The I.Q. & the E.Q.
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All you ever wanted to know about the Logic control & EQualizers in Personal Stereos
All you ever wanted to know about the Logic control & EQualizers in Personal Stereos
Hello everyone, I have always been fascinated with Equalizers, and the Feather touch feature especially on Aiwa's HS-G08 MY first Walkman. In this article, I will talk about EQualizers and IQ - Logic control.
There are two necessities in life: Food and Music. People can't live without them. We all like to eat; some like simple food while others fancy Gourmet food, But undoubtedly most of us can't eat the food if it is plain and simple, i.e. the natural way. Hence, we all like to season our food. We add a dash of salt here, and a pinch of pepper there, for the most enjoyable moment.
Hi-Fidelity is very similar to gourmet food. One of the factors of Hi-Fi sound is its clarity, but clarity alone is not enough. We also need the heart of sound – the bass! Without the bass, the music will sound flat with no presence, no drama, and no excitement. With the proper bass, the music will come alive and you will feel its presence. Think of it as having a nice quiet dinner with an excellent bottle of wine or a good beer.
With a Good Hi-Fidelity system, you will get the perfect combination of heart and soul. For most people, when you season your food you will add some salt (the Highs), and others like to add pepper (the Bass). In most Hi-Fi systems you will find a dial for the Highs - "Treble" and a dial for the Lows - "Bass". But some people require more spices in their food, ie their music. Hence, they will use a Graphic Equalizer.
Graphic Equalizers and what they can do for You
The human ear can hear frequencies from about 20 Hz all the way up to 20,000 Hz. Our stereo system, to a greater or lesser degree, produces these sounds with some limitations. There are three ways to manipulate sound in classic stereo systems: Loudness, Bass & treble, and Graphic Equalizer.
Loudness
Loudness is usually a single switch, to boost the lows and highs at the same time without the ability to control them individually. It boosts the bass and treble indiscriminately from the midrange down or from the midrange up. Each actually affects about 20~30% of the entire frequency spectrum. However, the ear does not perceive sound linearly as the volume is increased or decreased. As volume level decreases, the lowest and some of the higher frequencies appear to drop off sooner than mid frequencies. Therefore loudness equalization was created to boost the high and low frequencies at lower volume levels, to compensate for that loss.
Bass and Treble
The bass and treble controls are essentially a 2 band equalizer. The bass control is usually set to vary the level of audio in the low range - a band of frequencies centered around 100 Hertz. The treble control acts similarly but its band is centered around 10,000 Hertz in the higher range. As the level of the control is increased or decreased, the band of affected frequencies generally widens or narrows.
Most Low budget players will use the bass (100hz) and treble (10Khz) controls as their main tone control. In most players, 100hz is not rich enough to add excitement to your music. In others, distortion may occur. To extend the experience, some players will use Super Bass or Bass Extender (50Hz). Essentially, Super Bass is a control that emphasizes very low bass sound, with the effect greatest around the 50Hz point. As a result, Super Bass delivers deep, rich bass with a minimum of distortion or distracting equalization variations.
Graphic Equalizers - "GEQ"
A Graphic equalizer can make your portable stereo sound the best and apart from the rest. The graphic equalizer gets its name simply because its sliders will shape a graphic form of the audio output. The equalizer gives you the ability to control individually different parts of the frequency spectrum. This control lets you adjust the sound to maximize your listening experience. Basic GEQs have low frequencies, mid-range frequencies, and high frequencies.
A basic 3-Band equalizer gives you the ability to control the bass, mid-range, and treble. Low frequencies are adjusted by the bass (100Hz) – usually, its sliders are on the left. The Midrange frequencies are adjusted by the mid (1.0 KHz) – usually, its sliders are in the center, and the higher frequencies are adjusted by the treble (10 KHz) – usually, its sliders are on the right.
A 5-Band equalizer gives you more control with added frequencies (100HZ, 330HZ, 500HZ, 3.3 KHz, and 10 KHz).
Graphic Equalizers are really just a series of 5 or 10-volume controls. Each equalizer volume control affects only one area of the whole frequency spectrum. Each of the sliders boosts or cuts a small section of the audio spectrum at a predetermined frequency. The GEQ is an important tool for enthusiasts or audiophiles, generally used for emphasizing or reducing audio sounds, instruments, and/or voices.
