Pioneer MJ-L77 User Manual

MINIDISC RECORDER

MJ-L77

Operating Instructions

Thank you for buying this Pioneer product.
Please read through these operating instructions

so you will know how to operate your model
properly. After you have finished reading the
instructions, put them away in a safe place for
future reference.

In some countries or regions, the shape of the
power plug and power outlet may some-times
differ from that shown in the explanatory
drawings. However, the method of connecting
and operating the unit is the same.

IMPORTANT 1

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an
equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated "dangerous voltage" within the
product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

CAUTION:
TO PREVENT THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO
NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER­SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK

HAZARD, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO
RAIN OR MOISTURE.

THE POWER SWITCH IS SECONDARY CONNECTED
AND THEREFORE DOES NOT SEPARATE THE UNIT
FROM MAINS POWER IN THE STANDBY POSITION.

This product complies with the Low Voltage
Directive (73/23/EEC), EMC Directives (89/336/EEC,
92/31/EEC) and CE Marking Directive (93/68/EEC).

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in
the literature accompanying the appliance.

IMPORTANT

FOR USE IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM

The wires in this mains lead are
coloured in accordance with the
following code:

Blue : Neutral
Brown : Live

If the plug provided is unsuitable for
your socket outlets, the plug must be
cut off and a suitable plug fitted.

The cut-off plug should be disposed
of and must not be inserted into any

[For MiniDisc Recorder MJ-L77]

CAUTION

13 amp socket as this can result in
electric shock. The plug or adaptor of
the distribution panel should be
provided with a 5 amp fuse. As the
colours of the wires in the mains lead
of this appliance may not correspond
with coloured markings identifying
the terminals in your plug, proceed as
follows:

The wire which is coloured blue must
be connected to the terminal which is
marked with the letter N or coloured
black.

The wire which is coloured brown
must be connected to the terminal
which is marked with the letter L or

Location: Bottom of the unit.

coloured red.
Do not connect either wire to the earth

terminal of a three-pin plug.
NOTE
After replacing or changing a fuse, the

fuse cover in the plug must be replaced
with a fuse cover which corresponds to
the colour of the insert in the base of
the plug or the word that is embossed
on the base of the plug, and the
appliance must not be used without a
fuse cover. If lost, replacement fuse
covers can be obtained from your dealer.

Only 5 A fuses approved by B.S.I. or
A.S.T.A. to B.S. 1362 should be used.

This product contains a laser diode of higher
class than 1. To ensure continued safety, do not
remove any covers or attempt to gain access to
the inside of the product.

CLASS 1
LASER PRODUCT

Refer all servicing to qualified personnel.
The following caution label appears on your unit.

US and foreign patents licensed from Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation

INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT

Recording and playback of copyrighted material
may require consent. See the Copyright Design
and Patent Act 1988.

1 Before You Start

Opening the Box................................................................................................ 4

About Minidiscs ................................................................................................. 5

2 Connecting up

Contents

Connecting to the Rest of the System ............................................................... 9

3 What’s What

Front Panel Controls and Display................................................................... 10

4 Switching On

Playing an MD ................................................................................................ 11

Changing the Display...................................................................................... 12

Introduction to Recording MDs...................................................................... 13

Automatically Recording from a CD .............................................................. 14

Automatically Recording a Tape..................................................................... 15

Using the Menu System................................................................................... 16

5 More Playback Features

Programming the Track Order....................................................................... 17

Playing Things Again...................................................................................... 18

Playing Tracks at Random ............................................................................. 19

6 More Recording Features

Recording Options........................................................................................... 20

Numbering Tracks........................................................................................... 20

Recording Extra-Long Material...................................................................... 20

Selecting Analogue Input Recording.............................................................. 21

Recording an Analogue Source ...................................................................... 22

Recording an External Digital Source............................................................ 23

Recording Over Unwanted Material ............................................................... 24

Set Up

In Use

7 Editing

About MD Editing............................................................................................ 25

Naming a Disc................................................................................................. 25

Naming a Track .............................................................................................. 26

Dividing a Track into Two............................................................................... 27

Combining Two Tracks into One.................................................................... 27

Moving Tracks on a Disc................................................................................. 28

Reordering Tracks on a Disc........................................................................... 29

Erasing Tracks on a Disc................................................................................. 30

Undoing a Mistake .......................................................................................... 31

8 Additional Information

Understanding Error Messages ....................................................................... 32

Troubleshooting.............................................................................................. 33

Specifications .................................................................................................. 34

1 Before You Start

Opening the Box

Thank you for buying this Pioneer product. Before starting to set up your new
minidisc recorder, please check that you’ve received the following supplied accessories
in the box:

• Optical digital cable

• Power cable

• Warranty card

• This instruction manual

Using this manual

This manual is for the MJ–L77 Minidisc Recorder. It is split into two sections, the first
covering set up, and the second, operation. Set up, which starts here, covers all aspects
of getting your new minidisc recorder up and running with the rest of your XC–L77
stereo system. If this is the first time you’ve used minidiscs, we recommend reading the
About Minidiscs section starting on the following page before using the recorder for
the first time.

In the second section of the manual, starting on page 10, you’ll learn how to use all
the features of the MJ–L77, from basic playback to disc editing. The final part of the
manual provides reference information on error messages you might encounter
during use, a troubleshooting page, and technical specifications.

Tip

Take care when
installing or storing
optical cable.

more than

+ 15cm =

Do not bend the
cable around sharp
corners and coil
loosly when storing.

4

Hints on Installation

We want you to enjoy using the MJ–L77 for years to come, so please bear in mind the
following points when choosing a suitable location for it:

DO...

❖ Use in a well-ventilated room.
❖ Place on a solid, flat, level surface, such as a table, shelf or stereo rack.

DON’T...

❖ Use in a place exposed to high temperatures or humidity, including near

radiators and other heat-generating appliances.

❖ Place on a window sill or other place where the recorder will be exposed to

direct sunlight.

❖ Use in an excessively dusty or damp environment.
❖ Place directly on top of an amplifier, or other component in your stereo

system that becomes hot in use.

❖ Use near a television or monitor as you may experience interference—

especially if the television uses an indoor antenna.

❖ Use in a kitchen or other room where the recorder may be exposed to smoke

or steam.

❖ Place on an unstable surface, or one that is not large enough to support all

four of the unit’s feet.

Avoiding condensation problems

Condensation may form inside the recorder if it is brought into a warm room from
outside, or if the temperature of the room rises quickly. Although the condensation
won’t damage the recorder, it may temporarily impair its performance. For this reason
you should leave it to adjust to the warmer temperature for about an hour before
switching on and using.

1 Before You Start

About Minidiscs

Minidisc mark—all
MDs carry this logo

Disc
label

Playback-only MD

Disc
label

Recordable MD

Shutter

Disc has shutter
on one side only

Disc has shutters
on both sides

Disc

Cartridge

Set Up

Minidisc, or MD as it’s usually called, is an extremely flexible and convenient format
on which you can both playback and record high-quality digital audio. Because it’s a
disc, MD has many of the advantages of compact disc—you can jump directly to any
track on the disc, program the playing order, instantly skip over tracks you don’t want
to play or back to tracks you want to play again, and so on. The really great thing
about MD though is the flexibility it offers when recording. Things that were
impossible using analogue cassette tape, such as reordering tracks, programming
track names, and deleting tracks without leaving any gaps are all easily achieved if
you’re using MD. Minidiscs have other advantages over cassette tape; the recorder
automatically finds the next blank space to record on, and can tell you how much
room there is left on a disc before you start recording. When you delete something
from the disc, the time available for recording is automatically updated.

