Sony MHC-GN880, MHC-GN77, MHC-GN660 Operating Instructions Manual

Mini Hi-Fi Component System

4-252-939-42(2)

Operating Instructions

Manual de Instrucciones

MHC-GN880 MHC-GN770

MHC-GN660

WARNING

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

To avoid electrical shock, do not open the cabinet. Refer servicing to qualified personnel only.

To prevent fire, do not cover the ventilation of the apparatus with newspapers, table-cloths, curtains, etc. And don’t place lighted candles on the apparatus.

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not place objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on the apparatus.

Do not install the appliance in a confined space, such as a bookcase or built-in cabinet.

This appliance is classified as a CLASS 1 LASER product. This label is located on the rear exterior.

Don’t throw away the battery with general house waste, dispose of it correctly as chemical waste.

ENERGY STAR® is a U.S. registered mark. As an ENERGY STAR® partner, Sony Corporation has determined that this product meets the ENERGY STAR® guidelines for energy efficiency.

Table of Contents

About this manual ...................................5

Playable discs.......................................... 5

Getting Started

Hooking up the system............................ 8

Positioning the speakers........................ 11

Setting the clock....................................11

CD/MP3

Loading a disc .......................................12

Playing a disc ........................................ 12

— Normal Play/Shuffle Play

Playing repeatedly.................................14

— Repeat Play

Creating your own program..................15

— Program Play

Tuner

Presetting radio stations ........................16

Listening to the radio ............................18

— Preset Tuning — Manual Tuning

Tape – Play

Loading a tape....................................... 19

Playing a tape........................................19

Tape – Recording

Recording your favorite tracks on a disc

into a tape........................................20

— CD Synchro Recording — Program Edit

Recording on a tape manually...............21

— Manual Recording

Sound Adjustment

Adjusting the sound.............................. 22

Selecting the preset effect..................... 22

Selecting the MP3 Booster effect ......... 23

Selecting the sound system................... 23

(MHC-GN880/GN770 only)

Using the subwoofer............................. 24

(MHC-GN880 only)

Adjusting the graphic equalizer and

storing............................................. 24

— Personal file

Selecting the surround effect................ 25

Enhancing video game sound............... 25

— Game Sync Mixing video game sound with other

sound source................................... 26

— Game Mixing

Singing along........................................ 26

Timer

Falling asleep to music ......................... 27

— Sleep Timer

Waking up to music.............................. 27

— Play Timer

Timer recording radio programs........... 28

Display

Turning off the display ......................... 29

— Power Saving Mode Changing the spectrum analyzer

display ............................................ 30

Adjusting the brightness of the

display ............................................ 30

Changing the power illuminator........... 31

Viewing information about the disc

in the display .................................. 31

continued

Optional Components

Hooking up optional components ......... 33

Listening to audio from a connected

component ...................................... 34

Recording on a connected component.. 35

Connecting external antennas ...............35

Troubleshooting

Problems and remedies ......................... 36

Messages ............................................... 39

Additional Information

Precautions............................................40

Specifications........................................ 41

List of button locations and reference

pages ............................................... 44

About this manual

Playable discs

• The instructions in this manual are for models MHC-GN880, MHC-GN770 and MHC-GN660. In this manual, the MHC-GN880 is used for illustration purposes unless stated otherwise.

The MHC-GN880 consists of:

– Tuner/Disc player/Stereo cassette

deck/Amplifier (main unit) HCD-GN880

– Subwoofer SS-WG880 – Speaker System

• Front speakers SS-GN880

• Surround speakers SS-RS880

The MHC-GN770 consists of:

– Tuner/Disc player/Stereo cassette

deck/Amplifier (main unit) HCD-GN770

– Speaker System

• Front speakers SS-GN880

• Surround speakers SS-RS880

The MHC-GN660 consists of:

– Tuner/Disc player/Stereo cassette

deck/Amplifier (main unit) HCD-GN660

– Speaker System

• Front speakers SS-GN660

• This manual mainly explains operations using the buttons on the system, but the same operations can also be performed using the buttons on the remote having the same or similar names.

• The following symbols are used in this manual.

Symbol Meaning

Functions that can be used with audio CDs

Functions that can be used with MP3 audio tracks

You can playback the following discs on this system. Other discs cannot be played back.

