Sony TC-765 Setup guide

SON Yo
STEREO TAPE DECK
_TC-765/766-2°
Owner’s instruction manual Page 2
Before operating your new Sony stereo tape deck, please read
this manual completely to become familiar with all its features
and capabilities.
Keep this manual handy for future reference.
Bedienungsanleitung Seite 30
Bevor Sie Ihren neuen Sony Stereo-Tape-Deck in Betrieb nehmen,
lesen Sie bitte diese Bedienungsanleitung volistandig durch, damit
Sie
mit
seinen
besonderen
Einrichtungen
und
Méglichkeiten
ver-
traut werden. ;
Bewahren
Sie
diese
Anleitung
gut
auf,
spater
jederzeit
darin
nach-
schlagen
zu
kénnen.
©1977 by Sony Corporation

This instruction manual covers TC-765 (4-track ;19 cm/s, 7 1/2 ips)
-and TC-766-2 (2-track ; 38 cm/s, 15 ips).
Where difference occurs between two models, it is clearly de-
scribed in the text. :
FEATURES
@ Three heads and three motors (TC-765)
@Four heads and three motors (TC-766-2)
@Closed-loop/dual capstan tape drive
@An AC servo-controlled capstan drive motor
@ High-performance F & F (Ferrite and Ferrite) heads
@ Separate 3-way bias and equalization selectors
@Logic-controlled transport function buttons
@First stage of the amplifier and the playback head are directly
coupled.
WARNING
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or
moisture.
To avoid electrical shock, do not open the cabinet. Refer servicing
to qualified personne! only.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Precautions 32 ac-d.0 Sas Be Saal eS ea abodes 3
Operating voltage... 1. ens 3
Function of controls... 0.0... ee ee es 4
Connections .......0.... 002.000 ee eee ra hate Be OS 6
Jape: threading... .c2%s soe $1 etd, Ga et he AR Ee oe 7
Recording......... a AT waka dc Sag aan a aires GN a ar anaes a> He 7
Playback 25) ee.05 °S.3atete, Sle Wie eRie eh SN eae ae eas 10
Erasing is e.g 5 fee celeste be edo weg es a eaten 10
Timer-activated recording and playback............... 10
Mic and line mixing... ..........0000 ee eee "pagal FI
Sound-on-Sound recording .... 0... 00.000 cece evens 11
ECho:-recording: si siao 3 ese a seh oa ivi el oa Se 5 ~.12
EGItin gis fn Pets toad toe ae ref teed, Sete y eel oes we as 12
Maintenance ...... 0.0... 000 ee ee ee ee 13
Specifications: 4.2.0 chsh so okls kc aa be wales Bae wwe lee Bs 14
Trouble: checksis ss. s/s ee ee hc uieciand H RRA hd ee ae eae 15
FOR THE CUSTOMERS IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM —
WARNING
This apparatus must be earthed at the terminals in your 3-pin
plug as follows:
IMPORTANT
The wires in this mains lead are coloured in accordance with the
following code:
Green-and-yellow: Earth (safety earth)
Blue : Neutral
Brown: Live
As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this apparatus ..
may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the
terminals in your plug, proceed as follows:
The wire which is coloured green-and-yellow must be connected
to the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter E or by
the safety earth symbol ~ or coloured green or green-and-yellow.
The wire which is coloured blue must be connected to the termi-
nal which is marked with the letter N or coloured black.
The wire which is coloured brown must be connected to the ter-
minal which is marked with the letter L or coloured red.

