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The Sony Elcaset
The Sony Elcaset
The cassette was very solidly built. It had reel stoppers, so the tape reels were blocked when
the cassette was not in the machine. The tabs to prevent erasure of the tape were sliders that
could be clicked up or down, no need to break off something. It was also much bigger than a
compact cassette: 15 cm wide, 10 cm high and 2 cm thick.
The Elcaset used a tape 6.3 mm wide that was driven at a tape speed of 9.5 cm. There were
four tracks on the tape, for two stereo programs, one on each side. Because the tape width and
tape speed were twice as much as that of the compact cassette, a higher audio quality was
possible.
I am very happy with my Elcaset machine. Even today it sounds great, when it was introduced
it was way ahead of the compact cassette machines of those days, and it isn't too long ago that
cassette decks with comparable quality to the Elcaset became affordable. It was another
example of the innovations Sony often introduced on the audio market. Unfortunately it was
not as successful as the Walkman. Because of the very high price of the system not many
were sold.
This is the EL-7 Elcaset machine of a friend. The EL-7 has three heads, so it was possible to
optimize the heads for their recording or playback function, and you could hear while
recording what was being put on the tape. It also has a dual capstan/pinch roller, so it has even
better control over the tape tension.
Other machines
The next two pictures I received in an email from another Elcaset owner. Thanks Stewart!
The EL-4 appeared a while after the EL-5 and EL-7. It was a lower priced entry level piano
key version with minimal controls.
A portable version of the Elcaset was available too, the EL-D8. This picture was found by
Raffaele Grieco, thanks!
I can tell you something about the "death" of the Elcaset system. It happened in late 1979 and
1980 when all (?) those machines were dumped into Finland. A Finnish company won the
auction (by Sony international) and later sold those machines with 25 cassettes at a very low
price: EL-5 + 25 cas. 795,- FIM and EL-7 + 25 cas. 1295,- FIM. It was mentioned in the ad
that plain cassettes would cost normally about 1200 FIM. I think that US$ was in those days
about 4,50 FIM, nowadays it's about 6 FIM. And you can believe it was a real sell-out. They
sold about 2000 decks in Finland. The company even guaranteed availability of cassettes and
service for 10 years. I don't know how many decks Sony manufactured, but I've been told that
the major part of Sony's Elcaset decks were dumped in Finland. Two years later the offered
cassettes 12,50 FIM if you buy a whole box (12 pieces). Quite a bargain!!
Here you can see the original pages of those newspaper ads (Helsingin Sanomat) from 1979
and 1981. I also scanned the brochure cover of EL-7. Of course they all are written in Finnish,
but why not start to learn Finnish -;) The last picture shows the result of building fluorescent
VU-meters (an article for DIY-hobbyists in HiFi-lehti in september 1981).
And about the sound quality: I need headphones to be able to hear the tape noise when
monitoring the difference on source (CD) and tape.
I've been very satisfied in my Elcaset system, which I have enlarged via buying old cassettes
(about 2 $ piece and the old machine as bonus). Nowadays recording to CD-R has come also
familiar to me and use of Elcaset has decreased.
This is a Sony EL-7 test in the Finnish magazine Hifi-lehti from 4/79. The article is titled
"Tape format competition: Elcaset - dying oddity or replacing reel-to-reel".
Five months later the dumping of those decks happened at "a very reasonable price". And the
rest is history.
All the blank tapes I have seen are Sony, but apparently some were produced under the
Technics brand name.
The Elcaset was quite a bit larger than the compact cassette. The picture below is supposed to
give you the dimensions of the Elcaset tape, but it's hard to make out the numbers. The actual
dimensions are 152 x 106 x 18 mm (6 x 4-1/8 x 3/4 inches)
To give some perspective, the Elcaset was about the size of a Betamax video tape (another
failed format championed by Sony).
Another problem with the compact cassette is that a multi-head (3-head) system has been
difficult to use successfully since heads of recorders are put into the very limited space of a
cassette. In the Elcaset, tape is in a case, but it is automatically pulled out by the transport
mechanism of the recorder. Therefore, there is no influence over stability of tape travel by the
lack of precision in cassette shells. As a result, characteristics such as wow and flutter,
modulation noise, cross-talk and level changes are also remarkably improved.