List of playable discs

Format of discs

Audio CDs Audio

CD-R/CD-RW (Audio CDs)

CD-R/CD-RW (Discs with MP3 audio tracks)

Disc logo Contents

Audio

continued

Discs that this system cannot play

• CD-ROMs (except for extension “.MP3”)

• CD-Rs/CD-RWs other than those recorded in the following formats: – audio CD format – MP3 audio track format that conforms to

ISO9660 expansion format or Multi Session

• Data part of CD-Extras

• Data part of Mixed CDs

• A disc that has a non-standard shape (e.g., card, heart).

• A disc with paper or stickers on it.

• A disc that has the adhesive, cellophane tape, or a sticker still left on it.

ISO9660 Format The most common international standard for the logical format of files and folders on a CD-ROM. There are several specification levels. In Level 1, file names must be in the 8.3 format (no more than eight characters in the name, no more t han three characters in the extension “.MP3”) and in capital letters. Folder names can be no longer than eight characters. There can be no more than eight nested folder levels. Level 2 specifications allow file names and folder names up to 31 characters long. Each fo lder can have up to 8 trees. For Joliet or Romeo in the expansion format make sure of the contents of the writing software, etc.

Multi Session This is a recording method that enables adding of data using the Track-At-Once m ethod. Conventional discs begin at a disc control area called the Lead-in and end at an area called Lead-out. A Multi Session disc is a disc having multiple sessions, with each segment from Lead-in to Lead-out regarded as a single session.

CD-Extra: This format records audio (audio CD data) on the tracks in session 1 and data on the tracks in session 2.

Mixed CD: This format records data on the first track and audio (audio CD data) on the second and subsequent tracks of a session.

Level 1, Level 2, Joliet in

Notes on discs

• This system can play CD-R/CD-RW discs edited by the user. However, note that playback of some discs may not be possible depending on the recording device used for recording or the disc condition.

• Discs recorded on CD-R/CD-RW drives may not be played back because of scratches, dirt, recording condition or the driver’s characteristics.

• CD-R and CD-RW discs that have not been correctly finalized (processing to allow play by a normal CD player) cannot be played back.

• CD-R and CD-RW discs recorded in multisession that have not ended by “closing the session” are not supported.

• The system may be unable to playback MP3 format files that do not have the extension “.MP3”.

• Attempting to playback non-MP3 format files that have the extension “.MP3” may result in noise or malfunction.

• The system can playback to a depth of 8 folders only.

• With formats other than ISO9660 level 1, level 2 or Joliet in expansion format, folder names or file names may not be displayed correctly.

• The following discs take a longer time to start playback.

– a disc recorded with complicated tree

structure. – a disc recorded in Multi Session. – a disc to which data can be added (non-

finalized disc).

• A disc recorded in packet write format cannot be played back.

Music discs encoded with copyright protection technologies

This product is designed to playback discs that conform to the Compact Disc (CD) standard. Recently, various music discs encoded with copyright protection technologies are marketed by some record companies. Please be aware that among those discs, there are some that do not conform to the CD standard and may not be playable by this product.

Cautions when playing a disc that is recorded in Multi Session

• This system can play Multi Session discs when an MP3 audio track is contained in the first session. Any subsequent MP3 audio tracks recorded in later sessions can also be played back.

• When you play Multi Session discs with different formats mixed in each session, the format of the first session is recognized as the disc type. Tracks in the second and subsequent sessions are played if they are the same formats as the first session, but different format tracks are not played.

Getting Started

Hooking up the system

Do the following procedures 1 to 6 to hook up your system using the supplied cords and accessories.

AM loop antenna

FM antenna

Surround speaker (Right)

Front speaker (Right)

Subwoofer

Main Unit

Surround speaker

(Left)

Front speaker (Left)

* MHC-GN880 only **Except for MHC-GN660

1 Connect the front speakers.

Connect the speaker cords to the FRONT SPEAKER terminals as shown below.

FRONT SPEAKER

White

Note

Be sure to make this connection before you connect the main unit’s power cord to a wall outlet.

4 Connect the FM and AM antennas.

Set up the AM loop antenna, then connect it.