If this is the first time you’ve used MD, please take a few minutes to read through this
section of the manual. It gives information on how to handle the discs properly, the
different kinds of disc available, and some basic MD characteristics.

Different kinds of MD available

All MDs carry the MD logo shown at the top of the page. Do not use any disc which
does not have this mark.

There are both recordable and non-recordable (playback-only) MDs. Commercially
available music on MD generally comes on discs which are playback only. The
diagrams left show the differences between the two types.

Handling MDs

The actual disc that contains the audio is quite delicate and so is protected against
dust, fingerprints and so on by an outer cartridge. Don’t force open the disc shutters to
expose the disc, and never touch the disc itself. Also, do not attempt to disassemble the
disc cartridge.

If the disc cartridge becomes dirty or stained, wipe clean with a soft, dry cloth.

Don’t touch the disc!

Storing and labelling MDs

When you’re not playing a minidisc, put the disc cartridge back in the case for storage.
Avoid storing or leaving discs in very hot or humid areas, such as in a car in summer.
Also avoid leaving discs in direct sunlight, or in places where sand or grit might get
into the disc cartridge.

Recordable MDs come with self-adhesive labels to stick on the disc cartridge to tell you
what’s recorded on the disc. Always stick the label in the area provided, avoiding the
disc shutter and the edges of the disc.

If the disc label starts to peel off at the corners, remove the label and replace it with a
fresh one—don’t simply stick another label on top of the old one.

5

1 Before You Start

Use a screwdriver, pen or
fingernail to open or shut the
erase-protect tab

Avoiding accidental erasure

Once you’ve recorded a disc, it’s a good idea to protect it against accidental erasure by
sliding the tab on the side of the disc to the open position.

If you want to erase or re-record the disc, simply slide the tab back to the closed
position before loading the disc into the recorder.

Analogue and digital recording

Whatever you record onto an MD is stored on the disc as digital data (in other words,
numbers). This is what we mean when we say that MD is a digital format. However,
what you feed into the MJ–L77 to record can be either analogue (such as the output
from a turntable or a tuner), or digital (such as the direct digital output from a CD
player, or another MD recorder).

If you record an analogue signal, the recorder has to first change it into a digital form
before writing it onto the disc.

If you’re recording from another digital format, like a CD, it makes sense to just
record the digital data directly. For this purpose the MJ–L77 has a digital input which
you can connect to either the XC–L77 CD receiver, or an external digital source, such
as another MD unit, DAT recorder or DVD player. When recording digitally there are a
couple of points to bear in mind.

All digital audio has something called a ‘sampling rate’, which is measured in kHz
(kilohertz). The quality of the final sound depends to a large extent on this: the higher
the better.

Compact discs have a sampling frequency of 44.1kHz, which happens to be the same
as MDs. This means you shouldn’t run into problems making digital recordings of
CDs or other MDs (although see Copying restrictions below for exceptions to this).

Other digital sources you may come across (DAT, digital satellite and DVD) often use
different sampling rates—specifically, 32kHz and 48kHz. The MJ–L77 can handle
these too, and, at the time of writing, these are by far the most common sampling
rates around. There is, however, a trend towards higher sampling rates. Some DVD
discs and DAT tapes are recorded at 96kHz. The MJ–L77 cannot handle this rate, and
you’ll have to record via the analogue terminals of the DVD or DAT recorder to the
auxilliary inputs of the XC–L77 CD receiver.

6

Copying restrictions

You may run into problems making digital copies of some sources, even when the
sampling rate is compatible. Some DVD discs disable the DVD player’s digital output to
prevent illegal digital copying (you can still record via the analogue outputs though).

Another restriction on digital copying comes from something called SCMS, which
stands for Serial Copy Management System. This stops you making multiple­generation digital recordings and is aimed at preventing illegal digital copying of
copyright material. The number of generations that SCMS will let you make depends
on the source.

Digital connection Digital connection

Satellite

Digital connection Digital connection Digital connection

1 Before You Start

Set Up

Digital audio from CD, MD, DVD or DAT can be copied
digitally for one generation only.

Audio from digital satellite can
usually be copied digitally for two
generations. (Sometimes just one
generation is possible.)

Analogue
connection

A recording made from any source
via analogue inputs can be digitally
copied once only.

Digital connection Digital connection

About the Table of Contents

When you load any kind of minidisc into the recorder, the first thing it does is read a
section of the disc called the Table of Contents, or TOC. Just as the contents page of a
book tells the reader what each chapter is about and where to find it in the book, the
TOC tells the recorder where the tracks are on the disc, the name and length of each
track, the name of the disc, and so on. In the couple of seconds it takes to read all this,
the recorder’s display shows the message MD TOC READ.

Since you can change what’s on a recordable MD, the Table of Contents is rewritable,
and so is called the User Table of Contents, or UTOC for short. If you have a recordable
disc loaded in the recorder and hit eject, the recorder automatically updates the UTOC
before giving you the disc back. In both cases, the message MD TOC WRITE
appears in the display during the UTOC updating process.

The UTOC is vital for the recorder to be able to play a disc correctly. Until you hit eject,
the recorder stores all the current session’s recording and editing information in its
memory. If there’s a power failure or you accidently unplug the recorder before it’s had
a chance to write the UTOC there’s a danger that all that disc information will be lost.
To prevent this, plug the recorder back in as soon as possible and eject the disc. If you
leave the unit unplugged for more that a day, you’ll lose the UTOC information stored
in memory and with it, that session’s recordings/edits.

7

1 Before You Start

About MD System Limitations

The sophisticated playback, editing and recording features available to you with MD
are possible because of the way in which the sound data is stored on the disc together
with the system of TOCs and UTOCs described above. There are times however when
you might encounter odd side-effects of the way the system works. These are not
malfunctions, but limitations of the system. Below is a list of symptoms you may run
across depending on the way you record or edit discs.

Symptom

The recorder shows the message

TOC FULL even though there are fewer

than 255 tracks on the disc (the maximum
possible).

The recorder shows the message
before you’ve reached the maximum
recording time of the disc.

The amount of recording time available
doesn’t increase after erasing some short
tracks.

The total recorded time, plus the recording
time remaining, appears to be less than the
length of the disc.

DISC FULL

MD System Limitation

Although when you listen to a disc it appears that each track sits end to end in an
unbroken sequence, the actual audio information may be scattered all over the disc
in different places. The more times you record and edit things on a disc, the more
scattered the information becomes. Usually, this doesn’t affect the user; the recorder
keeps track of everything using the UTOC. However, because the recorder needs to
know where every little gap is on the disc (and counts each one as a track, although
you don’t see it), the UTOC eventually fills up, and the recorder won’t let you record
anything else on that disc. Erasing a complete track, or the entire disc cures the
problem.

