Parrot You Com User Manual

User Manual

You/Com

Audiocommunicatie

b.v.
Motorenweg 5-k
2623CR Delft (The Netherlands)
tel:

[phone]

fax:

[phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]
URL : www.youcom.nl

Parrot

v1.0

9 published November 16, 2007

Copyright 2005

No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or made public by means of printing,

photocopying, microfilm or any other way without a prior written permission from

You/Com (www.youcom.nl).

Table of contents

1

Quick start

.......................................................

7

2

Introduction

...................................................

11

2.1

Front view

..........................................................................

11

2.2

Rear view

...........................................................................

12

2.3

Memory card

......................................................................

13

2.4

Audio inputs

.......................................................................

13

2.5

Audio outputs

.....................................................................

14

2.6

Bluetooth

...........................................................................

15

2.7

USB

...................................................................................

16

3

Operation

......................................................

19

3.1

Pushbuttons

.......................................................................

19

3.2

Input sensitivity switches

.....................................................

20

3.3

Level controller

...................................................................

21

3.4

Visual feedback

...................................................................

22

3.5

Attention tones

...................................................................

23

4

Recording audio

..............................................

25

5

Organising audio samples

................................

29

6

Sending audio live or in a file

...........................

33

6.1

Pairing with a mobile phone

..................................................

33

6.2

Make a live connection (high-grade telephone quality)

..............

35

6.3

Record the LIVE connection (telephone logging)

.......................

36

6.4

Sen

d audio files (original high quality)

.....................................

36

7

Connect to PC

................................................

39

7.1

USB audio

..........................................................................

39

7.2

USB removable hard disk

......................................................

40

7.3

Insert memory card in PC

.....................................................

40

6

©

2007

Parrot

8

User settings

..................................................

41

Annex 1: Analog overview

.....................................

46

Annex 2: Software upgrade

...................................

48

Annex 3: Troubleshooting

......................................

50

Annex 4: Specifications

.........................................

51

©

2005

Parrot

7

1

QUICK START

Step 1: Connect cables

:

Connect the MIC/LINE cable to
the MIC/LINE-input and the
headphones cable to the
PHONES-connector on the rear.
Choose either the LINE or MIC
input with the LINE/MIC switch.
Select sensitivity with the H/M/L
switch (see below).

Step 2: Insert a memory card

:

Insert a Secure Digital

(SD

) card

into the memory-slot

on the

left
hand side of the unit with the
card’s topside facing away from
the belt-clip.
Switch ON the unit by pressing

for 1 second until the ON light
lights up. Green means there is
power in the battery.
The MEM light should not light up. This means that there is enough memory left
for a first recording.

Step 3: Adjust input level

:

Press the level-controller

on the
front briefly to light up [INPUT].
Talk into the microphone with a
level you think you will use.
Turn the level-control (while
[INPUT] is still lit) until your voice
makes the level-meter run into
yellow occasionally.

8

©

2007

Parrot

The top light of the level-meter is
a red overload

indication. This
can light up even when level
seems to be in the green or
yellow region.

!

This overload indication must never
light up. If so, set the L, H or M
switch to a lower sensitivity or even
to LINE and then re-adjust the input­level on the front.

Step 4: Adjust headphones level

:

Wait until the PHONES light is
on.
Talk into the microphone with a
level you think you will use.
Turn the level-control until you
have a comfortable level on your
headphones.

Step 5: Start Recording

:

Press (and hold briefly) the [REC]
button on the side panel to start
recording.
The red REC light on both the
side panel and on the front will
switch on and you will get a
‘beep-up’

on your headphones.

(Place Markers

):

During recording (or playback later on) markers can be set by pressing [MARK]
on the side panel. The MARK light will light up briefly indicating it has been set.

©

2005

Parrot

9

Stop recording:

Press (and hold briefly) the
[STOP] button on the side panel
for at least 1 second to stop
recording.
The red REC light on both the
side panel and on the front will
switch off and you will get a
‘beep-down’

on your

headphones.

Play last item:

Press [PLAY] right after recording to

play-back this last item.

The green PLAY light on both the side panel and on the front will switch on.

Step 6a: Live contribution

including playback of item

(First make sure your Parrot has been
paired once. See paragraph

6.1

for

pairing with a mobile phone)

Press [GO] once and the LIVE
light on the front will switch on.
The NETW light will start blinking
slowly to indicate that it is trying
to reach the paired Bluetooth
device (may be very brief).

NETW lights up steady when the Parrot is successfully connected to the mobile
phone (see paragraph

6.1

for pairing with a mobile phone).
Use the keyboard on the mobile phone to make the desired connection (make
sure level on mobile phone is set right)
Hold down the level-controller until RETURN lights up and adjust the mix
between the local signal (low side of the bar) and the return signal (high side of
the bar). RETURN will normally be somewhere in the middle.

10

©

2007

Parrot

Use [-], [+ ] and PLAY to insert items in the contribution.
During playing out of an item, the microphone is muted
Use the keyboard on the mobile phone to end the connection to the studio.
Press [GO] twice to end the connection with the mobile phone.

Step 6b: Send one item (File transfer

)

Press [GO] twice and the FILE
light on the front will switch on.
The NETW light will start blinking
slowly to indicate that it is trying
to reach the paired Bluetooth
device.

