AKAI 4000D PRO (1975) | Compact Pro

 

The 4000D-PRO is a unique and rare model among the highly popular 4000 series from Akai. A compact 38-2 track deck for active people, ideal for live recording. It is a common belief in the tape recorder world that a 38cm/s 2-track deck must be a three-motor machine to maintain its performance, but the 4000D PRO single-motor 38cm/s 2-track deck has challenged and broken this convention. With a newly developed mechanical quick tension mechanism that uses a motor to maintain a stable tape speed of 38cm/sec, a micron gap head that guarantees high quality sound, and a robust two-lever system that is easy to operate, this deck is equipped with features that only a specialist manufacturer like Akai can provide, and because it is a one motor unit, it is small and lightweight. It is the perfect deck for active people who travel from east to west in search of the best sources. As shown in the diagram below, two pulleys with different torques (A - strong torque, B - weak torque) are used, and the idler is instantly moved from A to B to switch the torque between two levels. That is, the moment the play mode is entered, the idler connects to pulley A and begins winding the tape with a large torque. After a few seconds, it moves to pulley B and returns to the appropriate torque for normal play. The vertical movement of this idler can be performed accurately and smoothly by the action of the oil damper, resulting in a stable running speed of 38cm/sec with one the motor. A 3-head system has been adopted for the head section, and dedicated heads are used for erasing, recording, and playback, enabling simultaneous monitoring during recording. The VU meter is also linked with the monitor switch and automatically changes to the input level and playback level of the program source. A 1 micron gap head is used for the head. Equipped with a 2-position tape selector, it provides optimum frequency compensation for both general low-noise tapes and wide-range tapes. The equalizer curve is set by selecting Scotch #211 as the reference tape in the low-noise position and selecting a low-noise tape sold by Akai in the wide-range. The deck comes packed in a easy-to-carry leather finished case with front lid and handle.

Specifications:

2-track 2-channel stereo system

Tape speed: 38cm/s, 19cm/s

Flutter 0,07% WRMS

Frequency range: 30-27.000Hz @ 38cm/s

Size (WxHxD) 420x325x212mm

Weight 13kg

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