Tandberg 9200-XD User Manual
1974 Tandberg 9200 XD
Tandberg 9200 XD
Test Report (Stereo Review, November 1974)
THE Tandberg 9200XD is a slightly improved version of their popular
Model 9000X, and in addition has built-in Dolby circuits. The 9200XD is
a three-motor, four-head machine that can operate at 1
, 3¾ and 7½
ips. Its transport mechanism features the advanced logic-controlled
solenoid-operated system offered in the 9000X.
Like the other Tandberg tape recorders, the 9200XD uses cross-field
biasing, with the recording bias signal applied to the base side of the
tape by a special head located opposite the record head. The cross-field
head extends the high-frequency response without the use of high
levels of recording equalization. The tape follows a straight-line path
across the heads, passing over tape-tensioning arms as it nears the 7inch reels. The speeds are selected by a lever that also changes the
recording and playback equalization. A new feature is the EDIT/CUE
button, which permits listening to the tape during fast forward or rewind (to locate recorded sections), as well
as when the reels are rotated by hand to zero-in on editing points. There is also a pushbutton-reset, four-digit
index counter.
The tape-transport functions are controlled by a group of flat green buttons that operate with a very light finger
touch. The logic system, which alone uses fifteen integrated circuits, makes it possible to operate the buttons
in any sequence, or at any time, without risk of damaging or spilling the tape. A section of each button is
illuminated when its function is selected. The PLAY button is spaced slightly from the fast-speed and STOP
buttons, and the red RECORD button is still further away. The Tandberg 9200XD does not require
simultaneous operation of two controls to engage the recording mode. However, one or both of the REC:
SELECT buttons under the meters must be depressed, and the tape stopped, before the RECORD mode can
be engaged.
The lower portion of the panel, whose silver colour contrasts with the black transport section, contains the
recorder's electronic controls. At the left are four vertical sliders that control the recording levels from two
microphones and two line inputs (which can be mixed). At far right are two more vertical sliders for playbacklevel control. The two large illuminated meters read the peak levels after the recording equalization has been
applied, helping to insure against tape saturation at high frequencies (which can easily happen when the
meters read the levels before equalization). The internal switching of recording and playback equalization
when changing mode or speed, and of the metering circuits, is done by noiseless, solid- state diode switches.
When the machine is at a stop, and the REC SELECT buttons are pressed, the meters light up and indicate
recording levels. This continues during recording, regardless of the position of the SOURCE/TAPE buttons,
which can be operated to connect either the incoming signal or the playback-head outputs to the line outputs.
However, when the machine is in the play mode, the meters are automatically switched to monitor the lineoutput levels, as they are affected by the playback-level controls.
Below the meters are two ¼ -inch jacks for balanced microphone inputs (unbalanced sources can also be
used). The preamplifier gain is controlled automatically by the microphone impedance to obtain optimum noise
characteristics with dynamic microphones having impedances between 200 and 700 ohms. The headphone
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1974 Tandberg 9200 XD
jack is designed to drive 8-ohm phones, but provides an adequate level for most higher impedance units.
Two small knob switches have signal lights above them to indicate that they are in use The S-ON-S switch
cross-connects the recording and playback amplifiers for making sound-on-sound recordings (in mono) by
copying one track onto the other, with new material added. The DOLBY NR switch has several operating
modes, and it is the most distinctive new feature of this recorder. Its three positions arc NORM. FILTER, and
DOLBY FM. The first is for Dolby recording from any source other than stereo FM, and for playing back any
Dolbyised tape. The FILTER position introduces a 19-kHz notch filter to prevent the stereo-pilot carrier from
interfering with the Dolby circuits when recording FM broadcasts. The DOLBY FM mode has two distinctly
different uses. When recording a Dolbyised FM broadcast, it bypasses the recording Dolby circuits but feeds
the playback signal through the Dolby decoders. This avoids the need for "double Dolby" recording, while
permitting the program to be heard with full quieting and correct frequency balance during recording. The
second purpose of the DOLBY FM mode is to listen to Dolby FM without making a recording.
The Tandberg 9200XD is 15¾ inches wide. 16¼ inches high and 5½ inches deep: it weighs 34 pounds. It can
be operated either vertically or horizontally. Price: $949. Optional accessories include carrying case ($40),
plastic dust cover ($12), and a remote-control box ($99.50).
Laboratory Measurements. The playback frequency response, with Ampex test tapes, was within
1 d B over
the 50 to 15,000-Hz range of the tape at 7½ ips. and within 1.5 dB from 50 to 7,500Hz at 3¾ ips. The overall
record-playback frequency response, with Maxell UD35-7 tape (for which the recorder was biased) was 1
dB from 40 to 11,300 Hz at 1
ips, 2 dB from 32 to 20,000 Hz at 3¾ ips and 2dB from 30 to 26,500 Hz at
7½ ips. The meters of the 9200XD are calibrated differently from most we have seen, so that a standard
Dolby-level tape gives a meter reading of – 10 dB and a 0.5 volt audio output. Since tape saturation begins
rapidly at 0 dB or slightly above, peaks should be kept below that level as much as possible for best results.
We measured a reference 3 per cent distortion in the playback outputs with a recording level of 0 dB at 1
ips, +3 dB at 3¾ ips and + 1.5 dB at 7½ ips. The unweighted noise levels referred to these were respectively –
50.5 dB, -58 dB and – 61.5 dB. With IEC “A” weighting to attenuate the less audible low frequencies, these
improved to –56.5 dB, -64.3 dB and –68 dB. Finally, when we added the Dolby system, the noise levels
became –64.7 dB, -71.5 dB and –74 dB – all of them exceptionally good. The noise contributed by the
microphone amplifiers (which are outside the Dolby system) was very small until the microphone gain controls
were set to more than about 85 per cent of maximum. Considering the high gain of these circuits, that level
will never be required with most microphones. At maximum gain, the noise increased by 5 to 14 dB depending
on the impedance of the microphone used.
The line input for a 0-dB recording level was 0.1 V (the microphone inputs required only 100 microvolts with a
600-ohm source) and the playback output was 1.23 volts at 7½ ips, decreasing to 0,78 V at 1
ips.
The tape speeds were exceptionally accurate, with errors of +0.11% at 7½ ips and +0.5% at 1
ips (the 3¾
speed was exact). Wow was at the 0.01 per cent residual of our test tapes, and flutter was 0.06 per cent at 7½
ips, 0.07 per cent at 3¾ ips, and 0.16 per cent at 1
ips. In fast-forward and rewind, a 1,800-foot reel of tape
was run through in 70 to 72 seconds. The meters read 100 per cent of their steady-state values on 300millisecond tone bursts, with negligible overshoot and a visibly slower decay. The Dolby circuits tracked very
accurately, affecting the overall frequency response by less than 1 dB at all frequencies up to 16,000 Hz. The
multiplex filter had no effect up to 15,000 Hz, but reduced the 19-kHz response by more than 24 dB.
Comment If you do not become careless and let the recording levels climb too far into the red area of the
meters, the 9200XD makes virtually perfect recordings at all three speeds from FM radio and discs. We did
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