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Oberheim OB - XA - Owners Manual
Oberheim OB - XA - Owners Manual
POLYPHONIC SYNTHESIZER
OWNERS MANUAL
-- -- .
'
-- -- - -
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - - --- - ----- -- --
rei n or
CAUTION:
no t expose thi s app lia nce to
do
ard
haz
ck
sho
or
e
fir
t
To Pre ven
mo ist ure .
and if
WARNING:
use s rad io fre qu enc y ene rgy e wi th
anc
This equipment ge ne rat es and
ord
rly , i.e ., in str ict acc
not ins tal led and used pro pecaus e harmful int erf ere nc e to rad io
the ins tru cti on manual, mayn tes ted and found to comply with the
com mu nic ati ons . It has bee ing de'v ice per s uan t to Su bp art J of
lim its for a Cla ss A comput
ign ed to pro vid e rea son abl e
des
are
ich
wh
,
les
Ru
FCC
of
Pa rt 15
ere nc e when op era ted in a
pro tec tio n ag ain st such int erf
commercial env iro nm ent .
ely to
in a res ide nti al are a is lik
Op era tio n of thi s equipment cas e the use r at his own expense wi ll
cau se int erf ere nc e in which measures may be req uir ed to co rre ct
be req uir ed to tak e wh ate ver
the int erf ere nc e.
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-- -
--- -- -- --- -
- -- - -- --
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-- -- ---PAGE
SECTION
. .
INTRODUCTION ... ... . . ... ..
. . . .. .. . . ..
. . . . . 2
. . . . . . . . . . . .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
UP
NG
I
SE TT
.
.,
Xa
08THE
IDE
INS
S
AT'
WH
6
.. ... .. .. .. .. ... .. . .. . 6
..
.
...
...
..
LS
TRO
CON
EL
PAN
FRONT
8
Manual Se cti on
9
Con t rol Se cti on
Modulation Se cti on
10
11
Os cil lat ors Sec tio n
12
Fil ter Se cti on
13
Envelopes Sec tio n
ubles)
Keyboard Sec tio n (S pli ts and Do
15
16
Programming Sp lit s and Doubles
Modulation Panel
.. .. .. .. ... .. ... ... .. 17
...
...
.
...
...
S
ION
T
NEC
CON
17
REAR PANEL
18
Audio Outputs
uts
18
Ca sse tte Int erf ace Inp uts /O utp
19
Foot Switches
19
Foot Ped als
19
Comput er Int erf ace
Power
20
... ... . .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. ... 20
.
..
.
...
...
ACE
ERF
INT
TE
CASSET
20
Ca sse tte Int erf ace Connect i ons
21
Ca sse tte Int erf ace Co ntr ols
23
Tra nsf err ing Data
er Err ors
Po ssi ble Causes of Data Tra nsfes on the 08- Xa/120
24
Pla yin g 08-Xa/32 and OB-X Tap
.. .. ..
INSIDE CONTROLS . .. .. .. ..
... . .. .. . . . .. .. . 25
Opening The Un it
Memory Pro tec t Switch
Pan Po ts
Voice Ki ll Sw it ches
Te st Switches
.. .. .. .. .. .
SPECIFICATIONS . .. .. .. ... .
25
25
26
26
26
.. . .. ... 27
---
--- -- ---
------ ------~------
----- - - - --~
INTRODUCTION
CONGRATULATION S !
You have just purchased a most powerfu l t ool for synthes izer
perform ance and composi tion.
The Oberheim OB-Xa/120 Polyphonic Synt hesizer is the latest result
of the evolutio nary philosop hy of product development at Oberheim
Electro nics. The 08-Xa is an update of the 08-X, which was
origina lly introduc ed in June 1978. Since the introdu ction of the
08-Xa in December 1980 , numerous changes and improvements have
been made. These include the expansio n of program memory from 32
Programs to 120 Programs; doubling of the Split and Double
Program s; the addition of Square Wave Modulati on with t he
modulat ion lever; a quieter output section ; an improved Auto~Tune
circuit whi ch will turn off out-of- tune voices ; improved Cassette
Interfa ce ; and the latest update , the addition of several
Portame nto modes, which present addition al new possib ilities for
sound composi tion .