PRECAUTIONS
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 build-up
in the unit. Place the unit in a location with adequate air circula-
tion.
@ 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, ex-
cessive dust or mechanical vibration. ;
On head cleaning
The best performance of your unit depends on the periodic clean-
ing of the heads and all surfaces over which the tape travels.
Dirty heads and tape path cause:
@Loss of high frequency response
@Loss of sound volume
@ Sound drop-out, etc.
Cleaning should be done every after 10 hours of operation.
For details, see ’ Maintenance” :
Playback waveform
at 10 kHz
With a clean head
With a dirty head
(The output level
fluctuates.)
Frequency response at 38 cm/s (15 ips)
‘2 Saat eal as Ts
With a clean head
to)
~CL
With a dirty head [PTH
+
a
|
|
zs
3a
5
Tr
Ht
Ty
3
Even
hardly
visible
dust
layer
of
1,54
\
@
deteriorates
frequency
response.
\
=
10
t
roth
i
=
=
_o
-15 }.
4 J
100 1k 10k
Frequency (Hz) :
If
you
have
any
question
or
problem
with
your
unit,
please
contact
your
Sony
Service
Station
or
Sony
dealer.
OPERATING VOLTAGE
Before connecting to the power source, check that the voltage
selector is set to your local power supply.
lf itis not the same, change the voltage selector setting as fol-
lows : é
1. Check that the unit is disconnected from the power supply.
2. Remove the cover of the selector.
Loosen the arrow-marked screw on the cover but do not remove it
from the cabinet. Remove the other screw.on the cover. Then
turn the cover around the arrow-marked screw so that you can
unplug the selector. “ey
3. Pull out the voltage selector plug and reinsert it so that the top
arrow mark of the plug points to the proper voltage marking.
4. After changing the voltage, reset the cover.
@Line frequency change is not necessary since your tape deck is
furnished with an AC servo-controiled motor.
®
110V 220V
> a>
240V 120V

FUNCTION OF contrdty
- SONY
CLOSED LOOP BUAL CAPSTAN
9:
@ Tension arms/automatic shut-off switches
These arms maintain uniform tape tension. When all the tapes
are wound and these arms return to the former position, tape
transport mechanism will stop.
@ TIMER switch
Usually set this switch to OFF.
To make timer-activated operation, set it to ON.
© TAPE SPEED selector
19 cm (7 1/2 ips): For high quality recording
9.5 cm (3 3/4 ips) : For longer time recording
38 cm (15 ips): For studio quality professional recording
19 cm (7 1/2 ips) : For longer time recording
Tape speed in playback should be the same as that in recording.
@ REEL SIZE selector :
Select the optimum rewind tension and reel torque for the reel
used: The “10” position is for 10 1/2-inch (27 cm) reels, and: 7”
is for 7-inch (18 cm) or 5-inch (13 cm) reels.
© POWER switch
This turns the power on or off. The VU meters will light up when
the unit is turned on.
© VU meters
With
MONITOR
switch
set
at
SOURCE,
the
meters
show
the
re-
cording
level
adjusted
by
the
REC
LEVEL
controls,
With the MONITOR switch set at TAPE, the meters show the out-
put level adjusted by the PB LEVEL controls. 0 VU reading corre-
sponds to 0.435 V. ;
@ HEADPHONES jack =
Insert low-impedance headphones to monitor the input and re-
corded signals.
@ MIC jacks
Any low-impedance microphone equipped with a phone plug may
be used. If your microphone is equipped with a mini plug, a plug
adaptor for converting to phone plug is required.

