Rotel RD-20
Dolby B NR

The Rotel RD-20 is a stereo cassette deck with Dolby B noise reduction, it was introduced by Rotel in 1976 with a manufacturer suggested retail price of USD $400 and discontinued 5 years later in 1981.

The main features of the Rotel RD-20 cassette deck are: 2 heads, analog 3 digit tape counter and memory stop, manual tape type selection with support for normal, chrome and ferro-chrome tapes, belt driven single-capstan transport.

Typical of this deck is the 70's top loading layout with the cassette compartiment located on the left side of the deck. Tape eject is operated mechanically and the cassette needs to be placed with the side to be played facing forward in the cassette well.

Level meters used on the Rotel RD-20 cassette deck are analog needle VU reading meters with peak indicator for easy adjustment of optimum recording level. Mechanical transport controls for reliable Rotel RD-20 transport function selection. Cue and review can be used to easily and quickly locate the beginning of a passage.

The Dolby-B system reduces tape hiss on tapes recorded on the Rotel RD-20 by as much as 10 dB at the highest frequencies.

To make live recordings this deck has 2 microphone inputs to connect microphones with a jack connector. For undisturbed listening a jack connector for a pair of stereo headphones is supplied. Connection to other audio components for plaback can be achieved by a RCA cable and recording from a source by a RCA cable.

Compact Cassette
  • Super Hard Permalloy Head
  • Memory & Full Auto Stop

Historic events

1976 Elcaset audio format introduced by Sony as an improvement to compact cassettes.
1977 Tandy Radio Shack released its version of a personal home computer called the TRS-80.
1978 The first satellite in the modern Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) is launched.
1979 Philips introduced the Video 2000-system (also known as 'Video Compact Cassette' or VCC)
1980 Dolby C Noise Reduction introduced by Dolby Laboratories.
1981 Dave Smith proposes the Universal Synthesizer Interface that would become the MIDI standard in 1983.

Features of Rotel RD-20

Connectors
Connectivity
2 Mono Microphone Inputs RCA Input/Output Connectors DIN Input/Output Connector Headphones
Display
Display
3-Digıt Mechanical Counter Analog Needle Meters
Electronics
Electronics
Peak Limiter
Cassette Exterior
Exterior
Orientation Left Top Loading Black Finish
Compact Cassette
General
Stereo
Head Configuration
Head Configuration
2 Head Desiǥn 4 Track / 2 Channel
Indicators
Indicators
Record Peak Indicator Dolby B Tape Run Indicator Chrome Tape Ferro-Chrome Tape Normal Tape
Noise Resuction
Noise Reduction
Dolby-B Noise Reduction
Controls
Operation
Cue / Review Memory Stop Mechanical Transport Control
Power
Power Requirements
Alternating Current
Preamplifier
Preamplifier
Individual Output Level Controls Microphone Level Adjust (Left/Right) Individual Input Level Controls
Tape Speed
Speed
1⅞ ips - 4.76 cm/s
Tape
Tape
Manual Tape Type Selection Ferro-Chrome Tape Capabilıty Normal Tape Capabilıty Chrome Tape Capabilıty
Transport
Transport
Auto Shutoff Mechanical Tape Loading Sìngle Capsŧan Transport Belt Drive (Capsŧan)

Similar to Rotel RD-20 from the period 1976 - 1981