realistic & scott cassette decks-info?

ampegdan

Super Member
Hi all-
Well I've gone and done it again. Rescued two cassette decks from the SA store over the course of the week.:banana: First is a Realistic SCT-33, second is a Scott 610D. The Realistic claims to be a "double dolby" unit. Rrrrgh? Other than that, it's LED meters, silver face, logic circuit, etc. I know it's mid-fi but it's intriguing and I wanted one of these like hell back in the early 80's (always did have low expectations). It needs a belt job-are these ordered by size or application? Oh, and from where do you guys get them (I doubt R.S. still carries parts for it)?
The Scott is simplicity incarnate: silver face, single deck w/ Dolby, VU meters, works and sounds perfect. Got a busted lens on one of the VU meters (anyone..?) but other than that it's great. Never seen a Scott like this before-anybody got any views on this one or similar?
Thanks
Dan
 
Double Dolby would suggest two sets of Dolby processors -- i.e., a three-head deck, with separate playback and record Dolby circuits.

I might have info on the Scott at home... don't expect too much from it, though.
 
I own a Realistic SCT-33 cassette deck that I bought new back in the mid 80's. It is a 3 head, single capstan deck with Dolby B & C. With the right tape it makes excellent recordings. However it is overly sensitive to the brand of tape you use. I finnally got mine tweaked for Maxell XL-II and makes almost perfect copies of CD's. I use it regularly and the only problem I have had is a drive belt that I replaced a couple years ago.

Bill from Indy
 

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I have two of the SCT-21 Decks I got one for $.99 off ebay the shipping was $20.00!

along with that one came the origional box and manual. it has very similar spec's to the SCT-33 with fewer functions.

A decent deck I use it as a dedicated FM recorder for Rock line interviews and concert blocks from my local classic rock station. It just sits there with a good High Bias Maxel tape in it incase.

Do be careful when pushing down the piano keys my first one had the Play button broke still worked but a serious PIA to engage quickly.
 
Thanks guys-
The Realistic needs help, but the Scott works fine. Why? Because nobody has a Scott!!
I should also point out that the total expenditure for both decks was $6.00. Cheap fun and keeps you interested in something.......
Anyway, thanks for the information and advice
Dan
 
Wow, I bought one of those SCT-33s new for $250 when I was a kid in high-school! That was my first decent deck (3 heads, dolby C, ferrite heads, and a fine-bias control).

It was actually a pretty good machine. It was Radio Shack's TOTL machine around 1983 or so, and it retailed for $399. I'm pretty sure that it was made by Hitachi for Radio Shack, since Hitachi sold a virtually identical deck at the time.

Its biggest flaw was that it had only a single motor transport. But as my tastes got more sophisticated I found that I could no longer stand the flutter, which eventually became clearly audible to me. So I sold it to a buddy when I was in college.
 
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That explains its resemblence to my Hitachi TT. I don't know a lot about stuff like flutter so I guess I'll find out the hard way if it bothers me! It's going to be a secondary deck anyway if I get it straightened out-you don't replace a Marantz with a Realistic, I don't care how non-conformist you are. Just a cool period piece; my best friend thinks I'm still trying to improve my standard of living for the early 80's and y'know, he may be right.
Dan
 
Depending upon which Marantz model you have, this deck might actually be a superior unit. My ears are exceptionally flutter sensitive, so this was something that I simply couldn't live with. But the odds are that your marantz wouldn't live up to my very high expectations either. Heck, even my Nak Dragon just barely lives up to my very-high expectations, and it has the lowest flutter that I am aware of out of any cassette deck ever made.

Otherwise, that is a really a pretty decent sounding deck. The ferrite heads on this unit are extremly long lived, and that will give it superior HF response for years. From what I remeber of its specs, it's frequency response was 20-20kHz with Normal bias tape, and it was even better with chrome and metal tape, and that is doing VERY well for any cassette deck!

However, the flutter really isnt any worse than on most cassette decks. But when compared to a good Nakamich, or other really good two-motor, closed-loop designs, it will definitely be inferior. To me that deck was the poor mans version of the HK CD491, which was the machine that I really lusted for back then, but could not afford.
 
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Hell, I'm half deaf anyway from the aforementioned Ampegs so I probably won't notice. That's the nice thing about hearing loss; mid-fi and hi-fi sound like "mud-fi" anyway. And why have 20K Hz response if it's only gonna set off the tinnitus? I'm not cheap, I'm just, uh, "Realistic". Yeah, that's the ticket.
Whatwuzzat?
Dan
ps the Marantz is an SD-156
 
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