These next pictures show the tape path in the Elcaset. They show how the tape was actually
pulled up outside the shell to come into contact with the heads. The first picture demonstrates
an Elcaset tape being played on a two head machine (like the Sony EL-5), while the other
The Elcaset had the same tape format as the compact cassette. This means the tape was
divided into two halves for side A and side B, each side permitting 2-track stereo or monaural
recording and playback. There was also a pair of "control" tracks running down the middle of
the tape, separating the two tracks of side one from those of side two. Each control track is
less than half the width of an elcaset audio track. The purpose of the control tracks was never
made clear, but there was speculation that they could have been used for slide
synchronization, cueing, or even selection finding in next-generation decks (unfortunately, the
format died before that ever happened). This picture shows the track pattern on the Elcaset.
The next two pictures show the hole pattern in the Elcaset shell which indicates the type of
tape used.
The Elcaset has tape protectors at left and right front ends. When the Elcaset is out of the tape
deck, protectors are closed to protect the tape. Protectors are opened automatically by the tape
deck for threading tape when the Elcaset is inserted and a function button is depressed. Here
is a close-up of the top of the Elcaset shell which shows the tape protectors.
Nevertheless, the tape runs along the top of the shell, and it is fairly exposed. Thus, Elcaset
tapes required more careful handling than a standard compact cassette. This picture shows
how an Elcaset tape was handled and loaded.
With the compact cassette, recorded tapes are protected from accidental erasure by removing
a tab on the cassette shell. But once the tab is removed, the cassette cannot be erased or re-
recorded without covering the broken slot. By contrast, with the Elcaset, the protection is
achieved by sliding tabs. The first picture below indicates where the sliding tabs are located.
Most Elcaset decks could automatically sense the tape leader that existed at both ends of the
tape and thereby initiate an automatic shut off - in both play and record mode.
And finally, the Elcaset decks could automatically sense tapes on which Dolby noise
reduction was used in the recording. This picture shows the location of the notch indicating
whether Dolby was used.
ELCASET specifications
Much of the above overview came from the description of the Elcaset format found in the
Sony EL-7 owners manual. Click here for the original version of that overview.
Sony EL-7
Sony EL-5
Sony EL-4
Sony EL-D8
Teac AL-700
Technics RS-7500U
JVC LD-777
Lo-D D-9000
The Sony EL-5 was a two head deck (the EL-7 had three heads). It retailed for US$630.
The Sony EL-4, I think this must have been the low-end model, but it seems to be more rare
than the EL-5 or EL-7. I have heard of only a couple of people who have one.
The Teac AL-700. The picture to the right shows how an external dbx noise reduction
adapter could be connected. It may have been the most expensive Elcaset deck - it retailed for
US$1100. Like the Sony units, some of the AL-700 decks came with wood panels on the
side.
This deck is labeled as the Lo-D D-9000. Lo-D is apparently a brand-name used by Hitachi
in some markets. But this Lo-D deck looks identical to the Sony EL-7.
Another EL-7 clone was apparently put out at the WEGA E-4950.
Here are some random articles about the Elcaset format that I have found buried on the web.
ALTHOUGH it won't be available until well into 1977, you'll be hearing more and more over
the next several months about a new tape format called the elcaset. No, it was not designed in
Mexico or in Spain-, it originated in Japan, and as of the moment it has the support of Sony,
Teac, Technics, Akai, and JVC. To appreciate where the elcaset is coming from technically,
rather than geographically, you first have to understand some things about the conventional
cassette format.
At the time of the cassette's birth a dozen or so years ago, its parents (Philips of the
Netherlands) never thought that it would one day grow up to be a high-quality recording
medium. As I remember the early ads, there were frequent references to a "sound-camera"
concept. The "compact cassette" (as it was, and is, known formally) was intended merely to
duplicate the convenience and simplicity of the Brownie box camera, to provide sonic
"snapshots" of a quality no higher than the Brownie's visual ones. The cassette's subsequent
history proves that one can make a sonic silk purse out of a sow's ear-if enough talented
engineers are put on the job. However, from the purist's point of view, the cassette still
suffers, when compared to the reel-to-reel format, from a variety of inherent technical
handicaps.
