Sony MZ-R55 User's Manual

  Table Of Contents

Welcome

Look At Controls

MD Recording

MD Playing

Various Ways Of Recording

Various Ways Of Playing

Editing Recorded Track Labeling Recorded Tracks

Power Sources

Additional Information

   

Operating Instructions Top

Welcome!

Welcome to the world of the MiniDisc! Here are some of the capabilities and features you'll discover with the new MiniDisc Recorder.



Looking at the controls


 
The recorder
 

1 END SEARCH button
2 REC lamp
3 DISPLAY button -- Press to display the curent play mode, the remaining time of the current track, the remaining time of the disc, or the recording date and time.
4 Display window
5 DC IN 3V jack
6 MODE button -- Each time you press here while playing an MD, the recorder plays the MD in a different play mode: normal play, all repeat, single repeat, or shuffle repeat. Press here while recoring to select monaural recording.
7 / (search/AMS) buttons
8 LINE IN (OPTICAL) jack
9 MIC (PLUG IN POWER) jack
10 MIC SENS (mic sensitivity) switch (at the bottom)
11 LINE OUT jack
12 DIGITAL MEGA BASS button -- Press to emphasize bass sound.
13 (stop) button / CHARGE button
14 (play) button
15 Battery Compartment
16 EDIT/ENTER button
17 AVLS (Automatic Volume Limiter System) switch (at the bottom) -- Slide to LIMIT to limit the maximum volume.
18 SYNCHRO REC (synchro-recording) switch
19 VOLUME +/- buttons
20 T MARK (track mark) button
21 (pause) button
22 REC (record) switch
23 ERASE button
24 HOLD switch -- Slide to lock the controls of the recorder.
25 CLOCK SET button (at the bottom)
26 /REMOTE (headphones/remote) jack

 

The display window of the recorder
 

1 Character information display -- Displays the disc and track name, date, error messages, track numbers, etc.

* Disc and track names appear only with MDs that have been electronically labeled.

2 MONO (monaural) indication
3 Play mode indication -- Shows the play mode of the MD. 
  • (all repeat): All tracks play repeatedly. 
    1 (single repeat): One track plays repeatedly. 
    SHUF (shuffle repeat): Tracks will be repeated in random order.
4 SYNC (synchro-recording) indication -- Lights up while synchro-recording.
5 Disc indication -- Shows that the disc is rotating for recording, playing or editing an MD.
6 REC indication -- Lights up while recording. Flashes when standing by for recording.
7 AM/PM indication -- Lights up along with the time indication in the 12-hour system.
8 Mega bass indication
9 Battery indication -- Shows battery condition. While charging the rechargeable battery, this indicaiton shows the charging condition.
10 REMAIN (remaining time/tracks) indication -- Lights up along with the remaining time of the track, remaining time of the MD, or remaining number of tracks.
11 REC DATE (recorded/current date) indication
12 Time Display -- Shows the elapsed time of track being recodered or played.
13 Level meter -- Shows the level of the MD being played or recorded.Time display -- Shows the elapsed time of the track being recorded or played.

 

The headphones with a remote control
 

1 Headphones -- Can be replaced with optional headphones.
2 Stereo mini plug
3 (stop) button
4 Control -- To play, turn to  during stop. Turn to  during play to search the beginning of the succeeding track; hold in this position to fast-forward. Turn to  during play to search the beginning of the preceeding track; hold in this position to rewind.
5 HOLD switch -- Slide to lock the controls of the remote control.
6 (pause) button
7 PLAY MODE button
8 DISPLAY button
9 VOL (volume) +/- buttons -- When the AVLS switch is set on, you cannot increase the volume to the maximum. To increase the volume above the limited level, set teh AVLS switch to off.
10 TRACK MARK button
11 Display window

 
 

MD recording Top

Recording an MD right away!
 
Use a line cable (not supplied) to hook up an analog source. The source sound of CDs or tapes will be sent as an analog signal and recorded digitally. If you want to record programs from digital equipments or a microphone, see "Various ways of recording". Premastered MDs cannot be recorded over.
 

1 Make connections. 
  • Connect the LINE IN (OPTICAL) jack of recorder to the LINE OUT R(red)/L(white) jacks of the source with a line cable. The recorder switches to analog input automatically.
  • Connect the DC IN 3V jack of the recorder to a wall outlet with the supplied AC power adaptor.

