3-864-987-21 (1) Portable MiniDisc Recorder Operating instructions MZ-R55 1998 by Sony Corporation
WARNING To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture. To avoid electrical shock, do not open the cabinet. Refer servicing to qualified personnel only. Caution The use of optical instruments with this product will increase eye hazard. Information For Customers in the USA 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.
Welcome! • Title function — You can see disc and track titles in the display while you are playing/recording an MD. Welcome to the world of the MiniDisc! Here are some of the capabilities and features you'll discover with the new MiniDisc Recorder. • Recording MD Walkman in an ultracompact body — Almost as small as a playback-only MD Walkman; easy to carry in your pocket or bag. • Low power consumption design — Runs on a single ”chewing gum” type rechargeable battery.
Table of contents Recording an MD right away! ................................. 6 Playing an MD right away! ...................................... 8 Various ways of recording .................................... 10 Two ways of connecting to a sound source ....................................... 10 Recording with digital input (optical cable required) ...................... 11 To start/stop recording in sync with the source player (Synchro-recording) ..........................................................
Editing recorded tracks ......................................... 21 Erasing tracks ......................................................................................... 21 To erase a track ................................................................................ 21 To erase the whole disc ................................................................... 21 Adding a track mark ............................................................................. 22 Erasing a track mark .................
Recording an MD right away! The sound will be sent from the connected equipment as analog signal but will be recorded digitally on the disc. To record from a digital source, see “Recording with digital input” (page 11). 1 Make connections. (Connect securely.) R (red) CD player, cassette recorder, etc. (source) to LINE OUT Line cable (RK-G129, not supplied)* to a wall outlet L (white) AC power adaptor (supplied) to LINE IN (OPTICAL) to DC IN 3V * Use the connecting cords without an attenuator.
3 Record an MD. 1 Press and slide REC to the right . “REC” lights up and recording starts. p 2 Play the CD or tape you want to record. REC CD player, cassette recorder, etc. (source) To stop recording, press p. “Data Save” or “Toc Edit” flashes while data of the recording (the track’s start and end points, etc.) is being recorded. Do not move or jog the recorder or disconnect the power source while the indication is flashing in the display. To Press Pause P1) Press P again to resume recording.
Playing an MD right away! To use the recorder on a rechargeable battery or dry batteries, see “Power Sources” (pages 27, 28). 1 Make connections. (Connect securely.) to a wall outlet to 2/REMOTE Headphones with a remote control (supplied) AC power adaptor (supplied) to DC IN 3V Wear the earpiece marked R in your right ear and the one marked L in your left ear. 2 Insert an MD. 1 Press OPEN and open the lid. 8 2 Insert an MD with the label side facing up, and press the lid down to close.
3 Play an MD. VOLUME +/– ( p VOL +/– 1 Press ( (Turn the control to (•+ on the remote control). A short beep sounds in the headphones when you operate on the remote control. 2 Press VOLUME (VOL on the remote control) +/– to adjust the volume. The volume will be shown in the display. To stop play, press p. p A long beep sounds in the headphones when you operate on the remote control. To Press (Beeps in the headphones) Pause P (Continuous short beeps) Press P again to resume play.
zVarious ways of recording Two ways of connecting to a sound source The input jack of this recorder works as both digital and analog input jacks. Connect the recorder to a CD player or a cassette recorder using either digital input or analog input. To record, see “Recording with digital input” (page 11) to record using digital input, and “Recording an MD right away!” (page 6) to record using analog input.
Recording with digital input (optical cable required) Connect to a digital source using an optical cable (POC-5B or POC-5AB, not supplied) to make digital recordings. Digital recording is possible even from digital equipment with different sampling rates, such as a DAT deck or a BS tuner, using the built-in sampling rate converter. CD player, MD player, digital amplifier, etc. Optical plug Portable CD player, etc. POC-5B etc.
To stop recording, press p. z •You cannot pause manually during synchro-recording. •When there is no sound from the player for more than 3 seconds during synchrorecording, the recorder goes into the standby mode automatically. When the sound comes from the player again, the recorder resumes synchro-recording. If the recorder is kept in the standby mode for 5 minutes or longer, the recorder stops automatically. Recording from a microphone Connect a stereo microphone (ECM-717, ECM-MS907, ECM-MS957, etc.
Recording in monaural for double the normal recording time Adjusting the recording level manually (Manual recording) For longer recordings, choose to record in monaural. The recording time becomes double the normal. When you record with an analog input, the sound level is adjusted automatically. If necessary, you can set the level manually. MODE 1 2 3 4 P REC While pressing P, press and slide REC to the right. The recorder stands by for recording. = + P 1 Press MODE.
3 While observing the level meter in the display, adjust the recording level by pressing + (+) or = (–). Set the level so that it hits the –12dB at maximum input level. . Volume decreases increases Checking the remaining time or the recording position You can check the remaining time, track number, etc. when recording or during stop. On the recorder DISPLAY REC indicator Note Adjust the recording level while the recorder is in standby mode. You cannot adjust it while recording.
