Optimus MICRO-32 User Manual

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OWNER’S MANUAL

Please read before usin g this equipment.

Microcassette Tape

Recorder with Voice

Activation and Counter

Cat. No. 14-1180

MICRO-32

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FEATURES

Your Optimus Micr o-32 Microcas sette Tape Recor der
with Voice Acti vation and Counter is ligh tweight , com­pact, and easy to operate. It’s perfect for recording
lectures, int erviews, and meetings . The Micro-32 has
these features:

Voice Activate d System

— records only when it de-

tects sound so you can save tape and power.

Three Power Options

— give you the choi ce of pow­ering your recorder with two AA batteries, standard
AC power (requi res op tional AC adapter ), or a v ehicl e
battery (requires optional DC adapter).

Two Tape Speeds

— let you record and play back
the tape at slow speed for twice the recording/play­back time or at normal speed for bette r soun d quality.

Built-In Condenser Microphone

— lets you record

without an external microphone.

Counter/Cue/Review

Automatic Level Control

— help you fi nd a tape sec tion.

— automatically adjusts

the recording level.

DC Bias Circuit

— ensures a high si gna l-to-noi se ra-

tio and low distort ion during recording.

©

1997 Tandy Corporation.

Optimus and RadioShack are registered trademarks

All Rights Reserved.

used by Tandy Corporation.

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CONTENTS

Power Sources ............ ......................................... 4

Installing Batteries .......................................... 4

Using AC Power ............................................. 5

Using Vehicle Battery Power .......................... 7

Oper ation ..... .. ..... ..... ..... .. ..... ..... ... .... ..... ... ..... ..... ... 9

Loading a Cassette Tape ................. ............... 9

Recording ..................................................... 10

Normal Recording .................................. 11

Voice Activated Recording .................... 13

Recording with an Externa l

Microphone ........................................... 15

Quick Record ........................................ 15

Playing a Tape .............................................. 15

Using Fast-F/Cue and Rew/Review ............. 16

Digital Tape Count er ............... .. ............ ........ 17

Using an Earphone .......... .. ........................... 18

Listening Safely ..................................... 18

Tape Hints ........................................................... 19

Storing Cassette Tapes .............. .................. 19

Preventing Accidental Erasure ..................... 19

Erasing a Cassette Tape .............................. 20

Restoring Tape Tension

and Sound Quality ................ ........................ 20

Maintenance ....................................................... 21

Cleaning the Ta pe-Handling Parts ................ 22

Specifications .................................................... 23

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POWER SOURCES

You can power the recorder from any of the following
sources:

• Two AA batteries

• AC power (using an AC adapter)

• Vehicle battery power (using a DC adapter)

INSTALLING BATTERIES

You can use two AA batteries (not suppl ied) to power
the recorder. For the best performance, we recom­mend alkaline batteries, such as RadioShack Cat.
No. 23-552. You can al so use two AA nickel- cadmium
batteries, such as Cat. No. 23-125, and recharge
them with a nickel-cadmium charger, such as Cat.
No. 23-133.

Follow these steps to install batteries.

1. Remove the battery compartment cover by slid­ing it in the direc ti on of the arrow.

2. Insert the batteries in the battery compartment,
as indicated by the polarity symbols (
inside the compartment.

+

and –)

3. Replace the cover.

4

Illustration

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Cautions:

• Use only fresh batteries of the required size and

type.

• Remove the batteries if the recorder will not be

used for a few weeks or more. Batter ies can l eak
chemicals and damage the recorder.

Replace the batteries if the REC/BATT indi cator dims
or does not light.

USING AC POWER

You can use an AC adapter, such as Cat. No. 273­1654A, to power the recorder fr om standard AC pow­er.

Caution: You must use an adapter that supplies 3
volts with the center tip set to positive, delivers the
300 milliamps the r ecorder dr aws, and has a plug that
correctly fits the recorder’s
mended adapter me ets th ese requi rem ents. Us ing an
adapter that doe s not meet t hes e specif icat ions coul d
seriously damage the recorder or the adapter.

jack. The recom-

DC 3V

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Follow these steps to power the recorder from AC
power.

1. Set the adapter’s volt age switch to 3V.

2. Insert the orange-tipped adapter plug into the
adapter’s socket. Line up TIP on the socket with
+ (positive) on the plug.

3. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug into the
recorder’s

DC 3V

jack.

Illustration

4. Insert the adapter’s other plug into a standard
AC outlet.

Illustration

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USING VEHICLE BATTERY
POWER

Using a DC adapter, such as Cat. No. 270-1560A,
you can power the recorder from your vehicle’s bat­tery.

