Sharp RT-12
Dolby B NR Soft Touch Metal Tape

This Sharp RT-12 is a stereo cassette deck with Dolby B noise reduction, it was first sold by Sharp in 1981 with a list price of USD $160 and discontinued 4 years later in 1985.

The main features of the Sharp RT-12 cassette deck are: 2 heads, mechanical 3 digit tape counter, manual tape type selection and capable of handling normal, chrome and metal tapes, belt driven single-capstan transport.

Typical front loading cassette deck 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 Sharp RT-12 cassette deck are generic digital peak reading meters. Soft-touch controls for fast and easy transport function selection of the Sharp RT-12 cassette deck.

The Dolby-B system reduces tape hiss on tapes recorded on the Sharp RT-12 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
  • Metal
  • Full Auto Stop

Historic events

1981 Dave Smith proposes the Universal Synthesizer Interface that would become the MIDI standard in 1983.
1982 Seiko introduced the world’s first TV watch.
1983 The Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) is introduced at the first North American Music Manufacturers (NAMM) show in Los Angeles.
1984 The first episode of the Miami Vice television crime drama series, premiered on NBC.
1985 Sony and Philips produced the standard for Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) computer discs that would use the same laser technology as the audio CD.

Features of Sharp RT-12

Connectors
Connectivity
2 Mono Microphone Inputs RCA Input/Output Connectors Headphones
Display
Display
3-Digıt Mechanical Counter Digital Peak-Reading Meters
Cassette Exterior
Exterior
Silver Finish Orientation Left Front Loading
Compact Cassette
General
Stereo
Head Configuration
Head Configuration
2 Head Desiǥn 4 Track / 2 Channel
Indicators
Indicators
Power
Noise Resuction
Noise Reduction
Dolby-B Noise Reduction
Controls
Operation
Soft Touch Transport Control
Preamplifier
Preamplifier
Individual Input Level Controls
Tape Speed
Speed
1⅞ ips - 4.76 cm/s
Tape
Tape
Normal Tape Capabilıty Manual Tape Type Selection Chrome Tape Capabilıty Metal Tape Capabilıty
Transport
Transport
Auto Shutoff Sìngle Capsŧan Transport Belt Drive (Capsŧan) Mechanical Tape Loading

Similar to Sharp RT-12 from the period 1981 - 1985