THE first of these is that there are just too many mechanical tape functions built into the
cassette itself. ("Cassette" means, literally, "little box," but in the audio sense it refers not to
the container, but to the tape unit contained.) Everything from the tape-to-head contact,
through the friction of the feed hubs, to the guidance of the tape as it passes over the heads is
determined, for better or worse, by the individual cassette and not by the machine playing it.
Thus each cassette is a separate potential source of mechanical (and therefore sonic) variables.
Other problems: the cassette's size and its single, slow playing speed (1-7/8 ips) are fixed:
Philips has been rather rigid in refusing to license any variations on their original patented
scheme. (As a matter of fact, there was for a time some question even about whether the
Dolby-B system was "compatible" enough for Philips.)
The 1-7/8-ips playing speed is the source of a variety of interrelated technical problems: low
overload margin, high-frequency distortion, and inadequate high-frequency response. These,
together with the cassette's narrow tape and track width, also make a relatively high hiss level
almost inevitable.
Nonetheless, it is clear that today's cassette machines work well, and, when tape of the highest
quality is individually and carefully recorded and played back on the best available machine,
it is frequently impossible to tell a duplicated program from a high-quality original. However,
for optimum results, everything has to be close to the state of the art including the user's
recording technique. There is very little margin for error, and the errors that do occur are, not
The promoters of the elcaset format have it as their intention to profit (in both senses) from
the shortcomings of the cassette by combining the convenience of the cassette with the
technical advantages of open reel. How? First of all, by increasing the tape width to 1/4 inch
and the tape speed to 3-3/4 ips. The wider recording track and the faster speed are
tremendously helpful in providing greater recording-overload headroom and reducing both
distortion and noise level. They do, however, make for a larger (see photo above) cartridges -
6 inches wide, 4-1/8 inches deep, and 3/4 inch thick-and (for the moment, at least) a
maximum playing time of 45 minutes per side.
An additional, though not visible, benefit of the elcaset system is that the tape is actually
drawn out of its shell during play. This means not only that the playing machine handles the
tape in much the same way as open reel, but that it can be edited easily. There is also accurate
tape guidance, precisely controllable tape-to-head "wrap," and full support to prevent skewing
and help provide a smooth wind. The same open-reel head configurations-and the same high-
quality heads that have served with distinction for many years can now be built into a
cartridge-format machine. And, since the back of the tape is now accessible, use of a
crossfield-bias head becomes feasible.
Almost all users are aware that the compact cassette has knockout tabs on the rear to prevent
accidentally re-recording over an already recorded tape. In addition, some cassette
manufacturers supply another notch that provides (on some machines) automatic switching to
CrO2 bias and equalization. Elcaset has these same coding slots and notches plus several
more, including one with tabs that are labeled noise reduction.
Track arrangement on the elcaset is the same as for the compact cassette (two adjacent
parallel tracks in each direction), except that there is also provision for a pair of novel
"control" tracks running right down the middle of the tape, separating the two tracks of side
one from those of side two. Each control track is less than half the width of an elcaset audio
track. As of the moment, the projected purpose of the control tracks has not been made
explicit, but they could serve for slide synchronization, cueing, or even selection finding if the
appropriate sensing electronics are built into the player.
As a prerecorded-music format, the elcaset appears to be ideal. It should be far easier for a
duplicator to turn out high-quality copies in elcaset form than in cassettes. And, as mentioned
above, some sort of automatic selection cueing signal could be recorded on the control tracks
along with the music on the other four tracks. The advantages of the elcaset as a home-
recording medium, however, are not quite that clear-cut. For example, at the moment the
elcaset has a 45-minute maximum playing time per side; a standard 1,800 foot, 7-inch open-
reel tape operating at 3-3/4 ips will provide 90 minutes per side. The question, then, is not
whether the elcaset can match open-reel quality (it is safe to assume it can), but whether those
tapesters who are really concerned about recording quality are also terribly bugged by the
several inconveniences of open reel.
