Sony MDS-101 User Manual

SON'K

3-756-535-21(1)

MiniDisc Recorder

Operating Instructions

DdIe

) 1993 by Sony Corporation

WARNING

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture.

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION , TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,

DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).

NO USER,SEHVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.

REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presenoe of uninsulated “dangerous voltage" within the produet's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnifode to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

Owner’s Record

The model and serial numbers are located on the rear of the

unit. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to them whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product.

Model No. MDS-101 Serial No.

INFORMATION

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. His equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

— Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. — Increase the separation between the equipment and the

receiver.

— Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different

from that to which the receiver is connected.

— Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician ^

for help.

CAUTION

You are cautioned that any changes or modifications not ilM expressly approved in this manual could void your authorityS to operate this equipment.

For the customers in Canada CAUTION

TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT USE THIS

POLARIZED AC PLUG WITH AN EXTENSION CORD, ' RECEPTACLE OR OTHER OUTLET UNLESS THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY INSERTED TO PREVENT BLAD„g|

EXPOSURE. 3 This apparatus complies with the Class B limits for radio -jS

noise emissions set out in Radio Interference Regulations. ■

IN NO EVENT SHALL SELLER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY NATURE, OR LOSSES OR EXPENSES RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECTIVE PRODUCT OR THE USE OF ANY PRODUCT.

-n

Welcome!....................................................................4

What Is the MiniDisc?...................................................5

Preparations

Precautions..................................................................6

Unpacking

Looking at the Controls

Hooking Up the System

Setting the Clock........................................................15

Listening to a MiniDisc (MD)

Playing an MD (Normal Play).......................................16

Playing Tracks in Random Order (SHUFFLE Play) Playing Tracks in a Specific Order (PROGRAM Play) Playing Tracks Repeatedly

Scanning Tracks (Music Scan)

Inserting Spaces During Playback (Auto Space)............24

Recording a MiniDisc

Recording a Digital Source..........................................25

Recording From the Line (Analog) Input Jack

Recording From a Microphone.....................................29

Track Marking During Recording

CD Synchro-Recording................................................32

Editing a Recorded MiniDisc Editing Functions for a Recorded MiniDisc Erasing Recordings (ERASE Function)

Dividing Recorded Tracks (DIVIDE Function) Combining Recorded Tracks (COMBINE Function)

Moving Recorded Tracks (MOVE Function)...................42

Labeling Recordings (TITLE Function)

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

Checking the supplied accessories............................7

Notes on installation................................................7

Checking the operating voltage Installing batteries into the remote commander

Front panel.............................................................8

Remote commander................................................9

Before you begin...................................................10

Notes on the optical digital input/oulput jacks Hooking up a Sony Mini Hi-Fi Component System Hooking up other audio equipment

Hooking up a microphone......................................14

Playing an MD from the first track

Locating a desired track........................................ 17

Locating the beginning of a track (ÀMS)

Locating a desired position (Search).......................18

Displaying the title and remaining playing

time of a track

Displaying the recording date

Playing tracks repeatedly.......................................22

Playing a specified portion repeatedly (A-B Repeat)..23

Digital recording....................................................25

Playing back tracks just recorded

Analog recording...................................................27

Adjusting the recording level..................................28

To protect a MiniDisc against accidental erasure

Automatic track marking

Manual track marking

Erasing a single track Erasing tracks successively Erasing a disc Erasing a part of a track

Labeling a track

Labeling a disc......................................................45

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Additional Information

Specifications.............................................................47

Display Messages.......................................................48

System Limitations.....................................................48

Troubleshooting Guide Guide to the Serial Copy Management System

Index

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

Note on procedures

Most of the procedures in this manual are performed

through the front panel controls. Procedures that require

use of the remote commander are marked "Remote

10 10 13

16 17

18 19 20

26 27

,28

31 31 31

34 36 36 37 38 38 39

44 44

commander operation only." When both sets of controls

are applicable but are represented by different marks, the

front panel control is shown first, followed by the

respective remote commander control in parentheses.

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

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Back cover

49 50

Welcome!