When the recorder has different sound sources connected at the same time, the recorder switches to the digital, microphone, or analog input in this order of priority.

2 Insert a recordable MD. 
  • Press OPEN switch and open the lid.
  • Insert a recordable MD with the label side facing up, and press the lid down to close.
3 Select recording start point. If you want to add a recording to the end of the previous recording, press END SEARCH button. (If you want to start recording from the beginnin, skip this step.)
4 Start recording. 
  • Press and slide the REC switch to the right. "REC" lights up and recording starts.
  • Play the sound source. The level of the recorded sound is adjusted automatically.

 
To stop recording, press . Do not move or jog the recorder or disconnect the power source while the "Data Save" or "Toc Edit" indication is flashing in the display. 

 

To Press
Pause .(1)   Press again to resume recording.
Record over partway through the previous recording or  to find the start point of recording and press  to stop. Then slide the REC switch.
Remove the MD , then slide the OPEN switch and open the lid.(2)

(1) A new track mark is added at the point where you pressed , and the recording will be marked with the new track number when you resume recording.
(2) Once you open the lid, the point to start recording will change to the beginning of the first track. When recording on a recorded MD, check the point to start recording on the display.

If the recording does not start
Make sure the MD is not record-protected. If the tab at the side of the MD is open, slide it back so the tab is visible.

Note
If the power supply is disrupted (i.e. the battery is removed or becomes exhasuted or A.C power adaptor is disconnected) when the recorder is operating,the lid will not open until the power is resotored.

MD playing Top

 
Playing an MD right away!

If you want to use the rechargeable battery, be sure to recharge them before playing.
 

1 Make connections. 
  • Connect the remote control-equipped headphones (supplied to the /REMOTE jack).
  • Connect the DC IN 3V jack of the recorder to a wall aoutlet with the supplied AC power adaptor.
2 Insert an MD. 
  • Slide the OPEN switch and open the lid.
  • Insert an MD with the label side facing up, and press the lid down to close.
3 Start playing. 
  • Press  (Turn the control to  on the remote control). A short beep sounds in the headphones.
  • Press the VOLUME +/- buttons to adjust the volume.

To stop play, press .

 

To Do this (Beeps in the headphones)
Pause . (Continuous short beeps) 
Press  again to resume play.
Find the beginning of the current track Press  once. 
Turn the control to  on the remote control. (Three short beeps)
Find the beginning of the next track Press  once. 
Turn the control to  on the remote control. (Two short beeps)
Go backwards while playing(1) Keep pressing 
Keep the control turned to  on the remote control.
Go forward while playing(1) Keep pressing 
Keep the control turned to  on the remote control.
Remove the MD , then slide the OPEN switch and open the lid.(2)

(1) To go backwards or forward quickly without listening, press  and hold down  or  (keep the control turned on the remote control).
(2) Once you open the lid, the point to start play will change to the beginning of the first track.

If the playback does not start
Make sure the recorder is not locked. If it is locked, slide the HOLD switch in the opposite direction of the arrow.

When using optional headphones
Use headphones with a stereo mini-plug. You cannot use headphones with a micro-plug.

Notes

Various ways of recording Top

 
Connecting digital and analog inputs

The recorder selects digital or analog input according to how the sound source is hooked up.
 

Input Difference

Digital input

Analog (line) input

Connectable source Equipment with an optical digital output jack Equipment with an analog (line) output jack
Usable cord Digital cable (with an optical or an optical mini-plug) Line cable (with 2 phono plugs or a stereo mini-plug)
Signal from the source Digital Analog 
Even when a digital source (such as a CD) is connected, the signal sent to the recorder is analog.
Recorded track numbers Marked (copied) automatically... 
...at the same positions as the source. 
...when recording is paused.
Marked... 
...after more than 2 seconds of silence. 
...when recording is paused. 
You can erase unnecessary markes after recording.
Recorded sound level Same as the source Adjusted automatically. You can also adjust it manually.

 



Recording with digital input
(optical cable required)

Use an optical cable (POC-5B or POC-5AB, not supplied) to hook up a digital source such as a CD or DAT. The source sound will be sent and recorded as a digital signal.
 