© Mic attenuator switch [MIC ATT]
Usually set this switch at the “0” position.
Mic attenuator is useful when recording a large input signal on
location (rock music, etc.) or recording with a microphone too
close to the source without overloading the tape deck amplifier.
When the needles of the VU meters swing over the 0 VU with the
REC
LEVEL
MIC
controls
turned
down
on
the
scale
around
the
in-
dication
2-3,
first
set
the
MIC
ATT
switch
at
“15".
At
this
posi-
tion, the input level is reduced by 15 dB. If the input signal level
is still large, use the “30” position. At this position, the level will
be reduced by 30 aB.
@ Tape counter and reset button
Use
the
counter
for
indexing
tape
contents.
Once
reels
are
thread-
ed,
set
the
counter
to
[0000]
by
pushing
the
reset
button.
The
figures
on
the
counter
change
as
the
tape
passes.
Make
a
note
of
the
figures
and
the
recorded
program
for
later
reference.
@ Function buttons
@ Recording, << Rewind, Hi Stop, » Forward
and » Fast-forward tape motion.
These buttons can be depressed at random to change tape motion
from normal to fast wind, and vice versa (Logic-controlled transport
function).
[ll Pause button
To momentarily stop during recording or playback, depress this
button. To restart, depress it again. Also use this button for
smoother start of recording.
® Recording level controls [REC LEVEL-MIC, LINE]
Adjust the recording level with these controls: inner knob for R
channel and outer knob for L channel.
Turn down the unused controls full to “0”.
MIC: When recording from the MIC jacks
LINE : When recording from the REC/PB and LINE IN jacks
@® MONITOR switch
For tape playback, set the switch to TAPE. While recording, moni-
toring of input sound is possible with this switch set at SOURCE,
and monitoring of recorded sounds is possible with this switch set
at TAPE.
@® Playback level controls [PB LEVEL]
These controls adjust the playback signal level of LINE OUT and
HEADPHONES jacks. Generally, set the controls at center posi-
tion. For further information, refer to page 9.
@® Recording mode switches [REC MODE]
For recording, push in the switches. When these switches are
pushed in, the record button lamp puts on and off repeatedly. For
playback, release these switches to prevent inadvertent erasure.
@ TAPE SELECT switches
BIAS : Select the optimum bias current for the tape to be used in
recording mode.
EQ: Select the correct equalization characteristics for the tape to
be used in recording mode.
These two switches nave no effect on playback.
@ 2-track/4-track selector switch
Usually
set
this
switch
at
left
position
(2-track).
When
playing
back
the
tape
which
has
been
recorded
on
other
4-track
tape
deck,
_
Set
the
switch
at
right
position
(4-track).
If
2-track-recorded
tape
is
played
back
mistakenly
with
this
switch
set
at
right
position
(4-
track),
the
level
will
be
reduced.
On
the
other
hand,
if
4-track-
recorded
tape
is
played
back
with
this
switch
set
at-2-track
posi-
tion,
the
recorded
material
in
the
opposite
direction
will
be
played
back
mixedly.
4-track
Recording monitor muting switch (REC MONITOR MUTE}
(rear)
When this switch is set to ON, the line outputs are cut except when
the tape is played back with the MONITOR switch set at TAPE.
See the table below.
This switch makes the microphone recording free from howling
effect and is useful for instrumental practice whieh necessitates
repetition of recording and playback.
MONITOR switch
SOURCE TAPE
During recording no sound no sound
During playback no sound yes
Headphone monitoring is free from this switch.
REMOTE CONTROL connector (rear)
Plug the Sony Remote Control RM-30 (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.
* A device which is beneficial to short-circuit unwanted program
sources such as broadcasting commercials, thus allowing an inter-
space between the recordings.
INPUT SELECT switch (rear)
When recording from LINE IN jacks, set this switch at LINE.
When recording from REC/PB connector, set this switch at REC/PB.

CONNECTIONS
@ Turn off the amplifier before making connections.
@lnsert the cable connectors completely into jacks. Loose con-
nections may cause hum and noise. ,
e@The red plug of the supplied connecting cord should be con-
nected to the right channel and the gray plug to the left channel.
Amplifier connection
®
@REC/PBS
Cp on
Connection on front panel
REC/PB (DIN) connector
There
are
two
possibilities
of
the
amplifier
connection,
by
supplied
phono
(RCA)
connecting
cords
and
a
single
5-pin
DIN
connecting
cable.
Note
the
following
points.
@The
phono
cord
connections
are
recommended,
since
it
will
result
in
better
signal-to-noise
ratio.
For playback —-—Y.
{For recording
“For duplication from another tape deck
=. signal flow
=
e@Connect
the
tape
deck
to
an
AC
outlet
with
the
power
cord:
First
plug
the
cord
into
the
tape
deck
AC
IN
socket,
then
into
a
wall
outlet.
to recording
outputs
to tape inputs
(or auxiliary inputs)
wma tO wall outlet
to line
to line :
inputs
outputs
Another tape deck
Amplifier
to record/playback connector
—_
e@Connection
between
amplifier
DIN
connector
and
phono
jacks
of
the
tape
deck
is
not
recommended,
since
their
input
and
output
sensitivity
and
impedance
are
not
correctly
matched.
@To
directly
connect
both
tape
deck
DIN
connectors,
a
DIN
cable
for
tape
duplication
is
required.
@When
recording
from
the
REC/PB
connector,
set
the
INPUT
—
SELECT
switch
located
in
the
rear
to
REC/PB
position,
andrecord-
ing
level
should
be
adjusted
with
the
REC
LEVEL
LINE
controls.