The 08-Xa is complemented by the DSX Digital Polypho nic Sequenc er,
which stores notes and patch changes in much the same way that the
08-Xa stores sounds, digital ly .
In fact, the 08-Xa is a complete microcomputer system, with
micropr ocessor , memory, cassette data storage , and most of all,
the computer program or "softwa re". Yet the 08- Xa has been
designed to be used by the beginnin g and profess ional synthes ist
alike .
So , work with your new synthes izer; experim ent with it . You ' ll
find that the 08-Xa gives you more control over your sound than
ever before.
And isn't more control what synthes izers are all about?
FIITER
MA NU AL
CO NT RO L
MO DU LA TIO N
of low
LFO RATE: Conlrols frequency and wave lorm
frequency osci llator.
ns of
FREQUENCY: Controls amounl and destinatio
n.
ulatio
mod
frequency
ns ol
PULSE WIDTH: Conlrols amount and dcslinalio
on.
ulati
mod
pulse widlh
filler.
FILTER: Controls frequency and reso nance of
OSC-1:
OSC-2 HALF /FULL: Mixes sound sources
NOISE:
filler.
FOUR POLE: Selecls either two-pole or four-pole
filler
lhe
lo
ge
volta
rol
TRACK: Applies the keyboard cont
frequency.
OSCILLATORS
ENVELOPES
I
l
i
i
I
I
110DULATION
PANEL
Conlrols Pilch Bend,
Vibralo and
Transposilion.
I
l
I
I
KEYBOARD
PR OG RA MM ER
ut
MANUAL: Allows panel conlrols to operate wilho
program.
GROUP /PROGRAM: Selects patches, SPLITand
DOUBLE programs.
rams
WRITE: Stores patches, SPLIT and DOUBLEprog
in memory.
CA SS ET TE
me active
The CHECK, PLAY and RECORD switches beco
l is in lhe
when the ENABLE ON switch on the rear pane
ON posilion.
CHECK: Checks cassette data.
PLAY: Plays dala from tape inlo memory.
RECORD: Records data Imm memory onto tape.
------------------------------ -------------------------------------------1)
2)
3)
4)
on t he r ear pane l is
Firs t, make sure the 115/230 Voltage swit ch
set for the loca l AC power;
Apply power and plug i nto your so und system ;
Pres s "AUTO" to t une all of the osc illa tors ;
P (A thru D, or any
Sele ct a programmed so und by pres sing a GROU
combina tion ) and a PROGRAM (1 thru 8);
5)
l.
Set the VOLUME cont rol to an appr opri ate leve
6)
Play !
-- -- --
-- --..-
USING THE PROGRAMMER/ WRITING PROGRAMS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------New, modif ied, or even existi ng programs can be writte n into the 08Xa's memory . This is done with the follow ing proced ure:
Press and hold WRITE and wait for the WRITE light to come on ;
1)
2)
3)
The write opera tion actua lly occurs when the WRITE switch is being
WRITE
presse d at the same time a PROGRAM switch is presse d, with the
in
later
sed
light on. Programming SPLIT combi nation s will be discus
this manual.
**NOTE**
Programs will not be record ed if the PROTECT switch
inside the unit is on (see MEMORY PROTECT SWITCH,
page 25) .
MOVING PROGRAMS
Occas ionall y it may be desira ble to move a complete program from one
the
program memory locati on to anothe r . To do this, simply selec t progra
m
new
d
desire
the
into
write
then
and
program you wish to move,
locati on , as descri bed above.
_..
___ - --- - -
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OBXt. JOice
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Noise
Source
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Noi~L
____ __
co
Frequency
Pulsewidth
vco 1
Select
Pulse/Saw
osc 1
: ~ Sync
Frequency
Pulsewidth
Select
Pulse/Saw
VCF's
VCA
Hall
~ -- - L..-- - -----+
-.
Full
Modulation
Amount
~ VC0 2
LOUDNESS ENVELOPE
FILTER ENVELOPE
: F-Env.