Cautions:

• You must use an adapter that supplies 3 volts

with the center tip set to positive, delivers the
300 milliamps the recorder draws, and has a
plug that correctly fits the recorder’s
The recommended adapte r meets these requir e­ments. Using an adapter that does not meet
these specifications could damage the recorder
or the adapter.

• Always plug the adapter into the recorder before

plugging it into the cigarette-lighter socket.
Always unplug the adapter from the cigarette­lighter socket before unplugging it from the
recorder.

DC 3V

jack.

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Follow these steps to power the recorder from your
vehicle’s battery.

1. Set the adapter’s volt age switch to 3V.

2. Insert the orange-tipped adapter plug into the
adapter’s socket. Line up TIP on the socket with
+ (positive) on the plug.

3. Insert the adapter’s barrel plug into the
recorder’s

DC 3V

jack.

Illustration

4. Insert the adapter’s large plug into the vehicle’s
cigarette -l ighter socket.

Illustration

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OPERATION

Caution:

when the tape reaches the end. However, we recom­mend that you press
ter you finish playing or recording a tape. This
protects the tape by releasing it from the tape-han­dling parts.

The tape stops and the recorder turns off

STOP/EJ

as soon as possible af-

LOADING A CASSETTE TAPE

Note:

We recommend MC-60 cassette tapes (Cat.
No. 44-640) for up to two hour s of reco rding/ playba ck
time, or MC-90 cassette tapes (Cat. No. 44-644) for
up to three hours of recordi ng/playback time.

Follow these steps to load a cassette tape.

1. Use a pencil to turn the cassette’s hub and
remove any tape slack. Avoid touching the tape.

Illustration

ment.

STOP/EJ

to open the cassette compart-

2. Press

Illustration

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3. Slide the cassette into the grooves on the inside
of the compartment cover, with the side you
want to play or record on against the cover and
the exposed tape facing outward.

Illustration

4. Close the compartment.

To unload the tape, press
or playback, then press

STOP/EJ

STOP/EJ

to stop recording

again to open the

cassette compartment so you can remove the tape.

RECORDING

Cautions:

• Do not change the tape speed while recording.

• You wi ll damage the recorder if you force down

REC

when an erase-protection tab is not in place

(see “Preventing Accidental Erasur e”) .

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Normal Recording

VOX

1. Set

2. Load the cassette tape.

3. Set

•To

•To

4. Press
down

OFF

to

.

Illustration

TAPE SPEED

as follows:

Illustration

1.2 cm

to double the tape’s recording time.

2.4 cm

for better sound quali ty.

REC

to begin recording. This also pushes

PLAY

.

Illustration

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5. Adjust

VOLUME

for the microphone sensitivity.

• Minimum to mid-range for dictation

• Mid-range to maximum for recording confer­ences

6. Place the recorder as close to the sound source
as possible, with nothing between the source
and the recorder t o block the sound.

Illustration

7. Press

STOP/EJ

to stop rec o rding.

Notes:

• The built-in automatic level control automatically
sets th e recording level.

PAUSE

PAUSE

back to

• To temporarily stop recording, slide

ON

. To resume recording, slide

its original position.

Illustration

to

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Voice Activated Recording

1. Set the

VOX

to ON.

Illustration

2. Load the cassette tape.

TAPE SPEED

3. Set

as follows:

Illustration

1.2 cm

•To

•To

4. Press

PLAY

to double the tape’s recording time.

2.4 cm

for better sound quali ty.

REC

to record. This also pushes down

.

Illustration

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5. Adjust

VOLUME

for the microphone sensitivity
until the sound source’s volume level starts the
record er.

Illustration

Notes:

• The built-in automatic level control automati-

cally sets the recording level.

• The first few sounds start the recorder but

might not be recorded. Say an extra word or
two to begin recor ding.

• When the recorder detects silence for 2 to 6

seconds, recording stops temporarily. When
the sound resumes, recording continues.

6. Press

STOP/EJ

to stop rec o rding.

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Recording with an External Microphone

1. Plug an optional external microphone into the

MIC

jack on top of the recorder. The built-in

microphone is automatically disconnected.

Note:

Your local RadioShack store has a wide
selection of microphones, designed especially
for microca ssette recorders.

2. Follow the steps under “Normal Recording” or
“Voice Activated Recording.”

Quick Record

You can go directly from playback to recording by
pressing

REC

.

PLAYING A TAPE

Follow these steps to play back a cassette tape.

1. Load the cassette tape.

2. Set

TAPE SPEED

you recorded the tape.

to the speed you used when

Illustration

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3. Press

4. Adjust

5. Press

PLAY

.

VOLUME

STOP/EJ

to a comfortable listening level.

to stop playback.

Notes:

• To play the other side of the tape, unload it, turn
it over , and reload it.