The biggest problem with a personal stereo player is usually the headphones. (for reference see my post; "Is it all in your Headphones") If they're cheap, they tend to lack the ability to reproduce bass or highs. With the aid of an equalizer, you can make your headphones ideal, and you can compensate for a 125 Hz boom, or for a loss of high end. In addition to restoring impact and drama to your music, you can easily adjust all the frequency bands to increase excitement; dramatic intensity, and openness this will make you're listening more enjoyable and attractive. If your low bass is down 3 to 6 dB, you'll miss the excitement, warmth, and fullness of strong bass. By increasing the signal with an equalizer, you're reviving inadequate recordings or reproduction. To compensate for poor earphones or headphones,most people will use the famous smiley face curve.
The smiley face curve
The smiley face curve could give you more bass and treble response from headphones that didn't extend as low or as high as desired, especially in the 1980s electronic music era. In general, from 1984 to 1987, most 5-band Graphic equalizers were top of the top and were built into player models only. They were intended for music fans or audiophiles who never listen to low-fi sources such as radio or needed a recording feature. Most 3-band GEQs were built mainly into recorders. However, both 5-band and 3-band GEQs were built into Hi-End models because they were the 80's latest innovation. By 1988, with the miniaturization of technology, the Super bass was all over the place and most GEQs were omitted for the benefit of basic and classic B & T (bass & Treble).
The First maker of walkman GEQ
Not many people know, but the first Company to introduce Graphic EQ in a Walkman was Aiwa, not Sony. (Sony, however, was the pioneer to introduce the first portable Graphic EQ module – a stand-alone GEQ device; the SEQ-50! the SEQ-50 was based on a car stereo GEQ. It was a unique and awesome solution but it was not very practical to carry along with another walkman unless you're a seriously enthusiast or maybe a full-time DJ. Sony's rival National Panasonic soon replied to Sony's SEQ-50 with their own RD-EQ5 also a stand-alone GEQ but it was made only for the RX-S70. The stand-alone GEQ paved the way for AIWA to come up with the idea to combine GEQ in their models.
A Standalone GEQ device: the Sony SEQ-50 with DC2 Walkman
Panasonic RX-S70 with its 5 options. #2 is RD-EQ5 with a 9,000 Yen tag price
National Panasonic's RD-EQ5 stands along GEQ
The First model with GEQ
The year was 1983 and very few people had seen the big brother of the Back to the Future movie model: the HS-P7, with its 5 Band graphic equalizer on the Back. This Player was Aiwa's first attempt to show Sony who's the boss and to take the lead in innovation. This model was an exclusive Japanese model and paved the way for the world's most advanced personal stereo in 1985, the Aiwa HS-G8 (G500 in the US/ G08 world). Aiwa and their fans really liked the GEQ, making this unique feature a standard premium feature. They tagged them as G Series which is short for Graphic EQ.
HS-P7G & HS-P7 - the equivalent predecessor models of the HS-G8 (EQ) & HS-P8 (no EQ)
AIWA CassetteBoy HS-P7G (Left) & HS-P7 (Right) - Inside comparison
By 1986 Aiwa's new generation of headphone stereo the HS-9/ (HS-600 in the US and HS-09 world model) series included more than 6 models with GEQ, ranging from 5-Bands to 3-bands: J09, T09, and G09 are 5-Band EQ, G55 is a 4-Band EQ, and G35 is a 3-Band, the later had a huge success and received 4 revisions/versions over the next 6 years.
Altogether Aiwa made 16 models - 8 High-end players and 8 mid-range players.
By 1988 Aiwa was cutting their losses and skipped a year to 1989 when they dropped the GEQ feature altogether in favor of their famous DSL=Dynamic Super Loudness, which debuted in 1987 with the successful PX101. It was an excellent feature up until their PX505 came along (1990) and after that, it was a downward spiral for Aiwa. Although some people will consider the PX1000 to be Aiwa's top player, unfortunately, it doesn't have GEQ but rather sounds presets with just a show-off spectrum analyzer.
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| The successful PX101/PX10/PX700 series |
Sharp and Toshiba
Sharp and Toshiba were the first to jump on the bandwagon for a free ride on the success of Aiwa's HS-P07 with their own versions. Unlike Aiwa's metal build, Sharp and Toshiba players were made mostly of plastic only, however, sometimes their lid was covered with a sheet of metal to give them some weight and feel.
Sharp saw the great potential in GEQs and offered 4-Band EQ players as standard. They first came up with the JC-770 (JC-77) with its separate tuner pack In December of 1984. In 1985, Sharp introduced the JC-790 (JC-R7) Recorder and the JC-786 (JC-N7) player: slick looking with vivid 80's designs and colors. In 1986, the JC-820 (JC-N8) a 5-band GEQ, and in 1987, the JC-850 (JC-849) a 3-Band Player with a Covette-like body and color. Also the similar JC-K10 (JC-10H) with 3-band EQ. The last Sharp player with a 3-band EQ and Dolby C was the Japanese model named "Being Hi-Fi" the JC-50 from 1990.