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ro
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Ii Ii Ii II
- ,_
,
[
j
ll
Upper Synthesizer
f-+
LFO & Conlrols
I
I
Voice 6
-
I
I
Voice 5
Voice 7
Voice 8
I
I
I
I
(I)
&O L
~o
0... 0 R
~
OSX
Other Peripheral
Computer
<===::>
Interface
ODD O
(I)
(I)
Q)
a
0
Keyboard Voice
CV's & Gates
rn
DD DDDD
--
Voice 1
~
Lower Synthesizer
LFO & Controls
f-+
I
I
Voice 2
Voice 3
I
I
I
I
Voice 4
-
(I)
~o
~o
0... 0
Lett Output
Mono Output
Right Output
CHORD
--------------------------------------------------------------- ----------PORTAMENTO
--PORTAMENTO MODES-In newer tOB-Xa 's ( after serial number 820818), the HOLD and CHORD
switches are used in conjunction with the WRITE switch to select the
Portamento Modes:
HOLD
CHORD
The Portamento is set to LINEAR WITH OFFSET when the 08-Xa is first
turned on. The Portamento Offset or Quantizing may be changed at
anytime, however mode changes are not programmable. Also, if a mode is
changed while a chord is being held, the chord being held will be
cancelled.
UNISON
OSC 2 DETUNE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------THE LOW FRE QUENCY OSCILLATOR (LFO ) is used for modulation at low
frequenc ies --that is, frequenci es below the range of hearing . If you were
t o listen to the LFO directly, you would not hear anything ; however by
cont rol ling t he freq uency or pulse width of an oscillato r or filter, the
effect of the LfO becomes apparent .
--LFO-This contr ol determine s the SPEED of modulatio n. The range
is from approxim ately 1/10 oscillati on per second to 20
oscillati ons per second.
RATE
When switched on, sel ects sine wave modulation from the LFO.
This causes a smooth rising and falling of pitch of the
oscillato rs or filter during frequency modulation or smooth
changing of the pulse width during pulse width modulatio n.
SQUARE
S/H
When switched on, selects a random output from the LFO . This
produces a sequence of random pitches during frequency
modulation of oscil lators or fil ter, or a sequence of random
pulse widths during pulse width modulatio n.
DEPTH
DSC 1
DSC 2
FILTER
osc
osc
OSCILLATORS SECTION
------------------The controls in
the sound.
l FREQUENCY
SAW/PULSE
WAVEFORM
PULSE WIDTH
SYNC
F-ENV
2 FREQUENCY
SAW/PULSE
WAVEFORM
10
.-.
-----
---- .. -- -. -
.. -
----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------l the
The Voltag e Contr olled Low Pass Filter s (VCF) are used to contro
")
"buzz
(the
ncies
bright ness of the sound , filter ing O\Jt the higher freque
ant
mport
i
most
in a very contr ollabl e manner . The Filter is arguab l y the l of the timbre ,
compon ent in a synth esizer , because i t is the primary contro
or tone color of the sound . Because of this, each voice of the OB-Xa
conta ins two filter s, a 2-Pole and a 4-Pole . In the OB-Xa, the Filter
are used
Sectio n also selec ts the sound so ur ces (Osci llator s and Noise) that
in the patch .
Thi s contro l sets the i nitial cut-of f freque ncy of the
FREQUENCY
Filter .
RESONANCE
MODULATION
DSC 1
DSC 2
HALF /F.ULL
NOISE
4-POLE
TRACK
11
- ...
__. -
.....
---- - - ----
--
________ ..______ _
--------------
The Envelope Genera tors contro l the timing of the sound. It is the
Envelo pes that make a long sound long, and a short sound short . . For
.
exampl e, the differe nce between a crestin g ocean wave, and an explos ionthe
ls
There are two envelo pes on each voice of the 08-Xa; one that contro
Filter for timbra l contro l, and one that contro ls the Voltag e Contro lled
Amplif ier (VCA) for loudne ss contro l.