If a disc is scratched or damaged in some way, that part of the disc becomes
automatically unavailable for recording. In this case, the recorder shows the reduced
recording time available.

If you erase a track which is less than 12 seconds long, the recorder can’t add that
time to the available recording time.

Recording time on a disc is divided into two second blocks—the smallest ‘unit’ of a
minidisc. Although a piece of audio data may be shorter than this, it still takes up
two seconds on the disc, and the remainder is ‘lost’ (until the whole block is erased).
As the number of these partially used blocks builds up, you might notice that the
total disc length appears to shorten. (See also the note about damaged discs above.)

The recorder won’t allow you to combine
two tracks into one during editing.

The sound is interrupted during fast
forward or reverse.

8

There are two situations where you can’t use the combine edit feature:

❖ When one of the tracks was recorded using the digital input, and the other using

the analogue input.

❖ When one track was recorded in long-play mono mode, and the other in normal

stereo mode.

As we mentioned above, the more re-recording and editing you do on a disc, the
more scattered the audio information on the disc becomes. During fast forward or
reverse this may show up as interrupted sound.

2 Connecting Up

Connecting to the Rest of the System

CD receiver

MD recorder

Tape deck

Complete
system connections

Ribbon cable

Optical cable

Ribbon cable

CD receiver
power cable

MD recorder
power cable

Set Up

Ribbon cables

IMPORTANT: Never connect or

disconnect the system ribbon cables
while the power plug is connected to
the wall outlet. Doing so may damage
the unit.

To insert, hold the connector and push
firmly into the socket until you hear it
click home.

To remove, hold the connector
securely on either side with thumb and
forefinger and pull out from the socket.

Important: Before making or changing any rear panel connections, make sure
that all the components are switched off and unplugged from the power supply.

The MJ–L77 connects directly to the XC–L77 CD receiver, so if you also have the CT–
L77 tape deck and are adding it to your existing system, you’ll need to disconnect the
tape deck from the CD receiver first. If you’re setting the whole system up for the first
time, be sure to also refer to chapter 2 of the XC–L77 manual for full installation and
connection details.

There are two audio connections to make:

1 MD ribbon cable to the CD receiver
2 Optical cable from the CD receiver to the MD recorder

Additionally, if you have the CT–L77 tape deck:

3 Tape deck ribbon cable to the MD recorder

Having connected these up, you’re ready to connect the power cables—one from the
CD receiver and one from the MD recorder.

Note: Power must be connected to the CD receiver whenever you use the MD
recorder—the MJ–L77 will not work independently of the rest of the system.

9

3 What’s What

Front Panel Controls and Display

21

^

3

5

78910

• Dolby noise reduction
manufactured under
license from Dolby
Laboratories Licensing
Corporation.

• “DOLBY”, and the
double-D symbol are
trademarks of Dolby
Laboratories Licensing
Corporation.

MINIDISC

)

4

6

11 1 2

Front Panel

1 MD loading slot

2 Power light – lights when the unit is on.
3 6 button – Press to play an MD, or pause one that’s already playing

(press again to restart playback). In record mode, also use to start or pause
recording.

4 0 button – Press to eject the MD.
5 Play light – Lights when an MD is playing; blinks when paused.

Display

6 Character display

7 MD function – Highlights when in MD recorder mode.
8 MD record indicator – Lights during record or record-pause mode.
9 Synchro indicator – Lights in CD or tape synchro-recording mode.

10 Auto mark indicator – Lights when automatic track numbering is

switched on.

11 Digital indicator – Lights when MD recorder is in digital signal input

mode.

12 Mono LP indicator – Lights when recording in mono/long-play mode.

10

Playing an MD

You should now have your MD recorder connected up to the rest of the system, and
plugged into the power outlet. This chapter takes you through the basics of using the
MD recorder—playing discs and making a recording from the CD receiver.

When following the steps below, use either a playback-only disc, or a recordable MD

INSERT THIS END

MD

74mins

that already has some tracks recorded on it.

MD

4 Switching On

7

All MDs indicate which way
they should be loaded into
the player/recorder

Display shows the CD player as
the current function (no disc
loaded)

MD recorder reads the table of
contents when you load a disc

Display showing an MD with 5
tracks and a total playing time
of 43:24

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

STANDBY/ON

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

4

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

¢

1 Switch on.

You can use the STANDBY/ON button on either the remote control or the
CD receiver unit to do this.

The display lights and briefly indicates the current volume level before
showing the current function (e.g., CD).

Note: The complete system, including CD receiver and optional tape deck
consumes a small amount of electricity (about 1W) in standby mode.

2 Load an MD.

Gently push the MD into the slot in the direction indicated on the disc
cartridge. The recorder pulls the MD into the recorder automatically.

If you’ve just loaded a playback-only disc or an erase-protected recordable
disc (i.e., the erase-protect tab is open), then the disc should already be
playing. This feature is called Auto Play.

In Use

If a track has been named, the
name appears in the display
while the track is playing

3 Press the MD button to start playback.

Alternatively, press ^ on the front panel of the recorder.
This won’t be necessary if Auto Play has already started playback!

4 To pause playback, press the MD button.

To resume playback, press again.
You can also use the MD recorder’s front panel controls:

Press ^ once to pause playback; press again to resume.

5 To fast-reverse or fast-forward, press and

hold $ or › .

You should hear snippets of sound to give you some idea of where you are in
the track. Release the button to resume normal playback.

Continues

11

4 Switching On

Changing the Display

6 To skip back or forward to another track,

press (but don't hold) $ or ›

Pressing › once skips to the start of the next track on the disc. Further
presses take you to subsequent tracks.

Pressing $ once takes you to the beginning of the current track. Further
presses skip to the start of previous tracks.

You can use the track skip buttons while the disc is paused, too. The track
number changes while the disc remains paused.

7 To stop playback, press &

If the disc was paused, then the pause mode is cancelled.

8 To eject the disc, press )

This button is on the front panel only.

You can choose to display various kinds of information during playback, recording
and stop modes. Switch between them by pressing the DISPLAY button.

Disc name display

Disc total display

Record remain display

Clock display

Calendar display

Track name display

Track time elapsed/Track remain
displays

All remain display

When an MD is stopped

• If the display shows the disc name/total playing time:

DISC NAME - displays the name of the disc, if one has been programmed
DISC TOTAL - displays the total playing time of the disc
REC REMAIN - displays the amount of recording time available
CLOCK - displays the current time and date
CALENDAR - displays the current date
DIMMER - adjusts the display brightness (see page 43 of XC–L77 manual)

• If the display shows a track name/playing time of a track:

TRACK NAME - displays the name of the current track, if one has been programmed
TRACK TIME - displays the playing time of the current track
CLOCK - displays the current time and date
CALENDAR - displays the current date
DIMMER - adjusts the display brightness (see page 43 of XC–L77 manual)

When an MD is playing

TRACK NAME - displays the name of the current track, if one has been programmed
TRACK TIME ELAPSED - displays time into the current track
TRACK REMAIN - displays how long the current track still has to play
ALL REMAIN - displays how long the disc still has to play
CLOCK - displays the current time and date
CALENDAR - displays the current date
DIMMER - adjusts the display brightness (see page 43 of XC–L77 manual)

12

When recording an MD

Track name display

Recording time elapsed display

Record remain display

TRACK NAME - displays the name of the current track, if one has been programmed
RECORDING TIME ELAPSED - displays time into the current track
REC REMAIN - displays the amount of recording time available
CLOCK - displays the current time and date
CALENDER - displays the current date

DIMMER - adjusts the display brightness (see page 43 of XC–L77 manual)

Introduction to Recording MDs

If you've already read the About Minidiscs section (pages 5–8), you'll already have a
good idea of what MD is capable of.

