DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER VN-541PC Getting started 1 Recording 2 Playback 3 Editing 4 Use with a PC 5 Other information 6 USER MANUAL EN Thank you for purchasing an Olympus digital voice recorder. Please read these instructions for information about using the product correctly and safely. Keep the instructions handy for future reference. • To ensure successful recording, we recommend that you test the record function and volume before use.
Table of contents Names of parts.................................... 4 1 Getting started Setup................................................... 5 Inserting the batteries.........................................6 Turning the power ON.........................................7 Setting the time/date..........................................7 Setting the beeping sounds..............................8 Batteries.............................................. 9 Turning the power OFF......................
Table of contents 5 Use with a PC PC operating environment.............. 27 PC connection/disconnection.......... 28 Connecting the voice recorder to a PC........28 Disconnecting the voice recorder from a PC................................................................29 Loading a file to a PC........................ 30 6 Other information Troubleshooting............................... 31 Recorder care.................................... 33 Accessories (optional)......................
Names of parts 1 0 12 3 45 2 Names of parts 6 3 4 5 6 7 8 ! @ # $ % ^ & 7 8 9 * 9 ( Recorder 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 EN 4 8 9 0 Built-in microphone m (microphone) jack Display USB connector l (index/repeat) button n (recording scene, folder/noise cancel) button p (playback, pause) button 0 button Built-in speaker q (earphone) jack ! LED indicator light @ o (power, hold) button # REC (record) switch $ + button % 9 button ^ k (erase) button & – button * Battery cover ( Strap hole Display 1 Repeat 2 File
Getting started Setup Usage examples Getting started After unpacking the voice recorder, follow the steps below to have it ready for use. 3 Getting started 3 Getting started Recording meetings and discussions means that if you miss something important, you can listen to it again as many times as you like to confirm the content.
Setup Inserting the batteries 1 Before using the voice recorder, insert the batteries in the battery compartment of the voice recorder. Setup 1 Slide open the battery cover while pressing down on it. 3 Slide the battery cover completely closed. 1 2 1 2 2 Insert the batteries, making sure its positive and negative terminals are placed correctly. 1 2 Insert the battery’s negative terminal first. EN 6 • Do not close the battery cover while the batteries are still loose.
Setup Turning the power ON While the voice recorder is turned off, press and hold the o button. Set the time and date beforehand to enable easier management of recorded files. 1 1 Press the 9 (p) or 0 button to select the desired setting item. Setup 1 Setting the time/date 2 Press the + or – button to change the number. TIP • If you install batteries for the first time or replaced with new ones, the [hour] indicator will flash automatically when the power is turned on.
Setup TIP 1 Setting the beeping sounds Setup • When setting the hour or minute, each time you press the n button the display changes between the AM/PM and 24-hour clock formats. Example: 10 : 38 PM PM 10 : 38 (default format) 22 : 38 • When setting the year, month or date, each time you press the n button the display order used for the date changes. Example: March 24, 2016 03. 24.
Batteries Battery indicator As the battery loses its remaining charge, the battery indicator on the display changes as follows: Turning the power OFF Existing data, mode settings and the clock setting are saved when the power is turned off. 1 • [ ] indicates there is little remaining battery charge. Replace it with a fresh one. ] and When the batteries has run out, [ [LO] appear, and operation stops. Battery precautions • The voice recorder does not support manganese batteries.
Preventing accidental operation Setting the voice recorder to HOLD mode maintains the current operation and disables button operations. 1 Setting HOLD mode Preventing accidental operation 1 Press and hold the o button during recording or playback. [HOLD] appears in the display, and the recorder enters hold mode. • Even if in hold mode, the REC switch can be moved to the ON and OFF positions. Releasing HOLD mode 1 Press and hold the o button during hold mode.
Recording Recording You can select from four recording scenes on this voice recorder - [MEMO], [TALK], [MUSIC], and [LP]. Recorded audio will be stored in the same folder as the selected recording scenes. Each folder can store up to 199 files. [MEMO] Suitable for recording your own voice and other sounds that are extremely close. [TALK] Suitable for recording meetings held in a small space and other sounds that are fairly close.
