE II for Sony FeCr tape
TYPE III for CrO2 type of tape
(13) MIC ATT (attenuation) switch
This switch is useful for recording a large input signal on location (rock music, etc.) or when recording with a
microphone close to the source without overloading recorder amplifier. It also eliminates having to set the REC
LEVEL and REC MASTER controls too far downward. Set the switch to "l5" or "30" when the pointers of the

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VU meters swing repeatedly over the 0 VU position even if the REC LEVEL and REC MASTER controls are
set at a low level position. At "15" position, the input level is attenuated by one fifth (15 dB), and at "30"
position, by one-thirtieth (3O dB).
(14) PHONES LEVEL control
This control adjusts the output level of headphones. At "O" position, the sound can be heard slightly.
(15) REC LEVEL controls
These controls adjust the record level. The inner knob is for the right channel and the outer for the left channel.
The MIC controls adjust the record level from the microphones. The LINE controls adjust the level from the
LINE IN jacks on either the front or rear panel. When the REC MASTER control is set at "O" position, the input
signal is completely reduced, and the record level cannot be adjusted with MIC or LINE controls.
(16) MONITOR selector
For playback, set the selector to TAPE, and for record level adjustment, set it to SOURCE.
(17) REC MASTER control and PRESET knob
This control adjusts the record level of both right and left channels simultaneously. When the REC LEVEL
controls are set at "O" position, the input signal is completely reduced, and the record level cannot be adjusted
with this control.
(18) RECORD indicating lamp
This lamp will illuminate when the recorder is engaged in record mode.
(19) VU meters
With the MONITOR selector set to SOURCE, the meters indicate the input level while recording. When set to
the TAPE position, the meters indicate recorded level being played back or monitor the level while recording.
For correct record level setting, see "Record level adjustment" on page 8.

Specifications for the Sony EL-7

(From the EL-7 Owner's Manual, page 14)

Power requirements 120 V ac, 60 Hz

Power consumption 43W
Tape speed 9.5 cm/s (3 3/4 ips)
Fast forward and rewind time Approx. 60 seconds (by LC-60)
Recording system 4-track 2-channel stereo
Bias frequency 160 kHz
Signal-to-noise ratio DOLBY NR OFF
with Type II ELCASET (FeCr)
62 dB at peak level
With Type I ELCASET (SLH)
59 dB at peak level
DOLBY NR ON
Improved by 5 dB at 1kHz, l0 dB above 5kHz
Total harmonic distortion 0.8%
Frequency response DOLBY NR OFF
with Type II ELCASET (FeCr)
15 - 27,000 Hz
25 - 22,000 Hz ±3 dB
With Type I ELCASET (SLH)
15 - 25,000 Hz
25 - 20,000 Hz ±3 dB
Wow and flutter 0.04% WRMS
Inputs Microphone inputs (phone jacks) = 2
sensitivity 0. 3 mV (- 68 dB) for low impedance microphone
Line inputs (stereo binaural jack) = 1, (phono jacks) = 2
sensitivity 0.095V (-18dB) input impedance 100k ohms
Outputs Line outputs (phono jacks) = 2
output level 0.775V (OdB) at load impedance 100kohms with

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 LEVEL ADJUST control turned fully clockwise. Suitable load
impedance more than 10k ohms.
Headphone output 1 suitable load impedance 8-32 ohms
Dimensions Approx. 460 x 170 x 320 mm (w/h/d) (18-1/8 x 6-3/4X 12-5/8
inches) Including projecting parts and controls
Weight Approx. 13.5 kg (29 lbs. 13 oz)
Supplied accessories Connecting cord RK-74H (2)
Tape winder rod (1)
Head cleaning tips (1 set)

PRECAUTIONS
(From the EL-7 Owner's Manual, page 3)

On safety

Before operating, be sure the operating voltage of your unit is identical with that of
your local power supply.
Should any liquid or solid object fall into the cabinet, unplug the unit and have it
checked by qualified personnel before operating it any further.
Unplug the unit from the wall outlet if it is not to be used for an extended period of
time. To disconnect the cord, pull it out by the plug. Never pull the cord itself.

On installation

Good air circulation is essential to prevent internal heat buildup in the unit. Place the
unit in a location with adequate air circulation.
Do not install the unit in a location near heat sources such as radiators or air ducts, or
in a place subject to direct sunlight, excessive dust or mechanical vibration.
The tape deck is designed for vertical operation only.

On head cleaning

The best performance of your tape deck depends on your periodic cleaning of the heads and
all surfaces over which the tape travels. Dirty heads and tape path cause:

Loss of high frequency response

Loss of sound volume
Sound drop-out, etc.

Cleaning should be done after every 10 hours of operation. For details, see "Maintenance" on
page 12.

On ELCASET

Before inserting the ELCASET, use the supplied tape driver and take up the slack of
the tape to prevent it from becoming entangled around the capstan.
Hold the ELCASET and face the tape surface up when inserting it in the tape deck.
Avoid touching the tape surface or pulling it out of the tape housing.

For more information on the ELCASET, see pages 13 and 14.

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Other important points to remember

Before depressing the POWER switch, check to see that the TIMER switch is set at
off. This switch should only be placed to REC or PLAY for timer-activated operation.
Gently close the lid of the ELCASET holder to its locked position to protect the tape
from damage.
The EJECT button cannot be depressed while the tape is in operating mode.
Turn down the REC LEVEL controls not being used while recording.
Never misplace the DOLBY NR switch. Place it to CAL only for Calibration Level
adjustments and to ON or OFF for Dolby or non-Dolby NR recording.