It is clear that the designers of the elcaset have fulfilled their intention to provide in one
format both the technical advantages of open reel and the convenience advantages of the
cassette. Now it is up to time and the tape consumer to determine whether the elcaset is a
The three elcaset units on the cover were introduced at the June Consumer Electronics Show
in Chicago (see September cover story). They are, top to bottom, Sony's Model EL-5, the
Teac prototype, and the new machine from Technics.
The Elcaset was a cartridge tape format introduced by several Japanese electronics firms in
the late 1970s for use in high fidelity audio home systems.
"Basically, Elcaset is a king size cassette [i.e. Large cassette, hence the name] measuring
about six by four inches, versus about four by two and a half inches for the Philips cassette. It
is three quarters of an inch thick; the Philips is a half-inch thick. The Elcaset runs at 3 3/4 ips
[inches per second]; the Philips at 1 7/8 ips. " [reference two]
The Elcaset was a compromise between the all-out performance of an expensive reel-to-reel
deck and the convenience of a cartridge format. The machines were heavy, sturdy devices
more like professional equipment in construction than most home tape recorders. Although
the tape was stored in a plastic cartridge, when it was inserted in a player a loop of tape was
drawn into the workings of the machine, where the precision mechanism pulled it smoothly
past the tape heads:
"In the new format the tape transport is responsible for accurate movement of the tape past the
tape heads. The tape is 'pulled' out of the Elcaset and moved between guides built into the
transport. In the Philips system, tape movement accuracy is controlled by guides built into the
cassette." [reference two]
The tape was divided into six tracks; four were used to store two stereo music programs, the
other two were control tracks used to store cueing information. Machines used a form of
Dolby noise reduction and some (like the TEAC AL 700) could use optional, external Dolby
units to achieve slightly better performance.
Introduced at a time when ordinary audio cassettes could not meet reel-to-reel performance,
the Elcaset seemed to have some appeal for serious home recording enthusiasts. However, the
machines were more expensive than high-end cassette units ($650-1200) and record
companies never offered a catalog of recorded Elcasets. The machines were pulled off the
market within a couple of years, following slow sales.
Models actually offered for sale included the JVC LD-777 ($800), the Sony EL-5 and EL-7
($630 and $880), the TEAC AL-700 ($1100), and the Technics RS-7500US ($650). Marantz
announced a line of Elcaset recorders, but I have not confirmed that they actually were
offered.
Dave Morton
IEEE Center for the History of Electrical Engineering
Rutgers University
d.morton@ieee.org
dmorton@rci.rutgers.edu
In the audio market, the Compact Cassette of the Philips standard has been widely accepted
and has been extended even to use in hi-fi recording as a result of its easy operation and
advanced technical development. On the other hand, open-reel tape is still strongly supported
by music and audio enthusiasts, for its high quality sound reproduction, which has been
difficult to attain with the Compact Cassette.
Your "ELCASET" system not only realizes both the convenience of the Compact Cassette
and the high sound quality of open-reel tape but also has the following advanced features.
The ELCASET tape is 6.3 mm (1/4 inch) wide and driven at a tape speed of 9.5 cm (3-3/4
ips). This results in a more extended frequency and wider dynamic ranges (noticeable in
higher audio range) than those of the Compact Cassette. This ample headroom does make a
difference in the reproduction of many recordings.
With a conventional Compact Cassette, the tape is guided by a tape guide pin in the cassette
itself, and the accuracy of tape travel is very much dependent upon the precision of the
cassette shells. This has been an obstacle in achieving high performance with the Compact
Cassette.
Another problem with the Compact Cassette is that a multi-head (3-head) system has been
difficult to use successfully since heads of recorders are put into the very limited space of a
cassette. In the ELCASET, tape is in a case but it is automatically pulled out by the transport
mechanism of the recorder. Therefore, there is no influence over stability of tape travel by the
lack of precision in cassette shells. As a result, characteristics such as wow and flutter,
modulation noise, cross-talk and level changes are also remarkably improved.
The ELCASET has the same tape format as the Compact Cassette. This means tape is divided
into two halves for side A and side B, each side permitting 2-track stereo or monaural
The ELCASET has lids at left and right front ends. When the ELCASET is out of your
recorder, lids are closed to protect the tape. The lids are opened automatically by the tape
deck for threading tape when the ELCASET is inserted and a function button is depressed.