Recording Basic recording procedure 1 2 Changing the recording scene (☞ P.11). TIP • Each new voice recording file is saved in the selected folder. Recording 2 3 Point the built-in microphone in the direction of the sound to record. NOTE Slide the REC switch to start recording in the direction of the arrow. a b c a File number/Total number of recorded files in folder b Voice recorder status indicator (during recording) c Elapsed recording time • The LED indicator light lights.
Recording Monitoring while recording You can monitor the recording as you are making it by listening on the earphones plugged into the voice recorder’s q jack. Use the + or – button to adjust the recording monitor volume. 1 Connect the earphones to the voice recorder’s q jack. You can record audio input using an external microphone or other device connected to the voice recorder’s m jack. Do not plug or unplug devices into voice recorder jacks while recording.
Recording from another connected device Recording audio from another device with this recorder 2 Recording from another connected device Audio can be recorded when you have connected the audio output terminal (earphone jack) of another device and the m jack of the recorder by using the connecting cord KA333 (optional).
Playback Playback In addition to files recorded by the voice recorder, you can also play files in WMA format transferred from a PC. Basic playback procedure 1 2 3 Press the p button to start playback. • Immediately after selecting the file, the following file information will be displayed in order. Playback Select the file to play from the folder containing it.
Playback 4 3 Press the p button to stop playback. Fast-forwarding Playback • The file being played stops right away. The resume function automatically stores the playback stop position in memory. The position is retained even if the power is turned off. The next time the power is turned on, playback can be resumed from the stop position stored in the memory. • If the end of a file is reached without the p button being pressed, then it will stop at the beginning of the next file.
Playback Rewinding Skipping to the beginning of a file 3 Playback 1 Press and hold the 0 button during playback. • Playback starts from the current position when you release the 0 button. • If an index mark or temp mark in the file is reached, rewinding stops at the mark (☞ P.23). • Rewinding stops when the beginning of the file is reached. Skipping to the beginning of the next file 1 Press the 9 button while the voice recorder is in stop mode.
Playback Playback through the earphones You can connect the earphones to the voice recorder’s q jack and listen to playback through them. • The earphones are optional. 3 1 Connect the earphones to the voice recorder’s q jack. Playback WMA format 2 Press the p button to start playback. • There will be no sound from the speaker when the earphones are connected. f CAUTION • Avoid excessive volume when listening to playback through the earphones. It may cause hearing damage or loss.
Changing the playback speed Changing the playback speed is handy for speeding up conference presentations, or for slowing down parts difficult to discern when learning a language. 1 Press and hold the p button during playback. 3 Press the p button to finalize the setting. b a Press the + or – button. b Voice recorder status indicator (during fast-playback) NOTE • The playback speed can be adjusted between [x0.5] and [x2.0] in 0.1 increments.
Repeat playback Folder/File repeat playback A/B repeat playback You can select the repeat range in the file or the folder. 1 3 Press and hold the l button while the voice recorder is in stop mode. a The voice recorder has a function with which you repeat the playback of a portion (segment) of the file being played. Repeat playback 1 Select a file for A/B repeat playback, and start playback. 2 Press and hold the l button when playback reaches the desired start position for A/B repeat playback.
Repeat playback 3 Press and hold the l button again when playback reaches the desired end position for A/B repeat playback. Reducing noise during playback (Noise Cancel) Use the Noise Cancel function to reduce noise when a recorded voice is difficult to discern. 1 Press and hold the n button while the voice recorder is in stop mode, or during playback. 4 a Press the p button. • Playback stops. The playback segment specified for this function is retained.
Editing 4 Changing the information screen Preventing accidental file erasure (File Lock) Press and hold the p button while the voice recorder is in stop mode to display the remaining recording time, as well as the current time/date. Continue press and hold the p button to display the time/date settings screen (☞ P.7). With the file lock feature you can lock important files to prevent them being accidentally erased.
