The Revox B 710 cassette tape recorder was developed by Studer Revox as a high-precision cassette deck built to professional standards. It was designed to deliver long-term playback stability, combining improvements in cassette tape technology with advanced mechanical and electronic engineering.
At the heart of the machine is a four-motor drive system consisting of a dual-capstan direct-drive transport and two precision reel motors. These motors are synchronised via a shared quartz reference, with the reel motors governed by individual PLL circuits operating at 3.072 MHz.
The transport system is fully electronic, with no belts, friction clutches, idlers or mechanical brakes. Instead, the Revox B 710 uses DC Hall-effect motors and tachogenerators to ensure smooth, stable tape motion without stretching or flutter. Pneumatic damping is used in the pressure pad lifter, and tape is handled gently throughout all operations.
The Revox B 710 includes a microprocessor-controlled logic system, which governs all transport functions. It allows automatic detection of cassette type via notches on the shell, and adjusts equalisation and bias accordingly. The microprocessor also handles functions such as braking the tape electronically before reaching the tape end, locking transport buttons during wind operations, and returning the tape counter to zero. Users can store start and stop points of a music segment at the press of a button.
These can be used for automatic repeat or integrated with external components like the Revox B780 receiver or Revox B739 tuner-preamplifier for timer-controlled recording or playback.
The device includes a quartz-locked counter/time display with a 4 MHz reference frequency and selectable minute display resolution. Modes include standard counter, timer-controlled playback, and timer-controlled recording. A standby power supply keeps internal timekeeping and memory functions active when the unit is switched off.
Internally, the Revox B 710 uses a modular design and includes four discrete Dolby B processors, one for each stereo channel on both recording and playback paths. It also incorporates a switchable multiplex filter for FM stereo recordings, and separate record/playback heads for off-tape monitoring.
IEC equalisation support includes Type I (Fe₂O₃), Type II (CrO₂ and cobalt-doped), and Type IV (metal) tapes. Bias and equalisation are automatically set according to cassette code.
Signal levels are indicated by dual 24-segment LED meters with precise calibration, and the stereo input section uses 24-detent potentiometers for exact left/right alignment. Inputs and outputs are located at the rear of the unit, and all audio signal paths, Dolby processing, and erase/head switching are fully electronically controlled and contact-free.
The design and dimensions of the Revox B 710 are aligned with existing Revox Hi-Fi components, and the unit was intended to bring the characteristics of Studer and Revox open-reel machines, mechanical stability, precise control, and long-term reliability, to the cassette format.
Features
- 4-motor, quartz-synchronised dual-capstan drive
- Fully electronic transport with no belts or mechanical brakes
- Microprocessor control for all functions and timer modes
- Automatic tape-type detection and equalisation switching
- Separate Dolby B noise reduction for record and playback
- Quartz-locked 4-digit counter with clock and timer display
- Independent record/playback heads for off-tape monitoring
- Switchable MPX filter for FM stereo recordings
- Peak-reading 24-segment LED level meters
- Adjustable headphone output with volume control
- Modular construction with professional-grade components
- Supports Fe₂O₃, CrO₂ and Metal tapes (C46 to C120)
- Designed for integration with Revox B739 and B780 systems