Getting Started

2 Connect the surround speakers.

(Except for MHC-GN660)

Connect the speaker cords to the SURROUND SPEAKER terminals as shown below.

SURROUND SPEAKER

Grey

3 Connect the subwoofer.

(MHC-GN880 only)

Connect the subwoofer cords to the SUBWOOFER OUT terminals and the system cord to the SYSTEM CONTROL jack as shown below.

SUBWOOFER OUT terminal

OOFER OUT

SUBW

SYSTEM CONTROL jack

Purple

To disconnect

AM loop antenna

FM75

COAXIAL

Extend the FM lead antenna horizontally

5 For models with a voltage selector, set

VOLTAGE SELECTOR to the position of your local power line voltage.

VOLTAGE SELECTOR

120V

230240V

220V

6 Connect the power cord to a wall

outlet.

The demonstration appears in the display. When you press

?/1, the system turns on

and the demonstration automatically ends. If the supplied adaptor on the plug does not fit your wall outlet, detach it from the plug (only for models equipped with an adaptor).

continued

Notes

• Keep the speaker cords away from the antennas to prevent noise.

• Be sure to connect both left and right surround speakers. (Except for MHC-GN660)

• Be sure to match the co lor of the speaker terminals on the system and the connectors.

• Be sure to connect the speakers securely and correctly. When connecting speaker cords, insert the connectors straight into the terminals.

To connect optional components

See page 33.

Attaching the speaker pads

Attach the supplied speaker pads to the bottom of the speakers to stabilize the speakers and prevent them from slipping.

Inserting two R6 (size AA) batteries into the remote

Note

If you do not use the remote for a long period of time, remove the batteries to avoid possible damage from battery leakage and corrosion.

Tip

With normal use, the batteries should last for about six months. When the remote no longer operates the system, replace both batteries with new ones.

When carrying this system

Do the following procedure to protect the disc mechanism. Use buttons on the system for the operation.

1 Press ?/1 to turn on the system, then

press CD. Make sure that all discs are removed from the system.

2 Hold down CD, then press ?/1 until

“LOCK” appears in the display.

3 Release ?/1 first, then release CD. 4 Unplug the AC power cord.

Positioning the speakers

Place the front speakers at an angle of 45 degrees from your listening position.

Main Unit

Front speaker (L)

Surround speaker (L)

* MHC-GN880 only

Place the subwoofer at least 0.3 meters (1 feet) away from the main unit.

**Except for MHC-GN660

Notes

• Do not place the surround speakers on top of a TV. This may cause distortion of the colors in the TV screen.

• Always place the sub woofer vertically, keeping it a few centimeters away from the wall.

• If the sub woofer is placed in the center of a room, the bass could be extremely weakened. This is due to the influence of the standing wave of the room. If this happens, move the sub woofer away from the center of the room or eliminate the cause of the standing wave, by placing a bookshelf against the wall, etc.

Subwoofer

0.3m

45°

Front speaker (R)

Surround speaker (R)

Setting the clock

Getting Started

Use buttons on the remote for the operation.

1 Press ?/1 to turn on the system. 2 Press CLOCK/TIMER SET. 3 Press >+ or –. repeatedly to set

the hour.

4 Press ENTER. 5 Press >+ or –. repeatedly to set

the minute.

6 Press ENTER.

The clock starts functioning.

To adjust the clock

1 Press CLOCK/TIMER SET. 2 Press >+ or –. repeatedly to select

“CLOCK SET?”, then press ENTER.

3 Do the same procedures as step 3 to 6

above.

Note

The clock settings are canceled when you disconnect the power cord or if a power failure occurs.

CD/MP3

Loading a disc

Playing a disc

— Normal Play/Shuffle Play

1 Press Z OPEN/CLOSE.

The disc tray slides out.

2 Load a disc with the label side facing

up on the disc tray.

When you play a CD single, place it on the inner circle of the tray

To load additional discs, press EX-CHANGE/DISC SKIP to rotate the disc tray.

3 Press Z OPEN/CLOSE to close the disc

tray.

Notes

• Do not use a disc with tape, seals or paste on it as this may cause malfunction.

• Do not push the disc tray when closing it as this may cause malfunction. Press Z OPEN/CLOSE to close the disc tray.