The FILE light will flash fast during the transfer of the file. The LED-bar will
show the progress by lighting up 1 to 7

LEDs each for about 14% of the file
size already transmitted. (if this does not happen, try to pair your mobile phone
again to the Parrot; see paragraph

6.1

)

Transfer successful

: The FILE light will light up steady and NETW will blink
green. Press [GO] to end file transfer mode.
Transfer failed

: The FILE light will blink and NETW will blink red. Press [GO] to

end file-transfer-mode or try again by pressing [GO] 3 times.

Step 7: Switch off the unit

Power down the unit by pressing

for 1 second until ON light
switches off. Try pressing it for 5
seconds, if for some reason it
does not switch off.

©

2005

Parrot

11

2

INTRODUCTION

The Parrot is designed to make quick and simple audio recordings using professional
microphones/line inputs and headphones. Once the recordings are made, you can
select the interesting audio samples and send them out to either a notebook for
further editing, as a file transfer directly into the studio

, or live on the air using a

mobile network.

2.1

Front view

6

7

8

9

5

4

3

2

1

1 - Level controller

for input level, phones volume and send/return mix

2 - Level indicator

for input level, level of stored audio during playback
3 - Indication for the current function of the level-controller
4 - Progress and function indication for the [GO] button
5 - [GO] button

to initiate a live audio connection or a file transfer

6 - [On/Off] button

to switch the unit on (press button until ON LED is lit) or
switch it off (press button until ON LED is off), pushing this button for more
then 5 seconds is a failsafe OFF function in case the unit is stuck.
7 - Indication for the ON/OFF status and battery-power-left alerts
8 – 2-digit display shows

takenr

., battery/memory status and level settings

9 - Indications for PLAY/RECORD status and memory-left alerts

12

©

2007

Parrot

2.2

Rear view

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 - unbalanced

line output
2 - headphones output
3 - input sensitivity switches
4 - balanced

line/microphone input

5 - Bluetooth

antenna
6 - battery charge indication
7 - USB connector

(also used for battery charge power)

©

2005

Parrot

13

2.3

Memory card

Any Secure Digital memory card

can be used for the Parrot to store the audio on.

We have tested

Sandisk and Dane-

Elec up to 512

MByte. The card can only be
inserted one way which is with the slanted side inwards and the bottom side
pointed towards the belt-clip

of the Parrot.

2.4

Audio inputs

Microphone-

or line-input

The Parrot has

one input for balanced
microphone- or line-level audio on a
female XLR connector

on the rear of

the unit.

LINE or MIC input is selected with a
slide switch on the rear.

The sensitivity

of this input is set with a second slide switch: H/M/L for high­medium- or low-sensitivity (e.g. a weak incoming signal needs a high sensitivity, see
also

Annex 4: Specifications

). The level-indication on the LED-bar should show only
green or yellow lights on the audio you want to use, with the level-control set to
about 70% (L7, see section

3.3

). Select a lower sensitivity or lower level-control

when the red LED lights up even briefly.

14

©

2007

Parrot

2.5

Audio outputs

Headphone output

The 6.3mm jack socket on the rear
connects to 8-32ohms headphones to
give highest power output. Higher
impedance headphones can also be
connected, but may result in a lower
signal level.

Line output

The rear panel also holds a cinch
socket (

a.k.a. RCA or PHONO jack) to

connect to

an unbalanced line input

.

©

2005

Parrot

15

2.6

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless interface and there is therefore no physical connector. This
interface connects to another BT device like a mobile telephone. Depending on
whether LIVE or FILE is selected with the [GO] key, the Parrot can be either a
‘modem’ or a ‘headphone

’ to this mobile phone.

Bluetooth used as a headset (LIVE

)

Audio coming in from in this case the mobile phone can be heard in the headphones.
The mix of your own input signal and this return-audio is made with the RETURN
level adjust (see section

3.3

). The signal from the MIC/LINE input or a played out
recording on the Parrot is sent towards the mobile phone. The level of this signal is
adjusted by the sensitivity switches described in section

3.2

) and by the level

control (see section

3.3

) on the Parrot. This function is also called “digital hybrid”.

Both the incoming and outgoing signal can be stored separately in a ‘stereo’
recording when RECORD is pressed during a LIVE connection. This function is also
called “telephone logging

”.

Some mobile phones have an extra
volume control for the Bluetooth
headset. Make sure that this is set to a
comfortable level (see the manual of the
mobile phone).

See chapter 6 for pairing with another
Bluetooth device and making such a LIVE
connection.

16

©

2007

Parrot

Bluetooth

used as a modem (FILE)

Most mobile phones that have Bluetooth, also have modem functionality (see the
manual of your mobile phone). This could for instance be used to read your email
with your laptop through this Bluetooth modem. The Parrot can use this function to
set up a data link to a server in the studio and store the audio-files there to be used
for further editing or broadcasting. The parameter “

file_transfer_profile” in the user-

settings-file (see chapter

8) should be set to “0 ->

Zmodem Modem”. The file will
only be sent to the local mobile phone, in case this parameter is set to “1 -> Object
Push Profile (OBEX)” and can then be forwarded to the studio by email (e.g. through
a 3G network

like UMTS

). See chapter 6 for pairing with another Bluetooth device

and making such FILE connections.

2.7

USB

The Parrot introduces itself as both
an external audio-card and a file
storage device, when the mini-USB is
connected to

a USB-host (e.g. a PC).

!

The Parrot will activate the

audio

function when the Parrot is switched

ON.
!

The Parrot will activate the

storage

function when the Parrot is switched

OFF

.

