Released in 1983, the Tandberg TCD 3014 was a three-head stereo cassette deck developed as part of Tandberg’s Series 3000A high-fidelity component range. Designed around the company’s experience in magnetic recording technology, the TCD 3014 combined an electronically controlled transport, microprocessor-assisted operation, comprehensive tape calibration facilities and discrete audio circuitry within a substantial aluminium and wood-trimmed enclosure.
The Tandberg TCD 3014 was engineered to accommodate the increasingly demanding source material and recording equipment available during the early 1980s. Tandberg developed the machine as a new generation of cassette deck, combining established company technologies with newly developed systems intended to improve recording consistency, operating control and compatibility with different cassette formulations.
Its audio electronics were designed without integrated circuits in the signal path, except for the recording-bias oscillator and Dolby B and C noise-reduction processors. Individual components were selected according to their intended function, while polyester or polypropylene capacitors were used in critical circuits carrying musical information. Tandberg also used a physically symmetrical circuit layout intended to reduce interaction between channels and preserve consistent electrical performance.
The recording amplifier employed Tandberg’s Dyneq headroom-extension system. This system reduced excessive high-frequency content during recording when it approached the limitations of the cassette medium, helping to prevent overload while allowing greater usable signal level at high frequencies. Tandberg stated that Dyneq could provide more than 10dB of additional recording headroom in the critical high-frequency region.
Actilinear II formed another important part of the Tandberg TCD 3014’s recording electronics. The transconductance amplifier was designed to take the music and bias signals as pure voltage and convert them into pure current for the recording head. Its wide bandwidth extended beyond the audible frequency range, and the system was designed to operate symmetrically. The recording amplifier stages incorporated more than 20dB of audio headroom to accommodate signal peaks without overload.
Dolby B and Dolby C noise reduction were both included on the Tandberg TCD 3014. Dolby B maintained compatibility with recordings made using the established Dolby B system, while Dolby C employed improved circuitry intended to provide more substantial suppression of background hiss. Tandberg stated that the Dolby C implementation included constant frequency-response characteristics through changes in input level and dynamic-action circuitry intended to avoid modulation of the musical signal.
The Tandberg TCD 3014 used three discrete heads, separating erase, recording and playback functions. This configuration enabled direct monitoring of the recorded signal from the tape while recording. The front-panel monitor control allowed the operator to compare the incoming source with the recorded result, making it possible to assess recording quality and calibration immediately.
A built-in test system supported adjustment for different cassette types. The source selector included 15kHz and 315Hz test positions, allowing the deck’s recording parameters to be aligned to the tape being used. Separate record current and bias current controls were provided, enabling the recording system to be matched to the cassette. Tandberg designed the deck for Type I, Type II and Metal IV tapes, with separate metering scales for the differing permitted recording levels of these formulations.
The metering system used two peak-reading meters capable of displaying short-duration signal peaks that conventional averaging meters could miss. Tandberg specified a response time of approximately 2 milliseconds, with a slower decay characteristic to aid visibility. The meters operated across a 1dB and full-wave peak-detector system and were calibrated to the then-current 0dB reference of 250nWb/m.
While recording, the meters could display either source or tape levels according to the monitor selection. This allowed the operator to view the input level before recording and then monitor the signal retrieved from the tape. The second scale supported the higher recording levels permitted by metal tape formulations.
Transport functions were controlled through touch-sensitive electronic switches linked to the deck’s microprocessor. Standard release, record, rewind, stop, wind and play controls were accompanied by functions including record preset, memory operation, timer control and selectable repeat behaviour. The control system was designed to permit direct transitions between operating modes without requiring the user to stop the machine first.
Cue and review functions were available at one-third normal tape speed. The deck also supported search-to-stop and search-to-play operation, automatic rewind and replay from a stored memory position, and a real-time counter calibrated to each cassette type. Search and memory functions could be used during winding as well as during playback.
The electronic counter displayed tape position numerically and could measure either reel revolutions or elapsed recording and playback time. Instant switching between revolution counting and real-time counting was provided. A built-in six-second countdown delay could also be selected, allowing connected equipment to stabilise before the transport engaged. Timer-controlled playback or recording was supported when the machine was used with an external clock.
The Tandberg TCD 3014 transport employed four servo-controlled motors linked to sensors that monitored the speed and direction of the tape. The control system applied the required voltage to maintain accurate handling. During fast forward and rewind, the supply-side motor responded to the speed of the take-up motor so that consistent tape tension could be maintained in both directions.
The transport incorporated a closed-loop dual-capstan system with a cassette-locking mechanism intended to maintain consistent tape positioning. The mechanism was built on a 5mm-thick aluminium baseplate moulded under 40 tonnes of pressure. Tandberg used dynamically balanced flywheels, pinch rollers and capstans with different mass characteristics to suppress resonances. A linear motor moved the head bridge and pinch rollers into position.
In winding mode, one second corresponded approximately to one minute of normal playing or recording time. The transport also included a slow-speed mode intended for cueing, reviewing and searching. A built-in azimuth alignment facility allowed the head position to be checked using the internal test system.
Rear-panel connections included fixed and variable line outputs. The fixed output provided a nominal 700mV signal, while the variable output provided up to 4V and was controlled from the front-panel output adjustment. The input sensitivity control used a switched low-pass multiplex filter, allowing non-standard older chromium dioxide cassettes to be used with the deck’s automatic tape-selection system.
A headphone output was provided on the front panel, together with the principal recording calibration, monitoring, noise-reduction and transport controls. The large master control governed recording level, while separate output and balance controls provided adjustment for monitoring and playback.
An optional wireless infrared remote-control system could operate most deck functions, including flying start and recording, without requiring a receiver-selection position. Optional side panels could be fitted to integrate the Tandberg TCD 3014 visually with other Tandberg Series 3000A components, while machined extruded-aluminium rack mounts were available for professional installation.
Features
- Three-head stereo cassette recording and playback system
- Discrete recording, playback and erase heads
- Four-motor servo-controlled transport
- Closed-loop dual-capstan tape drive
- Microprocessor-controlled transport and auxiliary functions
- Dolby B and Dolby C noise reduction
- Dyneq recording headroom-extension system
- Actilinear II recording amplifier
- Source and tape monitoring during recording
- Manual record-current and bias-current adjustment
- Built-in 15kHz and 315Hz tape-calibration signals
- Peak-reading meters with separate tape-type scales
- Electronic tape counter with reel-revolution and real-time modes
- Search-to-stop and search-to-play functions
- Cue and review at one-third normal tape speed
- Automatic rewind and memory replay
- Selectable timer-controlled recording and playback
- Fixed and variable line outputs
- Front-panel headphone output
- Optional wireless infrared remote control
- Optional Series 3000A side panels
- Optional machined aluminium rack mounts