Pioneer RT-707 Reel to Reel Recorder

Here we have a vintage reel to reel tape deck from Japanese company Pioneer. Our example of the RT-707 is in working condition although cosmetically the unit does have a few marks and blemishes. It has been given a clean of the contacts, switches, tape heads and tape path, the belt for the tape counter has been replaced, and the unit has been tested. Please note that this unit is 40 years old and so buyers should not expect it to measure as it did when new. Even though it works, we will therefore be selling it by auction for spares/repair…

It will be supplied uber packaged.

Pioneer Said….
Rich ”Old-Fashioned” Open Reel Musical Performance in A New Generation Auto-Reverse Playback/ AC Servo 3-Motor, 4-Head Deck from Pioneer.
Magnificent musical performance, compact and efficient size, unfailing electronics, stress-free mechanics. The RT-707 reflects Pioneer’s stay-ahead success in hi-fi by offering all the things you know you need in an open reel deck, and then some.
Design is 4-head, 3-motor, 2-speed (19/9.5 cm/sec), auto-reverse (playback only), continuous play with pitch-controllable AC Servo Direct-Drive capstan. Format is quarter-inch, 4-track, 2-channel stereo. Performance is 0.05% WRMS wow /flutter, 58 dB signal-to-noise, 20 to 28,000 Hz frequency response. And the extras are 2-step Bias, 2-step EQ, ± 6% Pitch Control, Permalloy heads, independent mic/line with mixing, wide-throw VUs, auto-reverse/infinite play and auto-reversing index, electronic switching (logic circuit), Pause, REC ON/OFF switching for each channel, and lots more. This new Pioneer SERIES 700 open reel deck sounds as good as it looks – the rich and dependable sound of the best old-fashioned decks, plus the technical advantages and conveniences of the new generation of hi-fi tape machines. Stay ahead in hi-fi with Pioneer.
Non-stop, no-hassle music. Open reel decks with auto-reverse features have promised this in the past. But now new advances, in deck engineering at Pioneer live up to this promise of convenience without compromising high fidelity playback standards. With the RT-707 you enjoy the same high quality musical reproduction from open reel tapes in both forward and reverse directions, allowing you to hear both direction of your tape without the need to flip the reel or punch a button. Simply attach a strip of standard sensing foil on the tail end of the tape (i.e. the end of side one)
– or at any other point on the tape – and you’re all set. With an ordinary 7″ reel at 19 cm/sec you get the whole hour and a half of music automatically.
With a strip of sensing foil attached at the end of the tape, and with the Repeat button locked IN, the Pioneer RT-707 will perform endless forward and reverse play automatically on a tape between the point where the sensing foil is attached and the point where the four digit tape index counter is set for 0000 until you disengage the button or set the mode to STOP.
Youngsters taught the automobile industry that “customized” cars offered streamlined performance and good looks as well. Young hi-fi fans have taught the component designers at Pioneer that the “total system” look in home high fidelity systems offers streamlined performance plus the clean and compact efficiency of professional sound studio equipment. Our Pioneer matched component systems have enjoyed tremendous popularity among young buyers in Europe, Japan and America for that very reason. The RT-707 is designed for rack mounting according to the EIA (Electronics Industry Association) standard dimensions/mounting holes – neat, solid and a far cry from the monster decks of the past.
“Direct-Drive” technique isn’t only found in Pioneer turntables. It gives you much of the same advantages in the open reel RT-707 as well. A Frequency-Generation (FG) type AC Servomotor with high rotational accuracy drives the single capstan shaft directly in both forward and reverse directions and at 19 cm/sec speed with a minimal wow/ flutter of less than 0.05% WRMS. The high rotational accuracy of the motor, combined with the use of a precision-finished shaft and a large flywheel 7,600g-cm2 inertia with excellent dynamic balance, adds up to superb musical performance. Separate, high-speed motors are used for Fast-Forward and Rewind.
Decks using drive belts or pulleys to rotate the capstan shaft tend to show their age early. Belts flutter, sag and slap, pulleys stretch, twist and slip. Pioneer’s direct-drive motor has none of these drawbacks.
(1) Rotational accuracy is enhanced because the transfer and control of the drive force is direct and relies on no extra mechanisms or frills. Stability over long life.
(2) Signal-to-noise ratio is improved because the extra-low speeds of the motor generate less vibration and rotational noise.
(3) Less power consumption is a bonus advantage, along with the reduction of induction hum and heat.
(4) Pitch Control is possible – and easy – because the direct-drive motor is the servo type with a frequency generated reference.
