|
Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc. |
|
Thread Tools |
1st Jun 2019, 1:46 pm | #1 |
Hexode
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 329
|
Sony EL-5 Elcaset deck (1976)
I’ve had the machine since Wednesday evening now and I’m totally blown away by its capabilities. Still waiting for my type II FeCr tapes, which are meant to be a step above the Normal Position Elcasets, but these sound fantastic as well.
I picked this up on eBay for £425 with fourteen blank unused tapes as well. I didn’t think was too bad as I know some end up going for crazy money. Especially ones fully refurbished and with multiple tapes. Last night I recorded my first album onto it Princes “Dirty Mind” I left the machine recording and came back and listened to it and it sounds excellent. I have been told i can go more into the red on the VU meters with Elcaset as there is less worry of distortion given the faster tape speed and larger tape so definitely going to give that a go. Sadly the Elcaset format lived a short live only four years (1976 to 1980). So all of the players available are still pretty much first generation players. Although, they do incorporate a full logic control system, which was very high end and pretty much unheard of on tape players in the mid 1970s which still used firm Piano type keys to physically move the tape mechanism about. Last edited by Ryan_1993; 1st Jun 2019 at 1:54 pm. |
2nd Jun 2019, 6:28 pm | #2 |
Octode
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 1,275
|
Re: Sony EL-5 Elcaset deck (1976)
Hello Ryan
This is an excellent audio format and still well supported for basic parts (belts), heads being Ferrite never wear out the quality of the rubber used for the pinch rollers is 1st class I have not come across one in all my years that has gone. The engineering is too a very high level and it shows in how well these machines maintain there performance over the years. Basically a convenient reel to reel, it is nice hear you have one and are enjoying it was back in 1980s when I got my first machine and have never let go of the system. Enjoy Gary |