Category:Yauza 209

English: The Yauza 209 was a Soviet 4-track stereo reel-to-reel recorder introduced in 1980. The tape transport dates back to the 1960 Yauza-5 model, with many minor improvements. It is distinctly different from the standardized Soviet transport used by Mayak, Yupiter and other brands in the same price bracket. The motor is a low-noise, fixed-speed asynchronous type. There is only one driving belt (the other belt drives the tape counter); the critical motor-to-capstan coupling is via a rubberized idler. Instead of moving the (other) idler and brake pads to/from the spools, the mech moves the spools relative to the idler and brake pads which are fixed. It certainly works, and there's far less things that may go wrong. The electronics leave a lot to be desired, though.