Table of Contents Getting Started Connections Software Setup Basic Operations Advanced Features Help Index
Table of Contents Package Contents • Rio Forge • Installation CD • Earphones • Rio Forge Sports Case and Armband • Quick Start Poster • USB Cable Copyright/Trademarks © 2004 Digital Networks North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Digital Networks North America, Inc.
Table of Contents Index Table of Contents • Package Contents.......................................... ii • Copyright/Trademarks .................................. ii 1 - Getting Started Welcome .......................................................1 • Learning More.................................................1 Tour of the Rio Forge............................2 LCD Overview ............................................5 • Player Mode ....................................................5 • Menu Mode .
Table of Contents Bookmarks ................................................28 Settings .......................................................29 • Playback ........................................................30 • Equalizer .......................................................31 • Power ............................................................32 • Resume .........................................................33 • Display ..........................................................34 • Time .......
Table of Contents Chapter 1 Index Getting Started :: Welcome Thank you for purchasing the Rio Forge. The Rio Forge is a portable digital audio player that provides many hours of MP3 and WMA playback. The Rio Forge features a lighted LCD, a memory expansion slot, a stopwatch, and an FM radio tuner. Rio Forge Learning More • Refer to the Quick Start poster for the basics on how to set up and start using the Rio Forge. • Visit the Rio website at www.rioaudio.com.
Table of Contents Index :: Tour of the Rio Forge MENU In Player mode, press to enter Menu mode. VOLUME + and Press to adjust volume level. In Menu mode, press to return to Player mode. POWER Press to power the Rio Forge on. Press and hold to power the Rio Forge off. PLAY/PAUSE Press to play or pause playback. CENTER In Menu mode, press to select options. LOCK/UNLOCK Rio Forge Slide into the LOCK position to disable buttons and prevent accidental operation. STOP Press to stop playback.
Table of Contents Index invisible text LOCK/UNLOCK Slide into the LOCK position to disable buttons and prevent accidental operation. POWER Press to turn the Rio Forge on. Press and hold to turn the Rio Forge off. VOLUME + and Press to adjust volume level. EARPHONES Connects to earphones, headphones, or auxiliary connections. USB Rio Forge Connects to the USB cable.
Table of Contents Index invisible text Optional Memory Card The Rio Forge supports optional SD and MMC memory sizes of 8MB - 1GB. Rio Forge AAA Battery Insert AAA-battery. The Rio Forge supports both alkaline and NiMH batteries. Battery Compartment Cover Remove to access the battery compartment.
Table of Contents :: LCD Overview Player Mode Index Repeat Playback Indicator Shuffle Playback Indicator Lock Indicator Power Indicator Volume Level Artist Album Track Track Position Bar Track Time Track Number/Total Number of Tracks Play Indicator Menu Mode Menu Title Selected Option Rio Forge Options 5
Table of Contents Index invisible text Time Code View Play Screens Press CENTER to cycle through Time Code, Date, and Track Format, and EQ setting views.
Table of Contents Index new page FM Radio: Manual Frequency Scale Current Frequency (from left to right) Volume Indicator, Strong Signal Indicator, Stereo Indicator, Mute Indicator, Battery Indicator FM Radio: Store Preset Current Frequency Preset Station Slot Rio Forge FM Radio: Preset Preset Stations Preset Scroll Indicator Current Frequency 7
Table of Contents Chapter 2 Index Connections :: Basic Connections This chapter describes how to connect the Rio Forge to earphones, mini USB cables, and alternate devices. Basic connections include: Battery The Rio Forge uses a single AAA-battery that can provide many hours of use. The Battery Compartment Cover must be removed before a battery can be installed. Earphones Connect the supplied earphones to the EARPHONES jack on the bottom of the Rio Forge.
Table of Contents Index Additional Accessories Get the most out of your Rio Forge with additional accessories available online at the Rio website. Some of the most popular accessories include the following: • Rio Approved External Memory Cards Add an external memory card to your Rio Forge and significantly increase the number of tracks that can be loaded onto the Rio Forge.
Table of Contents Chapter 3 Index Software Setup Software Setup Software found on the Rio installation disc should be installed on a computer before using the Rio Forge. Rio Music Manager should be installed on computers that use the Windows operating systems. iTunes and the Rio iTunes plug-in should be installed on computers that use a Mac operating system.