Welcome to the world of the MiniDisc! The Sony MiniDisc Recorder is the result of Sony's on-going commitment to leadership in audio-video technology. Here are some of the capabilities and features you’ll discover with the new MiniDisc Recorder.

CD-like performance

• Direct access to up to 25 tracks through your remote

commander, just like a CD player.

• A music calendar that shows at a glance which track is

being played back, recorded or edited. A grid display function provides easy distinction between premastered and recordable discs.

• Convenient playback functions such as shuffle play,

program play, music scan, and repeat (all tracks, a single track or a specific portion),

• A digital peak meter for accurate signal level monitoring

during input and output.

An array of special features

• A title function for creating title of up to 100 characters for

recorded discs and fracks.

• Instant delete function for an entire disc or a single track.

• Multiple TOC-based editing functions that allow you to

divide, combine and move tracks with ease. Sound monitoring during track division is also supported. ,

• Track marking function for automatic or manual addition

of track numbers while recording.

State-of-the-art technology

• ATRAC (Adaptive TRansform Acoustic Coding) data

compression technology with a compression ratio of

about 1:5, providing almost the same disc playing time as a

CD.

• Professional level memory start function for fast

playback resumption during play pause. Sound is output

from an internal memory rather than the disc to eliminate delays due to disc rotation lag (of about 0.1 to 0.3 seconds).

• Automatic date and time stamp function for recordings.

Multi-purpose input and output jacks

• Digital I/O, analog I/O, and microphone input jacks to

accomodate a variety of sound sources. Connect digital sound sources for direct, adjustment-free playback or dubbing of digital sound. Audio (AU) bus interface for connection with future Sony Mini Hi-Fi Component Systems supporting CD synchrorecording and other automatic functions.

What Is the MiniDisc?

How MiniDiscs work

MiniDiscs (MD) come in two types: premastered (prerecorded) and recordable (blank). Premastered MOs, recorded at music studios, can be played back almost endlessly. However, they can’t be recorded on or over like cassette tapes. To record, you use a ‘‘recordable MD”.

Premastered MDs

Premastered MDs are recorded and played like regular CDs. A laser beam focuses on the pits in the surface of the MD and reflects the data back to the lens in the recorder. The recorder then decodes the signals and plays them back as music.

Recordable MDs

Recordable MDs, which use magneto-optical (MO) technology, can be recorded again and again. The laser inside the recorder applies heat to the MD, demagnetizing the magnetic layer of the MD. (See illustration below.) The recorder then applies a magnetic field to the layer. This magnetic field corresponds exactly to the audio signals generated by the connected source. (The north and south polarities equate to digital “1" and “0”.) The demagnetized MD adopts the polarity of the magnetic field, resulting in a recorded MD.

■ Recording Mechanism

Head Drive Signal

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Recording Head

tTttttttttttt Magnetic Field

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Cross-Se ctional View Recorded Pattern

Move direction New

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Recorded Pattern

ЕЕЕПЗЕХНН:

Laser Beam

Old

How the MiniDisc got so small

The 2.5-inch MiniDisc, encased in a plastic cartridge that looks like a 3.5-inch diskette (see Illustration below), uses a new digital audio compression technology called ATRAC (Adaptive TRansform Acoustic Coding). To store more sound In less space, ATRAC extracts and encodes only those frequency components actually audible to the human ear.

■ Parts Making Up a MiniDisc

Shutter

How Quick Random Access and the TOC systems work

Like CDs, MDs offer instantaneous random access to the

beginning of any music track. Premastered MDs are

recorded with location addresses corresponding to each

music selection. Recordable MDs are manufactured with a "User TOC* Area” to contain the order of the music. The TOC system is similar to the “directory management system" of floppy disks. In other words, starting and ending

addresses for all music tracks recorded on the disc are

stored in this area. This lets you randomly access the

beginning of any track as soon as you enter the track

number (AMS), as well as label the location with a track

name as you would a file on a diskette.

* TOC is the acronym for Table of Contents.

What Is the MiniDisc?