Left to right: JC-R7, JC-N7, JC-77, JC-R8/850
In June of 1985, Toshiba introduced two models, the KT-AS7 (note the model #*) (KT-4075/KT-V570) 5-band GEQ player with a Radio, inspired by Aiwa's HS-J07 similar in many aspects, and the KT-RS7 (KT-4085/V580), 3-Band GEQ recorder. In July of 1987, their EQ line was 3-Band only (RS30, PS30, PS20, and PS10). Unfortunately for Toshiba and us collectors, Toshiba continued with only low-end models and did not stick to the 80s hip that Aiwa's direction was. Toshiba gradually withdrew from the competition. Apparently, for Toshiba, it was just a temporary hype in the market.
(*Toshiba was monitoring Aiwa's successful activities as a young-spirited fashion brand. It wasn't the only model concept Toshiba took from Aiwa: look at HS-J09 = KT-PS9 with a triangular design but in the opposite direction and the chrome finish).
Toshiba Walky KT-AS7
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| Toshiba Walky KT-RS7 |
Kenwood and AKAI
On the other hand, Kenwood was following Aiwa's path. For every top-of-the-line model made by Aiwa, Kenwood had its version. However, Kenwood themselves never manufactured any walkmans at all; they were all OEM versions made by Aiwa (ie; CP-707 aka HS-J09 a 5-Band EQ from 1986, CP-700 aka HS-J101 a 4-Bands from 1987). The only exception was the "CP-G5" from 1984, a Toshiba-based machine.
Left to right: Kenwood CP-707, CP-700 silver & black, CP-G5
That same year 1987 AKAI offered two bulky 5-Band GEQ players; the PM-R3 and the radio version PM-R5 (aka OEM: Roberts PS150 and Sansui FX-W51R) with a nice classy 80's look. Also, two 4-Band GEQ Players with the unusual addition of Super Bass: the PM-R8 and the PM-R9 (with radio) although they are plastic budget players, they have excellent sound suitable to a reputable brand like Akai well known for their consumer semi-pro cassette decks.
AKAI PM-R5
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| Sansui FX-W51R |
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| Roberts PS-150 (They all share Figure 5) |
National Panasonic
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| 3 Preset Equalizer: the RQ-JA5 |
Panasonic, Sony's main competitor, introduced a 3 Preset Equalizer in 1984, the RQ-JA5, but it wasn't "A" Graphic EQ. Two years later in 1986, they introduced 3 players with 5-Band as standard EQ, the RQ-JA2, the Radio version RQ-SA15, and the RX-SA77. As always they were no competition for Aiwa's stylish design and advanced technology. Just like the WM-60 by Sony, which had a plastic feel to it, the early J series were mostly made of plastic (Only the lid was metal) and they were too bulky to carry around in your shirt pocket. But overall they had a pretty good sound to them. In 1987 they introduced two more fashionable players: the RX-SA78 (Radio version) the successor of the SA77 and the RQ-JA65 a basic player model, and the RQ-SA79 a 3-band model. They continued with many 3-band budget units sometimes with the addition of XBS or his more advanced version: S-XBS.
Panasonic Jump RQ-SA15 in Red & Tourqize
National Panasonic Way RQ-SA77
Panasonic TNT (Touch n' Tune) RQ-SA78
Panasonic RQ-JA63
SONY
The big surprise came from Sony (not really a surprise, it reflects their corporate and unfriendly attitude toward their customers) who debuted its GEQ player only in late spring of 1986 with the WM-60 (WM-F60/F80). The WM-60 was clearly a poor copy of Aiwa's HS-G08 (In terms of design; the same brushed metal finish, same EQ position, down to the same metal stripe on the left). the wm-60 wasn't very popular (particularly in Japan) for two reasons: It was too bulky and it had a plastic feel to it. Also, consumers liked Aiwa's more advanced and slimmer G08 from 1985 which felt expensive and was made to last (90% made from metal). Six months later In October 1986, Sony learned their lesson and introduced the WM-104, a slimmer 5-Band Player in both black and white colors only, based on the earlier 1985 model WM-100. By then,Aiwa was rocking with the successful HS-J09 in 6 color variations - a true winner. In 1987 Sony introduced another low-range walkman to even the equation, the WM-36 with a 5-band GEQ player. also In 1992, they introduced the TCP 470, a cassette-corder with 5-Band GEQ that sealed the deal with Sony's GEQs. After acquiring Aiwa, Sony's making the TCP 470 was an attempt to prove its relevance in the personal stereo world, but it was too late for GEQs in 1992. Just like the minidisc format Versus the mp3, Sony didn't foresee the future of Graphic Equalizers hip as a young spirit and current market demand.