Analogue and digital recording

The MJ–L77 can record through either analog or digital inputs—analog via the
ribbon cable connections; digital via the optical cable. Generally, the recorder
automatically selects the digital input to record from if there is a signal present. If not,
then the analog input is used. However, you can also specify that the analog input
should be used at all times—even when recording from the CD receiver.

If you need to record from an external analogue component, such as a turntable, then
recording is via the auxilliary jacks on the CD receiver unit. If the external component
is digital, such as a DAT player, and it has an optical digital out, you can connect it
directly to the MJ–L77 by unplugging the optical cable from the CD receiver and
plugging it into the external component.

4 Switching On

In Use

Recording levels

Whether you're recording through the digital or the analogue inputs, there's no need
to set the recording level. In the case of analogue, the level is adjusted automatically.
With digital, the data that makes up the sound is simply copied to the disc unaltered.
Also, when recording, the volume, tone and balance controls have no effect on the
recording. This means that you can record something with the volume turned right
down, if you want.

Track numbering

The MJ–L77 also takes care of numbering tracks for you. When recording a CD or MD
through the digital input, track numbers follow the material being recorded. When
recording from any component through the analogue inputs, or from a digital source
other than CD or MD, the recorder starts a new track whenever it detects more than 1.5
seconds of silence in the source material. If you want to change the track numbers
that are assigned automatically, there are various editing features at your disposal to
renumber tracks as you wish.

Once recording has started, you can't switch to another component until either the
recording has stopped, or you pause the recording. So, for example, you can't switch
over to the tuner while you're recording a CD.

13

4 Switching On

Automatically Recording from a CD

This feature makes recording a CD as simple as possible by automatically starting and
stopping the CD and MD together. There are two modes: 1 track synchro records just a
single track, then stops; all-track synchro records the whole disc.

Display showing that you’ve
loaded a blank disc

The CD display showing a disc
with 14 tracks and a total
playing time of 59:47

MD REC

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

MD

REC

CHARACTER

CANCEL

4

&

CD

! —

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

¢

1 Load a recordable MD.

Make sure that the erase-protect tab is closed so that you can record.
If there’s already material recorded on the disc, the recorder automatically

records new material after what’s already there—there’s no need to search for
blank space to record on.

You can find out how much blank space you have left on the disc by
switching the display mode at this point. See page 12 for how to do this.

2 Press CD to switch to the CD player.

3 Load the CD you want to record.

Press & to make sure the disc is stopped.

4 If you want to record just one CD track,

select it using the $ and › buttons.

The

SYNCHRO indicator lights

and the red MD record indicator
flashes

Once recording starts, the MD
record indicator remains lit

14

5 Press MD REC.

The recorder goes into record-pause mode, waiting for you to start the CD
player.

6 Press CD to start the CD playing.

Recording starts automatically with the CD.
Should you want to stop recording before the track/disc has finished playing,

simply press & any time during the recording.
Once the track or disc has finished, the recorder goes into record-pause mode.

At this point, you can either press & to finish the recording session, or
continue recording a different disc (or tracks) by repeating steps 3, 4 and 6.

4 Switching On

Automatically Recording a Tape

Use this feature if you want to transfer material from tape to MD. Recording starts and
stops automatically with the tape, and you can set the tape to auto-reverse so that you
can copy both sides of the tape all in one go.

Recordable MD with 3 tracks
already recorded

Recording time available is
shown as 62:56

Display shows tape direction set
to ‘forward’, auto-reverse off and
Dolby NR on

TAPE

STANDBY/ON

MD

MD REC

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

REC

CHARACTER

CANCEL

4

&

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VOL

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+

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1 Load a recordable MD.

Make sure that the erase-protect tab is closed so that you can record.
If there’s already material recorded on the disc, the recorder automatically

records new material after what’s already there—there’s no need to search for
blank space to record on.

You can find out how much blank space you have left on the disc by
switching the display mode at this point. See page 12 for how to do this.

2 Press TAPE to switch to the tape deck.

3 Load the tape you want to record.

Press & to make sure the tape is stopped.

4 Set the reverse mode, play direction and

Dolby NR as required.

If you want to record the whole tape, set the reverse mode to p ; if you just
want to record just one side, set it to “ .

If the tape was recorded using Dolby NR, then Dolby NR should be switched
on for best results.

See pages 22 and 33 of the XC–L77 manual for detailed instructions.

In Use

The

SYNCHRO indicator lights

and the red MD record indicator
flashes

Once recording starts, the MD
record indicator remains lit

5 Press MD REC.

The recorder goes into record-pause mode, waiting for you to start the tape.

6 Press TAPE to start the TAPE playing.

Recording starts automatically with the tape.
Should you want to stop recording before the tape has finished playing,

simply press & any time during the recording.
Once the tape (or side of the tape) has finished, the recorder goes into record-

pause mode. At this point, you can either press & to finish the recording
session, or continue recording a different tape by repeating steps 3, 4 and 6.

15

4 Switching On

Using the Menu System

Access to many of the less commonly used functions of the XC–L77 is via a menu
system. Each component (CD player, tuner, tape deck, auxiliary, and this MD recorder)
has it's own set of menu options, but access to all of them is from the MENU button.

MENU SET

VOL

$

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Pressing

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

REC

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

4

MENU displays the first menu option for the component you're currently

using. You can display the next option by pressing ›, or the previous one by
pressing $. The menus wrap around, so once you get to the end of the list, pressing
› again takes you back to the first item.

To select the menu option currently displayed, press the

SET button. This often takes

you to a further sub-menu, which may simply consist of two settings (such as turning
something on or off), or may have more choices. Either way, choose between different
options with the $ and › buttons, and select one by pressing SET.

If you make a mistake while in the menu system, simply press & to cancel and exit.

The MD menu functions

• Playback features accessed via the menu button are:

PROGRAM - Specify the track order of a disc (page 17)
RANDOM - The recorder plays the tracks in a random order (page 19)
REPEAT - Set the current track or disc to repeat play (page 18)

• Recording features accessed via the menu button are:

AUTO MARK - Specify when a new track should be started (page 20)
INPUT SELECT - Select either analogue– or digital-input recording

(page 21)

RECORD MODE - Specify regular stereo, or long-play mono recording

(page 20)

• Editing features accessed via the menu button are:

ALL ERASE - Delete all tracks on a disc (page 30)
COMBINE - Join two tracks together into one new track (page 27)
DISC NAME - Give a disc a name that will show up when you load the disc

(page 25)

DIVIDE - Split a single track into two separate tracks (page 27)
MOVE - Give a track on the disc a new track number (page 28)
PROGRAM MOVE - Reorder tracks according to the program play order

(page 28)

TRACK ERASE - Delete a track from the disc (page 30)
TRACK NAME - Give a track a name that will show up when the track is

played (page 26)

UNDO - Undo the last edit operation (page 31)

16

5 More Playback Features

Programming the Track Order

This mode lets you program a sequence (a playlist) of up to 24 tracks to play. The
order can be anything you choose. Tracks can appear more than once in the playlist,
or can be left out entirely. The playlist applies only to the MD in the player at the time.
Once you eject the disc, (or switch the power off), the playlist is lost. If you start
recording, the playlist is also lost.