Precautions

How the Shock-Resistant Memory works

One major drawback of optical read systems is that they can skip or mute when subjected to vibration. The MD system resolves this problem by using a buffer memory that stores up to 10 seconds of audio data. This is possible because of a

1 second lag between the time audio data is picked up and when it is decoded (see illustration below). Should the optical pickup be jarred out of position, the correct audio data plays from the buffer memory. Using a concept called “sector repositioning,” the optical pickup has the ability to within 13 milliseconds identify the disruption and resume reading from the correct point. As long as the optical pickup returns to the correct position within about 10 seconds, you never experience mistracking or muting.

■ Shock-Resistant Memory System

When playing normally

Optical pickup

“1^ TL

Mill

•••••

Buffer

•••••

memory

•••••

••••• •••••

ATRAC

decoder

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ccooo

ATRAC

When subjected to vibration

Optical pickup

Flow of

data stops

Buffer

••

memory

•••••

decoder |______________|

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On safety

• As the laser beam used in this unit is harmful to the eyes, do not attempt to disassemble the cabinet. Refer servicing to qualified personnel only.

• Should any solid object or liquid fall into the unit, unplug the unit and have it checked by qualified personnel before operating it any further.

On power sources

• Unplug the unit from the wall outlet when it is not to be used for an extended period of time.

On operation

• If the unit is brought directly from a cold to a warm location, or Is placed in a very damp room, moisture may condense on the lenses inside the MiniDisc recorder, causing the MiniDisc recorderto operate improperly. Should this occur,, remove the disc and wait about an hour for the moisture to evaporate.

On the MiniDisc cartridge

• Do not open the shutter to expose the disc. '"-i

• Do not place the cartridge where it will be subject to extremes of sunlight, temperature, moisture or dust.

On cleaning '

• Clean the casing with a soft cloth slightly moistened with’’^ water or a mild detergent solution. Do not use any typepf | abrasive pad, scouring powder or solvent such as alcoholl or benzene as it may mar the finish of the casing.

If you have any questions or problems concerning your

unit,I

please consult your nearest Sony dealer.

Unpacking

Checking the supplied accessories

Take the recorder out of the box and make sure that the following accessories have been included:

• Remote commander {1)

• Sony SUM-3 (NS) batteries (2)

• Audio connecting cords (2)

• Audio (AU) bus cable (1)

• Recordable MD (60-minute) (1)

Notes on installation

• Place the unit with the front panel facing you in a location with adequate air circulation to prevent the unit from overheating.

• Do not place the unit; — near heat sources such as radiators or air ducts. — in places subject to direct sunlight, excessive dust,

mechanical vibration or shock. — in an inclined position. — on a rug or other soft surface that would block the

ventilation holes on the bottom of the unit.

Do not throw away the carton and the packing material

They will come in handy when transporting the unit or shipping it for servicing.

Checking the operating voltage

• Operate the unit only on 120 V AC, 60 Hz.

• Before operating the unit, be sure that the operating voltage of your unif is identical with that of your local power supply.

Installing batteries into the remote commander

1 Open the remote commander cover. 2 Insert two Sony SUM-3 (NS) batteries with correct

polarity.

On battery life

• About half a year of normal operafion can be expected when using the Sony SUM-3 (NS) batteries.

• When the batteries are run down, the remote commander will not operate the unit. In this case, replace both batteries with new ones.

On handling

• Keep the commander away from extremely hot or humid places.

• Avoid dropping any foreign objecfs into the commander casing, particularly when replacing the batteries.

• Avoid exposing the remote sensor to direct sunlight or

lighting apparatus. Such exposure can cause a malfunction.

• To avoid damage caused by battery leakage and corrosion,

remove the batteries when the commander will not be used for a long time.

Q] POWER switch

Press to turn on the unit; press again to change to stand-

by.

[2] Disc compartment

Automatically loads an inserted disc.

[3] EJECT ± button

Press to eject the disc from the disc compartment.

[4] REC (record) • button

Press once to activate recording pause. Press ► U to start recording. Used also for track marking.

[5] REC (recording) LEVEL control

Turn to adjust the recording level when recording from analog sources.

[6] Remote sensor

Accepts commands from the remote commander.