©

2005

Parrot

17

USB audio

The Parrot’s headphones

are an extra output and the MIC or LINE input is an extra
audio input for the PC (when the Parrot is switched ON). So while editing some
audio on a notebook

, the result can be monitored on your own professional
headphones. The mix of your own input signal and this return-audio is made with
the RETURN level adjuster (see section

3.3

). The extra professional input can be

used to make good quality recordings on the PC.

USB mass storage device

The memory card inside the Parrot will act like a removable hard disk on the PC
(when the Parrot is switched off). The audio files with their markers can now be
used directly by any program. This also enables you to edit the settings inside the
.

ini file (see chapter 8). Taking out the SD card and putting it in the PC’s card reader

has the same effect.

USB battery charging

The internal batteries are charged when the Parrot is connected to another USB
device that is capable of giving out enough current on the USB-power (up to
500mA, like any standard PC or mains adapter with such a connector). The Parrot
will limit the power used for charging, to prevent damaging the other USB-device.
Therefore charging the batteries will go faster when no power is needed to feed the
Parrot itself and so it is better to switch off the Parrot for battery charging. The
green LED indicates the charging status: fast-blink means ‘charging’, slow-blink
means topping-of (slow charge), occasional flash means ‘trickle-charging’, off
means ‘no power coming from USB’

18

©

2007

Parrot

©

2005

Parrot

19

3

OPERATION

The user interface consists of a few pushbuttons

on the front and side panel,
sensitivity select switches on the rear, visual feedback with lights on 3 sides and
attention tones on the headphones.

3.1

Pushbuttons

Each single pushbutton has one main function.

ON/OFF

[ ]:

GO

[

]*:

Switch on or off.

Go through the steps LIVE, FILE or
offline (see chapter 6) .

REC*

:

MARK

*:

STOP

*:
PLAY:
REV

[-]:

FWD

[+]:

CLIP

*:

Start recording. A latency may be set on this key (see
section ???). In that case press this key until you hear the
beep-up and see the REC light turn on.
Set a marker during a recording or playback. It can also
remove an existing marker when in stop- or play-pause­mode and positioned on that marker (MARK light is on).
Stop recording or playback.
Start playing or go to play-pause when already playing.
(pull towards -) Step to the previous marker when pressed
shortly or play fast in reversed order when pressed longer.
(pull towards +) Step to the next marker when pressed
shortly or play fast forward order when pressed longer.
(press in the middle) Select or de-select a sample of audio
in between two markers. If this button is pressed longer it
will make the unit go in or out of CLIP-mode (see section
5

).

*) Some buttons may have additional functions:

20

©

2007

Parrot

Press

STOP

on

startup to enter the so-called

hazard-mode

(all lights blink for 2

seconds). Press

REC

during

hazard-mode

to erase the memory card

. Press

MARK

during

hazard-mode

to erase all user-set markers, unselect all clips and return to
only ‘start of new recording’ markers.
Press and hold GO on

startup to enter the

BlueTooth

pairing-mode. The red NETW

light blinks until unit is paired or switched off (see also section

6.1

).

3.2

Input sensitivity switches

The analog input can be selected to take in either a line level

or a microphone level

signal. The selected input can furthermore be set to three levels of sensitivity.

Select line- or microphone-level

Use the LINE/MIC switch to select a
line level or a microphone level input
(see also

Annex 4: Specifications

)

Select low-, medium- or high­sensitivity

Use the LINE/MIC switch to select
the right sensitivity. These switches
should be set in such a way that
while the level-control is set to about
70% (L7, see section

3.3

):
the top red light of the level-indication-bar will not light up on a ‘maximum
conceivable signal’ (that would indicate an overload

of the pre-amplifier).

there is still a few green lights showing on a signal with a ‘normal’ level

and the

level-control set to about 6 red lights.

©

2005

Parrot

21

3.3

Level controller

Three settings can be adjusted with the use of the level controller, the 2-digit
display and the INPUT/PHONES/RETURN lights:

-

fine tune the microphone or line input (set by the sensitivity switches)

-

set the headphones volume

-

set the mix between the local and remote signals (in case of a LIVE or a USB
connection) towards the headphones

PHONES

will light up by default
to adjust the phones level. The
Parrot will always return to
PHONES after a short idle time.
Press the level controller briefly
to turn on the

INPUT

light and

adjust MIC/LINE input-level.

Press and hold the level controller until

RETURN

lights up to change the mix
between the local signal (low side of the bar) and the return signal (high side of
the bar). RETURN will normally be somewhere in the middle.

PHONES will turn on again when the level-controller is not used for about 5
seconds.

22

©

2007

Parrot

3.4

Visual feedback

The user can get the following visual feedback from the Parrot on its’ status

or a

function that needs attention:

Front panel

:

INPUT

(yellow) - the level-controller can be

used to alter the input level

PHONES

(yellow) - the level-controller can

be used to alter the headphones output level

RETURN

(yellow) - the level-controller can
be used to alter the mix between the local
signal (microphone- or line-input) and the
remote signal coming in from either USB or
BlueTooth

PLAY

(green) - the Parrot is playing (blinks when it is in play-pause

)

REC

(red) - the Parrot is recording (blinks when it is in record-pause)

MEM

(red) - memory card is getting full (1 flash every 30 seconds at 20 minutes, 2
flashes every 20 seconds at 10 minutes and 1 flash every second at 1 minute
before the memory card is full)

