The Pioneer CT-F900 was introduced in 1978 as an advanced three-head stereo cassette deck combining a closed-loop dual-capstan transport, electronic logic control, fluorescent metering and microprocessor-assisted tape counter functions. Positioned near the top of Pioneer’s cassette deck range, it incorporated separate recording and playback heads, two-motor tape handling, Dolby B noise reduction and manual bias adjustment within a substantial brushed-aluminium chassis.
The Pioneer CT-F900 used a three-head system comprising separate recording, playback and erase heads. The independent recording and playback heads allowed the signal being recorded to be monitored directly from the tape as it passed through the transport. By switching between source and tape monitoring, the operator could compare the incoming signal with the recorded result while recording was still in progress.
Pioneer manufactured the recording and playback heads from Sendust alloy. The material was selected to combine extended high-frequency performance with greater resistance to wear than conventional permalloy heads. With chromium dioxide or ferrichrome tape, the specified frequency response extended from 20Hz to 19kHz, while standard and low-noise ferric tape provided a response from 20Hz to 17kHz.
Tape movement was controlled by a two-motor transport with separate DC servo motors for the capstan and reel functions. The closed-loop dual-capstan arrangement maintained tape tension across the head assembly and promoted stable tape-to-head contact. The published wow and flutter figure was 0.04% WRMS.
The transport controls were electronically operated through solenoids rather than being mechanically linked directly to the tape mechanism. This allowed direct switching between operating modes and supported the deck’s automatic, memory and repeat functions. Conventional transport operations included play, record, pause, stop, fast-forward and rewind, with automatic stopping at the end of the tape.
One of the Pioneer CT-F900’s most distinctive features was its electronic three-digit tape counter. Pulses generated by rotation of the take-up reel were supplied to a microprocessor, which calculated and displayed the tape position through an illuminated numerical readout. This replaced the mechanically driven counter found on most cassette decks of the period.
The electronic counter was linked to four memory and repeat operations. Memory Stop automatically stopped the tape at a selected counter position, while Memory Play rewound to that point before entering playback. Counter Repeat rewound the cassette at the end of the tape and resumed playback from the stored counter position. End Repeat rewound the cassette and restarted playback from the beginning, allowing continuous repetition of the complete recorded programme.
Recording and playback levels were displayed by Pioneer’s Fluoroscan fluorescent metering system. The two-channel display covered a range from -20dB to +7dB across 20 calibrated segments, providing a detailed indication of signal level without the mechanical response characteristics of conventional analogue meters.
Three metering modes were available. Peak mode displayed rapid signal peaks, Peak Hold retained the highest registered level for each channel, and Average mode altered the display response to provide an indication comparable with a conventional level meter. These options allowed the recording level to be assessed according to the programme material and the operator’s preferred monitoring method.
Separate recording and playback amplifiers were used with the three-head configuration. The Pioneer CT-F900 also incorporated what Pioneer described as a double-Dolby arrangement, allowing Dolby B processing to be used through the recording and playback monitoring circuits. The specified signal-to-noise ratio with Dolby B engaged was 64dB.
The deck accommodated standard ferric, chromium dioxide and ferrichrome tape formulations. Chromium dioxide tape could be detected automatically through the cassette shell’s identification openings, while the front-panel tape selector configured the recording and playback equalisation for the tape being used. Metal tape compatibility was not included on the Pioneer CT-F900.
A front-panel bias control allowed the recording bias to be adjusted while comparing the source and off-tape signals. This enabled differences between tape formulations and individual cassette brands to be compensated by ear, using the three-head monitoring system to hear the effect of the adjustment immediately.
Recording levels were set through a large input control with linked left and right adjustment. The deck provided line-level inputs for connection to an amplifier or receiver, together with separate front-panel microphone inputs for the left and right channels. An input selector switched between line and microphone or DIN connections.
The output level could be adjusted independently, with a front-panel headphone socket provided for private monitoring. The Pioneer CT-F900 also included rear-panel recording and playback connections and a DIN socket on applicable versions.
An automatic tape-slack canceller reduced loose tape after a cassette was inserted, while illumination within the cassette compartment made tape movement visible through the front window. The deck also incorporated automatic end-of-tape stopping and a standby facility for operation with an external timer.
The timer connection allowed unattended recording or automatic playback when the Pioneer CT-F900 was connected to a suitable external audio timer. The front-panel timer selector could place the transport in the required standby mode so that operation began when mains power was supplied by the timer.
The Pioneer CT-F900’s front panel was arranged into clearly separated operating sections. The cassette compartment and transport controls occupied the left side, while the electronic counter, repeat controls and fluorescent level display were positioned centrally. Tape selection, monitoring, Dolby B, bias, input, output and microphone controls were grouped across the lower and right-hand areas of the panel.
Its large aluminium control knobs, illuminated blue display and extensive rows of push-buttons gave the Pioneer CT-F900 the appearance of a precision electronic instrument rather than a conventional cassette recorder. Rack mounting was also possible through the optional Pioneer JA-R102 adaptor.
Internally, the Pioneer CT-F900 used 63 transistors, 71 diodes, 13 integrated circuits and a photo interrupter. The control electronics managed the transport logic, counter pulse detection, memory functions, metering and automatic operations, while separate audio circuits handled recording, playback, equalisation and Dolby B processing.
The Pioneer CT-F900 remained a significant late-1970s cassette deck because it brought together technologies that were still uncommon in a single domestic recorder. Its three-head Sendust system, closed-loop dual-capstan transport, fluorescent peak metering, electronic counter and four-mode memory system provided a level of recording control and operational automation well beyond that of most mechanically controlled cassette decks of its period.
Features
- Three-head recording system with separate recording, playback and erase heads
- Sendust alloy recording and playback heads
- Two-motor closed-loop dual-capstan transport
- DC servo capstan and reel motors
- Electronic solenoid-operated transport controls
- Direct source and off-tape monitoring
- Three-digit electronic tape counter
- Memory Stop and Memory Play functions
- Counter Repeat and End Repeat functions
- Twenty-segment Fluoroscan level display
- Peak, Peak Hold and Average metering modes
- Dolby B noise reduction
- Manual recording bias adjustment
- Support for ferric, chromium dioxide and ferrichrome tapes
- Automatic chromium dioxide tape detection
- Separate left and right microphone inputs
- Line and microphone or DIN input selection
- Adjustable recording and playback levels
- Front-panel headphone connection
- Automatic tape-slack canceller
- Illuminated cassette compartment
- Automatic end-of-tape stopping
- External timer recording and playback capability
- Optional rack mounting with the Pioneer JA-R102 adaptor