• To temporarily stop the tape, slide
To resume playback, slide

PAUSE

PAUSE

to ON.

downward.

USING FAST-F/CUE
AND REW/REVIEW

Press the switch toward
a tape forward, or toward
move a tape backward.

If you press and hold the s witch towar d

REW/REVIEW

during playback, you can hear the tap e
as it fast-forwards or rewinds. When you release the
switch, the recorder resumes normal playback.

FAST-F/CUE

REW/REVIEW

Illustration

to rapidly move

to rapidly

FAST-F/CUE

or

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If you press and hold the swi tch toward

REW/REVIEW

during recording, the

FAST-F/CUE

REC

button re-

or

leases. You can hear the tape as it fast-forwards or
rewinds. When you release the switch, the recorder
begins normal playback.

If you press the switch toward

REVIEW

or rewinds until you pre ss

Note:

to release the

while the tape is stopped, the tape advances

STOP/EJ

When the tape reaches the end, press

FAST-F/CUE

REW/REVIEW

or

FAST-F/CUE

.

REW/

or

STOP/EJ

switc h .

DIGITAL TAPE COUNTER

1. Load a cassette and rewind it to its begi nning.

2. Press the reset button to reset the tape counter
to

.

000

Illustration

3. Make a note of the counter readings at the
beginning of each selection (during playback
and recording).

4. Use the counter readings and the

REW/RE V IEW

switch to quickly locate a desired

position on the tape.

FAST-F/CUE—

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USING AN EARPHONE

For privat e li stenin g, pl ug an opt io nal ear phone wi th a

1

/8-inch plug into the recorder’s

matically disconnects the recorder’s internal speaker.

Illustration

Note:

Your local RadioSh ack store has a wide sel ec-

tion of earphones.

Listening Safely

To protect your heari ng, fol low the se guidel ines whe n
you use earphones.

• Set the volume to the lowest setting before you
begin listening. After you begin listening, adjust
the volume to a comfort able level.

• Do not listen at extremely high volume levels.
Extended high-volume listening can lead to per­manent hearing loss.

• Once you set the volume, do not increase it.
Over time, your ears adapt to the volume level,
so a volume level that does not cause discom­fort might stil l damage your hearing.

EAR

jack. This auto-

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TAP E HINTS

STORING CASSETTE TAPES

Do not expose cassette tapes to high temperatures;
high humidit y; dust or dirt; or motors, transfor mers, or
other sources of st rong magnetic fields.

PREVENTING ACCIDENTAL
ERASURE

Most microcassette tapes have an erase-protection
tab for each side of the tape. To protect your record­ings from being accident ally erased or recorded over,
use a screwdrive r to car efull y break off t he erase- pr o­tection tabs. If you later dec ide to erase or reco rd over
the tape, place a piece of ta pe over the holes.

Illustr ation

Caution:

not prevent a tape from being erased by a bulk tape
eraser.

Removing the erase-protection tabs does

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ERASING A CASSETTE TAPE

If you no longer want a recording, yo u can record over
it or erase it.

To record over a cassette tape, be sure the erase­protection tabs are in place. Then simply record as
usual. The r ecorder re cords ov er the pre vious r ecord­ing.

You might prefer to use a bulk tape eraser, such as
Cat. No. 44-233, which erases both sides of a micro­cassette tape i n just a few seconds.

RESTORING TAPE TENSION
AND SOUND QUALITY

After you pl ay a cassette tape several time s, the tape
might become tightly wound on the reels. This can
cause playback sound quality to deter iorate.

To restore the sound quality, fast-forward the tape
from the beginning to the end of one side, then com­pletely rewind it . Then loosen the tape reel s by gently
tapping each side of t he cassette ’s outer shell on a flat
surface.

Caution:

tapping it . Do n ot tou ch the expo sed tape or all ow any
sharp objects near the cassette.

20

Be careful not to dam age the casset te when

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MAINTENANCE

Your Optimus Micro- 32 Microcasse tte Tape Record er
with Voice Activation and Counter is an example of
superior design and craftsmanship. The following
suggestions will help you care for your recorder so
you can enjoy it for years.

• Keep the recorder dry. If it gets wet, wipe it dry

immediately. Liquids can contain minerals that
can corrode the elect ronic circuits.

• Handle the recorder gently and carefully. Drop-

ping it can damage the circuit boards and case
and can cause the recorder to work improperly.

• Use and store the recorder only in normal tem-

perature environments. Temperature extremes
can shorten the life of electronic devices and
distort or melt plastic parts.

• Keep the recorder away from dust and dirt,

which can cause prematur e wear of parts.

• Wipe the recorder with a damp cloth occasion-

ally to keep it looking new. Do not use harsh
chemicals, cleaning solvents, or strong deter­gents to clean the rec order.