NETW

(green/red) - slow-blink red means ‘about to enter pairing mode’ or

‘

filetransfer failed’, fast-blink red means ‘now in pairing mode’, slow-blink green

means ‘

filetransfer completed’, fast-blink green means ‘trying to connect’, steady

green means ‘connected’

LIVE

(yellow) - Parrot now in LIVE mode i.e. sending and receiving audio to and

from

BlueTooth

FILE

(yellow) - fast-blink means ‘now transferring file’, steady means ‘transfer not

yet begun’ or ‘transfer ended’ depending on NETW status

ON

(green/red) - green means ‘unit is switched on’, red means battery almost

depleted (1 red flash every 3 seconds at 60 minutes before batteries are empty)

LED-bar

(green/red/yellow) - when level-indication

is active a sequence of 4 green, 2

yellow and 1 red light show the input-level (or recorded level during playback); when

©

2005

Parrot

23

a file is being transferred each of the 7 red lights indicate that another 14% of the
total file is sent.

Digits

(two red digits) - shows the current take number/input control level/phones

control level/return mix control level/battery status/memory status

Left panel:

REC

(red) - the Parrot is recording (blinks when it is in record-

pause)

MARK

(yellow) - lights up briefly when a marker is passed or is set
just now and lights up steady when stopped or in play-pause
directly on a marker

PLAY

(green) - the Parrot is playing (blinks when it’s in play-pause)

CLIP

(yellow) - steady when the current audio sample is selected

to be a CLIP or blinks when the Parrot is in ‘play

CLIPs only’ mode

Rear Panel:

USB (green) – fast-blink means ‘charging’,
slow-blink means topping-of (slow charge),
occasional flash means ‘trickle-charging’, off
means ‘no power coming from USB’

3.5

Attention tones

Certain beeps

in the headphones can emphasise the different lights:

High-beep

: general attention to e.g. a memory or battery alert
Low-beep: indicates a fault (e.g. input overload) or restriction (e.g. no RETURN
control when offline)
Beep-up

(a sequence of first a low and then a high beep): recording started

Beep-down

(a sequence of first a high and then a low beep): recording stopped

24

©

2007

Parrot

©

2005

Parrot

25

4

RECORDING AUDIO

The Parrot should be connected and set up properly, before starting a recording.

Charge battery

:

Connect the Parrot USB port to a powered USB
line e.g. a running PC or a USB mains adapter.

USB (green) – fast-blink means ‘charging’,
slow-blink means topping-of (slow charge),
occasional flash means ‘trickle-charging’, off
means ‘no power coming from USB’
A rough indication of the battery status

scrolls by as b0 (empty), b1, b2… b9 (full)
in the digit-display every 5 seconds. Charging completely depleted batteries will take
about 10 to 12 hours.

Remark: Make sure that the Parrot is charged every day for at least the number of
hours that the unit was used.

Clear memory card

:

Press STOP on

startup to enter the so-

called hazard-mode

(all lights blink for 2
seconds).
Press REC during hazard-mode to erase the
memory card.

or…

Take out the memory card and erase some
or all of the audio-files on a PC.

A rough indication of the memory status

scrolls by as c0 (empty), c1, c2…c9 (full)

in the digit-display every 5 seconds.

26

©

2007

Parrot

Select the correct sensitivity

:

Use the LINE/MIC switch to select either a line
level

or a microphone level input

.

Use the L/M/H switch to set the right sensitivity
for the connected input signal.
(see also section

3.2

)

These switches should be set in such a way that:

the top red light of the level-indication-bar will not light up on a ‘maximum
conceivable signal’ (that would indicate an overload

of the pre-amplifier).
there is still a few green lights showing on a signal with a ‘normal’ level and the
level-control set to about L7.

Set the input level

-control:

Press the level controller to turn on the
INPUT light.
The 2-digit display shows the current
position of that level with L0…L9
This level is adjusted each time the level
controller is turned and as long as the
INPUT light is still on.

Set the INPUT-level

in such a way that only green

LEDs light up on the input signal

with an occasional yellow one.

Set the input phones

-control:

Do not press the level controller for a few
seconds and see that the PHONES LED is
ON (by default after a few idle seconds).
The 2-digit display shows the current
position of that level with P0...P9.
This level is adjusted each time the level
controller is turned and as long as this
PHONES light is on.

©

2005

Parrot

27

Adjust the level-controller until the level on your headphones is right for the
circumstances.

Start recording

:

Press (and hold briefly) REC to start
recording
Both the red REC light on the front panel as
the one on the left panel turn on and you
hear a beep-up in the headphones.
Press MARK to highlight a certain point in
the recording for later use
Press REC again to pause the recording.
This way the audio-file on the card is not
yet closed and the ‘resume-recording’

(press REC again) takes place immediately.
Press and hold STOP to end this recording which also closes the audio file that has
just been generated on the memory card (this may take a few seconds). An
automatic marker on the start, pause and end of the recording will help in browsing
through the various recordings on the card.

The take number (1

..99)

is shown in the digit-display.

28

©

2007

Parrot

©

2005

Parrot

29

5

ORGANISING AUDIO SAMPLES

The simplest way to get an item in the studio is to
A) make a recording and
B) press GO to play out the audio LIVE or send it as a FILE.
However, if the item is more complicated or too long to send out right away, it can
be chopped up in smaller pieces. Only specific parts of the audio can then be sent
out.