Separate motors are used in the 3-motor system of the RT-707 for reel take-up and high-speed Rewind/Fast-Forward. The tape path is designed with very precise tolerances and built to stay that way: the front panel is a thick 5 mm sheet of tough aluminium covering the rugged die-cast frame. Precision fabricated die-cast pinch roller arm construction and tension arm stand up to more-than-normal abuse with strength. Tape tension and tape-to-head contact is kept ideal with the use of a time-tested tape tension regulation system which provides equal tape tensions by identical tension regulators both at the supply side and take-up side.
“Human-engineering” concepts are employed throughout the RT-707, as in the quick-action Pause mechanism. We know how and how often you need or want to use Pause. We have figured out a way to make it work best for you. Push it and the pinch rollers move away from the tape instantly; push it again and they resume contact for smooth tape transport. The gap between tape and capstan is kept narrow, and the mechanism kept hair-triggered, so that you don’t drop the downbeat of the music you’re recording or editing.
Hard Permalloy playback heads (2) and recording head (1) and tough ferrite erase head further improve long-life performance. Tonal quality, wear factors and noise suppression are among the considerations leading to the selection of these particular, mirror-polished units. Equal care is taken in the recording amps and playback. Pioneer exclusive ICs boost high power resistance, lower noise and provide better S/N and still better dynamic range (30 dB over the norm). The separate microphone input amp accepts mic impedance as low as 600 ohms for live recording at its realistic best,
Two 2-step buttons are provided, one for Bias selection, the other for Equalisation selection. There is thus a total of four different Bias/EQ values to let you use all types of open reel tape on the market, including the ones which exhibit excellent high-spectrum characteristics and minimal distortion.
Left only, Right only or Stereo. You select the channel(s) you want to record by pushing either or both of the buttons at the left of the array above the VUs. Switches may be used at any time during recording. as often as you like. Change the amp connections on the rear panel and you can create sound-on-sound and other effects easily.
Move from mode to mode without going through STOP. Tape-safe mechanism allows you to go from, say, FAST-FORWARD to PLAY without fear of jam-ming or tape breakage by a logic circuitry. This system does permit timer-
assisted recording.
The effective speed control range is ± 6% (semitone), enough to change the musical pitch of a recorded instrument significantly. Say you’re playing a tape made on an old and not-to-dependable deck, and it sounds sluggish or too sharp. The RT-707 brings you back to perfect pitch at a touch. A built-in protection circuit automatically cancels the pitch control adjustment during recording: you don’t accidentally record at an incorrect pitch.
On the back panel of the Pioneer RT-707 is a stereo output control to let you adjust then forget – the output level of the deck. Make your volume adjustments through your amp or receiver, the way you usually do. Other conveniences include:
(1) Independent MIC and LINE input level controls, L/R separated.
(2) Clear, well-illuminated, long-throw VU meters.
(3) Indicator lights for REC. PAUSE, DIRECTION.
(4) One-touch reel clamps.
(5) 300W AC outlet.
(6) Designer’s bonus-an empty take-up reel with each deck.
Specifications:
Drive System: 3-motor drive system
Operations: Solenoid drive, direct switchable function buttons and pre-set function buttons for timer recording and playback
Motors: FG Servo AC direct drive motor x 1 (capstan drive). 8-pole inner-rotor special induction motor x 2 (reel drive)
Tape Heads: 4-track, 2-channel erasing head x 1, 4-track, 2-channel recording head x 1, 4-track, 2-channel playback head x 1, 4-track, 2-channel reverse playback head x 1
Maximum Reel Size: 7-inch reel
Tape Speeds: 7½ ips (19 cm/sec.), 3¾ ips (9.5 cm/sec.) ± 0.5&
Fast Rewinding Time: Approximately within 100 seconds (7-inch reel, 370 m)
Wow and Flutter: No more than 0.05% WRMS (at 7½ ips. 19 cm/sec.); No more than 0.08% WRMS (at 3¾ ips. 9.5 cm/sec.)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: More than 58 dB
Distortion: No more than 1% (at 7½ ips, 19 cm/sec.)
Frequency Response: 7½ ips (19 cm/sec.): 20 to 28,000 Hz (30 to 24,000 Hz ± 3 dB); 3¾ ips (8.5 cm/sec.): 20 to 20,000 Hz (30 to 16,000 Hz ± 3 dB)
Crosstalk: More than 50 dB
Stereo Channel Separation: More than 50 dB
Erasing Coefficient: More than 70 dB
Bias Frequency: 125 kHz
Equalizer: NAB curve (7½ ips, 19 cm/sec., 3¾ ips, 9.5 cm/sec.)
Input (Sensitivity/Maximum Allowable Level/Input Impedance):
MIC x 2: 0.25 mV/125 mV/27 kOhms, 6 mm jack,
LINE x 2: 50 mV/26 V/100 kOhms, pin jack,
DIN: 18 mV/8 V/1.3 kOhms, DIN standard
Output (Reference Level/Maximum Level/Load Impedance):
LINE x 2: 450 mV/700 mV/50 kOhms, pin jack,
DIN: 450 mV/700 mV/50 kOhms, DIN standard,
HEADPHONES: 70 mV/8 ohms, 6mm stereo jack
Power Requirements: 220 V/ 240 V (switchable) 50-60 Hz
Power Consumption: 120 watts (max.)
Dimensions: 480 (W) x 230 (H) x 356 (D) mm
Weight: 19.8 kg