CONNECTIONS
(From the EL-7 Owner's Manual, pages 6-7)

Be sure the amplifier is turned off while making connections.

Insert the plugs completely into jacks. Loose connections may cause hum and noise.
The red plug of the supplied connecting cord should be connected to the right channel
and gray plug to the left channel

LEVEL ADJUST control

The output level of the tape deck phono jacks can be set to correspond accurately to the output
level of other sources connected to the amplifier. We recommend that you use either FM or
Phono mode as a reference point. While adjusting, do not change the volume control of the
amplifier. At the position turned fully clockwise, the output level is rated 0.775 V (0 dB).
The control does not correspond to the VU meters.

REMOTE CONTROL connector

Plug the Sony RM-30 Remote Control unit (optional) in this connector. The RM-30 features
"record muting"* as well as remote control operation. Read the RM-30 instruction manual
before operating it with the tape deck.

* A device which is beneficial to short-circuit unwanted program sources such as

broadcasting commercials, thus allowing an interspace between the recordings.

FM CAL controls

When recording Dolby encoded FM broadcasts, set the record level with these controls. See
"Recording Dolby encoded FM broadcasts" on page 10.

AC OUTLET

Use for the AC power supply of other audio components.

SWITCHED 200 W: AC power is supplied only when the tape deck POWER switch is set to
ON. Maximum consumption is 200W.

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UNSWITCHED 300 W: This outlet is not controlled by the tape deck POWER switch.
Maximum consumption is 300 W.

MAINTENANCE
(From EL-7 Owner's Manual, page 12)

Cleaning of heads and tape path

Generally, cleaning after every 10 hours of operation will be sufficient. However, all surfaces
over which tape travels

TROUBLE CHECKS
(From the EL-7 Owner's Manual, page 16)

The following chart will help correct most problems which may occur with the unit. If the
problem persists after you have made these checks, consult your nearest Superscope Service
Centers.

Before going through the check list below, first pay attention to the following fundamental
points.

The power cord must be connected firmly.

Connection to the amplifier must also be firm.
Heads, capstans and pinch rollers should be cleaned.
The amplifier controls and switches should be set correctly.

FUNCTIONS BUTTONS AND TAPE PATH

The EJECT button cannot be depressed.

This button is inoperative while tape is running or the PAUSE button is depressed.

Tape does not move even when function buttons are depressed.

The PAUSE button is depressed.

The ELCASET holder is not closed fully

Recording of playback begins as soon as the POWER switch is ON.

The TIMER switch is misplaced at either REC or PLAY.

Cassette hubs turn a bit after the POWER switch is ON.

This is to remove tape slack when put in the tape deck.

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Automatic shut-off mechanism does not work.

The guide-pole lamp is dirty. (See "Maintenance" on page 12.)

Tape does not move after the POWER switch is ON, though the function buttons are
depressed.

Push the desired function buttons approximately two seconds after the POSER switch
is ON. When less than this time interval is taken, logic-controlled function buttons do
not work.

RECORDING OR PLAYBACK

No recording or decrease of sound level.

Erasure-proof tabs in the ELCASET are slid down. (See page 13.)
Contamination of the heads. (See page 12.)
The MIC ATT switch is set to either "15" or "30" when recording from microphones.

Recording cannot be made from LINE IN jacks on the rear panel.

The LINE IN jack (phone type) on the front panel is connected.

VU meters do not swing.

The REC MASTER control of REC LEVEL controls are turned down to "0".

Distorted sound.

CAL level is too high. (See "Calibration level adjustment" on page 10.)
Recording level is too high.

Recording level drops when switching the MONITOR selector from SOURCE to TAPE.

CAL level is too low. (See "Calibration level adjustment" on page 10.)

No playback or decrease of sound reproduction.

The MONITOR selector is set at SOURCE.

The LEVEL ADJUST control in the rear panel is turned down.
Contamination of the heads. (See "Maintenance" on page 12.)

Too much wow or flutter, or drop-outs.

Contamination of capstans or pinch rollers.

Insufficient erasure.

Contamination of the erase head.

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Increase of noise or erasure of high frequencies.

Magnetic build-up on the heads.

Unbalanced tone in higher frequency range.

The Dolby NR processed tape should be played back with the DOLBY NR switch at
the ON position, and the non-Dolby NR processed tape at the OFF position.
The TAPE SELECT switches should be in the same position in both record and
playback modes. If recorded in the wrong position, adjust the tone on the amplifier in
playback.

Tape stops before the tape counter reads "000", though the recorder is in memory
counter operation.

The tape counter is reset to "000" at the leader-tape portion. (See "Memory counter
operation" on page 11.)

Sound comes out a few seconds after the poser switch is ON.

This occurs because muting circuit is provided to avoid any annoying "thump" noise,
and is not abnormal operation.

Recording sources cannot be monitored in the playback mode, when setting the
MONITOR selector to SOURCE.

The Dolby NR switch is set at CAL position.

HOWLING OR HUM NOISE

Oscillation occurs when trying to record from the amplifier.

If the LINE OUT jacks of the tape deck are connected to the amplifier AUX jacks and
these are switched on, change the amplifier input selector to another position.

Oscillation occurs when trying to record from microphones.

The microphone is too near the loud-speakers. Keep the microphone away from them
or reduce the amplifier volume.

Hum noise.

The tape deck is stacked just on or below the amplifier.

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