From right to left: Sony WM-104, WM-60 (WM-80 in the US)
WM-F60 (WM-F80 in the US)
Sony WM-36
Sony's TCP 470 Last GEQ - Business Recorder
Finally, something fun to help you get the best out of your EQ, A link to a nice Quiztones:
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The List!
A comprehensive list of Graphic EQ Walkman manufacturers:
5-Band: HS-P7, G08, J09, T09, G09.
4-Band: G55, J101, T101, G101, J45, T45, G56, G56MkII, G57.
3-Band: G35, G35mkII-III-IV, G36, G39.
DSL-EX: HS-PX10/101, PX20, PX303.
DSL 3: PL20, RL30, PL303.
DSL 2: PL35, RX50, PX505, PL55, PL707, PL770, PX1000.
AKAI
5-Band: PM-R3, PM-R5.
4-Band: PM-R8, PM-R9.
FISHER
4-Band: PH-S120, PH-S320 1987
3-Band: PH-31
JVC / VICTOR
5-Band: CX-F3K, CX-F30,
3-Band: CX-2K, CX-F101, CX-F200, CX-F303, 1993
KENWOOD
5-Band: CP-G5, G5TV, CP-707
4-Band: CP-700
DSL: CP-9RC
NATIONAL PANASONIC
5-Band: RQ-JA2, RQ-JA15, RX-SA77, RX-SA78, RQ-JA63,
3-Band: RQ-V175, RQ-V158, RQ-V154, RQ-P164, RQ-V165, RQ-P175, RQ-J175, RQ-V162, RQ-V150, RQ-P155, RQ-V152, RX-SA79. RQ-V170, RQ-V320, RQ-V340.
SANSUI
5-Band: FX-W51R
SANYO
4-Band: MG-P600D, JJ-P3.
3-Band: MG-R80, MG-R77, MG-R74, MG-R67, MG-R906D, MG-P28, JJ-P20, MG-P34.
SHARP
4-Band: JC-77, JC750, JC-790 (JC-R7), JC786 (JC-N7), JC-N8, JC-N5
3-Band: JC-50, JC-K10, JC102, JC110, JC196H, JC-213X, JC-510, JC516, JC518, JC519, JC-R8 (JC-850).
SONY
5-Band: WM-60, WM-F60/80, WM-36, TCS-470.
3-Band: WM-F18, WM-F28, WM33, WM-F47, WM-F59, WM-69.
TOSHIBA
5-Band: KT-AS7 (KT-4075/KT-V570),
3-Band: KT-RS7, KT-RS30, KT-RS40, KT-PS14, KT-PS12, KT-PS18, KT-4027, (KT-V940).KT-4529, KT-4036 (V630), KT 4038, KT-4047, KT-4066, KT-4568, KT-4058 (KT-V850), KT-V4068 (KT-V860), KT-4085 (V580), KT-4087 (V780), KT-4087MKII (V780 MKII), KT-4067 (KT-V760), KT-4098 (KT-V890), KT-V4094.
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The IQ – IC Logic Control
A brief history
In the early days of consumer electronics, early cassette drive manufacturers built mechanical products; the operating keys were used to physically move part of the cassette mechanism. the main concept was mainly mechanical. Then later on in time came the electronic era. The discovery of the transistor and the development of the integrated circuit both contributed to the process. Since Jack Kilby’s invention of the first integrated circuit (IC) in 1958, there have been unprecedented technological advances. When the Walkman was invented at the end of the '70s the mechanism was a simple mechanical push-button device. While entering the 80s, the miniaturization of the industry started to develop rapidly.
What is Logic Control?
Many people mistakenly equate Logic Control with Soft Touch (Feather Touch). They are 2 different concepts.
Feather Touch: Aka Soft touch refers to a part of the mechanism only, sensitive flat buttons which send an electrical pulse to operate the device. Soft touch has electronic control buttons that make cassette operation easier, it also allows remote control capability. However, it is only at the hardware level.