---FILTER ENVELOPE--ATTACK
DECAY
SUSTAIN
RELEASE
When the F-ENV switch is on, the Filter Envelope modulates OSC 2 as
well as the FILTER. The pitch of OSC 2 will direct ly corresp ond to the
will
shape of this Envelope. The ATTACK determ ines how fast OSC 2's pitch
the
to
pitch
in
se
decrea
will
2
OSC
rise, the DECAY determ ines how fast
2
level set by the SUSTAIN contro l, and the RELEASE determ ines how fast OSC
TION
MODULA
The
d.
release
will decreas e in pitch after a note has been
contro l in the Filter Section will contro l the range of the effect of the
Filter Envelope on both the Filter as well as Oscill ator 2.
12
- .. - -- --
..
_. -
- -
----------------------------------------------------------------
--
----
---LOUDNESS ENVELOPE- -The Attack sectio n of the envelope opera tes as soon as a
key is presse d on the keyboard. This contro l sets the time
the sound takes to get to its maximum loudne ss . The
short est time is select ed by settin g the ATTACK cont rol
fully count er- clockw ise.
ATTACK
DECAY
SUSTAIN
RELEASE
-----------------------------------The
KEYBOARD sectio n contro ls the
13
..____.... ..... ..
-- .
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS I KEYBOARD SECTION
----------------------------------------------------- ------------ -----------The KEYBOARD SECTION contro ls opera te indivi dually and in combination
s:
with each other to produce ten differ ent functi ons with just fo ur button
FUNCTION
BUTTONS
DESCRIPTION
Enter
Split Mode
SPLIT
Enter
Double Mode
DOUBLE
Change
Split Point
SPLIT
(hold down)
KEY (on the
keybo ard )
Displa y
Lower Program
LOWER
Displa y
Upper Program
UPPER
------------
SPLIT or
DOUBLE (hold)
LOWER (hold)
KEY (on the
keyboard )
Change Upper
Transp osit i on
SPLIT or
DOUBLE (hold )
UPPER (hold )
KEY (on the
keyboard )
-------------------------------------------------------------------- -----The Modulation Panel is located just to the left of the keyboard. It
contains a separate LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR (LFO) with sine, sawtooth, and
square waveforms which can be assigned to one or both Oscillators. It also
contains a PITCH BEND LEVER which can be used to bend Oscillator 2 or both
Oscillators up or down an octave or a major second. The functions of the
Modulation Panel are not programmable.
When in the SPLIT or DOUBLE mode, the Modulation Panel can be assigned
to either or both halves of the keyboard (see "KEYBOARD SECTION").
-- LFO CONTROLS -RATE
This controls the rate of the LFO. The r ate can be adjusted
from about .1 Hz to 20 Hz. The waveform of the LFO is a sine
wave when this knob is pushed in, and a sawtooth wave when it
is pulled out. A square wave can be obtained by pushing and
holding the bend lever towards the rear (away from you),
while at the same time pulling up on the RATE knob.
DEPTH
DSC l
MODULA.I ION
LEVER
osc 2
16
----------------------------------------------------------------
------
OSC 2 ONLY
When this switch is on, the PITCH BEND lever bends only
Oscillator 2 of each voice. When this switch is off, the
BEND LEVER bend both Oscillator of each voice.
Bending only Oscillator 2 has an interesting, timbral effect
on programs i n which Oscillator 2 is in SYNC .
NARROW
DOWN & UP
LOWER &
17
..
I
STEREO OUTPUTS
TO CASSETIE RECORDER
(for storing programs)
115-230
VOLTAGESELECT
TO
Aux. In
MONO OUTPUT
FROM
Ext. Spkr.
OUT
TO
TO
FOOTSWITCH FOOTPEDAL
S-OBX
P-OBX
TO AC POWER
-.....___
- ..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------AUDIO OUTPUTS
-------------
LEFT/RIGHT
MONO
CASSETTE INTERFACE
MONITOR
TO MIC INPUT
TO AUX INPUT
TO OUTPUT
ENABLE
Turning this switch "ON" (away from the audio output jacks)
enables the cassette interface. All normal operations on the
instrument are turned off at this time.
FOOT SW ITCHES
The Foot Switch inputs are designed for use witn the Model S-OBX Foot
Switch. The S-OBX contains a momentary, normally open switch.
