IF YOU HAVE AN EAR FOR MUSIC, YOU NEED THREE HEADS TO TAPE IT.
2-Head Cassette Recorders made home recording convenient.
Now the 3-Head Fisher CR5120 makes it professional.
It really isn't fair to compare the Fisher Studio Standard CR5120 to other cassette recorders. Its superior flexibility and performance are comparable only to the most sophisticated reel-to-reel tape decks.
The CR5120 combines the convenience of cassette with 3-head tape/source monitoring. The CR5120 delivers exceptional performance with important recording features like Dolby* noise reduction, signal limiting, and LED peak indicators.
Eliminate Guesswork. The only way to make consistently perfect high fidelity recordings is to compare the quality of the taped signal to the original while the tape is actually being made. Studio engineers call this "monitoring," and it can only be accomplished on a 3-head tape deck.
Monitoring subjects every inch of tape to instantaneous analysis by the most sensitive acoustic device available-the human ear-assuring a perfect "take." without guesswork.
Better Sound. Nearly all cassette decks have two tape heads-an erase head and a record/playback head. Even the best of them exhibit certain unavoidable compromises due to the combination record/playback head configuration.
These compromises, although accepted by the industry, were not acceptable to Fisher engineers. They created the CR5120, a major advancement in cassette deck technology utilizing three separate, precision long-life ferrite tape heads: erase, record, and playback.
Fisher engineers developed a wide-gap 4-micron record head for high output with an incredible 64dB signal-to-noise ratio...and a playback head having a very narrow gap (1.6 micron) for extended frequency response: 30 to 18,000 Hz, ±3dB. The result is sound recorded on the CR5120 is exactly like the original. No more...and no less.
A recording studio engineer would never consider recording without the improved performance and monitoring capabilities of a 3-head tape deck-and neither should you.
The CR5120 provides a tape/source monitor switch for instantaneous comparison while listening.
2-Motor, Dual-Capstan Tape Transport.
Professional recording requires tape alignment exactly perpendicular to the tape heads. To accomplish this, Fisher engineers equipped the CR5120 with two capstan/pinch roller assemblies: one preceding, the other following the tape heads. Both capstans are micro-ground for absolute concentricity; and each is fitted with a heavy, dynamically balanced flywheel for smooth operation. The capstans are driven by a servo-controlled
Hall-effect DC motor for absolute speed accuracy, independent of fluctuations in AC line voltage. A second, DC-controlled motor provides the proper hold-back tension. This configuration, standard for professional recording equipment, is responsible for the CR5120's exceptionally low wow and flutter specification of 0.04% WRMS ... performance superior to most reel-to-reel decks.
Dolby Noise Reduction. For Tape and FM. The CR5120 utilizes Dolby noise reduction to suppress tape hiss, improving recorded dynamic range up to 10dB. It incorporates separate record and playback Dolby IC circuitry so that both the source and monitored signal are simultaneously Dolby processed-a feature found only in the most advanced recording systems. Dolby circuitry is also provided to decode Dolby FM broadcasts.
Other Professional Features. Separate input and output controls for each channel provide maximum flexibility. Two illuminated VU meters, each with an LED peak indicator calibrated to +3 VU for accurate visual monitoring.
Switchable limiter circuitry prevents distortion due to tape saturation. A three digit counter with memory is included to quickly, automatically, locate the start of a recorded program. Four preamplifiers are included--two for recording and two for playback. Two-head decks use only two preamplifiers.
The Final Word. The unique Fisher CR5120 is priced about $350.
FISHER -- The first name in high fidelity.
© 1977. Fisher Corporation, 21314 Lassen St., Chatsworth. Calif. 91311
** Available at fine audio stores or the audio department of better department stores.
* Dolby is a trademark of Dolby Labs. Inc.
** Mfg. suggested retail price. Actual sale price is determined by dealer.
Specifications:
Frequency Response (record/playback)
Standard Tape 30-15,000 Hz, ± 3dB
CrO2 Tape: 30-18,000 Hz, ± 3dB
Wow & Flutter: 0.04 % WRMS
Signal to Noise Ratio: 64dB
(Source: Audio magazine, Nov. 1977)
Also see:
Fisher CR4029 cassette deck (Sept. 1979)
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