Reel lock device is also provided in the ELCASET to lock rotation of a reel hub to prevent
tape from coming loose when the ELCASET is carried. The reel lock is automatically
unlocked by your recorder when the ELCASET is loaded.
Erasure-Proof Tabs
In the Compact Cassette, recorded tapes are protected from accidental erasure by removing a
tab in a cassette. But once the tab is removed, the cassette cannot be erased or re-recorded
without covering the broken slot. In the ELCASET, the protection is achieved by sliding tabs.
Types of Tape
There are three different types of tape for the ELCASET which are indicated on the labels.
One is called TYPE I which has the feature of low noise output (called SLH tape by Sony).
TYPE II has the same performance as FeCr tape by Sony. TAPE III will be for the tape
equivalent to CrO2 type. For optimum recording and playback results, match the tape selector
on the tape recorder with the type of tape used.
Automatic shut-off with ELCASET leader tape at tape-end The ELCASET has leader tapes at
both ends of the tape. When the ELCASET is used on the tape recorder having the
photoelectric method, tape motion automatically stops at end of tape for any operating mode.
This is because the tape deck senses the leader-tape portion and activates the automatic shut-
off mechanism.
ELCASET Specifications
Well - it is neither an 8-track nor has it the advantage of 'endless playing' but it fits into that
time - and shared the 8-track fate.
In the early 70's Sony decided to roam the market with their brand new development: the
ELCASET. They combined standard-1/4-Inch tape-material with a Philips-like mechanism
operating at the same speed of 9.5 cm/s which 8-tracks use. Their intention: easy handling
(like the cassette) and wide-range audio features (like reel-to-reel), saving costs (they use the
same tape like 8-tracks and reels). But: they failed. It was too late - the Compact Cassette
(CC) was already there and rolling up the market. They had a variety of equipment available,
home-desks and portables, where the home machines had about the size and look of standard
front-loaded CC-recorders. There was a feature planned to adapt the ELCASET on a standard
reel-to-reel machine. for example for studio works. It might have been a good idea - but
wasn't. The first units were presented in SONYs 1973 catalogue and last mentioned in that of
1975. I don't know any private person who ever bought or used one. I'm searching the flea-
markets around my home-town for years now, but couldn't find one. At least I saw one - about
1979 in a HiFi-studio in Bielefeld, operational, working and for sale but in those days I
weren't interested.
Peter H. Wendt <phw@compunet.de>
The Sony EL-7 was Sony's top of the line model. It retailed for US$880.
It appears that the EL-7 came in both silver and black. Based on the units I have seen, the
silver was apparently much more common.
Some units came with wood side panels (actually they are particle board with a vinyl wood-
grain laminate). The wood panels are removable and are interchangeable among any Sony
Elcaset unit (EL-4, EL-5 or EL-7). Since the wood panels are more prone to visible damage
than the metal parts of the unit, removing them can, in some cases, make the unit look better.
Just remove the two screws from each side of the unit, slide the panels back about 2
centimeters, and then pull them away from the sides. However, you must be careful if you
want to do this. The side screws used in the units with the panels are longer than those used
on units without, and replacing the long screws after removing the panels can severely
damage the unit. So be sure to shorten the screws before replacing them.
PRECAUTIONS
(From the EL-7 Owner's Manual, page 3)
On safety
Before operating, be sure the operating voltage of your unit is identical with that of
your local power supply.
Should any liquid or solid object fall into the cabinet, unplug the unit and have it
checked by qualified personnel before operating it any further.
Unplug the unit from the wall outlet if it is not to be used for an extended period of
time. To disconnect the cord, pull it out by the plug. Never pull the cord itself.
On installation
Good air circulation is essential to prevent internal heat buildup in the unit. Place the
unit in a location with adequate air circulation.
Do not install the unit in a location near heat sources such as radiators or air ducts, or
in a place subject to direct sunlight, excessive dust or mechanical vibration.
The tape deck is designed for vertical operation only.