MENU

SET

Track 3 programmed as the first
item in the playlist

This display appears briefly after
pressing

SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

MD

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

4

VOL

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1 Press MENU and select PROGRAM.

This menu option is only available when the disc is stopped.
Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing

SET.

2 Select a track to add to the playlist using

the $ and › buttons

For example, to add track 3, press › three times. Or, to add the last but one
track, press $ twice.

3 Press SET to add the track to the playlist.

4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 to continue adding

tracks to the playlist.

If you make a mistake, press CANCEL to delete the last (most recent) track
programmed. (Delete multiple tracks by pressing CANCEL repeatedly.)

In Use

Display shows the number of
tracks in the playlist and the
total running time

5 When you're happy with the playlist, press

MENU.

The playlist can be up to 24 tracks long.

6 Press MD button to start playback.

Checking the playlist order

You can only check the playlist order when the disc is stopped. Once stopped, you can
step through the playlist using the $ and › buttons. Each track number on the
playlist is displayed together with the track length.

If you then press

CANCEL, the total playing time of the playlist is displayed.

Deleting the playlist

If you want to delete the playlist without ejecting the disc, simply press CANCEL twice.

17

5 More Playback Features

Playing Things Again

You can set the MD player to repeat just a single track, or the whole disc.

After setting a repeat mode, the
display shows RPT for repeat all,
or R1 for repeat track

The repeat mode is indicated in
the display while the disc is
playing

Tip

You can use either of the repeat
modes together with the program
play mode.
Setting the repeat mode to

REPEAT ALL plays the tracks in the

playlist over and over. The display
indicates the mode:

MENU

STANDBY/ON

MD

SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

REC

CHARACTER

CANCEL

4

&

! —

VOL

$

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+

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1 Press MENU and select REPEAT MODE.

This menu option is available when the disc is stopped, paused or playing.
Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing

SET.

2 Select a repeat mode.

Three options are available:

$ REPEAT TRK? ›

REPEAT OFF - REPEAT ALL?

Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›
buttons; select the option by pressing

SET.

3 Start playback.

In one track repeat mode, any track you choose will repeat. If you jump to
another track (using track skip), then the new track will start repeating.

In all track repeat mode, whenever the end of the disc is reached, the player
will jump back to the first track and continue playback. You’re still free to
skip tracks and use manual search.

Note: The repeat mode you set stays active until you:

❖ select another repeat mode, or switch repeat mode off using the menu.
❖ eject the disc.
❖ switch to standby mode.

In repeat track mode, just the
current track in the playlist
repeats. The display indicates the
mode:

18

5 More Playback Features

Playing Tracks at Random

To have the MD recorder play the tracks on a disc in a different order each time you
play the disc, use the random play function. Each track will play just once, but the
order will be random. When all tracks have been played, the disc stops.

MENU SET

The display indicates that the
recorder is in random play mode

Tip

You can use either of the repeat
modes together with the random
play mode.
Setting the repeat mode to

REPEAT ALL endlessly plays all the

tracks on the disc at random. The
display indicates the mode:

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

4

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

¢

1 Press MENU and select RANDOM PLAY.

This menu option is available when the disc is stopped, paused or playing.
Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing

SET.

2 Playback begins automatically.

Pressing & during random play stops playback, and random play mode is
cancelled.

In Use

In REPEAT TRACK mode, just the
current randomly selected track
repeats. The display indicates the
mode:

19

6 More Recording Features

Recording Options

Although the MJ–L77 can make recording largely automatic, you can also manually
control a number of settings if you prefer. For any kind of recording, including the
synchro-recording modes covered on pages 14 and 15, you can:

❖ switch on or off the auto numbering feature
❖ switch the recording mode to stereo or long-play mono

When recording from an external component, or the internal CD player, you can also
specify whether the MJ–L77 should record from the analogue or digital input.

Numbering Tracks

Tip

Even if the track
numbers that end
up on a recording
are not quite what
you had in mind,
you can change
them later using
the divide and
combine editing
features—see
page 27 for more
on this.

If you're recording from CD or MD via the digital input, track numbers are always
automatically copied along with the audio. When recording other digital or analogue
sources, Auto Mark (track numbering) works by detecting spaces (silence) in the source
material. Although this usually works fine and is often convenient, there may be times
when you'd rather have complete control over where the track numbers go as you record.

Once recording is underway (with Auto Mark on or off), you can start a new track
number anytime by pressing the

MENU SET

MD REC button.

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

1 Press MENU and select AUTO MARK.

By default, auto mark is on (the
flag indicator is showing in the
display)

This menu option is only available when the disc is stopped.
Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing

2 Switch to ON or OFF using the $ and

› buttons.

3 Press SET to exit the menu.

Display after auto mark has
been switched off (auto mark
indicator disappears)

The flag symbol in the display lights when Auto Mark is on.

Note: If you record from the tuner, Auto Mark automatically switches off.

Recording Extra-Long Material

There may be times when you'd like to be able to record continuously for longer than
the usual 74 or 80 minutes that MD provides for. The MJ–L77 has a long-play mode
that doubles the available recording time on a disc at the cost of stereo recording.
However, if you're recording a speech or an interview, for example, this is unlikely to
be a great loss. You can freely mix long-play mono recordings and normal stereo
recordings on the same disc—the recorder automatically detects the mode on playback.

SET.

4

¢

20

<ARB7195>

6 More Recording Features

MENU SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

REC

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

$

! —

4

1 Press MENU and select REC MODE.

This menu option is only available when the disc is stopped.
Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing

SET.

2 Switch to MONO LP or STEREO SP using

Switch to mono for long-play

the $ and › buttons.

3 Press SET to exit the menu.

The MONO LP indicator lights in
long-play mode

The MONO LP indicator in the display lights when MONO LP is selected.

Selecting Analogue Input Recording

When recording a CD from the CD receiver, you can specify that the recording should
be via the analogue input of the MJ–L77 rather than the optical digital cable. This can
be useful if you run up against an SCMS copying problem from a CD-R disc, for
example. If the disc is copy protected you'll see the message CAN'T COPY in the
display. If this happens, switch the input select to analogue, then start recording.

VOL

›

+

⁄

¢

In Use

By default, auto input is active
and the

The

DIGITAL indicator is lit

DIGITAL indicator disappears

when analogue input is selected

MENU SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

4

VOL

$

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+

⁄

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1 Press MENU and select INPUT SEL.

This menu option is only available when the disc is stopped.
Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing

SET.

2 Switch to ANALOGUE (or AUTO) using the

$ and › buttons.