[7] YES button

Press to perform editing functions (i.e., erasing, dividing, combining, and moving).

[8] button

Press to specify or cancel the various editing functions.

[g P.MODE button

Press to select playback modes (i.e., CONTINUE, SHUFFLE, and PROGRAM).

tiol ^ (AMSVsearch) button

Press to find the desired point within a track or the beginning of a track.

[0] ■ (Stop) button

Press to stop playback or recording, or to cancel program play.

¡2| (Play/Pause) button

Press to start playback or recording. Press during playback or recording to temporarily stop the MD; press again to cancel pause.

¡I Display window

Indicates the current operating status. INPUT SELECTOR button Press to select the input signal to be recorded. Press while the unit is stopped to select “Analog in" to record through the LINE IN (analog) jack. Press to select “Digital in" to record through the DIGITAL IN jack.

H Headphones level control

Turn to adjust the volume of the headphones.

iH Headphones jack

Connect headphones with a stereo mini-plug here.

j7] DISPLAY button

Press to display the name of the current track and the remaining playing time on the MD.

M CLOCK SET button

Press to set the clock. MIC (microphone) jack Connect a microphone with a stereo mini-plug here.

' AMS: Automatic Music Sensor

Remote commander

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[H POWER switch

Press to turn on the unit; press again to turn off (change to stand-by). DATE buttons DATE RECORDED button

Press to display the recording date of a track during playback.

DATE PRESENT button

Press to display the current time and date.

[3] Repeat/Auto space buttons

REPEAT button

Press for repeated playback.

A-B button

Press for repeated playback of specific portions of a track.

A.SPACE button

Press for automatic insertion of 3-second blank spaces between tracks during playback.

M.SCAN button

Press to scan the beginning of each track in succession.

[4] CD SYNCHRO operation buttons

(for synchronized recording with a Sony CD player) STANDBY button

Press to activate recording pause mode prior to CD synchro recording.

START button

Press to start CO synchro recording.

STOP button

Press to stop CD synchro recording.

[5] CD player operation buttons

(Use to control Sony CD players)

II (Pause) button

Press to temporarily stop playback; press again to

resume playback.

(AMS) buttons

Press to find the beginning of a desired track.

[6] Operation buttons

► (Play) button

Press tor playback.

II (Pause) button

Press to temporarily stop playback or recording: press again to resume playback or recording.

■ (Stop) button Press to stop playback or recording. Press to cancel program play.

• (Record) button Press once to activate recording pause. Press or II to start recording. Use also for track marking.

M-4»+H(AMS) buttons

Press to find the beginning of a desired track.

■ « ► ► (Search) buttons

Press to find a desired point within a track.

[3 Character/Numeric buttons

Alphabet/Numeric buttons

Use to specify tracks for immediate playback or to create programs during program play. Use also for entering disc and track titles.

WRITE/CAPS, WRITBNUM buttons

Press to select the character mode.

WRITE/NAME button

Press to apply a title.

CLEAR button

Press to erase a track name, disc name or

programmed track.

H] Play mode buttons

CONTINUE button

Press during shuffle or program play to resume normal playback.

SHUFFLE button

Press to activate shuffle play.

PROGRAM button

Press to activate program play.

[S Display buttons

DISPLAY button

Press to display the track name or the remaining playing time during MD playback.

SCROLL button

Press to scroll titles longer than 12 characters.

Hooking Up the System

Before you begin

• Turn off the power to all the equipment to be connected before making any connections.

• Note that the red plug of the supplied audio connecting cord is for right*channel (R) connection and the white plug for left-channel (L) connection. If another connecting cord is necessary, use the optional RK-C515HG cord.

• The connecting cords should be fully inserted into the jacks. A loose connection may cause hum pickup.

• Pull out the cords by grasping the plug, not the wire.

Notes on the optical digital input/output jacks

Use the optional POC-15SP optical cable to connect digital devices with a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz (i.e., DAT decks, amplifiers with digital inputs, DA converter units, etc.) to the optical digital input and output jacks. Recording level adjustment is not necessary when recording through the

POC-15SP optical cable from a digital source since the output level is fixed.