1 Connect the LINE IN (OPTICAL) jack of the recorder to the optical digital output jack of the source with an optical cable (not supplied). 
The recorder switches to digital input automatically.
2 Connect the power source. 
To use on AC power, see "Recording an MD right away!" To use on other power sources, see "Power sources".
3 Insert a recordable MD. 
Slide the OPEN switch to open the lid, insert a recordable MD, and close the lid.
4 Press and slide the REC switch to the right. 
"REC" lights up and recording starts.
5 Play the sound source.

 
 To stop recording, press .
 



Synchro-recording from a digital source

You can easily dub a digital source on an MD by using the SYNCHRO REC switch. Before synchro-recording, be sure to make digital connection and insert a recordable MD.
 

1 Slide the SYNCHRO REC switch to ON. 
"SYNC" lights up in the display.
2 Press and slide the REC switch to the right. 
"REC" lights up in the display. 
The recorder starts recording when you start playing the source player.

 
To stop recording, press .
 
Tips
-You cannot pause recording manually during synchro-recording.
-When there is no sound from the source player for more than 3 seconds during synchro-recording, the recorder stands by for recording automatically. When the sound comes from the source player, the recorder starts synchro-recording again. When the MD player is in recording pause for longer than 5 minutes, reocrding stops automatically.

Note
Do not switch SYNCHRO REC after step 2. Recording may not be made properly.
 



Recording from a microphone

Connect a microphone to the MIC (PLUG IN POWER) jack. Use a stereo microphone (ECM-717, ECM-MS097, ECM-MS957, etc., not supplied).
 

1 Select the sensitivity with the MIC SENS switch. 
Usually, set it to HIGH. When recording loud sounds such as a live concert, set it to LOW.
2 Insert a recordable MD. 
Slide the OPEN switch to open the lid, insert a recordable MD, and close the lid.
3 Press and slide the REC switch to the right. 
"REC" lights up and recording starts.

 
To stop recording, press .
 



Recording in monaural for double the normal recording time of an MD

Before recording, make connections tot he sound source and the power source, and insert a recordable MD.
 

1 While pressing , press and slide the REC switch to the right. 
The recorder stands by for recording.
2 Press the MODE button. 
"Mono REC" appears in the display, and the recorder switches to monaural recording.
3 Press  again to start recording.
4 Start the sound source.

 
Tips
-The recorder switches back to stereo recording when you press  to stop recording.
-If you record in monaural from a stereo source, the sounds from left and right will be mixed.
-The MDs recorded in monaural can be played back only with an MD player/recorder that has the monaural playing function.
 



Adjusting the recording level (Manual recording)

When you record with an analog (line) input, the sound level is adjusted automatically. If necessary, you can set the level manually.
 

1 While holding down , hold the REC switch to the right for more than 2 seconds. 
"ManualREC" appears, and the recorder stands by for recording.
2 Play the source.
3 While observing the level meter in the display, adjust the recording level by pressing  (+) or  (-). 
Set the level so that it hits the seventh indicator from the bottom at maximum input level.
4 Press  again to start recording.

Tips
-The recorder switches back to automatic level adjustment when you press  to stop recording.
-The recording level should be adjusted while the recorder is in standby mode. You cannot adjust it while recording.
 



Setting the clock to stamp the recorded time

To stamp the date and time on the MD when you record, you need to set the clock.
 

1 Connect the supplied AC power adaptor.
2 Press CLOCK SET button at the bottom of the recorder with a pointed object. 
The digits of the year flash.
3 Change the current year by pressing  or 
To change the digits rapidly, keep pressing  or .
4 Press  to enter the year. 
The digit of the month flashes.
5 Repeat steps 3 and 4 to enter the current month, date, hour, and minute. 
When you press  to enter the minute, the clock starts operating.

If you make a mistake while setting the clock
Press , and repeat the steps above.
Press  to locate the digit to be changed.

To display the time in the 24-hour system
Press DISPLAY button while setting the clock. To change the clock to the 12-hour system, press DISPLAY again.

Charging the built-in battery for the clock
After setting the clock, leave the recorder connected to the AC power for about 2 hours to charge the built-in battery for the clock. Once charged, the built-in battery will last for about a month without being connected to any of the power sources. The recorder will automatically charge the built-in battery while operating on AC power, a rechargeable battery or dry batteries.
 
