81 tracks Stereo Tape Recorder: The Unique Music Box by Schaub Lorenz

Do you know, how this 81 tracks Stereo Tape Recorder from 1969 works? If not, this video is for you:

In 1969 Radio Service Twenthe company in The Hague introduced to the Dutch market the Stereo 6000 Music Center construction set. The device was not a magnetophone in the traditional version. It was a broadband collector's recorder that could be connected like a normal tape recorder, if properly adjusted, to any stereo radio with a power amplifier or tuner with a separate stereo amplifier.

The kit consisted of an 81-track Stereo tone-belt drive made by Schaub Lorenz, which was mechanically and electrically installed and adjusted at the factory.



The work that the enthusiast had to do consisted of mounting the electronic part and its fairly simple adjustment. Assembly involved mounting the components on three PCBs (in some construction sets, one of the three PCBs is already mounted) and installing the supplied ready-made wiring and cabling.

The objective at Schaub-Lorenz was to construct an easy-to-use recorder with a large playback capacity of approximately 30 hours continuously without having to change a single tape, while also offering the possibility of a quick and clear selection made from a large number of pieces of music, similar to a gramophone record collection. In practice, a 10 cm or 4-inch wide magnetic tape proved to be the best, on which no fewer than 162 audio tracks of 0.35 mm width are recorded! For stereo, this amounts to 81 tracks. Two separate heads have been provided for the stereo track. The single-erase head covers the entire stereo track almost 1 mm in width. However, for the handy DIYer, it is always possible to double the number of available tracks for mono recordings by switching off the erase head for the second track and switching the existing record/playback heads. The length of the tracks, which are recorded one above the other, must have a duration of 22 minutes. However, with the test model, this turned out to be 25 minutes.

The small number of controls on the device is striking: only four push buttons, a track selector switch, and a power switch that can be mounted separately (not included in the kit).

The Stereo 6000 has a recording tape that is permanently mounted on the running gear behind the large track selection scale. This unit must not be simply changed. If this becomes necessary due to wear and tear over the years, these units retailed for approximately 60 guilders. However, the manufacturer guaranteed the proper functioning of the recorder by using the same tape. That is why the device must be mounted in a dust-tight cabinet, with a dust filter for the cooling opening at the rear.

The length of the tape is calculated on the duration of a normal LP record with a diameter of 30 cm so that it is possible to record and playback more than 40 stereo LP

 

Here is Techmoan's video on a machine of the same type

It was actually this video, four years ago that prompted me to become one of his Patreons as I had never seen anything remotely similar before and he allowed Patreons to download some more of the material that had been recorded on it. I'm still a Patreon as you get behind the scenes exclusives etc.

p.s. Was this project linked to Elektor magazine, I often used to buy that through the 1980s and 90s. I see it is still going https://www.elektormagazine.com

 

The project was not linked to Elektor magazine. You can see the brochure in my video, a reprint of the article from the Elector. This reprint was included in every assembly kit.
Thank you for the link to the Techmoan video! I wish I had seen it before I started to find any information about the Stereo 6000 when it arrived at my museum.