Browse through the audio

Locate the desired audio samples by browsing through the audio while listening with
the headphones:

Press PLAY to hear the latest recording.

Press [-] or [+] to skip to the next or previous marker

.

Press and hold [-] or [+] to fast forward

or fast rewind the audio.

Set a marker

Place a marker on the starting point (head) of the desired audio sample by pressing
MARK

while playing or first press

PLAY(-pause) and then press MARK. Do the same

for the end marker (tail).

Delete a marker

The best way to position the unit on an unwanted marker is to find the general
location first by ear and then press

PLAY(-pause). Now use [-] or [+] to step
directly on this marker (MARK will light up). Press MARK to delete this marker
(MARK turns off).

Delete all markers

The Parrot

goes to so-called ‘hazard-mode’ when it is turned on with the STOP

button pressed (all

LEDs

are flashing). All user-placed-markers (and clips) are

removed when you now press MARK

!!

30

©

2007

Parrot

Select clips

Press CLIP

briefly within a desired audio sample or at the starting-marker of that
sample when the various head- and tail-markers are set (or use the automatically
placed start-of-take markers). The CLIP light now turns on every time the unit is
inside such a selected clip. Selecting or deselecting clips can only be done when in
PLAY or PLAY-PAUSE mode.

The examples below have a line that
starts halfway take1, than all the way
through take2 and ends halfway take3.
They show two fixed ‘start’-markers (

)

and two user-placed-markers (

).

Example 1:
Action: Clip-button (+/- slide button
pressed down in centre) is pressed
during PLAY in between the two user­placed markers
Result: A clip is selected from the
previous to the next user-placed-marker.

Example 2:
Action: PLAY-button is pressed during
PLAY to go to PLAY-PAUSE in between
the two user-placed markers and then
the CLIP-button is pressed
Result: A clip is selected from the
previous to the next user-placed-marker.

©

2005

Parrot

31

Example 3:
Action: PLAY is pressed during PLAY to
go to PLAY-PAUSE in between the two
user-placed markers. A third marker is
placed by pressing MARK and then CLIP
is pressed
Result: A clip is selected from this new
user-placed-marker to the next user­placed-marker.

If the placed marker in example 3 was intended to be a ‘tail-marker’, then the clip
should be selected as described in example 4.
Example 4:
Action: PLAY is pressed during PLAY to
go to PLAY-PAUSE in between the two
user-placed markers.

A third marker is
placed by pressing MARK. The slide
switch is pressed towards ‘-‘ to go to the
previous marker and then CLIP is
pressed.
Result: A clip is selected from the
previous user-placed-marker to this new
user-placed-marker.

Deselect clips

You can deselect a clip the same way that you select one. Go to PLAY or PLAY­PAUSE, step to the right position (within a clip or at the head-marker of that clip)
and press the CLIP-button briefly. The CLIP LED turns off during PLAY or PLAY­PAUSE.

Play out selected

CLIPs only

Press and hold the CLIP-button until the CLIP light starts blinking. Only the samples
that were selected to be a clip can now be played out with PLAY. They will also be

32

©

2007

Parrot

played out to the studio when LIVE is activated. The 2-digit display shows a number
for each clip as they are ordered on the memory card (e.g. a first clip selected from
take 1 is called 1 and the next 2 clips from take4 are called 2 and 3, etc.). The
blinking CLIP LED shows the difference between normal mode and clips-only mode.
Press and hold the CLIP-button to switch off CLIP-mode and return to normal
operation (CLIP light stops blinking).

Send selected

CLIPs as files

Press and hold the CLIP-button until the CLIP light starts blinking. Only the samples
that were selected to be a clip will be sent as a file when FILE is selected. The 2­digit display shows a number for each clip as they are ordered on the memory card
(e.g. a first clip selected from take 2 is called 1 and the next 2 clips from take4 are
called 2 and 3, etc.).

Go to the CLIP you wish to send with PLAY and/or [+]/[-] and press GO twice
to activate the FILE function.
The Parrot will connect to the phone that it was already paired with (see
section

6.1

) and start sending the file.
A blinking green NETW LED together with a full red LED bar indicates a
successful transfer of the clip shown in the display. Press GO at this point to
acknowledge.
Proceed to the next CLIP you wish to send.
Press and hold the CLIP-button to switch off CLIP-mode and return to normal
operation (CLIP light stops blinking).

©

2005

Parrot

33

6 SENDING AUDIO LIVE OR IN A FILE

Besides recording audio, the Parrot can also make sure that the recording arrives in
the studio or even in the reporter’s own mailbox.

6.1

Pairing with a mobile phone

The Parrot needs to be paired with a mobile phone, or any Bluetooth host like a
notebook. This pairing

is only required once, as long as the Parrot is not paired to

another device in the mean time.

Turn off the Parrot.
Press and hold the GO button
while turning it back on, until
NETW starts blinking red.

The Parrot is now broadcasting its’
identity (Parrot) and waits for
someone to answer.

Look for the Bluetooth section on
your mobile phone (shown
example is a

Nokia 6021)

Make sure that Bluetooth is
turned on.
Let your mobile phone search for
accessories.
Select Parrot.

34

©

2007

Parrot

Enter 0000 when the Parrot asks
for a

passcode
The mobile phone may ask for a
short name for future
presentation of this device (enter
any)

The NETW still blinks red until
the two devices are also actually
connected.
Some mobile phones (like this
Nokia 6021) will automatically
connect after pairing

Connect this accessory (the
Parrot) manually, when the
mobile phone does not do that
automatically. Press Go to end
pairing manually, when this
option does not exist in your
phone.