This system lets you play audio CDs and discs with MP3 audio tracks in different play modes.

Example: When playing an audio CD

Disc tray number

Disc playing indicator

Track number

ALL

DISC S

Disc presence indicator

Playing time

EFFECT

GROOVE LINK

Example: When playing an MP3 audio track

MP3 presence

Disc tray number

ID3 MP3

Disc playing indicator

ALL

Track number

DISC S

indicator

EFFECT

GROOVE LINK

Disc presence indicator

Playing time

A B

1 Press CD.

2 When playback is stopped, press PLAY

MODE repeatedly until the play mode you want lights up in the display.

Select To play

ALL DISCS (Normal Play)

1DISC (Normal Play)

ALBM (Normal Play)

ALL DISCS SHUF (Shuffle Play)

1DISC SHUF (Shuffle Play)

ALBM SHUF (Shuffle Play)

PGM (Program Play)

All discs in the disc tray continuously.

The tracks on the disc you have selected in original order.

All MP3 audio tracks in the album on the disc you have selected in original order. When playing a non-MP3 disc, “ALBM” play performs the same operation as “1DISC” play.

All tracks on all discs in random order.

All tracks on the disc you have selected in random order.

The MP3 audio tracks in the album on the disc you have selected in random order. When playing a non-MP3 disc, “ALBM SHUF” play performs the same operation as “1DISC SHUF” play.

The tracks on all discs in the order you want them to be played back (see “Creating your own program” on page 15).

3 Press nN (or N on the remote).

Other operations

To Do this

Stop playback Press x. Pause playback Press X. Press X again to resume

Select a track Turn . > clockwise or

Select an album from MP3 disc

Find a point in a track*

Select a disc when playback is stopped

Switch to CD function from another source

Exchange other discs while playing

Remove a disc Press Z OPEN/CLOSE.

* The playing time may not be displayed correctly

depending on the MP3 audio tracks.

playback.

counterclockwise (or press >+ or –. repeatedly on the remote).

Turn and hold ALBUM clockwise or counterclockwise and release it at the album you want (or press ALBUM +/– repeatedly on the remote).

For audio CD, turn and hold m M clockwise or counterclockwise and release it at the point you want (or press M or m repeatedly on the remote). For MP3 audio track, press M or m repeatedly on the remote.

Press one of the DISC 1 ~ 3 buttons or EX-CHANGE/DISC SKIP (or DISC SKIP on the remote).

Press CD or one of the DISC 1 ~ 3 buttons (Automatic Source selection).

Press EX-CHANGE/DISC SKIP.

CD/MP3

continued

Notes

• You cannot change the play mode during playback.

• Some time may be needed to start playback of discs recorded in complex configurations such as many layers.

• When the disc is loaded, the system reads all the tracks on that disc. If there are many albums or nonMP3 audio tracks on the disc, it may take a longer time for playback to begin or for the next MP3 audio tracks to start playback.

• You are recommended not to save other types of tracks or unnecessary albums on a disc that has MP3 audio tracks.

• When naming the MP3 audio tracks, be sure to add the file extension “.MP3” to the title name.

• An album that does not include an MP3 audio track is skipped.

• If you put the extension “.MP3” to a track other than MP3 audio tracks, the system cannot recognize the track properly and will generate a random noise which could damage your speaker system.

• The system can playback MP3 (MPEG 1 Audio Layer 3) audio tracks. The system cannot playback MP3 audio tracks in format other than MPEG 1, 2 and 2.5 Audio Layer 3 format.

• This system can playback Multi Session discs when an MP3 audio track is located in the first session. Any subsequent MP3 audio tracks, recorded in the later sessions, can also be played back.

• The maximum number of albums on a disc which can be recognize by this system is 150 (including root album).

• The maximum number of MP3 audio tracks and albums on a disc which can be recognize by this system is 300.

• Depending on the encoding/writing software, recording device, or the recording media used at the time an MP3 audio track is recorded, you may encounter problems such as cannot playback, sound interruptions and noise.

Tips

• When disc access takes a longer time, set “CD POWER ON” by CD power manage function (page 17).

• If you press CD while the system is off, the system turns on automatically and CD is selected as a function.