Table of Contents Index :: Windows Follow these instructions to load Rio Music Manager onto your PC. 1 Place the installation CD label-side up into the computer’s CD-ROM drive. The Rio installation software launches automatically. 2 Click Rio Music Manager INSTALL NOW (required) and follow the on-screen instructions. 3 If prompted, reboot the computer when the installation is complete.
Table of Contents Index Rio Music Manager Rio Forge Rio Music Manager is an all-in-one solution that can rip, encode, and manage entire collections of digital audio tracks. Rio Music Manager provides the following capabilities: • Save (Rip and Encode) audio CDs into compressed digital audio formats. Rio Music Manager encodes WMA files by default and MP3 via an optional upgrade pack. • Automatically Synchronize the music collection on your computer with your Rio Forge.
Table of Contents Index :: Mac iTunes Rio Forge is compatible with Macintosh OS X v10.2 systems using Apple’s iTunes 4.2 or greater. iTunes is free and available online. Support for iTunes can be found here. Follow these instructions to load the software that enables your Macintosh to recognize the Rio Forge: 1 Place the software CD label-side up into the computer’s CD-ROM drive. 2 Double-click the Rio icon on your computer’s desktop. 3 Double-click the Install icon.
Table of Contents Chapter 4 Index Basic Operations :: Basic Operations Enjoying music on the Rio Forge is easy.
Table of Contents Index :: Copy Tracks Copying Tracks with Rio Music Manager Copying tracks from Audio CDs involves two steps commonly known as ripping and encoding. Ripping and encoding refers to the process of ripping (copying) audio from a CD and encoding (saving) the audio content into a compressed digital audio format like MP3 or WMA. 1 2 3 4 Track Type Technique Single track. • Click the track. Multiple tracks. • Press SHIFT+Click or CTRL+Click. All tracks. • Press CTRL+A. No tracks.
Table of Contents Index :: Transfer Tracks Rio Music Manager Transferring tracks from the PC to the Rio Forge with the Rio Music Manager involves selecting tracks, then transferring them to the Rio Forge. 1 2 3 Launch the Rio Music Manager. Click My Music in the left frame to access tracks. Rio Music Manager will scan the computer’s hard drives for digital audio files that are compatible with the Rio Forge. Files are automatically categorized by album title and displayed in the Track List.
Table of Contents Index Transferring Tracks using Windows Explorer Transferring tracks from the PC to the Rio Forge using Windows Explorer is as easy as Copy and Paste. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Connect the Rio Forge to a computer using the supplied USB cable. Double-click My Computer on the Windows Desktop or in the Start Menu. Locate MP3 or WMA audio files on the computer. Highlight files and/or folders to transfer to the Rio Forge. Click Edit. Click Copy.
Table of Contents Index iTunes Rio Forge 1 2 3 4 5 6 Launch iTunes. Connect the Rio Forge to a USB port on the computer. Power the Rio Forge on. Click Library in the iTunes Source frame. Select tracks to transfer. Drag and drop selected tracks to the Rio Forge Player in the iTunes Source frame. • iTunes will only refresh the audio contents located on the Rio Forge after all selected tracks have been transferred.
Table of Contents Index :: Control the Player Rio Forge The controls on the Rio Forge work as follows: • POWER Press and hold to power the Rio Forge on or off. • MENU In Player mode, press to enter Menu mode. In Menu mode, press to return to Player mode. • CENTER In Player mode, press to cycle through Play Screens. In Menu mode, press to select menu options. • PLAY/PAUSE In Player mode, press to play or pause playback. In Menu mode, press to control menu navigation.
Table of Contents Index :: Play Music The Rio Forge plays digital audio tracks in Player mode and FM radio in FM Tuner mode. Modes can be changed at anytime through the Main Menu.
Table of Contents Index :: Play Music In Player mode (the default mode), any track or preset customized Playlist can be played within a matter of seconds so you can spend more time enjoying tracks and less time finding them. Rio Forge Play All Album Artist Genre Track Year New Music Playlist Spoken Word FM Recordings (Rio Forge 256 and 512 Only) • If the Rio Forge does not power on after POWER has been pressed, check the LOCK/UNLOCK switch and confirm it is in the UNLOCK position.
Table of Contents Index Play All Follow these steps to play all tracks on the Rio Forge: 1 2 3 Press MENU. Select Play Music. Select Play All. Album To play tracks from specific albums please follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 5 Press MENU. Select Play Music. Select Album. Select Play All or a specific album. If a specific album is selected, select Play All or a specific track. Artist To play tracks from a specific artist please follow these steps: Rio Forge 1 2 3 4 5 Press MENU. Select Play Music.