NETW will light up green
indicating a successful
connection. Press and hold GO to
bring the Parrot back to normal
mode and to switch off battery­power to the internal Bluetooth
module.

From now on these two devices are paired, even after

shut-down or when your

mobile phone has been using e.g. your Bluetooth

carkit in the mean time. Pairing is

only lost when the Parrot itself is used together with

an other Bluetooth device.

©

2005

Parrot

35

6.2

Make a live connection (high-grade telephone quality)

Press [GO

] once and the LIVE
light on the front will turn on.
The NETW light will start blinking
slowly to indicate that it is trying
to reach the paired Bluetooth
device (may be very brief).
NETW lights up steady when the
Parrot is successfully connected
to the GSM.

Make sure that the volume on
the mobile phone is correct
Use the keyboard on the GSM to
make the desired connection

Use [-], [+] and PLAY to insert items in the contribution (see also chapter

5

for
playing specific clips only).
Use the keyboard on the GSM end the connection to the studio.
The Parrot now acts as a digital hybrid.
Press [GO] after the connection to clear Bluetooth with the GSM (NETW, LIVE
and FILE LED are off).

Remark: Try to keep the GSM and its’ antenna away from the Parrot and the
microphone cable to prevent ‘GSM humming’ in the audio.

36

©

2007

Parrot

6.3

Record the LIVE connection (telephone logging)

Press RECORD during a LIVE connection (see section

6.2

) to record both the
outgoing and incoming signal as a ‘stereo’ file on the memory card. This way the
two signals are stored separately in two tracks and can for instance be edited later
on to change the individual levels.

6.4

Send audio files (original high quality)

The Parrot can either send the current take or a few selected clips (see section

5

).
Make sure that CLIP is not blinking if you only want to send the current take or that
it IS blinking when you want to send only selected clips.

Sending a file can be done in one stage (using the modem function) or in 2 stages
(using the object push function):

Modem

(1 stage): the selected file is sent directly into the studio’s fileserver. All
required settings are pre-programmed in the user settings on the memory card. This
function can be selected by setting ‘0 ->

Zmodem Modem Profile’ and entering a

few parameters (see chapter 8).

Object Push

(2 stage): The selected file is first sent to the memory of the mobile
phone and can then be sent by any means available (e.g. email through UMTS) to
different destinations. This function can be selected by setting ‘1 -> Object Push
Profile’ (see chapter 8).

Press [GO] twice and the FILE
light on the front will turn on.
The NETW light will start blinking
fast to indicate that it is trying to
reach the paired Bluetooth device
(the mobile phone will ask if the
file can be stored in its’ memory,
when the object push function is
used)

©

2005

Parrot

37

The FILE

light will then blink during the transfer of the file (to a pre-programmed

location). The LED-bar will show the progress by lighting up 1 to 7

LEDs each
for about 14% of the file size already transmitted.
Transfer successful: The FILE light will light up steady and NETW will blink
green slowly.
Transfer failed: The FILE light will blink and NETW will blink red slowly.
Press the GO button one more time to confirm that you have seen either this
green or red blinking LED.

Check your uploaded files on parrot.youcom.nl, when the modem function is used
with the test numbers that are listed in the chapter

8.

38

©

2007

Parrot

©

2005

Parrot

39

7

CONNECT TO PC

The mini-USB connector on the rear panel not only provides power to the internal
battery charger, but is indeed also a digital interface to a PC providing both an
external audio device (when Parrot is switched on) and a mass storage device
(when Parrot is switched off).

7.1

USB audio

The Parrot introduces itself to

a USB­host (e.g. a PC) as an external audio­card and can be used as such when
the Parrot is switched on.

The PC

can be seen as an

audio input

towards the headphones on the Parrot, with

this audio-card functionality. So while editing some audio on a notebook

, the result
can be monitored on your own professional headphones. The mix of your own input
signal and that returned from the PC is made with the MIX level adjuster (see
section

3.3

).

The signals generated on the Parrot (i.e.

mic/line input and playback) are sent
towards the PC so that it can for instance be used to insert into the item you
creating with an

audio editing program.

40

©

2007

Parrot

7.2

USB removable hard disk

The Parrot also introduces itself to

a
USB-host (e.g. a PC) as a removable
storage device. This feature can only
be used when the Parrot is switched
off.

The file explorer on the PC will show
all recordings as separate audio-files
you can use for further editing,
emailing etc.

7.3

Insert memory card in PC

You can also insert the memory card directly into your PC, when it has a card reader
for this type of card (SD or MMC card). This will then work similar to the
‘removable hard disk’ function described in section

7.2

.

©

2005

Parrot

41

8

USER SETTINGS

Several settings that determine how the Parrot acts and reacts are user definable

.
The settings are listed in a text file inside the Parrot that can be edited using any
text editor.

When you connect the Parrot to the PC with a USB cable, you can find this file on
the SD card called settings.ini

. After you have changed this file and saved it back on
the Parrots memory card, you have to turn it on again for the new settings to take
effect.