• Use only fresh batteries of the recommended

size and type. Always remove old or weak bat­teries; they can leak chemicals that destroy elec­tronic circuits.

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Modifying or tampering with the recorder’s internal
parts can cause a malfunction and might invalidate
your recorder ’s warranty. If your rec order is not oper­ating as it should, take it to your local RadioShack
store for assistance.

CLEANING THE TAPE-HANDLING
PARTS

Clean the tape-h andling parts after ever y 20 hours of
use.

With power suppli ed and the casse tte remove d, ope n
the cassette compartment door. Use a pointed obj ect
to gently push the erase protection tab sensor to the
left, a nd press
Use a cotton swab di pped in t ape head c lea ning sol u­tion or denatured alcohol to gently clean the tape­handling parts.

REC

to expose t he tape-h andlin g p arts.

Illustration

Or, for easier cleaning, use RadioShack’s microcas­sette cleane r kit (Cat. No. 44-1168), which includes a
special cleaning cassette.

After you finish cleaning, press
22

STOP/EJ

.

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SPECIFICATIONS

Tape System...........2-Track Monaural Microcassette

Tape Speed ....................... 2.4 cm/sec or 1.2 cm/sec

Recording Time (Total for Both Sides):

MC-60 ..............................60 min @ 2.4 cm/sec

120 min @ 1.2 cm/sec

MC-90 ..............................90 min @ 2.4 cm/sec

180 min @ 1.2 cm/sec

Wow and Flutter..... .....Less than 0.3% @ 2.4 cm/sec

Erase System.................Permanent Magnet Erasing

Record System............................................. DC Bias

Power Requirements..................... 2 AA Batteries, or

120 V AC (With Optional AC Adapter), or

3 V DC (With Optional DC Adapter)

Battery Life*:

Alkaline Batteries ................................12 Hours

Nickel -C a d m iu m B a tte ries .. .......... .........9 Ho ur s

Dimensions (HWD).................. 5

1

/16 × 1 × 25/8 Inches

(129 × 25.4 × 67 mm)

Weight...............................................................5.8 oz

(164 g)

* Battery life varies depending on temperature,

usage patterns, and other conditions.

Specifications are typical; individual units might vary.
Specifications are subject to change and improve­ment without notice.

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Limited Ninety-Day Warranty

This product is warranted by RadioShack against manufacturing defects in mate­rial and workmanship under normal use for ninety (90) days from the date of pur­chase from RadioShack company-owned stores and authorized RadioShack
franchisees and dealers. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RadioShack
MAKES NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES, IN­CLUDING THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICU­LAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE DURATION OF THE
WRITTEN LIMITED WARRANTIES CONTAINED HEREIN. EXCEPT AS PRO­VIDED HEREIN, RadioShack SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBIL­ITY TO CUSTOMER OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY WITH RESPECT
TO ANY LIABILITY, LOSS OR DAMAGE CAUSED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY
BY USE OR PE RF ORM AN CE OF T H E PROD U C T OR A RI SI NG OUT OF ANY
BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY
DAMAGES RESULTING FROM INCONVENIENCE, LOSS OF TIME, DATA,
PROPERTY, REVENUE, OR PROFIT OR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDEN­TAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF RadioShack HAS BEEN AD­VISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Some states do not allow the limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or
the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations or
exclusions may not apply to you.
In the event of a product defect during the w ar ranty period, take the product and
the RadioShack sales receipt as proof of purchase date to any RadioShack store.
RadioShack will, at its option, unless otherwise provided by law: (a)correct the
defect by product repair without charge for parts and labor; (b) replace the prod­uct with one of the same or similar design; or (c) refund the purchase price. All re­placed parts and products, and products on which a refund is made, become the
property of RadioShack. New or reconditioned parts and products may be used
in the performance of warranty service. Repaired or replaced parts and products
are warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period. You will be
charged for repair or replacement of the product made after the expiration of the
warranty period.
This warranty does not cover: (a) damage or failure caused by or attributable to
acts of God, abuse, accident, misuse, improper or abnormal usage, failure to fol­low instructions, improper installation or maintenance, alteration, lightning or
other incidence of excess voltage or current; (b) any repairs other than those pro­vided by a RadioShack Authorized Service Facility; (c) consumables such as
fuses or batteries; (d) cosmetic damage; (e) transportation, shipping or insurance
costs; o r (f) costs of product removal, installation, set-up service adjustment or
reinstallation.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights
which vary from state to state.

RadioShack Customer Relations, Dept. W,

100 Throckmorton St., Suite 600, Fort Worth, TX 76102

We Service What We Sell

3/97

A Division of Tandy Corporation

RadioShack

Fort Worth, Texas 76102

7A7 Printed in Hong Kong