TAPE THREADING RECORDING
Set the REEL SIZE selector according to the reels to be used. Fundamental steps
Use the same size reels for both supply and take-up. ~ Check the INPUT SELECT switch:
1. Secure the reels. When recording from LINE IN jacks — LINE
When recording from REC/PB connector — REC/PB
O
2. Pass the tape.
3. Wrap the tape around the hub of the right reel or insert the end
of the tape into the reel slot.
4. Rotate the reels a few times by hand until there is no Secx in
the
tape.
If
there
is
slack,
tape
will
not
move
even
if
the
function
button is depressed.
QOQOOOO0O
Koo:
=|
eled OOOH oO
@ TIMER switch + OFF
@ POWER switch > Depress to ON.
© Thread a tape.
@ Tape counter —> Reset to [0000]
@ REEL SIZE selector — Set to the reel diameter to be used.
@ TAPE SPEED selector — As desired.
inOOO0O SasoaS
<I < TAQ a
For the supplied 27 cm (10 1/2-inch) metal reel, use the supplied
reel adaptor RAD-11 (reel holder and spacer) as illustrated.
Spacer
Metal
reel
Ci —~
Reel holder
“fede
noe
@For optional plastic reel, neither reel holder nor spacer is re-
quired, If the plastic reel has a large center hole, use the reel
holder only. The spacer is unnecessary.

Recording
After the fundamental steps @ to @, continue with the following
steps @ to @.
@ TAPE SELECT switches (both BIAS and EQ) — Set according to
the tape used.
@ MONITOR switch — SOURCE
@ PB LEVEL controls — Set to center click position.
@ Adjust the recording level with respective MIC or LINE con- ,
trols while watching the VU meters.
MIC controls. . . for recording from MIC jacks
LINE controls. . . for recording from LINE IN jacks or REC/PB con-
nector. .
Be sure to turn the unused level controls full counterclockwise.
@ REC MODE switches — Depress.
@ While depressing the @ button, depress the > button,
Now recording starts.
@ When recording completes, depress the Jf button.
Tape BIAS/EQ recommendations
The following list shows our recommended settings, which have
been determined through critical listening tests and electrical
characteristic measurements on commercially available tapes. The
setting could be changed to your preference. For Sony tapes, be
sure to use the recommended settings to obtain the optimum tape
characteristics.
NORMAL SPECIAL Fe-Cr
BASF LH, LHS | SCOTCH #211, ~
SONY PR AGFA PE, PEM #212, #213:
MEMOREX AMPEX 406, 407.
SONY SLH SONY
Ferri-Chrome
MED | SCOTCH #218 | SCOTCH CLASSIC | SCOTCH #206,
#207
TDK AUDUA waxcch-Up
|
HIGH SCOTCH #250
Po
Record monitoring
As this tape deck has separate record and playback heads, instan-
taneous tape-source comparison is possible with the MONITOR
switch.
SOURCE : Source sound is heard
TAPE : Recorded sound is heard
@ln microphone recording, if monitoring through the speakers,
howling effect may occur. Use of the REC MONITOR MUTE switch
avoids this howling effect and monitoring may be done through’
headphones.
@if the amplifier has a tape-monitor selector and if connection is
made through tape deck LINE IN and LINE OUT jacks, source/tape
comparison is possible with the amplifier monitor selector. In this
case, the tape deck MONITOR switch should be set at TAPE.
SOURCE
MONITOR
Recording
me
+
‘esa
outputs
:
Amplifier
ape
inputs
i
|
:
!
LINE
IN
Tape
deck
LINE
OUT
REC
LEVEL
)
(
SOURCE
MONITOR
Erase
head
*
Record head
Tape
immammmenmage” Playback head