The file contents should look like this:

# Software version: 295.003

[settings]

# What

bitrate profile should be used (number 0-7):

# 0 = 48Kb/s, 24kHz (Mpeg 2.0 Layer 3)

# 1 = 48Kb/s, 48kHz (Mpeg 1.0 Layer 3)

# 2 = 64Kb/s, 44kHz (Mpeg 1.0 Layer 3)

# 3 = 64Kb/s, 48kHz (Mpeg 1.0 Layer 3)

# 4 = 96Kb/s, 44kHz (Mpeg 1.0 Layer 3)

# 5 = 96Kb/s, 48kHz (Mpeg 1.0 Layer 3)

# 6 = 128Kb/s, 44kHz (Mpeg 1.0 Layer 3)

# 7 = 128Kb/s, 48kHz (Mpeg 1.0 Layer 3)

bitrate_index=3

# What

filetransfer profile should be used (number 0-1):

# 0 = Z-modem file transfer

# 1 = OBEX Object Push

file_transfer_profile=0

# What telephone-number should be dialed using Z-modem (max 32 characters):

file_transfer_number=[phone]

# What modem

init-string should be sent using Z-modem (max 64 characters):

42

©

2007

Parrot

modem_init=AT+CBST=71,0,1

# What prefix should be added to the filename, when a file is sent

#

using filetransfer (max 32 characters, including a space at the end):

file_prefix=Test Parrot

# What description should be added to recordings (max 256 characters):

bwf

_description=

# What is the name of the originator (max 32 characters):

bwf

_originator=

# What is the reference of the originator (max 32 characters):

bwf_orig_reference=

# Time and date:

# Time is in 24h format HH

:MM:SS

# Date is in DD-MM-YY format

# (

remove these lines completely if you don't want to modify this setting!)

time

=unchanged

date

=unchanged

#----

end of file----#

The following settings are user definable

:

Recorder settings

:
select 0..7
e.g.

bitrate_index= 3
This number represents a set of parameters for the mp3 encoder to use for the
recordings:

# What

bitrate profile should be used (number 0-7):

# 0 = 48Kb/s, 24kHz (Mpeg2.0 Layer3 Mono)

# 1 = 48Kb/s, 48kHz (Mpeg1.0 Layer3 Mono)

# 2 = 64Kb/s, 44kHz (Mpeg1.0 Layer3 Mono)

©

2005

Parrot

43

# 3 = 64Kb/s, 48kHz (Mpeg1.0 Layer3 Mono)

# 4 = 96Kb/s, 44kHz (Mpeg1.0 Layer3 Mono)

# 5 = 96Kb/s, 48kHz (Mpeg1.0 Layer3 Mono)

# 6 = 128Kb/s, 44kHz (Mpeg1.0 Layer3 Mono)

# 7 = 128Kb/s, 48kHz (Mpeg1.0 Layer3 Mono)

This setting will influence the quality of the recorded audio, but also the time it will
take to transfer a take to the studio. A low ‘

kbit/s’ number will not give you the
best audio quality, but will result in a faster file transfer. You can have MP3 files
with different

bitrate-settings on the card if you decide to change this .

ini file
between recording. This will work perfectly, but will be noticed in the time it takes
to transfer the different types and/or in the audio quality.

Set File Transfer Profile:
select: 1 or 0

A take is sent to the memory of the mobile phones when 1 “Object Push Profile
(OBEX)” is selected and the user turns on FILE during operation.
A take is sent directly to the

preprogrammed fileserver (see

filetransfer settings

above) when 0 “

Zmodem Modem Profile” is selected and the user turns on FILE

during operation.

File transfer called number

:

32 keypad characters (0

..9, + , #)

e.g.

ftn=[phone]

This is the number to reach the server in the studio that can receive one or more
MP3 files from the Parrot.

File transfer

initialization string

:
32 characters
e.g.

modem_init= AT+ CBST= 71,0,1

This string is sent to the connected

BlueTooth modem (e.g. a mobile phone) to set it

up for the right speed and network (analog modem with

testnr [phone], or

V.110 modem with

testnr [phone]):
analog modem at 9600bit/s: AT+CBST=7,0,1
V.110 modem at 9600bit/s: AT+CBST=71,0,1

44

©

2007

Parrot

V.110 modem at 19200bit/s: AT+CBST=79,0,1+CHSN=3,0,0,4
V.110 modem at 28800bit/s: AT+CBST=80,0,1+CHSN=4,0,0,4

File transfer prefix

:
32 characters
e.g.

pre=Parrot take

This is a string of characters that will form the file-name on the server in the studio
together with the take name on the memory card. E.g. “Parrot take” + “1.mp3” will
result in a filename “Parrot take1.mp3” after the file transfer.

BWF information fields

:
BWF description: 256 characters
BWF originator: 32 characters
BWF originator reference: 32 characters

These fields allow you to send along extra information in the header of each audio
file (also entered in the recordings on the SD card).

Set Time and Date

:

time

:

HH:MM:SS (24 hour clock)

date: DD-MM-YY
e.g.

time=10:37:00

e.g.

date=04-11-05

The Parrot evaluates these values. They will be ignored when these exact values
have already been set the last time, otherwise they will be set in the Real Time
Clock in the Parrot on the moment that the Parrot reboots with this .

ini file on its’
memorycard. This way you will only need to set the time and date once and not
each time you edit the .

ini file. The Parrots’ internal clock will continue until the
batteries are taken out for more then 2 minutes or that it is not charged for a long
period.

©

2005

Parrot

45

46

©

2007

Parrot

ANNEX 1: ANALOG OVERVIEW

The following drawing gives an indication of

all audio paths

, inputs, outputs and

controls:

©

2005

Parrot

47

48

©

2007

Parrot

ANNEX 2: SOFTWARE UPGRADE

To upgrade the Parrot with a newer software version, simply put the

update.dat file

on the memory card and insert it in the Parrot.

