Teac A 3300 S 2T reel-to-reel recorder. Vintage reel-to-reel recorder with 3 motors, 3 heads, 2 channels and 2 tracks. Year: 1973. Comes with a copy of the user manual in English.
A true TEAC classic, renowned for its superb build quality, ease of use and performance. This is the 2-track version operating at 15 / 7.5 IPS or 38 / 19 cm/s, which allows tape to be recorded in a single direction for superior studio-quality results.
A solid, well-built machine which, at the time, was created as a response to the renowned Revox A77. Just like the Swiss model, this A 3300S features a lightweight yet very sturdy aluminium alloy chassis, concealed by metal covers – not cheap cardboard as found on other brands, even those with a much higher original price tag. This is a professional machine that has everything it takes to excel in terms of sound quality too. It is equipped with 3 separate motors for the capstan and reels, and 3 heads for erasing, recording and playback.
The head uses a hyperbolic design that allows for sound recording and playback with less distortion right up to the high-frequency range, preventing the low-frequency range from being affected by the contour effect (shape effect). It features a front shield to prevent crosstalk from adjacent tracks and the influence of the transformer motor’s stray flux, and separation has been improved. A ferrite core is used for the eraser head and Litz wire for the winding. Furthermore, the push-pull oscillation circuit with margin ensures stable operation even for low-noise tapes with deep bias. The 3-head system, with separate recording and playback heads, allows simultaneous monitoring of the sound reproduced from the tape. The level meter also operates with the monitor switch to indicate the input level and playback level. The preamplifier’s equaliser stage consists of a 3-stage direct-coupled circuit combining NPN-PNP-NPN transistors. This circuit method is also applied to the line amplifier (2-stage) to achieve a stable dynamic range from high to low frequencies. Furthermore, the line amplifier has excellent linearity of over 25 dB from the tape’s rated output by optimally selecting the transistor’s operating point and carefully setting the level curve.
The microphone input and line input volumes are independent, making it possible to record mixed sounds. The bias and equaliser can be switched independently, allowing the tape’s performance to be enhanced.
The capstan motor is a 4-pole, 8-pole hysteresis synchronous motor with two speeds. The capstan shaft, with a diameter of 6 mm and a roundness error of 0.15 μm, and the dynamically balanced flywheel ensure stable tape tracking. The three motors are electrically connected via microswitches, relays and solenoids.
The panel frame is a combination of stainless steel and aluminium, and the side is a reinforced die-cast frame. To protect the tape, the brake mechanism consists of die-cast aluminium and special felt. It operates with a 6-pole voice coil motor driven at constant speed to provide balanced braking.
It features a voice coil selector that can switch simultaneously between tick-up tension and reverse tension depending on the tape size, and a headphone jack linked to the playback volume.
The recorder is in excellent condition, with very few cosmetic imperfections. The mains plug has been modified to a more common IEC standard as the original TEAC cables are no longer in production and, if found, are more expensive without offering any additional benefits. The tape heads have few hours of operation relative to the machine and performance is still up to standard. The tape reels and NAB adaptors shown are not included, but may be available on request.
This unit is universal; it can operate at 50/60 Hz and has a voltage selector on the rear with a range of 100–240 V. Set for 240 V supply.
The video shows a similar 4-track model, the A 3300 SX.
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