Sony SL-C9

FORMAT: Betamax DATE: 1982 PRICE: £700 [1994: £1200] xxcm

It is hard to believe that the C6 and the C9 came out at the same time. In fact, it is hard to believe that the C9 was from 1982 at all, given its slimline styling and sophistication, and with the re-emergence of silver as a popular colour for home electronics, the C9 could sit happily with a 1994 VCR. The age of the battleship VCR was over.

The machine excels in both its tape transport and its sound facilities. It could play at various speeds both faster and slower than normal, and in both directions - you could move the tape forwards or backwards at 1/2, 1/5, 1/10 speed, and even frame by frame in both directions. To achieve this precision in such a compact machine, the mechanics were unlike any other Betamax machine, with a three-head drum and a unique loading system which was a hybrid between C and M lacing.

The C9 was also the first to have stereo sound, splitting the normal linear sound track into two separate channels. The low tape speeds of home video, particularly Betamax, means that this linear stereo approach can never give true HiFi quality, but this was offset to a certain extent by the inclusion of a Noise Reduct ion system - not Dolby, but a similar idea. The two audio tracks could be adjusted, played back and audio-dubbed independantly, and the C9 could also accept PCM digital sound signals - though I suspect that few users could make use of this in 1982!

The combination of frame-accurate tape control and twin independant soundtracks make the C9 the first home "edit deck" - a machine with everything needed to edit your own tapes. The tape control simply improves editing accuracy and convenience, but the stereo soundtracks were revolutionary because they could be recorded separately. The original sound could be left on one, and sound effects or dialogue dubbed onto the other. On a monophonic machine, this is only possible by mixing in the effects "live", while the tape is being copied, or by producing a mixed tape and re-recording it over the original sound - with the problem of keeping the two in sync for the whole tape.

Other wonderful features of the C9 were an analogue tape-remaining gauge, a nine-event timer, and an advanced version of the C7's APS system which also allowed you to write and erase cue marks onto a tape wherever you liked. With all these features, and a styling which doesn't look out of place amongst modern equipment, it is not surprising that these machines are still in use by Beta fans today. A working C9 commands quite a high price, compared to other 1982 machines, but they are definitely worth having. Another classic, the SL-F1 separates system, was essentially a portable version of the C9. These are also still in use.

go to previous room	go to previous exhibit	return to current room	go to enquiry desk	return to main hall (home)	go to next exhibit	go to next room	follow tour