When the Parrot

recognizes the upgrade to be valid, it will show the upgrade-

progress as 1 to 7

LEDs in the LED-bar. It will then reboot and the Parrot is ready

for use again.

©

2005

Parrot

49

50

©

2007

Parrot

ANNEX 3: TROUBLESHOOTING

Problem: Parrot no longer reacts to any pushbutton.
Possible solutions: Press and hold the ON button until the Parrot reboots/ Connect
Parrot to USB power/ Take out SD-card and reboot

Problem: The SD-card is available on the PC, but only for about 2 minutes.
Possible solutions: The Parrot has an old

bootloader

version which needs to be

upgraded by You/Com in Delft

Problem: Parrot does not pair Bluetooth with a mobile phone
Possible solutions: The Parrot may have already found a phone that it was paired
with once before; try switching off all phones, set Parrot in pairing mode (NETW
should start blinking slow and then fast) and then switch on the phone you wish to
pair.

©

2005

Parrot

51

ANNEX 4: SPECIFICATIONS

Input

Pin

Description

1

Shielding

2

Analog signal +

3

Analog signal -

Format

Symmetrical

Connector

3-pin female XLR socket
Maximum input level:
MIC L/M/H
LINE L/M/H

(

upto red LED, level-control at 100%)

-33.5 dBu/-44 dBu/-54

dBu

+9.0 dBu/-1.5 dBu/-11.2

dBu

Input stage sensitivity adjustment

6 steps
Input impedance

2

kOhm (MIC) or 200

kOhm (LINE)

Signal-to-noise ratio

MIC: 70 dB, LINE: 75 dB

Phones Output

Pin

Description

tip

Analog signal +

ring

Analog signal +

sleeve

Analog ground

t

i

p

r

i

n

g

s

l

e

e

v

e

Phones connector

6.3 mm jack socket

Maximum phones output level

2x200

mW (at 2x 32 Ohms)

Phones output impedance

=

16

52

©

2007

Parrot

Line output

Pin

Description

tip

Analog signal +

sleeve

Analog ground

Connector type

Female RCA (Cinch) asymmetrical

Nominal level

2

Vtt (1

kOhm)

General

Batteries

4xAA 2700mAh

NiMH battery pack

Battery life

10 hrs typical

Charging time (unit off)

10 hrs typical

Dimensions

110x85x35 mm

Weight

360 g (incl. batteries)

©

2005

Parrot

53

INDEX
3G network, 16
analog overview, 46
antenna, 12
attention feedback, 22
attention tones, 23
audio

input, 13
output, 14

paths, 46
balanced, 12; 13
battery

charge indication, 12

charging, 25

status, 25
beep-down, 9; 23
beep-up, 8; 23
belt-clip, 13
Bluetooth

headset, 15

LIVE, 15

modem, 16
BlueTooth, 12
cables, 7
charging battery, 25
clear memory card, 25
clip, 23; 30

button, 19

unselect all, 20
date, 44
erase all markers, 20
erase memory card, 20
fast

forward, 29

rewind, 29
FILE, 22; 37
file transfer, 10

called number, 43

initialization string, 43

prefix, 44
front panel, 22
front view, 11
fwd button, 19
GO, 35
go button, 11; 19
hazard-mode, 20; 25
headphones, 14

level, 8

output, 12

to mobile phone, 15
input, 12; 13

audio, 13

level, 7; 26

line, 13

microphone, 13

sensitivity switches, 12; 20
introduction, 11
LED-bar, 22
left panel, 23
level

controller, 7; 11; 21

indication, 11; 22
LEVEL, 22
line

input, 13

level, 20; 26

output, 12; 14

54

©

2007

Parrot

line/microphone input, 12
LIVE, 15; 22

recording, 15
live connection, 35
live contribution, 9
MARK, 23; 29
mark button, 19
marker, 8

erase all, 20
memory

card, 7; 13

clear card, 25

slot, 7

status, 25
microphone, 13
microphone level, 20; 26
MIX, 22
NETW, 22
next button, 19
normal level, 20
notebook, 17; 39
ON, 22
on/off button, 11; 19
operation, 19
organising audio, 29
output, 14

line, 14
overload, 8; 20; 26
pairing-mode, 20; 33
PC, 17; 39
PHONES, 22
phones level, 26
PLAY, 22; 23
play button, 19
play-pause, 22

prev button, 19
pushbuttons, 19
quick start, 7
rear, 12
REC, 23
rec button, 19
RECORD, 22
recorder settings, 42
recording, 8; 25

LIVE, 15
rev button, 19
SD-card, 7
Secure Digital card, 7; 13
select samples, 30; 31
send audio file, 36
sending audio, 33
sensitivity, 13; 26
sensitivity switches, 12
sequence of beeps, 23
settings.ini, 41
single-beep, 23
skip to

the next marker, 29

the previous marker, 29
software upgrade, 48
specifications, 51
start recording, 27
status feedback, 22
stop button, 19
table of contents, 5
telephone logging, 15
time, 44
transfer failed, 10
transfer successful, 10
UMTS, 16

©

2005

Parrot

55

unbalanced, 12; 14
unselect all clips, 20
USB connector, 12
USB-audio input, 16

user definable, 41; 42
user settings, 41
visual feedback, 22
XLR connector, 13