• You can also press FUNCTION repeatedly on the remote to select “CD”.

Playing repeatedly

— Repeat Play

You can play all the tracks or a single track repeatedly on a disc.

Press REPEAT repeatedly during playback until “REP” or “REP1” lights up in the display.

REP: All the tracks on the disc(s), or all the tracks in the album* are played back repeatedly up to five times. REP1: A single track is played back repeatedly until “REP1” is cancelled.

* When “ALBM” or “ALBM SHUF” is selected for

MP3 audio tracks.

To cancel Repeat Play

Press REPEAT repeatedly until both “REP” and “REP1” disappear in the display.

Notes

• When you select “REP1”, that track is repeated endlessly until “REP1” is canceled.

• You cannot select “REP” and “ALL DISCS SHUF” at the same time.

Tip

If you set Repeat Play when the playback is stopped, press REPEAT repeatedly to select the setting, then press nN (or N on the remote) to start Repeat Play.

Creating your own program

Disc tray number

Track number

Total playing time (including selected track)

— Program Play

You can make a program of up to 25 steps in the order you want to be played back. You can synchro record the programmed tracks onto a tape (page 20).

1 Press CD. 2 When playback is stopped, press PLAY

MODE repeatedly until “PGM” lights up in the display.

3 Press EX-CHANGE/DISC SKIP or

DISC 1 ~ 3 buttons (or DISC SKIP on the remote) to select a disc.

To program all the tracks on a disc at once, proceed to step 5 while “AL” appears in the display. To program all the MP3 audio tracks on an album at once, turn and hold ALBUM clockwise or counterclockwise and release it at the album you want (or press ALBUM +/– repeatedly on the remote), then proceed to step 5.

4 Turn . > clockwise or

counterclockwise (or press >+ or –

repeatedly on the remote) until the

track number you want appears in the display.

The total playing time flashes. When programming an MP3 audio track,

turn and hold ALBUM clockwise or counterclockwise and release it at the album you want (or press ALBUM +/– repeatedly on the remote), then turn . > clockwise or counterclockwise (or press

>+ or –. repeatedly on the remote)

until the track number you want appears in the display.

A B

PGM

EFFECT

GROOVE LINK

5 Press ENTER.

The track(s) is(are) programmed. The program step number appears in the display for a while.

6 To program additional discs or tracks.

To program Repeat steps

Other discs 3 and 5 Other tracks on the

same disc Other tracks on

other discs

4 and 5

3 to 5

7 Press nN (or N on the remote).

Program Play starts.

Other operations

To Do this

Cancel Program Play

Clear a track from the end of program

Tips

• The program you made remains after Program Play finishes. To play the same program again, press

nN (or N on the remote).

• If “--.--” appears instead of the total playing time during programming, this means:

– you have programmed a track number which

exceeds 20. – the total playing time has exceeded 100 minutes. – you have programmed an MP3 audio track.

When playback is stopped, press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “PGM” disappear in the display.

Press CLEAR on the remote when playback is stopped.

CD/MP3

Tuner

Presetting radio stations

You can preset up to 20 FM stations and 10 AM stations. You can then tune in any of those stations simply by selecting the corresponding preset number.

Automatic tuning preset

You can automatically tune in all of the stations that can be received in your area and then store the radio frequency of your favourite stations.

1 Press TUNER/BAND repeatedly to

select “FM” or “AM”.

2 Press TUNING MODE repeatedly until

“AUTO” lights up in the display.

3 Turn . > clockwise or

counterclockwise (or press >+ or –. on the remote).

The frequency changes as the system scans for a station. Scanning stops automatically when a station is tuned in. At that time, “TUNED” and “STEREO” (for an FM stereo program) lights up in the display.

MHz

A B

STEREO AUTO

TUNED

If “TUNED” does not lights up and the scanning does not stop

Set the frequency of the radio station you want as described in steps 2 to 6 of “Manual tuning preset”.

EFFECT

GROOVE LINK

4 Press TUNER MEMORY.

A preset number flashes. The stations are stored from preset

number 1.

Preset number

A B

STEREO AUTO

TUNED

EFFECT

GROOVE LINK

5 Turn . > clockwise or

counterclockwise (or press >+ or –. repeatedly on the remote) to select the preset number you want to store.