In stop mode In stop mode A B A B Track number Elapsed time Track number Elapsed time Track name1) Remaining time for recording Track number Track name1) Disc name1) Number of tracks in the disc Disc name1) Remaining time after the current location Current date2) 1) 2) Current time2) Appears only if the track has been labeled. Appears only when the clock is set. On the remote control DISPLAY 1 Press DISPLAY while recording or in stop mode.
Setting the clock to stamp the recorded time To stamp the date and time on the MD when you record, you first need to set the clock. = ( + p If you make a mistake while setting the clock Press p, and set the clock again from step 2. You can skip a step by pressing (. To display the current time When the recorder is not operating or while recording, press DISPLAY repeatedly until the current time appears in the display. To display the time in the 24hour system While setting the clock, press DISPLAY.
zVarious ways of playback Playing tracks repeatedly You can play tracks repeatedly in three ways — all repeat, single repeat, and shuffle repeat. MODE Indication Play mode none (normal play) All the tracks are played once. “f” (all repeat) All the tracks are played repeatedly. “f 1” (single repeat) A single track is played repeatedly. “f SHUF ” (shuffle repeat) All the tracks are played repeatedly in random order.
Emphasizing bass (DIGITAL MEGA BASS) Protecting your hearing (AVLS) Mega Bass function intensifies low frequency sound for richer quality audio reproduction. It affects only the sound from the headphones. The AVLS (Automatic Volume Limiter System) function keeps down the maximum volume to protect your ears. AVLS DIGITAL MEGA BASS 1 Press DIGITAL MEGA BASS. Each time you press DIGITAL MEGA BASS, the Mega Bass indication changes as follows.
Checking the remaining time or the playing position On the remote control DISPLAY You can check the track name, disc name, etc. during playback. On the recorder DISPLAY 1 Press DISPLAY while playing. Each time you press DISPLAY, the display changes as follows. A 1 Press DISPLAY while playing. Each time you press DISPLAY, the display changes as follows.
Locking the controls (HOLD) Connecting to a stereo system To prevent the buttons from being accidentally operated when you carry the recorder, use this function. Connect the LINE OUT jack of the recorder to the LINE IN jacks of an amplifier or a tape player with a line cable (RK-G129 or RK-G136, not supplied). The output is analog. The recorder plays the MD digitally and sends analog signals to the connected equipment. HOLD Portable DAT recorder Stereo system, etc.
zEditing recorded tracks You can edit your recordings by adding/ erasing track marks or labeling tracks and MDs. Premastered MDs cannot be edited. Notes on editing •Do not move or jog the recorder while “Toc Edit”* is flashing in the display. •You cannot edit tracks on an MD that is record-protected. Before editing tracks, close the tab on the side of the MD. To erase the whole disc You can quickly erase all the tracks and data of the MD at the same time.
Adding a track mark Erasing a track mark You can add track marks so that the part after the new track mark is counted as a new track. The track numbers will increase as follows. When you record with analog (line) input, unnecessary track marks may be recorded where recording level is low. You can erase a track mark to combine the tracks before and after the track mark. The track numbers will change as follows. 1 2 3 4 4 Track marking . 1 2 3 4 1 2 .
Moving recorded tracks You can change the order of the recorded tracks. Before moving Track A Track B 1 2 After moving $ Track A Track C 1 2 Track C Track D 3 4 5 On the remote control DISPLAY Move track C from the third to the second track. Track B Track D 3 4 Control TRACK MARK p 1 On the recorder =+ EDIT/ENTER 2 3 1 2 3 4 T MARK 4 Press EDIT/ENTER while playing the track you want to move. ” : Name” flashes in the display and the recorder plays the selected track repeatedly.
Labeling recordings You can name tracks during playback, discs during stop, and both during recording. Each name can be as long as 200 letters. Each disc can hold up to 1700 alphanumeric letters during playback or stop, and 500 alphanumeric letters during one recording. On the recorder Press To P Switch between capital letters, small letters, and marks / numbers. VOLUME +/– Move the cursor to the left or right. =/+ Change the letter to the one before / next one.
2 3 To label a track, press EDIT/ENTER again. To label a disc, press = or + repeatedly until ” : Name” flashes in the display, then press EDIT/ENTER. On the remote control DISPLAY PLAY MODE TRACK MARK P Control Follow steps 4 to 6 of ”Labeling a disc during stop” above. To cancel labeling, press p or T MARK.
5 6 Repeat step 4 and enter all characters of the label name. Keep pressing the p for 2 seconds or more. The track or disc is labeled. Labeling a track during playback 1 2 3 4 Insert a disc and play the track you want to label. Press DISPLAY for 2 seconds or more. : Name” flashes in the display. ” Press p. The track is ready to be labeled. Follow steps 4 to 6 of ”Labeling a disc during stop” above. Labeling a track or a disc during recording 1 2 3 Press DISPLAY for 2 seconds or more during recording.
zPower sources You can use the recorder on house current or as follows. In the recorder … – a nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery NH-14WM (supplied) With supplied battery case … – two LR6 (size AA) alkaline batteries (not supplied) 3 Press p/CHARGE. “charging” flashes, n appears in the display, and charging starts. It is preferable to use the recorder on house current when recording for a long time.