 

Various ways of playback Top

Playing tracks repeatedly
 
Press MODE (PLAY MODE on the remote control) while the recorder is playing an MD.
Each time you press MODE (PLAY MODE on the remote control), the play mode indication changes as follows:
 

pressed once...
(none) (normal play) 
All the tracks are played once.
pressed again...
"" (all repeat) 
All the tracks are played repeatedly.
pressed again...
"1" (single repeat) 
A single track is played repeatedly.
pressed again...
"SHUF" (shuffle repeat) 
All the tracks are played prepeatedly in random order.

 


Connecting to a stereo system

Connect the LINE OUT jack of the recorder to the line in jacks of an amplifier or a tape player with a line cable (not supplied). The output is analog. The recorder plays the MD digitally and sends analog signals to the connected equipment.
 

Editing Recorded Tracks Top

You can edit your recordings. Premastered MDs cannot be edited.

Notes
-When you press  after editing, "Toc Edit" flashes for about a second. Do not move or jog the recorder or disconnect the power source while the indication is flashing.
-You cannot edit on an MD with its tab open for protection. Before editing, close the tab at the side of the MD.

Erasing a track

You can quickly erase a recorded track. Note that once a recording has been erased, you cannot retrieve it.
 

1 Press the EDIT/ENTER button while playing the track you want to erase. 
"r55m.gif (995 bytes) : Name" flashes in the display, and the recorder plays the selected track repeatedly. Check the track number in the display
2 Press r55rw.gif (72 bytes).or r55ff.gif (72 bytes) repeatedly unitl " r55m.gif (995 bytes) : Erase " flashes in the display.
3 Press EDIT/ENTER again. "Erase Ok?" and "Push ENTER" appear alternately in the display. To cancel erasing, press .

 To erase a part of a track
Add track marks at the beginning and the end of the part you want to erase, then erase the part.
 


Erasing a whole disc

You can erase all the tracks on a disc at a time. Note that once a recording has been erased, you cannot retrieve it.
 

1 Press EDIT/ENTER on the recoder
2 Press r55rw.gif (72 bytes) or r55ff.gif (72 bytes) repeatedly until " r55cd.gif (1020 bytes) : Erase " flashes in the display.
3 Press EDIT/ENTER again. "All Erase?" and "Push ENTER" appears alternately in the display.
To cancel erasing, press  or T MARK.
4 Press EDIT/ENTER again "TOC Edit" in the display and all the tracks will be erased and all
the tracks will be erased. When erasing is complete, "BLANK DISC" appears in the display.

 



Adding a track mark

You can insert a track mark into a track.
 

1 While the recorder is playing or pausing an MD, press T MARK button on the recorder at the point you want to mark. 
"MARK ON" appears in the display, and the track mark is added.

To add track marks while recording
Press T MARK button while recording (except while Synchro-recording).
 



Erasing a track mark

When you record with analog (line), input, unnecessary track marks may be recorded. You can erase a track mark to combine the tracks before and after the track mark.
 

1 While playing the track with the track mark you want to erase, press  to pause.
2 Find the track mark by pressing  slightly. 
"00:00" flashes in the display.
3 Press the T MARK button to erase the mark. 
The track mark is erased and the two tracks are combined. The number of the newly combined track will be that of the first track and the succeeding tracks will be renumbered.

 



Moving recorded tracks

You can change the order of the recorded tracks.

 On the recoder

1 Press EDIT/ENTER while playing the track you want to move.
" r55m.gif (995 bytes) : Name" flashes in the display and the recoder plays the selected track repeatedly
2 Press r55rw.gif (72 bytes) or r55ff.gif (72 bytes) repeatedly until "MOVE" flashes in the display again.
3 Press the EDIT/ENTER button again.
4 Press r55rw.gif (72 bytes) or r55ff.gif (72 bytes) repeatedly to select the destination track number.
To cancel erasing, press  or T MARK.
5 Press EDIT/ENTER again. The track moves to the selected destination track.

 

On the remote control

1 Press DISPLAY for 2 seconds or longer while playing the track you want to move.
" r55m.gif (995 bytes) : Name" flashes in the display and the recoder plays the selected track repeatedly
2 Turn the control until " r55m.gif (995 bytes): Move" appears in the display.
3 Press r55stop.gif (42 bytes).
4 Turn the control to select the destination track number.
5 Press r55stop.gif (42 bytes) again. The track moves to the selected destination track.