6 Press ENTER.

“Complete!” appears in the display. The station is stored.

7 Repeat steps 1 to 6 to store other

stations.

Manual tuning preset

You can manually tune in and store the radio

frequency of your favourite stations.

1 Press TUNER/BAND repeatedly to

select “FM” or “AM”.

2 Press TUNING MODE repeatedly until

“MANUAL” lights up in the display.

3 Turn . > clockwise or

counterclockwise (or press >+ or –. repeatedly on the remote) to tune in the station you want.

4 Press TUNER MEMORY.

A preset number flashes. The stations are stored from preset

number 1.

5 Turn . > clockwise or

counterclockwise (or press >+ or –. repeatedly on the remote) to select the preset number you want.

6 Press ENTER.

“Complete!” appears in the display. The station is stored.

7 Repeat steps 1 to 6 to store other

stations.

Other operations

To Do this

Tune in a station with a weak signal

Set another station to the existing preset number

To improve tuner reception

When tuner reception is poor, set the CD power manage function to “CD POWER OFF”. The default setting is “CD POWER ON”. Use buttons on the system for the operation.

1 Press CD. 2 Press ?/1 to turn off the system. 3 Press ?/1 while holding x.

“CD POWER OFF” appears in the display.

To set CD power on

Repeat the procedure above and “CD POWER ON” appears in the display.

Notes

• When “CD POWER OFF” is selected, CD access time is increased.

• You cannot change the CD power manage setting in the Power Saving Mode (page 29).

Follow the procedure described in “Manual tuning preset”.

Start over from step 1.

To change the AM tuning interval (except for Middle Eastern models)

Use buttons on the system for the operation. The factory settings for AM tuning interval is 9 kHz (or 10 kHz for some areas). To change the AM tuning interval, tune in any AM station first, then turn off the system. While holding down ENTER, press ?/1. When you change the interval, all the AM preset stations are erased. To reset the interval, repeat the same procedure.

Note

You cannot change the AM tuning interval in the Power Saving Mode (page 29).

Tips

• The preset stations are retained for half a day even if you unplug the power cord or if a power failure occurs.

• If you press TUNER/BAND while the system is off, the system turns on automatically and TUNER is selected as a function.

• To improve the reception, adjust the supplied antennas or connect an external antenna.

• You can also press FUNCTION repeatedly on the remote to select “TUNER”.

Tuner

Listening to the radio

You can listen to a radio station either by selecting a preset station, or by manually tuning in the station.

Listening to a preset station

— Preset Tuning

Before tuning to preset stations, be sure to preset them (see “Presetting radio stations” on page 16).

1 Press TUNER/BAND repeatedly to

select “FM” or “AM”.

2 Press TUNING MODE repeatedly until

“PRESET” lights up in the display.

3 Turn . > clockwise or

counterclockwise (or press >+ or –. repeatedly on the remote) to select the preset station you want.

FrequencyPreset number

MHz

A B

STEREO

TUNED PRESET

EFFECT

GROOVE LINK

Listening to non-preset radio station

— Manual Tuning

1 Press TUNER/BAND repeatedly to

select “FM” or “AM”.

2 Press TUNING MODE repeatedly until

“MANUAL” lights up in the display.

3 Turn . > clockwise or

counterclockwise (or press >+ or –. repeatedly on the remote) to tune in the station you want.

Tips

• When an FM stereo program has static noise, press FM MODE repeatedly until “MONO” lights up in the display. There will be no stereo effect, but the reception will improve.

• To record the radio programs, see “Recording on a tape manually” (page 21) or “Timer recording radio programs” (page 28).

• You can also press FUNCTION repeatedly on the remote to select “TUNER”.

Tape – Play

Loading a tape

1 Press TAPE A/B (or TAPE on the

remote) repeatedly to select Deck A or B.

2 Press Z A/B on the selected deck. 3 Load a tape into Deck A or B.

With the side you want to play/record facing forward

Playing a tape

You can use TYPE I (normal) tape.

1 Load a tape. 2 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select

“g” to play one side, “j” both sides or “RELAY” to play both decks in succession.

to play

(Relay Play)

3 Press nN (or N on the remote).

The tape starts playing. Press nN (or N on the remote) play the reverse side.