SUSTAIN
PROGRAM
ADVANCE
-------------------------------------------------------------
----
HOLD
LIGHTS
A B C D
GROUP
NO .
----------
*
* *
10
11
12
13
14
15
* *
* * *
LIGHTS
A B C D
---------*
*
* *
*
*
*
* *
* * *
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
The Hold switch functions exactly like the HOLD button on the
front panel, and will cause the HOLD light to light when in
use.
FOOT PEDALS
The Pedal inputs are designed for use with the Model P-OBX Foot Pedal .
The P-OBX contains a 50 K Ohm l inear potentiometer wi th its wiper connected
to the signal lead of the jack and the "off" or most counter-clockwise
connection connected to the ground lead of the jack . The wiper must make
contact with the ground terminal when t he foot pedal is in the completely
"off " position. The third potentiometer connection is not used .
VIBRATO
FILTER
COMPUTER JNTERFACE
The Computer Inter f ace connector is used to interface the OBXa to the DSX Digital Polyphonic Sequencer, or other computer
peripherals . This connector contains all of the
communication lines for t he OB-Xa 1 s microprocessor .
POWER
115/230
AC RECEPTACLE
19
..
CASSETTE INTERFACE
--------------------
----------------------------REAR PANEL-CASSETTE
ENABLE-
CASSETTE
MONITOR
RECORD
PLAY
CHECK
20
---.---- .. -- - '
2)
3)
Press the RECORD switch on the tape recorder. You should now
hear a steady tone through the main outputs of the OB-Xa.
4)
Press the RECORD switch on the 08-Xa (it shares a button with
the WRITE switch). After the RECORD switch is pressed, ten
seconds of the steady "leader" tone will be sent out followed
by sixteen seconds of the actual memory information. During
these twenty-six seconds, the light on the RECORD switch will
be on.
2)
3)
Press the PLAY switch on the tape recorder. You will now be
able to monitor the tape through the main outputs of the 08Xa.
4)
5)
21
TH E OB -X a/1 20
FACTORY PATCH DIR EC TO RY
Progra m
1
Brass
Ensemble
Clavinet
Low
Strings
Electric
Piano
Rotary
Organ
Flutes
Harpsichord
Rock
Unison
French
Horn s
Celeste
High
Strings
Electronic
Piano
Pipe
Organ
Xa
Chorus
Harp
I
Calliope
AB
Trumpe t
Ensemble
Harmonica
Strings
I
Accordion
Filter
Drone
Bag
Pipes
Banjo
Rush
Rezz
Trump ets
Mellow
Wow
Slow
Strings
Resona nce
Sweep
Combo
Organ
Double
Reed
Farr's
Funk
Pizzi cato
AC
Modern
Horns
Bass
I
4-Pole
Strings
Reed
Piano
Pere
Organ
Sax
Harp
II
Orient
Unison
BC
Tropical
Horns
Rubber
Clav
Strings
II
Edge
Piano
Hymn
Organ
Recorder
Long
Chimes
Unison
Fear
ABC
Comp
Horns
Bells
Strings
Reed
Organ
Vocal
Wow
Marimb a
Terror
111
Soft
Piano
F-Env
Horns
S/H
Fifths
Poly
Port
Steel
Drums
Square
Mod
Comp
Synth
Unison
Port
Delay
Mod
AD
Tenth
Decay
Sitar
Fiddle
Pulse
Comp
PW
Rezz
Comed y
Comp
Jazz
Solo
Earthquake
BO
S/H Port
Rezz
Conga
Strings
IV
Funk
Keys
Organ
Tremolo
Rezz
Box O'
Pups
Martian
Hop
Claps
Solo
Strings
Tuned
Bees
Rezz
Reeds
Three
Way
Percussion
Chopp er
Carillon
CD
lo
S/H
PW
Strings
V
Clarinet .
Bright
Drone
Solo
Unison
Cl aves
Jet
ACD
Water
Wiggle
Water
Piano
Slower
Strings
Flangeq
Piano
Space
Bugs
Taped
Voices
Thunder
Pong
ABO
BCD
ABCD
'
..
2)
3)
4)
5)
Press the CHECK switch on the tape recorde r. You will now be
able to monitor the tape through the main outputs of the 08 Xa.