On head cleaning
The best performance of your tape deck depends on your periodic cleaning of the heads and
all surfaces over which the tape travels. Dirty heads and tape path cause:
Cleaning should be done after every 10 hours of operation. For details, see "Maintenance" on
page 12.
On ELCASET
Before inserting the ELCASET, use the supplied tape driver and take up the slack of
the tape to prevent it from becoming entangled around the capstan.
Hold the ELCASET and face the tape surface up when inserting it in the tape deck.
Avoid touching the tape surface or pulling it out of the tape housing.
Before depressing the POWER switch, check to see that the TIMER switch is set at
off. This switch should only be placed to REC or PLAY for timer-activated operation.
Gently close the lid of the ELCASET holder to its locked position to protect the tape
from damage.
The EJECT button cannot be depressed while the tape is in operating mode.
Turn down the REC LEVEL controls not being used while recording.
Never misplace the DOLBY NR switch. Place it to CAL only for Calibration Level
adjustments and to ON or OFF for Dolby or non-Dolby NR recording.
CONNECTIONS
(From the EL-7 Owner's Manual, pages 6-7)
The output level of the tape deck phono jacks can be set to correspond accurately to the output
level of other sources connected to the amplifier. We recommend that you use either FM or
Phono mode as a reference point. While adjusting, do not change the volume control of the
amplifier. At the position turned fully clockwise, the output level is rated 0.775 V (0 dB).
The control does not correspond to the VU meters.
Plug the Sony RM-30 Remote Control unit (optional) in this connector. The RM-30 features
"record muting"* as well as remote control operation. Read the RM-30 instruction manual
before operating it with the tape deck.
FM CAL controls
When recording Dolby encoded FM broadcasts, set the record level with these controls. See
"Recording Dolby encoded FM broadcasts" on page 10.
AC OUTLET
SWITCHED 200 W: AC power is supplied only when the tape deck POWER switch is set to
ON. Maximum consumption is 200W.
MAINTENANCE
(From EL-7 Owner's Manual, page 12)
Generally, cleaning after every 10 hours of operation will be sufficient. However, all surfaces
over which tape travels
TROUBLE CHECKS
(From the EL-7 Owner's Manual, page 16)
The following chart will help correct most problems which may occur with the unit. If the
problem persists after you have made these checks, consult your nearest Superscope Service
Centers.
Before going through the check list below, first pay attention to the following fundamental
points.
This button is inoperative while tape is running or the PAUSE button is depressed.
Tape does not move even when function buttons are depressed.
Tape does not move after the POWER switch is ON, though the function buttons are
depressed.
Push the desired function buttons approximately two seconds after the POSER switch
is ON. When less than this time interval is taken, logic-controlled function buttons do
not work.
RECORDING OR PLAYBACK
Erasure-proof tabs in the ELCASET are slid down. (See page 13.)
Contamination of the heads. (See page 12.)
The MIC ATT switch is set to either "15" or "30" when recording from microphones.
The REC MASTER control of REC LEVEL controls are turned down to "0".
Distorted sound.
CAL level is too high. (See "Calibration level adjustment" on page 10.)
Recording level is too high.
Recording level drops when switching the MONITOR selector from SOURCE to TAPE.
CAL level is too low. (See "Calibration level adjustment" on page 10.)
Insufficient erasure.
The Dolby NR processed tape should be played back with the DOLBY NR switch at
the ON position, and the non-Dolby NR processed tape at the OFF position.
The TAPE SELECT switches should be in the same position in both record and
playback modes. If recorded in the wrong position, adjust the tone on the amplifier in
playback.
Tape stops before the tape counter reads "000", though the recorder is in memory
counter operation.
The tape counter is reset to "000" at the leader-tape portion. (See "Memory counter
operation" on page 11.)
Sound comes out a few seconds after the poser switch is ON.
This occurs because muting circuit is provided to avoid any annoying "thump" noise,
and is not abnormal operation.
Recording sources cannot be monitored in the playback mode, when setting the
MONITOR selector to SOURCE.
If the LINE OUT jacks of the tape deck are connected to the amplifier AUX jacks and
these are switched on, change the amplifier input selector to another position.
The microphone is too near the loud-speakers. Keep the microphone away from them
or reduce the amplifier volume.
Hum noise.