Tandberg 10X (ca. 1977)
The Tandberg 10X is a three-motor, four-head open-reel tape recorder. It joined the 10XD and 3500X in Tandberg's lineup around 1977. Modern Recording (July 1977, p.30) reported its introduction and noted it used Cross-Field bias. That was a Tandberg hallmark that improved high-frequency response and reduced distortion. The same article positioned the 10X as a new addition alongside the existing 10XD and 3500X models.
Studio Sound (November 1977, p.18) listed the key specifications: three speeds, four heads, separate A and B monitoring, a frequency response of 30-22,000 Hz ±3 dB at 7½ ips, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 64 dB (IEC A-curve). The deck also let the user monitor the tape during fast winding, a practical feature for professional and serious amateur use.
The 10X appears to have sat alongside the more fully featured 10XD, which offered electronic transport control and remote capability. It was likely a somewhat simplified or lower-cost sibling in Tandberg's Series 10 family. Surviving documentation is thin. The model is rarely listed in period equipment directories, and little detailed information beyond these contemporary reviews has been preserved.
Known specifications from period sources:
- Type: Three-motor, four-head open-reel tape recorder
- Speeds: Three speeds (including 7½ ips)
- Heads: Four
- Motors: Three
- Frequency response: 30–22,000 Hz ±3 dB at 7½ ips
- Signal-to-noise ratio: 64 dB (IEC A-curve)
- Bias system: Cross-Field
- Monitoring: A and B, with tape monitoring during fast winding
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