Index marks/temp marks Writing an index mark or temp mark in a file enables you to quickly access desired position in the file with the same operations used for fast-forwarding, rewinding or skipping to the start of a file. Files created using this voice recorder have index marks written to them. It may not be possible to write index marks to files created using other Olympus recorders. Files to which index marks cannot be written have temp marks written.
Erasing files This section describes how to erase a single unnecessary file from a folder, erase all the files in the current folder at once. Files cannot be restored after being erased, so please check carefully before erasing a file. Erase a single file Erase all the files in the folder 1 Select the file you want to erase. 1 2 Press the k button while the voice recorder is in stop mode. Select the folder from which to erase all files.
Erasing files NOTE 4 Erasing files • Locked files and read-only files cannot be erased (☞ P.22). • If there is a file that cannot be recognized by the recorder, the file will not be erased. The voice recorder must be connected to a PC to erase these files. • Before erasing a file, replace the battery to ensure it will not run out before the process has finished. Erasing processes can take over 10 seconds to complete.
Formatting the internal memory Formatting the internal memory erases all existing files saved on it. Be sure to transfer all important files to a PC before formatting. 1 While the voice recorder is in stop mode, press and hold the k button for more than 3 seconds. 4 Formatting the internal memory EN 26 5 Press the p button. • [END] appears when the process has finished. 2 Press the 0 button to select [YES]. 3 Press the p button. 4 Press the 0 button to select [YES] again.
Use with a PC PC operating environment The requirements shown are the operating environments needed for using a USB connection to save files recorded by the voice recorder on a PC. Windows Operating system: Microsoft Windows Vista/7/8/8.1/10 standard installation PC: Windows PC with at least one available USB port Macintosh Operating system: Mac OS X 10.5 to 10.
PC connection/disconnection Connecting the voice recorder to a PC 1 Start the PC. NOTE 2 Connect the USB cable to the USB port of the PC. 3 After making sure the voice recorder is in stop mode, connect the USB cable to the connecting port on this recorder. • Insert the USB connector securely all the way. Operation will not be normal if the connection is not made properly. • Connecting the voice recorder through a USB hub may result in unstable operation. Do not use a USB hub if operation is unstable.
PC connection/disconnection Disconnecting the voice recorder from a PC Windows 1 Click [ ] on the task bar in the lower right hand corner of the screen and click [Eject DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER]. Macintosh 1 Drag-and-drop the removable disk icon for the voice recorder shown on the desktop to the trash can icon. • The letter used to identify the drive will vary according to your PC. • When the window indicating it is safe to remove hardware appears, close the window.
Loading a file to a PC Files recorded with the built-in microphone are saved in a folder named [RECORDER] on the PC. You can copy voice recorder files to any folder on the PC. Drive name VN-541PC * Folder names RECORDER MEMO TALK Folder MUSIC File 5 Loading a file to a PC 1 Connect the voice recorder to the PC (☞ P.28). 2 Open Windows Explorer. • When you open [Computer], the voice recorder is recognized and displayed with the model name as the drive name.
Other information Troubleshooting Problem The display is blank. Unable to operate the voice recorder. Alarm message The batteries are not inserted properly. Check that the positive and negative terminals of the batteries are placed correctly (☞ P.6). LO The remaining battery power is low. Replace the batteries (☞ P.6). - The power is OFF. Turn the power ON (☞ P.7). LO The remaining battery power is low. Replace the batteries (☞ P.6). - The power is OFF. Turn the power ON (☞ P.7).
Troubleshooting Problem Noise during playback. Unable to erase a file. 6 Troubleshooting Noise when monitoring a recording. Unable to write index marks/temp marks . Playback speed is fast (or slow). EN 32 Alarm message Possible cause Solution - Objects brushed against the voice recorder while recording. Try your best not to touch the voice recorder during recording. - The voice recorder was placed near a mobile phone or fluorescent light during recording or playback.