Digital sources with a different sampling frequencies cannot be recorded through the digital input jack

Only CD, MO (premastered) and DAT sources with a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz can be recorded through the digital input jack. “Din Unlock" appears In the display window when an attempt is made to record digital sources with a sampling frequency different from that of the MD (such as 32- or 48- kHz DAT or BS).

Hooking up a Sony Mini Hi-Fi Component System

Hooking up a Sony Mini Hi-Fi Component System through the digital output jack (for digital recording)

Connection to future Sony Mini Hi-Fi Component System s with AU-bus connection capability enables the use of the automatiC'On/off and CD synchro recording functions.

Hooking up other audio equipment

Hooking up other audio equipment with digital output (for digital recording)

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MiniDisc recorder

Optical cable (optional)

To an unswifched outlet or wall outlet

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Amplifier

Hooking up other audio equipment without digital output (for analog recording)

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MiniDisc reco rder

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—

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CO player etc.

To an AC outlet

To a wall outlet

To an unswitched outlet or w all outlet

CD player etc.

To an AC outlet

If no REC OUT selector is provided on the amplifier, connect the TAPE IN line input.

Tl ^

■■ ■ Doioa

Amplifier

Hooking up an amplifier with digital input, DAT deck or another MiniDisc recorder Connect the respective equipment to the digital output of your unit.

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To a wall outlet

I Note I

Connecting a microphone to the MIC jack disables all other source inputs

Make sure that the microphone is disconnected from the MIC jack when not in use.

Setting the Clock

To stamp the time and date on recordings, set the built-in clock. When playing back the recorded disc, the date and time of the recording will appear in the display window.

Example: Setting the clock to 1993, April 23, 9:10 PM.

Enter the day by pressing tti .

After entering the day, press CLOCK SET.

04n 23d 93y

1-5 2-6

Keep pressing CLOCK SET for about 2 seconds until the year starts to flash.

CLOCK SET

01 n 01 di 935"

Enter the current year by pressing ffi °r I'T. ■

Pressing ^ increases the year and pressing decreases the year. Holding down the respective button increases or decreases the year faster. After entering the year, press CLOCK SET. The month flashes.

)li3- 01d 93y

FRI-JflM 12^-00

The day of the week automatically appears and the hour flashes.

Enter the hour by pressing or .

After entering the hour, press CLOCK SET. The minutes flash.

FRI PM 09T0'0>

Enter the minutes by pressing K| or .

7 Press CLOCK SET in synchronization with the

time signal.

0411 23d 93y

FRI PM 09:10

Enter the month by pressing or .

After entering the month, press CLOCK SET. The day flashes.

0 4 hl-î 0 1 d" 9 3 y

The clock setting is displayed in order of date, then time.

To display the current date and time Press the CLO CK SET button on the front panel once to display the dale, then again to display the time. When using the remote com mander, press the DATE PRESENT button. The date, then the time are displayed in sequence.

To change the display while the unit is off Your unit can display either “STAND BY” or the current time when it is off (in standby mode). Choose one or the other by pressing the DISPLAY button.

For more precise time stam ping of recordings It is recommended that you set the clock once a week.

Playing an MD (Normal Play)

Playing an MD from the first track

Follow the procedure below to listen to an MD.

Press POWER.

ON/STANDBY

With the label side up and the arrow pointing toward the opening, slide the MD into the disc compartment until the recorder grips it.

The disc name appears, followed by the total number of tracks (Tr) and total disc playing time. A music calendar showing all the track numbers appears within a grid if a premastered disc is

inserted, or without a grid if a recordable disc is

inserted. If the total track number exceeds 25, appears to the right on number 25 in the music calendar.

Press ► !! (► ).

The MD starts playing.

The current track number (minus the Tr irxfication), track title (if labeled), and elapsed playing time of the current track light up in the display window.

EMOTION

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09^10 7s 157ie|9)io)

To Stop play momentarily

Press (II) once while the disc is playing. To cancel pause mode, press ► !! (► or II) again.

To stop play

Press ■ .

To eject the disc

Press EJECT ±.

SONGS

15Tr bSr'i0?s

+ 36 hidden pages