Introduced in 1981 after being announced the previous year, the ASC Electronic AS 3000 was a substantial West German cassette deck designed to combine the convenience of the Compact Cassette format with the operational quality and technical sophistication normally associated with much larger recording machines. ASC positioned the ASC AS 3000 at the upper end of the hi-fi market, equipping it with an unusually comprehensive control system, a three-motor transport, dual-capstan tape drive, three-head configuration, electronic counter, extensive memory functions and the RALF automatic tape-calibration system.
The transport was built around three motors. Two winding motors handled fast forward and rewind, while a separate motor drove the tape during recording and playback. This division of responsibilities was intended to support reliable tape handling and reduce the mechanical compromises associated with simpler single-motor mechanisms. The motor block was mounted on rubber buffers to reduce the transmission of unwanted vibration, while the drive assembly was designed for long-term adjustment stability and could be removed using only a small number of handles during servicing.
The ASC Electronic AS 3000 used a dual-capstan direct-drive arrangement in which the tape was guided between two capstans under low and controlled tension. Because tape movement did not depend solely upon the characteristics of the cassette shell or its winding hubs, the system was intended to provide more consistent tape travel while protecting the tape itself. ASC described the dual-capstan transport as particularly gentle on the tape and less dependent upon variations between individual Compact Cassettes.
A three-head system provided separate erase, recording and playback functions. The recording and playback elements were combined within a Sendust double-system head assembly, selected for its resistance to wear. The separate monitoring arrangement allowed the recorded signal to be checked directly from the tape during recording, making it possible to compare the incoming source with the result being placed on the cassette.
Cassette loading was handled by ASC’s Direct Loading principle. When the cassette was removed, the head assembly was automatically protected by a dust cover. An infrared-controlled interlock stopped the mechanism automatically when the cassette was removed, while the playback function remained selected. This allowed the cassette to be changed during operation without first pressing Stop or Start again.
The ASC Electronic AS 3000 incorporated ASC’s RALF system, short for Response Adjust Level Frequency. RALF was designed specifically for the deck and provided individual calibration for six different tape types. At the press of a button, the system determined the appropriate record-level and frequency-response settings for the cassette being used. The measured settings could be stored without practical limitation, allowing calibrated values to be recalled for later recordings. ASC presented this facility as a means of achieving precise tape matching without requiring the user to perform a lengthy manual alignment procedure.
Four tape selections were provided for ferric, chromium dioxide, ferrichrome and metal formulations. The deck’s frequency-corrected peak-reading level display could be switched to show either the calibrated tape level or a linear display. Its integrated peak-hold function retained peak values on the fluorescent display for several seconds, helping the operator assess recording levels before they disappeared from view.
High Com compander noise reduction was built into the ASC Electronic AS 3000. The system was intended to reduce both tape noise and high-frequency interference without limiting the useful dynamic range. ASC stated that High Com could reduce unwanted noise by approximately 20dB, lowering the interference level to roughly one per cent of its level without High Com. Dolby noise reduction was also available during playback.
The electronic tape counter used a high-quality fluorescent display and was linked to a dedicated memory system. An internal rechargeable battery preserved stored information if mains power was interrupted. Memory Stop allowed the cassette to wind forwards or backwards to counter position 0000 and stop automatically. Memory Play performed the same search but continued directly into playback after reaching 0000. Memory Reverse allowed any chosen tape position to be stored by pressing the counter reset button at the required point and then selecting Memory Reverse, after which the deck could replay that section repeatedly.
Pitch Control allowed the playback speed of prerecorded cassettes to be varied. Any departure from the nominal operating speed was indicated by a red LED, making the adjustment visible while the deck was in use. The Cue function enabled the operator to monitor the tape during fast winding. To protect the tape and heads, the record and playback heads were raised by approximately 1mm from the tape during cueing. Automatic head-lowering prevented damage to the head surfaces as the transport returned to normal operation.
An integrated mixing section accepted microphone and radio or line sources. These inputs could be used separately or mixed together, while an additional master control simplified adjustment of the combined output level. The microphone input could also be used for spoken commentary over a recording, extending the ASC Electronic AS 3000 beyond straightforward source-to-tape recording.
The front panel provided separate microphone inputs, a headphone connection, microphone level control, radio-line level control, recording master level, output control, pitch adjustment and switching for monitoring, muting, timer operation, noise reduction and tape source selection. Additional controls supported memory reverse, memory play, memory stop, ready operation, tape-type selection and the RALF calibration system.
Remote operation was also available through an infrared control system. Together with the electronically controlled transport, extensive memory facilities, internal mixer and automatic calibration functions, this gave the ASC Electronic AS 3000 a level of operational sophistication that was uncommon among conventional domestic cassette decks.
The ASC Electronic AS 3000 was compatible with the wider ASC component system, which included the AS 3100 digital synthesiser tuner, AS 3200 preamplifier, AS 3300 power amplifier and AS 6000 reel-to-reel recorder. ASC described these products as part of a coordinated hi-fi system intended to combine consistent styling with high technical performance.
Features
- Three-motor cassette transport
- Dual-capstan direct-drive tape system
- Three-head recording, playback and erase configuration
- Sendust double-system recording and playback head
- Direct Loading cassette mechanism
- Infrared-controlled cassette interlock
- RALF automatic response, level and frequency calibration
- Calibration storage for multiple tape formulations
- Ferric, chromium dioxide, ferrichrome and metal tape settings
- High Com noise-reduction system
- Dolby noise reduction during playback
- Electronic fluorescent tape counter
- Battery-backed counter memory
- Memory Stop function
- Memory Play function
- Memory Reverse function
- Frequency-corrected peak level display
- Switchable linear level indication
- Peak-hold display function
- Pitch Control with LED indication
- Cue monitoring during fast winding
- Integrated microphone and radio-line mixer
- Master recording level control
- Microphone commentary capability
- Timer-controlled recording and playback
- Tape and source monitoring
- Infrared remote-control capability