Table of Contents Index Genre To play tracks from a specific genre please follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 5 Press MENU. Select Play Music. Select Genre. Select Play All, a specific genre, or [none]. If a specific genre is selected, select Play All or a specific track. Track To play a specific track please follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 Press MENU. Select Play Music. Select Track. Select Play All or a specific track. Year To play tracks from a specific year please follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 Press MENU.
Table of Contents Index Playlist To play tracks from playlists created in Rio Music Manager please follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 Press MENU. Select Play Music. Select Playlist. Select Play All or a specific playlist. Spoken Word Select to play tracks formatted using the Audible #2 and #3 formats. To play spoken word tracks please follow these steps: 1 2 3 4 Press MENU. Select Play Music. Select Spoken Word. Select an Audible track. • When in spoken word mode, the Rio Forge display’s the following icon: .
Table of Contents Index :: FM Tuner To access FM Tuner mode: 1 Press MENU. 2 Select FM Tuner. FM Control Manual Preset Store Preset FM Control Rio Forge When in Tuner mode, the following controls function differently: • CENTER Press to enter Preset mode. Press and hold to enter Store Preset mode. • PLAY/PAUSE Press and release to mute the FM radio. Press and hold to start or stop FM Record (Rio Forge 256 and 512 Only).
Table of Contents Index Manual Follow these steps to enter the manual Tuner mode: 1 2 3 Press MENU. Select Tuner. Press CENTER. Store Preset The Rio Forge allows programming of up to 8 FM preset slots. 1 2 3 4 When in Manual mode, tune to a frequency you wish to store to a preset slot. Press and hold CENTER to enter Store Preset mode. Press FORWARD or REVERSE to cycle to the desired preset station slot. Press CENTER to store the frequency to the selected FM preset slot.
Table of Contents Chapter 5 Index Advanced Features :: Advanced Features Advanced features of the Rio Forge include: Rio Forge Bookmarks Settings FM Record (Rio Forge 256 and 512 Only) Stopwatch About 27
Table of Contents Index :: Bookmarks Bookmarks store specific player settings, including the current running order, the current track, the current time position of the track, and the Playback settings. Users can save these settings in a bookmark and restore them whenever they use the Rio Forge. Bookmarks are great for: • • • Placing digital bookmarks in digital audio books or other extended length tracks. Maintaining positions in long term running orders.
Table of Contents Index :: Settings Rio Forge settings include: Rio Forge Playback Equalizer Power Resume Display Time Language FM Tuner Lock Setup Tags 29
Table of Contents Index Playback Various playback settings can be set to modify the way the Rio Forge plays tracks. Tracks can be shuffled at random and/or repeated continuously. 1 2 3 4 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Playback. Select Playback options. Press CENTER to apply settings. Rio Forge Plackback options include: • Shuffle Set selected tracks to play in standard or random order. Settings include Off (the default setting) and On.
Table of Contents Index Equalizer The sound of tracks played on the Rio Forge can be adjusted using various preset and fully customizable equalizer options. Equalizer settings include: Custom Custom mode allows the Rio Forge’s settings to be adjusted according to personal preferences. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Equalizer. Select Custom. Adjust 5-band equalizer. Press FORWARD or REVERSE to navigate between frequencies.
Table of Contents Index Power By adjusting the Power settings the Rio Forge can conserve energy and extend the amount of playback time during each battery charge. 1 2 3 4 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Power. Select Power options. Press CENTER to apply settings and return to Player mode. Rio Forge Power options include: • Battery Although the Rio Forge ships with an Alkaline battery, it can also use rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries.
Table of Contents Index Resume Use the options in the Resume menu to set the track that the Rio Forge will play whenever it is powered on. 1 2 3 4 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Resume. Select Resume options. Press CENTER to apply settings and return to Player mode. Rio Forge Resume options include: • Track Set the Rio Forge to begin playback of the last track played before shutdown or the first track in the running order when the Rio Forge is powered on.
Table of Contents Index Display Use the Display menu to adjust backlight and contrast settings. 1 2 3 4 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Display. Adjust Backlight options and Contrast settings. Press CENTER to apply settings and return to Player mode. Display options include: • Backlight Set the backlight on the Rio Forge to shut itself off after a specific number of seconds. Settings include Off, 2s, 5s, (the default setting) 10s, 20s, and On. On sets the backlight to remain lit constantly.