As soon as the "leader 11 tone is heard, press the CHECK i:,witch
on the 08 -X a (it shares a button with the MANUAL switch )
As with the PLAY switch, at least three seconds of "leader"
tone must follow pressing the switch and precede the rough
sound of the memory informa tion. The CHECK light will be on
during the receptio n of the leader tone and the GROUP lights
will sequenc e, just as during the PLAY operatio n, however no
actual informa tion transfe r into memory takes place.
**NOTE**
Once the leader tone has started the cassette
However,
interfac e must complete its cycle .
cancel
may
you
started
before the leader tone has
.
CHORD
the cassette operatio n by pressing
22
If errors are found during the play or check process, the CHECK light
will flash, or the A, B, C, or D lights will stay on. If this happens, one
of the following reasons might be responsible:
A)
8)
The playback volume is too high or too low. Some trial and
error may be required. Generally the best level is as high
as possible before distorion occurs (approximately 3/4 of the
way up). If the playback volume very low, the 08-Xa will not
acknowledge the data at all.
C)
D)
E)
The tape recorder may have too much Wow and Flutter. Listen
to the tone that precedes the data. A lot of wavering is an
indication that the tape playback suffers from a lot of Wow
and Flutter.
F)
G)
23
------ ------------------------------------------ ---------------------------Older OB-Xa casset tes (32 Programs) as well as 08-X cassett es are
compa tible with the OB-Xa/1 20. When playing OB-X tapes into the OB- Xa/120
the GROUP lights will cycle once only, the transfe rred programs will appear
in the first four groups ( "A", "B", "AB", & "C"), and the programs in theinto
remain ing eleven groups will be unchanged . When playing OB-Xa/ 32 tapes
the OB-Xa/120, the GROUP lights will cycle twice, and again the transf erred
programs will appear in the first four groups . The split and double
programs will ALL become splits and appear in the eight split program and
locatio ns. The eight double locatio ns as well as groups "AC", "BC",
"ABC" will become filled with random data ( weird sounds or no sound at all),
but the other eight groups will remain unchanged. After transfe rring older
tapes, the power should be turned off and then on again for proper
operat ion .
OB-Xa/1 20 tapes may be played on OB-Xa/ 32's and OB-X's as well,
althoug h only the first 32 programs ("A", "B", "AB", & "C" ) will be
transf erred.
OB-Xa programs contain ing F-ENV will play on OB- X's as X-MOD and vice
versa; simila rly, 4-POLE on an 08-Xa will appear on an 08-X as HALF NOISE.
24
INSIDE CONTROLS
--------------
--
-----
---------
-----To operate
3)
When finished inside the unit, close the cover and replace the end
bell screws.
2)
3)
4)
To allow program changes, position the switch away from the front
of the 08-Xa.
5)
25
PROTECT
r (l)
~
(S)
PROTECT SWITCH
To protect programs, position the switch toward the front of
the OB-Xa.
To allow program changes. position the switch away from
the front of the OB-Xa.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------The 08-Xa comas from the factory with Voices 1-4 panned all the way to
the left and Voices 5-8 panned all the way to the right. Each of the
voices can be panned anywhere in the stereo outputs by setting the pan
pots located inside the unit. Use the following procedure :
1)
2)
Each voice has its own pan pot, located on the right-han d side of
each of the two mother boards. To gain access to the lower voices
tray, disconne ct the cable connectin g th e two mother boards,
remove the three screws holding down the upper voices tray, and
tilt it into a vertical position;
3)
4)
Set Voi ce l Pan Pot as desired, sequence to Voice 2 and set its
Pan Pot, and repeat for Voices 3 and 4;
5)
Return the upper voice tray to its normal position, secure with
the screws, r econnect the cable, and set the remaining Pan Pots as
described above.
TEST 2
-.---.. --....
-,. -
SPECIFICATIONS
- -- -
------------------
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Stereo and Mono signal outputs (Output Level: 1 Volt peak to peak,
75K Ohms Impedance)
Cassett e Interfac e inputs and outputs
Computer Interfac e (Paralle l Interfac e)
I
I
27