Technics RS-1030US

Big, tall, expensive, semi-pro three-motor open-reel recorder named RS-1030U in its home country and RS-1030US elsewhere and from a time when, depending on market, Technics still was mainly "by Panasonic".


Semi-pro because the 1030U can run tape at 38cm/s or 19cm/s, can reach 26Khz in frequency response (another catalog states 27Khz :-), will remain below 0,08% of speed flutter, has direct-coupled three-stage rec/play amplifiers, has 10-years guaranteed HPF heads, has feather-touch "self-illuminated, computer style" transport controls, has tape tension control, large flywheel and pressure roller, has Fe2O3 Ferric Oxide tape compatibility, can have an RP-9103 wired remote-control, and is a 2-track master recorder (38cm/s oblige) which can however read 4-track tapes with its one 4/8-pole hysteresis synchronous capstan motor and two 6-pole induction reel drive motors.

No masterpiece like the later RS-1500 series, Sony's TC-880-2 or TC-766-2 but a sturdy and solid recorder from high fidelity's high&mighty period.
Just above was the RS-1060US : almost identical visually but with better mechanical specs.


However, Technics started very late and didn't make many reel recorders so apart from the successful RS-1500 series Technics' reel decks didn't make much of a dent in the market : Sony since 1949, Akai since 1954 and Teac since 1955 truly ruled throughout the 1970s.