 



Labeling Recordings Top

 

You can label the MDs and tracks you recorded with letters, numbers, and marks. Each label can be made up of up to 200 characters, and each MD can include up to 1700 characters.
 

Labelling a disc during stop

1 Insert a disc
To label a disc, that is already in the recorder
Press  to stop.
2 Press EDIT/ENTER .
" r55cd.gif (1020 bytes) : Name" flashes in the display
3 Press EDIT/ENTER again.
4 .Press r55rw.gif (72 bytes) or r55ff.gif (72 bytes) repeatedly to select a letter and press r55play.gif (58 bytes) to enter. The selected letter stops flashing and the cursor moves to the next input position.
Press r55stop.gif (42 bytes) to switch between katakana, the alphabets and symbols/numbers. Press VOLUME +/- to move the cursor to left or right.
Press r55ff.gif (72 bytes) when inputting alphabet, aymbols or numbers to change the letter to the one before/next one. Press r55rw.gif (72 bytes) to go back.
Press MODE to delete a letter and move back all following letters to the left.
Press r55stop.gif (42 bytes) or T MARK to cancel labeling.
5 Repeat step 4 and enter all characters of the label name.
6 Press the EDIT/ENTER
The track or disc is labelled.

Labeling a track or a disc during recording

1 Press EDIT/ENTER during recording " r55m.gif (995 bytes) : Name" flashes in the display.
2 To label a disc, press  r55rw.gif (72 bytes) or r55ff.gif (72 bytes) repeatedly until " r55cd.gif (1020 bytes) : Name" flashes in the display,
then press EDIT/ENTER.
3 Follow steps 4 to 6 of  " Labeling a disc during stop " above..

Labeling on the remote control

1 Insert a disc
To label a disc, that is already in the recorder
Press  to stop.
2 Press DISPLAY for 2 seconds or longer until " r55cd.gif (1020 bytes): Name" flashes in the display.
3 Press .
4 Turn the control to select a letter and press  to enter.
The selected letter stops flashing and the cursor moves to the next input position.
Press  to switch between katakana, the alphabet and symbols/numbers.
Press VOLUME +/- to move the cursor to left or right.
Turn to the control to r55rem.gif (103 bytes) when inputting alphabet, symbol or numbers to change the letter to one before/
next one. Turn to r55rw.gif (72 bytes) to go back.
Press DISPLAY to insert a blank space to type in a new letter.
Press PLAY MODE to delete a letter and move back all following letters to the left.
Press TRACK MARK to cancel labeling.
5 Repeat step 4 and enter all characters of the label name.
6 Keep pressing r55stop.gif (42 bytes) for 2 seconds or longer.
The track or disc is labeled.

Labeling a track during playback

1 Insert a disc and play the track you want to label
2 Press DISPLAY for 2 seconds or longer. " r55m.gif (995 bytes): Move" appears in the display.
3 Press r55stop.gif (42 bytes)
The disc is ready to be labeled.
4 Follow steps 4 to 6 of " Labeling a disc during the stop "  
above, enter the selected character.

Labeling a track a disc during recording

1 Press DISPLAY for 2 seconds or longer. " r55m.gif (995 bytes) : Move" appears in the display.
2 To label a track, Press .
To label a disc, turn the control to r55rw.gif (72 bytes) or r55rem.gif (103 bytes) " r55cd.gif (1020 bytes) : Name" flashes in the display, then press DISPLAY.
3 Follow steps 4 to 6 of " Labeling a disc during stop " above.

To cancel labeling, Press .
 
 

Power sources Top

You can use the recorder on...
-house current.
-a nickel metal hyride rechargeable batter (supplied).
-dry batteries (not supplied).

It is preferable to use the recorder on house current when recording for a long time.
 



Using on a nickel metal hyride rechargeable battery

Before using the supplied nickel metal hyride rechargeable battery  for the first time, you must charge it .
 

1 Connect the supplied AC power adaptor.
2 Insert the NH-14WM to the recorder and close the lid. 
When charging is completed, battery indication disappears. 
A completely discharged battery takes about 3 hours to charge fully and about 2 hours to charge 80%.
3 Press r55stop.gif (42 bytes)/CHARGE.
"Charging" flashes, appears in the display and charging starts.

