Tandberg TCD 3004

1 9 8 0 1980
1 9 8 3 1983

Big thing, eh ?
A real pity Tandberg didn't carry on - or couldn't compete with Nakamichi's "aura", Teac's rep', Sony's sales or Akai's quality...

The TCD 3004 sported two Tandberg patents (DYNEQ and ACTILINEAR) which both allowed for a better matching of the callibration, bias current and frequency response with the tapes. Dual-capstans, three heads, a dedicated calibration meter - and then some :
three motors for FF spooling, REW spooling and capstan drive plus one for the pinch-rollers and heads plate up/down movements (the "release" button activates that motor).

An optional remote-control could make things easier for the user, even if it necessitated a wired IR receiver (RC 20R) and a wireless IR transmitter (RC 20T) ; the RC 20R doubles up as timer switch.

Sign of the times, 19" rack adaptors could still perfect the super-studio looks of the TCD 3004 - but they were optional.
An "Indicator" single-digit LED is present to assert micro-processor faulty function or correct operation - strange.

Full-tilt boogie : the TCD 3004 also had a "Dolby FM" position - way too late after the train had (not) passed !

Shown here below is the TCD 3004 next to a TPT 3001 tuner, TCA 3002 preamplifier and TPA 3003 power amplifier. Impressive, isn't it ?


By the way, a later Tandberg, the TCD 3034, briefly saw a very strange ITT HiFi 3020 rebadge in Germany.

A somewhat slanted thread on audioasylum here, and a timeline of TCDs over here.

Tandberg TCD 3004, image 1 Tandberg TCD 3004, image 2 Tandberg TCD 3004, image 3
Tandberg TCD 3004 specifications
Title Value
Tape speed : 4,75cm/s
Speed accuracy : ± 0,5% maximum
Wow & flutter : < 0,12% (DIN 45500)
< 0,09% (WRMS, rec/play)
< 0,06% (WRMS, play)
Frequency response : 14Hz...22Khz (DIN 45500)
19Hz...21Khz (± 3dB)
Adjacent channel separation : 60dB (1Khz)
Adjacent track separation : 37dB (1Khz)
THD : < 1% (Type I / II / III ; 0dB VU)
< 3% (Type IV ; 0dB VU)
Erasing ratio : < 80dB (Type IV)
Inputs : 0,15mV...0,20mV / 800 Ohm (MIC)
80mV...8V / 200kOhm (line)
Outputs : 1,5V / 100 Ohm (line)
1,2V / 8 Ohm (headphones)
Dimensions : 43,5 x 22,9 x 14,9cm
Weight : 10,3kg.
page online since : november 2007
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