Table of Contents Index Time Use the options in the Time menu to set the Rio Forge’s internal clock. Time is set automatically every time tracks are transferred to the Rio Forge using Rio Music Manager. 1 2 3 4 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Time. Select Set Time, Set Date, or Time Mode options. Press CENTER to apply settings and return to Player mode. Rio Forge Time settings include: • Set Time Options include Hour, Minute, and AM / PM. • Set Date Options include Month, Day, and Year.
Table of Contents Index Language The Rio Forge menus can be set to display in one of five languages. 1 2 3 4 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Language. Select a Language setting. Language settings include: • Rio Forge • English (the default setting) Set the display language to English. Set the display language to Japanese. • Deutsch Set the display language to German. • Français Set the display language to French. • Español Set the display language to Spanish.
Table of Contents Index FM Tuner Use the options in the FM Tuner menu to set the Rio Forge’s FM radio settings. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select FM Tuner. Select Options. Adjust FM Stereo Mode and/or Region options. Press CENTER to apply settings and return to Player mode. Rio Forge FM Tuner options include: • FM Stereo Mode Options include On (the default setting), and Off. Selecting Off will place the tuner in mono mode. • Region Options include USA (tunes by .
Table of Contents Index Lock Setup Use the options in the Lock Setup menu to enable various controls when the lock is enabled. 1 2 3 4 5 Press MENU. Select Settings. Select Lock Setup. Select Lock Setup options. Press CENTER to apply settings and return to Player mode. Rio Forge Lock Setup settings include: • Volume Options include Lock (the default setting) and Off. When set to Off, the volume level can be adjusted even when the Rio Forge has been locked.
Table of Contents Index Tags Adjust Tags menu settings if the Rio Forge displays random alphabet characters instead of the correct ID3 Tags. The Rio Forge supports Latin- and Japanese-based languages. If ID3 tags are displayed properly then Tags menu settings do not need to be changed. Rio Music Manager encodes tracks tags using the Unicode method. Properly tagged (Unicode) tracks are unaffected by changes to the Tags menu settings. All WMA tracks are Unicode. 1 2 3 4 5 Press MENU. Select Settings.
Table of Contents Index :: FM Record (Rio Forge 256 and 512 Only) Select to create, playback, or delete FM recordings on the Rio Forge 256 or 512. Recording ID3 Tags can be edited using Rio Music Manager. 1 2 3 Press MENU. Select FM Record. Select Start (or Stop), Playback, or Delete. Rio Forge FM Record options include: • Start (Only available when in FM Tuner mode) Select to begin recording. After recording has started, return to the FM Record menu and select the Stop option to stop recording.
Table of Contents Index :: Stopwatch Use the stopwatch to keep track of time-sensitive events while listening to music. 1 2 Press MENU. Select Stopwatch. Lap statistics are displayed at the bottom of the Stopwatch screen. When a new lap is set, the difference, either faster (-) or slower (+) between new lap times and the average laptime is displayed for a few moments. When in Stopwatch mode, the controls work in the following ways: • MENU Press to return to the Main Menu.
Table of Contents Index :: About The about screen displays information about the Rio Forge. Information includes the total amount of memory on the Rio Forge, the amount of free memory, the number of tracks on the Rio Forge, and the Firmware version. 1 2 3 Press MENU. Select About. Select Player or Storage. Rio Forge About options include: • Player Displays firmware version, copyright, and Rio website information.
Table of Contents Chapter 6 Index Help :: Troubleshooting Customer Service Information The FAQs below will help you solve common issues with your player. If you do not find the answers you need here, you can contact our Customer Service Department via any of the following methods: Web: www.rioaudio.
Table of Contents Index Frequently Asked Questions Question Answer What size and type of external memory cards can my Rio Forge use? • The Rio Forge currently supports SD and MMC memory sizes of 8MB - 1GB. Please visit the Rio support site at www.rioaudio.com/support for more information on external memory cards. How do I install an external memory card? 1 2 3 4 Rio Forge 5 6 7 Turn the Rio Forge off. Remove the battery compartment cover on the back of the player. Remove the battery.
Rio Forge Table of Contents Index Will the Rio Forge play Variable Bitrate (VBR) files? • Yes. Because there are many standards for VBR files, it cannot be guaranteed that every encoding software package will properly function with the Rio Forge. VBR files that do not comply to standards may lack track time, fast forward, and/ or rewind capabilities. What kind of batteries can I use with the Rio Forge? • The Rio Forge can use either alkaline or Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries.