3 Press SET to exit the menu.

The DIGITAL indicator in the display lights when AUTO is selected.

<ARB7195>

21

6 More Recording Features

Recording an Analogue Source

On pages 14 and 15 we covered synchro-recording from a CD or tape. Here's how to
record any source, including a component connected via the AUX inputs on the CD
receiver. (To record from a digital component directly see the following page.)

MD REC

Auto mark is active; recording
mode is stereo (standard play)

Recording will be from the
analogue auxiliary inputs

The MD record indicator flashes
in record-pause mode. During
recording it remains lit

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

MD

1 Prepare for recording.

❖ load a recordable MD
❖ switch on/off the auto mark (track numbering)
❖ switch record mode to stereo or mono long-play

2 Switch to the source you're going to

record.

For example, to record from the auxiliary input, press the AUX button (if the
display shows AUX (Digital), press AUX again).

3 Prepare the source for recording.

Switch on the component and load the source material, etc.

4 Press MD REC.

The MD recorder goes into record-pause mode.

5 Press the MD button to start recording.

Alternatively, press ^ on the MD recorder’s front panel.

The record indicator disappears
once you stop recording

22

<ARB7195>

6 Playback the source (if necessary).

7 During recording:

❖ To pause the recording, press MD (or ^ on the front panel). To

resume, press again.

❖ To start a new track on the MD, press MD REC.

8 When you're done, press & to stop

recording.

Eject the disc (press ) on the front panel) before switching off the system.

6 More Recording Features

Recording an External Digital Source

Recording an external digital source—a DAT or MD player, or digital satellite
receiver, for example—via the optical digital input of the MJ–L77 follows much the
same procedure as recording from an analogue source. You’ll need to make sure that
your auxiliary component is connected to both the CD receiver via an analogue
connection (so that you can hear what you’re recording), and to the MD recorder via
an optical digital cable (so that the recording is digital). To do this, unplug the optical
cable from the back of the CD receiver and plug it into the optical digital output on
the external component.

AUX

MD REC

Auto mark is active; recording
mode is stereo (standard play)

Recording will be to the digital
input directly

The MD record indicator flashes
in record-pause mode. During
recording it remains lit

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

MD

1 Prepare for recording.

❖ load a recordable MD
❖ switch on/off the auto mark (track numbering)
❖ switch record mode to stereo or mono long-play

2 Select AUX (Digital) on the CD receiver.

Press AUX repeatedly to switch between the analogue AUX inputs and the AUX
(digital) setting.

3 Prepare the source for recording.

Switch on the component and load the source material, etc.

4 Press MD REC.

The MD recorder goes into record-pause mode.

5 Press the MD button to start recording.

Alternatively, press ^ on the MD recorder’s front panel.

In Use

The record indicator disappears
once you stop recording

6 Playback the source (if necessary).

7 During recording:

❖ To pause the recording, press MD (or ^ on the front panel). To

resume, press again.

❖ To start a new track on the MD, press MD REC.

8 When you're done, press & to stop

recording.

Eject the disc (press ) on the front panel) before switching off the system.

23

<ARB7195>

6 More Recording Features

Recording Over Unwanted Material

One of the convenient features of recording on MD is that the recorder automatically
records on the next available section of the disc. Sometimes though, you'll want to
record over something that's already on the disc. Unlike a cassette tape, all the
material after the point at which you start recording is lost. So, if you just want to
erase a track in the middle of the disc, use the erase track function intead (see page 30
for more on this), then simply record as usual.

If you do want to record from midway through a disc, here's how to do it:

MD paused on track 4

Display prompts you to confirm
that you want to overwrite the
remainder of the disc

The MD record indicator flashes
in record-pause mode

SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

MD REC

REC

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

MD

1 Find the place in the disc you want to

record from and pause playback.

The track that you stop on will be completely overwritten, as well as all the
tracks following.

2 Press MD REC.

The display reminds you that you're about to overwrite the disc.

3 Press SET to confirm.

Alternatively, press CANCEL to abort record overwrite.

Recording will be from the
analogue auxiliary inputs

The recording indicator lights
steadily once recording has
started

24

<ARB7195>

4 Select the source and prepare for recording.

For example, press AUX and load up the source material.

5 Press MD to start recording (if necessary).

Alternatively, press ^ on the front panel.

About MD Editing

The MD system allows for very flexible editing of discs. Using the editing features
described on the following pages you can easily: create names for discs and for indivi­dual tracks; combine two tracks into one long one, or divide a track into two short
ones; move single tracks, or reorder a whole disc; erase tracks or erase the whole disc.

Not all of these functions are available in any mode: the table below shows what
editing functions you have access to in each MD mode.

7 Editing

Disc mode/display

Stopped/disc info
Stopped/track info
Stopped/program-play
Playing/any
Play-pause/any
Recording/any
Record-pause/any

Naming a Disc

Disc

name

•

Track
name

Divide•Com-

•

bine

•

Move

•

Pgm

move

Erase

•

All

Erase

•

Undo

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

You can name a recordable MD so that when you load the disc into the recorder, the
disc's name appears in the display. The name can be up to 100 characters long,
including spaces. You can change disc names on recordable MDs (if you've recorded
something else on the disc, for example), but you can't change the name of a
playback-only disc.

MENU SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

In Use

Display shows a flashing cursor
where the first character will go

MD DISPLAY

4

¢

1 Make sure the disc is stopped .

To be able to name the disc, the disc must be stopped with the disc informa­tion showing in the display.

2 Press MENU and select DISC NAME.

Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing SET.

3 Enter a name for the disc.

Names can be up to 100 characters long and can contain letters (upper and
lower case), numbers, spaces and other symbols.

Continues

25

7 Editing

Tip

If you make a mistake, you
can go back and correct
the last character by
pressing DISPLAY. To abort
completely and start again,
press CANCEL.

The character being selected
flashes...

...until you press

SET, then the

cursor moves to the next position

Display showing the completed
disc name

Naming a Track

Tip

If the name of a disc or
track contains only spaces,
the recorder regards it as
no name. You can take
advantage of this to delete
disc or track names by
simply inputting a space
then pressing MENU to exit.

To select a character:

CHARACTER button to switch between character lists:

Use the

Alphabet (uppercase) - Alphabet (lowercase) ­numbers (0-9)/punctuation/symbols

Use the $ and › buttons to select a character from the current list:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ . , ' / <space>
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz . , ' / <space>
0123456789

! " # $ % & ' ( ) * + , - . / : ; < = > ? @ _ ` <space>

SET to enter the character.

Press
The cursor moves to the next character position ready for you to input

another character.

4 When you've finished naming the disc,

press MENU to exit.

In addition to naming the disc, you can name each track on a disc too. Again, the
names can be up to 100 characters long.

MENU SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

MD DISPLAY

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

4

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

¢

Note

There is no delete or insert
function available. If you
make a mistake, you have to
cancel the whole naming
process by pressing

CANCEL and starting again

from step 2.

26

1 Select the track on the disc you want to name.

You can name tracks in any mode, but if the disc is stopped, the track must
still be selected—use the $ and › buttons to select tracks in stop mode.

