Advent Model 201 Cassette Recorder

The Advent model 201 Tape deck is, to our way of thinking, the ideal source for playing music in the home. It combines the important characteristics of a high-performance open-reel tape recorder  with the convenience of cassettes. The Advent Model 201 will make recordings that are indistinguishable from most source material, including the best stereo records and FM broadcasts.

Of equal importance, the Model 201 realizes the full potential of the new "Dolbyized" commercially recorded cassettes, the most significant source of recorded music since the introduction of the stereo disc.  The best of the "Dolbyized" pre-recorded cassettes are easily the equivalent of the best disc recordings, and the number of releases will be continually in creasing.

The Model 201 has the ruggedness and day-to-day operating dependability of the best home recorders, and will maintain its original performance over long and constant use.

Intro

The Advent Model 201 is a high performance cassette tape deck incorporating many recent advances in home entertainment electronics. The most significant of these is the Dolby System, a patented electronic circuit that greatly reduces the amount of noise added by the tape during the recording process. In addition the Model 201 incorporates the circuitry to take full advantage of the new DuPont-developed chromium dioxide tape sold by Advant under the ADVOCATE Crolyn label.

The Model 210 incorporates more than the usual number of user-accessible adjustments to permit the serious recordist to achieve the recording quality that, just a short time ago, was thought possible only with the best and most expensive open reel recorders.

Specifications

The Model 201 is the synthesis of the various elements required for high fidelity cassette performance; a heavy duty transport mechanism with stable mechanical characteristics; low-distortion, low-noise electronics; a high performance head; the proper use of Crolyn tape, and the Dolby System. A separate low noise microphone preamplifier is available as an accessory for those interested in professional quality live recording.

The transport uses a high-torque AC motor coupled through an intermediate rubber idler to an oversized, balanced capstan flywheel. In addition to low wow and flutter, the transport provides very fast wind speeds and an extremely accurate tape counter for easy indexing of recorded material. At the end of cassette, the pinch roller and heads are automatically disengaged.

The electronics, completely designed and manufactured by Advent, adapt many of the features found previously only in expensive reel to reel tape decks to cassette circuitry. The dynamic range and Signal-to-Noise ratio in all electronic stages exceed by a significant margin those of any known tape so that the electronics in no way limit performance. In fact, the ultimate performance, like that of the very good open reel recorders, is limited by the tape itself.

Speed:  1,875 ips

Wow and Flutter:  less than 0,15% DIN weighted

High Speed Wind Times:  45 seconds for a C-60

End of Tape Shut Off:  Fully automatic. Disengages pinch roller and heads from the cassette

Input Sensitivity/Impedance:  35 mV (0 VU)/ 50 k Ω (nominally)

Input Impedance varies with setting of Input and record Level controls from 25 k Ω to 100 k Ω

Output Level:  580 mV (at maximum, from 0 VU tape level)

Minimum Recommended Load Impedance:  2 k Ω

Distortion (tape dependent):  less than 0,1% ( up to and beyond tape saturaation)

Frequency Response: 

With Crolyn Tape :  35 - 15,000 Hz ±2 dB

With Regular Tape :  35 - 14,000 Hz ±2 dB

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (referenced to 0 VU, Dolby system off):

With Crolyn Tape :  better than 54 dB

With Regular Tape :  48 dB

Noise reduction (with Dolby system On):

10 dB at 4,000 Hz and above

9 dB at 2,400 Hz

6 dB at 1,200 Hz

3 dB at 600 Hz

Bias Frequency:  110 kHz

Power Requirements:  120 V AC, 60 Hz

Power Consumption:  25 watts