Logic Control: Basic LC operation is a feature that prevents the activation of the "wrong button". Any faulty operation is prevented. The logic control circuit remembers which buttons have been pushed but permits only the correct sequence of machine operations to occur, thus eliminating any chance of operator-control error (damage to the unit itself). With this important feature of LC, any button can be pressed at any time without going first to the STOP mode therefore without damaging the tape or the machine.
IC Logic Control: Aka Full Logic Control is an advanced LC version it is more like The Software that "thinks" i.e. the system's brain. IC-LC remembers a vast array of commands and their Statuses. It has more room in a small chip to remember (aka ROM - Read Only Memory). The "Logic" system ensures that when you press "forward", the deck will always move forward, regardless of which side of the tape is currently playing. One more thing a full logic control does is that when you press the play button on a player with full logic control, it quietly whirs while taking any slack in the tape, and then it engages the play mechanism.
The First Logic control Walkman
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WM-7 Japanese brochure:
Feather Touch for 36,000 Yen |
In October 1982 Sony came up with the first feather touch buttons Walkman: the WM-7. It was a breakthrough technology concept but it wasn't Logic Control. It was mainly a basic feather touch buttons with no logic or sophistication whatsoever. The WM-7 was more like a stylish design than any real function. Rather, it was a pioneering of a remote control concept in a portable player but it was a simple two-button remote (Play & stop.)
Later on, in 1983 they developed an upgraded version: the TCM-7 (and TCS-7/370), It was more advanced than the WM-7 but it was still a very basic Logic control - they called it LCM – Logic Control Mechanism.
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| TCM-7 LCM - Logic Control Mechanism - Second generation |
SANYO MR-JJ11/JJ22 Touch
Two years later in the summer of 1984 Sanyo introduced the "JJ Touch" aka the MR-JJ11 Player and MR-JJ22 Recorder - the first feather touch logic control. This model wasn't really manufactured by Sanyo! Rather Aiwa manufactured OEM to test the market with it (it was the HS-08 series' predecessor). The JJ Touch was a bit similar in design to the Aiwa G08 with its corner triangle. This unique and very rare personal stereo was unknown to be available on the market in Japan at all and its introductory price was pretty expensive for a personal stereo ￥33,000 Yen=$500US (in comparison, Sony's TPS-L2 price in 1979 was ￥33,000 Yen & the WM-7 was ￥36,000 Yen).
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| Sanyo JJ Touch: MR-JJ11 Player |
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| Sanyo JJ Touch: MR-JJ Recorder |
The Sanyo concept was always ahead of its time, there is an unforgettable unit that is the successor of the JJ Touch line, it is a remarkable piece of electronic; the JJ-P101. This player actually has a thin film instead of a button - a light touch will operate the unit.
AIWA's Feather Touch Full Logic Control
One year later Aiwa introduced the world-successful HS 08 line (J08/T08/G08/P08) and there Aiwa came up with the models of Feather touch and IC Full Logic concept all in one player for the first time. Furthermore, they extended it to the first full Remote control in a Walkman. Aiwa's HS-08 stylish series, unlike any predecessor brand, are very sophisticated and more advanced, the Aiwa chip ROM memory "remembers" a vast array of commands, it memorizes the type of signals and takes the initial state into consideration the position of the logic mode at present. In other words, it's quite advanced for its time; it took Sony almost 2 more years to build a similar unit like that, the WM-109.
The Aiwa Hi-Tech Touch - Full Logic Control Feather Touch - Nothing's Even Remotely Similar
The Aiwa CassetteBoy flagship: HS-G8 / G08 / G500
The 8th series (model G500 in the US/G08 world) had huge success worldwide, but it was quite expensive to manufacture, hence leaving Aiwa financially unbalanced. The IC chip was quite new and expensive technology in miniature devices, therefore it was implemented only into Hi-End models; it was ahead of its time. Therefore the next set of players was lacking this new technology. But nevertheless, Aiwa's efforts to succeed and to take great risks gained them another world success with the 9th series the 600 in US/09 world players. These players were quite amazing and fully packed with features. That wasn't enough for Aiwa, and they came with the birth of the new 10 series including the PX101; it was the top of the top for Aiwa.
The 10 series: Right to left: HS-JX10, HS-J10, HS-PX10, HS-PL10
World's first headphone stereo with full-logic remote control of all cassette functions (from AIWA Catalog)
Thank you for reading this article, please feel free to comment below. Cheers, and Be well :-)
Sincerely,
TheLion
This Article was last updated and corrected on May 29th, 2023
2013 © All rights of the article are reserved to TheLion
2013 © All photos are copyright of their respective owners and shown here for illustrative purposes only.