If the disc is playing or recording, you must finish entering the name before
the track finishes, otherwise only the characters input before the track ends
will be entered. Don’t worry—you can still edit the name later.

2 Press MENU and select TRACK NAME.

Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing SET.

3 Enter a name for the track.

The input method is exactly the same as for naming discs above.

4 When you've finished naming the disc,

press MENU to exit.

Dividing a Track into Two

If you recorded two pieces of music that run into each other without a break through
the analogue inputs, the recorder wouldn't have automatically given them their own
track numbers. After the recording is complete, you might want to assign the two
tracks different track numbers. Use the divide function to do this. The recorder inserts
the new track number and moves all the subsequent tracks up one automatically.

You can split any track into two at anytime using the divide function, so you can, for
example, divide up a long track into several parts for easy searching, and so on.

7 Editing

Display showing MD paused on
track 3 at 6:50

MENU

STANDBY/ON

MD

SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

REC

CHARACTER

CANCEL

4

&

! —

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

¢

1 Start playing the track you want to divide.

2 Press the MD button at the point where

you want to divide it.

The recorder pauses playback. (You can also use the ^ button on the front
panel to do this.)

3 Press MENU and select DIVIDE.

Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing SET.

4 Confirm that you want to divide the track.

Press SET to divide the track, or CANCEL to cancel the edit. The display
shows COMPLETE once the edit has been made.

In Use

Combining Two Tracks into One

If there are two consecutive tracks on a disc that you'd rather were a single track, you
can ‘glue’ them together using the Combine function. All the tracks following the
newly combined tracks are automatically renumbered.

There are a few limitations when using this feature: it will not work if either track is
less than 12 seconds long; you cannot combine two tracks if one of them is recorded in
long-play mode while the other is in stereo; and you can't combine tracks if one was
recorded using the digital input and the other using the analog inputs.

If both the tracks are named, then the new single track takes the name of the first
track. If only one track is named then the new track takes that name.

27

7 Editing

Display shows track 4 selected.
Tracks 3 and 4 will become one
track after combining

MENU

STANDBY/ON

MD

SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

REC

CHARACTER

CANCEL

4

&

! —

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

¢

1 During playback of the later track of the

two, press the MD button.

The recorder pauses playback. (You can also use the ^ button on the front
panel to do this.)

Combine only works with two consecutive tracks, so if you wanted to combine
tracks 3 and 4, pause during playback of track 4.

Note: If you want to combine two tracks which are not consecutive, you'll
have to first move them next to each other—see below for how to do this.

2 Press MENU and select COMBINE.

Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing SET.

3 Confirm that you want to combine the

tracks.

Press SET to combine the tracks, or CANCEL to cancel the edit. The display
shows COMPLETE once the edit has been made.

28

Moving Tracks on a Disc

Although you can use the program playback feature to play a disc out of the 'regular'
track order, you can also edit the track order itself so that the disc permanently plays
in a different order (unless, of course, you edit the track order again). If you just want
to move a track or two to a different position on the disc, it's probably quickest to use
this feature; if you want to seriously change the order of the whole disc, use the
Reorder feature described on the next page in Reordering Tracks on a Disc.

MENU SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

&

REC

CHARACTER

CANCEL

! —

$

4

VOL

›

+

⁄

¢

Display shows track 4 selected

Display after pressing

SET

Track 4 will become the new
track 6 (the current tracks 5
and 6 will become 4 and 5)

7 Editing

1 Select the track you want to move.

The disc can be stopped (with the track information shown in the display), or
in play-pause mode.

2 Press MENU and select MOVE.

Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing SET.

3 Use the $ and › buttons to select a

new track number, then press SET.

The display shows the track your moving and its new number. You can't select
a track number higher than the total number of tracks on the disc.

4 Confirm that you want to move the track.

Press SET to move the track, or CANCEL to cancel the edit. The display
shows COMPLETE once the edit has been made.

Reordering Tracks on a Disc

The track reorder feature takes the play order you've programmed for the disc using
the program play feature (see page 17), and reorders the tracks on the disc accord­ingly. If you want to change the position of more than a couple of tracks on the disc,
it's probably quicker to do it this way than use the move track function described on
the previous page.

MENU SET

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

1 Program the track playback order.

A 9-track MD with the playlist
programmed (running time of
the playlist is also displayed)

See page 17 for more on how to do this.
Note: If you program fewer tracks than are on the disc, those tracks will

appear at the start of the disc, while the remainder will be left in the original
order at the end of the disc.

2 Press MENU and select PGM MOVE.

Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing SET.

In Use

&

REC

CHARACTER

CANCEL

! —

$

4

VOL

›

+

⁄

¢

3 Confirm that you want to reorder the tracks.

Press SET to reorder the tracks, or CANCEL to cancel the edit. The display
shows COMPLETE once the edit has been made.

29

7 Editing

Erasing Tracks on a Disc

Erasing unwanted tracks on a disc frees up disc space for further recording. When you
erase a track, all the tracks following it are automatically renumbered. Erasing the
whole disc erases not only all the tracks on the disc, but also the disc name (if you've
entered one).

MENU SET

Display shows disc with 9 tracks
recorded

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

4

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

¢

Erasing all tracks on the disc

1 Make sure the disc is stopped .

To be able to erase the disc, the disc must be stopped with the disc information
showing in the display.

2 Press MENU and select ALL ERASE.

Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing SET.

3 Confirm that you want to erase the disc.

Press SET to erase, or CANCEL to cancel the edit. The display shows

COMPLETE once the edit has been made.

Erasing individual tracks

Display shows track 4 selected

30

1 Press MD while playing the track you want

to erase to pause the disc.

Alternatively, press ^ on the front panel.

2 Press MENU and select ERASE.

Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing SET.

3 Confirm that you want to erase the track.

Press SET to erase, or CANCEL to cancel the edit. The display shows

COMPLETE once the edit has been made.

Undoing a Mistake

Although the MJ–L77 always lets you abort an edit before completing it, there will
probably still be times when you complete an edit operation only to find that it wasn't
what you had intended. As long as you haven't switched the power off, updated the
UTOC by ejecting the disc, or recorded anything else on the disc, you can still undo the
last edit operation.

The only exceptions to this are the undo operation itself (i.e., you can’t redo an edit),
and track/disc naming while in record mode.

MENU SET

7 Editing

AUX/CD-R SOUND DISPLAY SET MD TAPE TIMER/

STANDBY/ON

CHARACTER

CANCEL

&

! —

REC

4

VOL

$

›

+

⁄

¢

1 Make sure the disc is stopped.

Note: You can't use undo if the recorder is in program play mode.

2 Press MENU and select UNDO.

Remember: switch between menu options using the $ and ›

buttons; select the option by pressing SET.

3 Confirm that you want to undo the last

edit.

Press SET to undo, or CANCEL to cancel. The display shows COMPLETE
once the undo is complete.

In Use

31

8 Additional Information

Understanding Error Messages

Message

NO DISC

DISC ER *

?DISC

DISC FULL

BLANK DISC

Playback MD

PROTECTED

TOC FULL

Can't REC

TEMP OVER

Can't EDIT

NAME FULL

Description

• MD is not loaded.

• The MD data cannot be read.