Recorder care ss Exterior • If the voice recorder gets dirty, wipe gently with a soft cloth. If the recorder gets very dirty, soak the cloth in mild soapy water and wring well. Wipe the recorder with the damp cloth and then wipe it with a dry cloth. ss Display • If the display gets dirty, wipe gently with a soft cloth. NOTE • Do not use benzene, alcohol or other strong solvents, or chemical cleaning cloths.
Accessories (optional) Accessories for Olympus voice recorders can be purchased directly from the Online Shop on the Olympus website. Availability of accessories differs depending on the country. ME52W mono microphone (unidirectional) Designed to record sound from a distance while minimizing the impact of surrounding noise. ME34 compact zoom microphone (unidirectional) Comes with an integrated stand ideal for table placement when recording events from a distance, such as conferences or lectures.
Copyright and trademark information • The information in this document is subject to change in future without prior notice. Contact Olympus Customer Support Center for the latest product names, model numbers and other information. • Voice recorder displays and product illustrations shown in this manual may differ from the actual product. While every precaution has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this manual, errors may occasionally arise.
Safety precautions Before using the voice recorder, read this manual to ensure correct and safe operation. After reading this manual, be sure to keep it on hand for ready reference whenever needed. Important safety precautions • Important safety precautions in this manual are accompanied by the symbol and labels below. Always follow these precautions to prevent harming yourself or others, or causing damage to property. • The meaning of each precaution type is given below.
Safety precautions ss If the voice recorder is dropped in water or, if water, metal or combustible foreign matter gets inside: 1 Remove the battery immediately. 2 Contact your place of purchase or an Olympus service center for repair. Continued use may result in fire or electric shock. ss Do not use the voice recorder or use it only as directed in airplanes, hospitals or other locations where use of electronic devices is restricted.
Safety precautions ss Do not submerge the battery in freshwater or saltwater, or allow its terminals to become wet. ss Discontinue use of the battery if it develops a problem such as leaking, discoloration or deformation. ss Battery fluid on clothing or skin may damage the skin, so rinse the battery fluid off right away with tap water or other clean water. f CAUTION 6 Safety precautions EN 38 ss Do not throw the battery around, or subject it to strong shocks.
Safety precautions • Recorded content in the internal memory may be destroyed or lost due to reasons such as operating errors, device failure or repair. • Also, when content is saved in the internal memory for long period of time or is used repeatedly, operations such as writing to, reading from, or erasing of contents may not be possible. • Making a backup of important recorded information and saving it on a PC’s hard disk or other recording media is recommended.
Specifications General items Frequency response 44Recording/Playback formats WMA format 44Sampling frequency WMA 32 kbps 44.1 kHz WMA 16 kbps 22.
Specifications Battery life Recording time The figures below are guideline values. 44When recording with built-in microphone TALK 52 hours (approx.) MUSIC 52 hours (approx.) MEMO 52 hours (approx.) LP 60 hours (approx.) 44During audio file playback During speaker playback 21 hours (approx.) 21 hours (approx.) MEMO 22 hours (approx.) LP 23 hours (approx.) TALK/MUSIC (WMA 32 kbps) 251 hours (approx.) MEMO (WMA 16 kbps) 495 hours (approx.) LP (WMA 5 kbps) 1570 hours (approx.
For customers in North and South America: FCC Notice • This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. • This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
OLYMPUS CORPORATION 2951 Ishikawa-machi, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-8507, Japan. OLYMPUS AMERICA INC. 3500 Corporate Parkway, P.O. Box 610, Center Valley, PA 18034-0610, U.S.A. Tel. 484-896-5000 Technical Support (USA): 24/7 online automated help: http://www.olympusamerica.com/support Phone customer support: Tel.: 1-888-553-4448 (Toll-free) EN-BD4531-01U Our phone customer support is available from 9 am to 9 pm (Monday to Friday) ET http://www.olympusamerica.