Table of Contents What should I do if my Rio Forge is not detected by Rio Music Manager? • Your Rio Forge was designed to work with the version of Rio Music Manager that was included on the Installation CD. Previous versions of Rio Music Manager may not be able to detect your Rio Forge. What should I do if my Rio Forge is not detected by my computer? • Verify that the USB cable is securely inserted into the USB port on both the Rio Forge and your computer.
Table of Contents Why would I ever want to reformat my Rio Forge? Index • If for any reason you suspect that your Rio player's file system has been corrupted, reformatting the player will restore the file system to its original state. Use Windows Explorer to format Mass Storage Class compatible Rio players. 1 2 3 4 Double-click My Computer on the Windows Desktop or in the Start Menu. Locate the Removable Disk (X:) or Player (X:) icon that is associated with the player.
Table of Contents Why does my Rio Forge experience errors after I unplug the USB cable? Index • Removing a Mass Storage Class (MSC) compatible Rio player from a USB connection prior to ejecting, stopping, or otherwise closing communication between the player and the computer may result in a corrupting the player's file system. e.g. All tracks, although different, are assigned the same name; the player will not power off; etc.
Table of Contents Can I update the firmware on the Rio Forge? Index • Yes. If available, firmware for your Rio can be downloaded online. Note: Quit all applications before running the firmware update. While running the firmware update, do not close the program, turn off the player, or unplug the USB cable. 1 2 3 Downloading the update Click on the following link: Firmware Upgrade. Click on the link to the Rio Forge. Locate UPDATES and click Firmware. Select and download the latest software.
Table of Contents Index :: Glossary of Digital Audio Terms Bass Bass is the particular low-range area of the sound spectrum where low musical notes and sounds are located. Increasing the bass value will make the low vocals and drums more prominent in your music. You can select the amount of bass in your music by selecting various Equalizer options. Bitrate Bitrate denotes the number of bits per second used by a digital music file.
Table of Contents Index Firmware Firmware is the read-only software that is installed on the player. Like software it can be updated, but unlike software it can never be deleted from the player. Gain Gain is a measurement of the amplitude of frequency ranges. Gain adjustments boost or reduce frequencies to provide a more desirable audio output.
Table of Contents Index Rip and Encode Rip and encode refers to the process of extracting audio from a music CD (ripping) and encoding it into a compressed digital audio format like MP3 or WMA. Synchronize Rio Music Manager can automatically (or manually) delete old content, transfer new audio content, and keep the content on your Rio Forge fresh and dynamic. Rio Music Manager must be open for synchronization to occur. Treble Treble notes occupy the higher portion of the sound spectrum.
Table of Contents Index :: ECC, FCC, and Industry Canada Compliance Statement of Compliance This product complies with Council Directive 89/336/EEC and Council Directive 72/23/EEC. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1 2 This device may not cause harmful interference, and This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Table of Contents Index :: Safety Warning TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SHOCK OR INJURY, DO NOT USE or OPERATE THIS DEVICE IN OR NEAR WATER OR WET LOCATIONS. CAUTION RISK OF EXPLOSION, DAMAGE OR BATTERY LEAKAGE IS POSSIBLE IF BATTERY IS REPLACED INCORRECTLY OR BY AN INCORRECT TYPE. NEVER ATTEMPT TO CHARGE A NON-RECHARGEABLE ALKALINE BATTERY. DISPOSE OF USED BATTERIES ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS OR LOCAL LAWS.
Table of Contents Index Index Symbols +/- Control Customer Service Information 43 19 D A About 42 Accessories 9 Advanced Features Album 22 Artist 22 B 27 Backlight 34 Basic Operations 14 Bass definition 50 Battery indicator 45 Installation 4 Bitrate definition 50 Bookmarks 28 Buttons and Controls 19 Rio Forge C Codec definition 50 MP3 51 WMA 52 Contrast 34 Controls 19 Copy tracks 15 Date View 6 Display 34 DRM 50 E Earphones 8 Encoding 15 Equalizer 31 ID3 Tag definition 51 iTunes 13 L Languag
Table of Contents V Rio Forge Variable Bitrate (VBR) W 52 Volume +/- 2, 19 WMA Index Y 44, 52 Year 23 56
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