PB LEVEL controls
These controls adjust the playback signal level at the LINE OUT
and HEADPHONES jacks. The adjusted level is indicated on the
VU meters, with a O VU reading corresponding to 0.435 V output,
which appears when the control is halfway up (with the indicator
at “5"). Full clockwise rotation of the PB LEVEL control beyond
midpoint will provide a 5 dB boost, and full counterclockwise rota-
tion will bring the volume down to zero. Generally, set these con-
trols at center position. The usages are as follows.
During record monitoring, the setting of these controls at center
position provides nearly equal levels on both SOURCE and TAPE
positions of the MONITOR switch.
During playback, adjust the tape deck.to match other sources:. If
the tape deck playback level differs from that of other sources
connected to the amplifier, such as a tuner, record player etc., the
sound may become suddenly louder or softer when the amplifier
input selector is switched back and forth between tape and some
other source.
During duplication on another tape deck, adjust these controls so
that the sound is not distorted.
Recording a new material while the tape is in motion
This tape deck may directly go from play to record while the tape
is in motion.
1. Perform the necessary steps for recording.
2. Depress the REC MODE switches. The @ button blinks.
3. Depress the ® button and listen to the playback sound.
4, At the point where new material is to be recorded, depress the
@ and » buttons simultaneously.
The @ button illumination changes to a steady red light.
At this moment, recording begins.
Recording level adjustment
Tape saturation levels differ between the types of tape.
Recording level should be adjusted according to the tape to be
used in order to utilize it to the utmost permissible level. This is
the knack not only for deriving the possible characteristics from
the tape but also assuring good recording result.
High recording level is recommended to reduce annoying tape
noise, but overloaded and distorted tape could result if the level
is too high.
When using a Sony SLH tape, for example:
Adjust the recording level so that the needles of the VU meters
swing around the O VU reading and sometimes swing within red
zone. Continuous deflection within red zone will lead to distor-
tion. On the other hand, as for TC-766-2, when recording at 38
cm/s (15 ips), staying of the needies within red zone is still tolera-
ble, so make the needles swing around +3 VU and even go over
the scale for an instance at the sudden high level burst, as the
dynamic range becomes wider than that of 19 cm/s (7 1/2 ips).
=10 . =
+
oe, oe oe 3
3 0 +3
ae ; en oe oe ,
i
Too low level Too high level Proper level Proper level at
(S/N ratio will (Sound will be 38cm/s with
be poor.) distorted.) TC-766-2
But be cautious with peaks of short duration out of a relatively
low recording level ; as the needles of the VU meters cannot follow
them because of their inertia, they will show levels much smatler
than the actual levels (up to 12 or 14 dB).
Recording of FM broadcasts or discs is relatively simple because
broadcast stations and disc companies use standardized limiters
to reduce the dynamic range of the original sound source.
More care has to be taken in case of live recordings. The dynamic
range is undiminished by any limiter, and a small movement may
change the distance between sound source and microphone, thus
changing the signal level even when repeating an identical pas-
sage. Above all consideration has to be given to the fact that tape
saturation and distortion at higher frequencies occur at lower
levels, which may be especially troublesome in case of piano re-
cordings, etc. To make things even more complicated, microphone
amplifiers may overload. Using the MIC ATT switch is an effective
method. In any way, having acquired a little bit of experience, you
will be quite successful.
Do not change the recording level once the recording starts, as
this will easily be audible during playback, especially when the
stereo balance is changed. If adjustment becomes necessary, it is
advisable to wait until a break or a pause between movements oc-
curs or a soloist has finished his turn.

PLAYBACK
For TC-766-2, check the 2-track/4-track selector switch.
When playing back a 2-track-recorded, tape > left (2-track)
When playing back a 4-track-recorded tape — right (4-track)
@ TIMER switch — OFF
@ POWER switch — Depress to ON.
@ Thread a tape.
@ Tape counter — Reset to [0000].
@ REEL SIZE selector — Set to the reel diameter to be used.
@ TAPE SPEED selector — Set according to the speed when re-
corded.
@ MONITOR switch — TAPE
© Depress the » button.
Now playback starts.
@ When playback completes, depress the lf button.
@In playback, TAPE SELECT switches have no effect.
ERASING
When the tape deck functions in record mode, the erase head
operates and any previous material is erased automatically. To
erase the recorded contents without recording:
@Turn the REC LEVEL controls (both MIC and LINE) full counter-
clockwise to “O”.
@ Set the BIAS switch at the position appointed in page 8, or at
the HIGH position
And start the tape deck in record mode. ;
@For quick erasure, use a commercially available eraser.
10
TIMER-ACTIVATED RECORDING AND
PLAYBACK
Automatic recording and playback at any desired time is possible
using a commercially availabie timer. Continual operation may be
accomplished with a timer designed to turn the tape deck on and
off any number of times.
Recording
1. Set the tape deck TIMER switch to OFF.
2. Connect the tape deck power cord to the timer which has been
set for the desired time. ,
3. Perform the necessary steps for recording. (Be careful not to
depress the @ and > buttons.)
4. Set the tape deck TIMER switch to ON.
The tape deck is now ready for automatic start of recording at the
timer-set time. .
Playback F
Procedure is almost the same as that of recording.
@Be careful not to depress the REC MODE switches.
@Be sure to set the MONITOR switch to TAPE.
NOTE
@Read the instruction manual of the timer carefully before using
it.