Using on a nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery Be sure the rechargeable battery is fully charged. 1 Insert the fully charged nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery with correct polarity. Using dry batteries 1 Attach the supplied battery case. Battery life1) Batteries Recording2) Playback NH-14WM nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery Approx. 2.5 hours Approx. 4 hours Two LR6 (size AA) Sony alkaline dry batteries -----3) Approx.
zAdditional information Precautions On safety Do not put any foreign objects in the DC IN 3 V jack. On power sources • Use house current, nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery, two LR6 (size AA) batteries, or car battery. • For use in your house: Use the AC power adaptor supplied with this recorder. Do not use any other AC power adaptor since it may cause the recorder to malfunction.
Notes on batteries Note on digital recording Incorrect battery usage may lead to leakage of battery fluid or bursting batteries. To prevent such accidents, observe the following precautions: • Install the + and – poles of the batteries correctly. • Do not install new and used batteries or different kinds of batteries together. • Do not try to recharge dry batteries. • When the recorder is not to be used for a long time, be sure to remove the batteries.
Troubleshooting Should any problem persist after you have made these checks, consult your nearest Sony dealer. Symptom Cause/Solution The recorder does not work or works poorly. • Audio sources may not be securely connected. b Disconnect the audio sources once and connect them again (pages 6,11). • The HOLD function is turned on (”HOLD” appears in the display when you press an operation button on the recorder). b Disable HOLD by sliding the HOLD switch in the opposite direction of the arrow (page 20).
Symptom Cause/Solution No sound comes through the headphones. • The headphones plug is not firmly connected. b Plug in the plug of the headphones firmly to the remote control. Plug in the plug of the remote control firmly to 2/REMOTE. • Volume is too low. b Adjust the volume by pressing VOLUME +/– (VOL +/– on the remote control). • AVLS is on. b Slide AVLS to NORM (page 18). An MD is not played from the first track. • Disc playing stopped before it came to the last track.
System limitations The recording system in your MiniDisc recorder is radically different from those used in cassette and DAT decks and is characterized by the limitations described below. Note, however, that these limitations are due to the inherent nature of the MD recording system itself and not to mechanical causes. Symptom Cause “TR FULL” appears even before the disc has reached the maximum recording time (60 or 74 minutes).
Messages If the following error messages flash in the display window, check the chart below. 34 Error message Meaning/Remedy BLANK DISC • An MD with no recording on it is inserted. b Insert a recorded MD. DISC ERR • The disc is damaged or does not contain proper recording or editing data. b Reinsert the disc. If this fails, rerecord. DISC FULL • There is no more space to record on the disc (less than 12 seconds available). b Replace the disc.
Error message Meaning/Remedy 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 digital connection. b Use analog connection instead (page 6). NO DISC • You tried to play or record with no disc in the recorder. b Insert an MD. NO SIGNAL • The recorder could not detect digital input signals. b Make sure that the source is connected firmly (page 11).
Specifications System Audio playing system MiniDisc digital audio system Laser diode properties Material: GaAlAs Wavelength: λ = 780 nm Emission duration: continuous Laser output: less than 44.6 µW (This output is the value measured at a distance of 200 mm from the lens surface on the optical pick-up block with 7 mm aperture.
Optional accessories Optical Cable POC-151HG, POC-152HG, POC-MZ1, POC-MZ2, POC-15B, POC-15AB, POCDA12SP Line Cable RK-G129, RK-G136 Car Connecting Pack, CPA-9 Car Battery Cord DCC-E230 Stereo Microphones ECM-717, ECM-MS907, ECM-MS957 Stereo Headphones* MDR-series Active Speakers SRS-A41, SRS-A91 Recordable MDs MDW-series MiniDisc Carrying Case CK-MD4 MiniDisc Filing Box CK-MD10 Your dealer may not handle some of the above listed accessories.
How the MiniDisc got so small Shock-Resistant Memory The 2.5-inch MiniDisc, encased in a plastic cartridge that looks like a 3.5-inch diskette (see illustration above), uses a new digital audio compression technology called ATRAC (Adaptive TRansform Acoustic Coding). To store more sound in less space, ATRAC extracts and encodes only those frequency components actually audible to the human ear. One major drawback of optical read systems is that they can skip or mute when subjected to vibration.
Looking at the controls See pages in ( ) for more details.
The display window 1 8 2 9 3 !º 4 !¡ 5 !™ 6 !£ 7 1 Character information display (14, 19) Displays the disc and track names, date, error messages, track numbers, etc. 2 MONO (monaural) indication 3 Play mode indication Shows the play mode of the MD. 4 SYNC (synchro-recording) indication 5 Disc indication Shows that the disc is rotating for recording, playing or editing an MD. 6 REC indication (7) Lights up while recording. When flashing, the recorder is in record standby mode.
The headphones with a remote control 1 US model other models 2 3 4 5 8 6 7 9 !º 1 Headphones Can be replaced with optional headphones. 2 p (stop) button (7,9) 3 Control (9) 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. 4 HOLD switch (20) Slide to lock the controls of the remote control.
Sony Corporation Printed in Japan