• The disc is damaged.

• The MD does not contain the TOC or the data is corrupted.

• The data is corrupted or the MD is out of standard.

• The MD has no space available for recording.

• The MD does not contain any recorded information

(including disc name information).

• An attempt is made to record or edit a playback-only MD.

• The MD is protected against accidental erasure.

• The disc does not have the space for recording the track

number and character data (including disc/track names).

• Recording cannot be completed successfully due to shock
or disc damage.

• The temperature is too high.

• Editing is not possible.

• There is no space left for registering a disc/track name.

Action

• Load an MD.

• Reload the MD.

• Reload the MD.

• Use another MD.

• Use another MD.

• Use another recordable MD.

• The disc is ready to be recorded on.

• Use a recordable MD.

• Release the accidental erasure protection.

• Use another recordable MD.

• Restart recording or use another MD.

• Turn power off and leave to cool.

• Retry at another position on the disc.

• Shorten the disc/track name.

DEFECT

MECHA ER*

Can't COPY

NOT AUDIO

UTOC ER W

UTOC ER*

DIN UNLOCK

TOC ERR*

SIO ERROR

• Recording interrupted due to disc damage.

• The MD recorder is not functioning properly.

• An attempt is made to record copy-prohibited material.

• The disc contains non-audio data.

• The UTOC data cannot be written properly due to physical

shock or disc damage.

• The recorded UTOC data is not conforming to the MD
standard or is otherwise illegible.

• The signal at the digital input is not recognized by the
recorder.

• The disc is scratched or otherwise damaged.

• The TOC data cannot be read.

• The MD is out of standard.

• Internal communication in the unit has broken down.

• Use another recordable MD.

• Turn power off then on again.

• Use a copy-permitted source (an ordinary

CD, etc.).

• Record via the analog input.

• Use another track.

• Use another MD.

• Turn power off and on again, then retry

UTOC writing. Do not to expose the unit to
any physical shock during UTOC writing.

• Use another MD.

• Use the all erase function and record the

MD from the beginning.

• Check the connections, and the out-put
mode of the source component.

• Use another MD.

• Turn power off then on again.

Note: Error messages marked with an asterisk are followed by a number or other symbol.

32

8 Additional Information

Troubleshooting

It’s often easy to mistake incorrect operation for trouble and malfunction of the unit. If you think there is something wrong with the
component, check the points below first. If the problems persists, contact your nearest Pioneer-authoriorized service center and have
them check over the unit.

Symptom

No sound.

Possible Causes

• The power cable is unplugged.

• Connection cords aren’t connected properly.

Remedy

• Connect to an AC power outlet.

• Connect the cables correctly; see
Connecting Up on page 9.

Can’t record.

Can’t record in stereo.

No Disc is displayed when an
MD is loaded.

Sound is intermittent.

The remaining recording
time doesn’t increase even
after erasing some short
tracks.

The total of the recorded
time and remaining record­ing time of an MD doesn’t
match the maximum
recording time of the MD.

• The MD is protected against accidental erasure.

• A playback-only MD is in use.

• The TOC is full (this may occur after repeated
recording and editing operations).

• The optical cable is not connected properly.

• The MD recorder is in long-play mono recording
mode.

• Damaged disc.

• Condensation inside the MD recorder.

• Tracks shorter than 12 seconds are sometimes
not counted in the recording time information.

• All tracks consist of a number of two-second
blocks. Often, the end of a track will not fall right
at the end of one of these blocks. As a result, the
actual available recording time may be slightly
shorter than the value calculated based on the
displayed time information.

• The disc contains a damaged section, making
that part unusable.

• Close the accidental erase-protect tab (see
page 6).

• Use a recordable MD.

• Execute the all-track erase command and
record the disc from the beginning.

• Connect correctly (see page 9).

• Use the stereo recording mode (see page

20).

• Use another MD.

• Leave the MD recorder for about an hour
before retrying playback.

• This is not a malfunction.

• This is not a malfunction.

• Use another MD.

Tracks cannot be combined.

❖ It is possible that this unit will cause interference on nearby television sets, especially if you’re using the TV with an indoor

antenna. If you experience this problem, either use an outdoor television antenna, or move the MD player away from the
television.

❖ Static electricity and other external interference can cause the unit to temporarily malfunction. Try swtiching the power off and

unplugging from the wall outlet, then plugging in and switching on again.

• The MD has been repeatedly re-recorded and
edited

• One of the tracks was recorded using the digital
input, while the other was recorded using the
analog input.

• One track was recorded in LP mono mode, while
the other in standard stereo mode.

• This is not a malfunction.

• It is not possible to record two tracks
recorded in different modes.

• It is not possible to record two tracks
recorded in different modes.

33

8 Additional Information

Specifications

Recording method ............................................................. Magnetic field modulation

Playback method..................................................................... Non-contact optical type

Sampling frequency ............................................................... 44.1 kHz, 32 kHz, 48 kHz

Frequency response ................................................................................. 20 Hz - 20 kHz

Signal-to-Noise ratio.............................................................................................. 98 dB

Wow and flutter...........................................................................Limit of measurement

Power requirements ...........................................................................AC 230V, 50/60 Hz

Power consumption ................................................................................................ 18 W

Power consumption in standby mode (when connected to XC-L77)................... 0,9 W

Dimensions.................................................................220 (W) x 75 (H) x 310 (D) mm

Weight.................................................................................................................... 2.6 kg

Accessories

Operating instructions .................................................................................................. 1

Optical digital cable ...................................................................................................... 1

Power cable ................................................................................................................... 1

Warranty card................................................................................................................ 1

overwriting type

(±0.001% W.PEAK) or less (EIAJ)

Note: Specifications and design subject to possible modification without notice, due
to improvement.

POWER-CORD CAUTION

Handle the power cord by the plug. Do not pull out the plug by tugging the
cord and never touch the power cord when your hands are wet as this could
cause a short circuit or electric shock. Do not place the unit, a piece of
furniture, etc., on the power cord, or pinch the cord. Never make a knot in
the cord or tie it with other cords. The power cords should be routed such
that they are not likely to be stepped on. A damaged power cord can cause a
fire or give you an electrical shock. Check the power cord once in a while.
When you find it damaged, ask your nearest PIONEER authorized service
center or your dealer for a replacement.

34

8 Additional Information

35

Published by Pioneer Electronic Corporation.
Copyright © 1999 Pioneer Electronic Corporation.
All rights reserved.

PIONEER ELECTRONIC CORPORATION 4-1, Meguro 1-Chome, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8654, Japan

PIONEER ELECTRONICS [USA] INC. P.O. BOX 1540, Long Beach, California 90801-1540
PIONEER ELECTRONICS OF CANADA, INC. 300 Allstate Parkway, Markham, Ontario L3R OP2, Canada
PIONEER ELECTRONIC [EUROPE] N.V. Haven 1087, Keetberglaan 1, 9120 Melsele, Belgium TEL: [phone]
PIONEER ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD. 178-184 Boundary Road, Braeside, Victoria 3195, Australia, TEL: [phone]
PIONEER ELECTRONICS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V.

<99B00ZF0I00> Printed in the UK <ARB7196-A>

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