Tip
You can use the recorder while charging.
 



Using on dry batteries/nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery

Be sure rechargeable battery, is fully charged.

1. Insert the fully charged nickel metal hyride rechargeable battery with correct polarity..


Using on dry batteries

Use the battery case.

1. Attach the supplied battery case.
2. Insert the dry batteries with correct polarity.



Battery life
 

Batteries Recording Playback
NH-14WM nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery Approx. 2.5 hours Approx. 4 hours
R6 (size AA) Sony alkaline dry batteries LR6(SG) x 2 Approx. 5 hours Approx. 10 hours
NH-14WM 
+ LR6(SG) x 2
Approx. 9.5 hours Approx. 16 hours

When to replace the batteries
When the dry batteries or rechargeable battery are weak, the battery indicator is flashing, or "LOW BATT" appears in the display. Replace the dry batteries or charge the rechargeable battery.

Notes on dry batteries
Incorrect battery usage may lead to leakage of battery fluid or bursting batteries. To prevent such accidents, observe the following precautions:

-Insert the + and - polsed of the batteries correctly.
-Do not install new and used batteries or different kinds of batteries together.
-Do not try to recharge the batteries.
-When the recorder is not used for a long time, be sure to remove the batteries.
-If a battery leak should develop, carefully and thoroughly wipe away battery fluid from the battery compartment before inserting new ones
-When replacing the dry batteries, replace both batteries with new ones.
-The recorder does operate properly: always use two dry batteries..
 
 

Additional information Top


Messages

If the recorder cannot carry out an operation, error messages may flash in the display window as follows.
 

BLANK DISC You tried to play an MD with no recording on it.
DISC ERR The recorder cannot read the MD (it is scratched or dirty). Reinsert the MD. If the same message still appears, replace the MD.
DISC FULL There is no more space to record on the MD (less than 12 seconds available).
Data Save The MD player is recording information (sounds) from the memory to the disk. Wait until this process iscompleted. Do not expose the player to any physical shock, nor disrupt power supply.
Toc Edit The MD player is recording information (track start and end position) from the memory to the disk. Wait until this process is completed. Do not expose the player to any physical shock, nor disrupt power supply.
BUSY You tried to operate the recorder while it was accessing the recorded data. Wait until the message goes out (in rare cases, it may take about a minute).
NAME FULL You tried to enter more than 200 characters of track or disc name, or the characters entered in an MD are more than 1700.
Hi DC in The power supply is higher than required. Use the recommended power sources.
HOLD You tried to operate the recorder with the HOLD switch slid in the direction of the arrow. Slide back the switch.
LOW BATT The rechargeable battery or dry batteries are weak. Charge the rechargeable battery or replace the dry batteries.
MEM OVER You started recording when there is no indication in the display, with the recorder receiving continutous vibration. Put the recorder on a stable place and start recording again.
NO COPY You tried to make a copy from a disc that is protected by the Serial Copy Management System. You cannot make copies from a digitally connected source which was itself recorded using th digital connection. Use the analog connection instead.
NO DISC You tried to play or record with no disc in the recorder.
NO SIGNAL The recorder could not detect digital input signals. Make sure that the source is connected firmly. If the message appears while recording, press  to end recording.
P/B ONLY You treid to record or edit on a premastered MD (P/B means playback).
PROTECTED You tried to record or edit on an MD with its tab in the record-protect position.
SORRY You tried to erase a track mark while playing the MD or at the beginning of the first track. 
You tried to erase a track mark to combine tracks the recorder cannot combine.(1)
TEMP OVER Heat has built up in the recorder. Wait until the recorder cools down.
TR FULL You tried to record more than 254 tracks.
TrPROTECT You tried to record over or edit a track which has been protected from being recorded over.(2)

(1) If you have recorded or erased many times on the same MD, the data of a single track may be scattered throughout the MD. When the data is scattered in groups of less than 12 seconds long, the recorder will not be able to combine the tracks.
(2) Track-protected MiniDiscs-- Some MD recorders will let you protect individual tracks from being recorded over. This recorder, however, does not offer this feature.

Editing
    You pressed a key on the recorder while editing on the remote control, or vice versa.


TopTop


Return to the MiniDisc Community Page.