Tape presence indicator

Playback stops automatically after repeating the sequence for five times.

Relay Play follows this cyclic sequence up to five times, then stops:

MHC-GN880/GN770 only Deck A (front side) t Deck A (reverse side) t Deck B (front side) t Deck B (reverse side)

MHC-GN660 only Deck A (front side) t Deck B (front side) t Deck B (reverse side)

Note

MHC-GN660 only You can only playback front side of the tape in Deck A.

Other operations

To Do this

Stop playback Press x. Pause playback Press X. Press X again to resume

Fast-forward or rewind

Remove a tape Press Z A or Z B.

playback. Turn m M clockwise or

counterclockwise (or press M or m on the remote).

EFFECT

GROOVE LINK

again to

Tape – Play

continued

Searching for the beginning of the current or the next track (AMS*)

During playback, turn .> clockwise or counterclockwise (or press >+ or –. repeatedly on the remote) for the number of songs you want to skip forward (or backward).

The search direction, + (forward) or – (backward), and the number of songs being skipped (1~9) appear in the display.

Example: searching forward 2 songs

* AMS (Automatic Music Sensor)

Note

The AMS function may not operate correctly under the following circumstances: – When the unrecorded space between songs is less

than 4 seconds long.

– When the system is placed near a television.

Tips

• When a tape is loaded, corresponding presence indicator light up.

• If you press TAPE A/B (or TAPE on the remote) while the system is off, the system turns on automatically and TAPE is selected as a function.

• If you press nN (or N on the remote) during “TAPE A” function and there is no tape in Deck A, the system automatically switches to “TAPE B” function when there is a tape in Deck B. Then, playback will start and vice versa.

• You can also press FUNCTION repeatedly on the remote to select “TAPE A” or “TAPE B”.

Tape – Recording

Recording your favorite tracks on a disc into a tape

— CD Synchro Recording

You can record a whole disc into a tape. You can use TYPE I (normal) tape. The recording level is adjusted automatically.

1 Load a recordable tape into Deck B. 2 Press CD and load a disc you want to

record.

3 Press CD SYNC.

Deck B standby for recording. “REC PAUSE/START” indicator flashes.

4 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select

“g” to record on one side or “j” (or “RELAY”) to record on both sides.

5 Press REC PAUSE/START.

Recording starts.

To stop recording

Press x.

To record a disc by specifying track order

— Program Edit

You can record tracks on all the discs in the order you want using Program Play. Between steps 2 and step 3 of “CD Synchro Recording” (page 20), do steps 2 to 6 of “Creating your own program” (page 15). When programming, make sure the playing times for each side do not exceed the length of one side of the tape.

Notes

• You cannot listen to other sources while recording.

• Game Mixing does not function during CD Synchro Recording.

Recording on a tape manually

—Manual Recording

You can record just the portions you like from a disc, tape or radio program on a tape. You can also record from connected components (see “Hooking up optional components” on page 33).

1 Load a recordable tape into Deck B. 2 Press CD, TAPE A/B, TUNER/BAND,

GAME or VIDEO/MD (or FUNCTION repeatedly on the remote) to select the source you want to record.

• CD: To record from this system’s CD player.

• TAPE A/B: To record from this system’s tape deck A.

• TUNER/BAND: To record from this system’s tuner.

• GAME: To record from the connected video game player to GAME INPUT AUDIO L/R jacks.

• VIDEO/MD: To record from the connected VCR or MD deck to VIDEO/ MD (AUDIO) IN jacks.

3 Press REC PAUSE/START.

Deck B standby for recording. “REC PAUSE/START” indicator flashes.

4 Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select

“g” to record on one side or “j” (or “RELAY”) to record on both sides.

5 Press REC PAUSE/START, then press

nN (or N on the remote) to start

playing the source you want to record.

Recording starts.

To stop recording

Press x.

Note

You cannot listen to other sources while recording.

Tips

• If you want to record from the reverse side, press TAPE A/B (or TAPE on the remote) repeatedly to select Deck B after loading a recordable tape. Press nN (or N on the remote) to start playback of the reverse side, then press x when you want to start recording. The TAPE B reverse side indicator “b” lights up in the display.

• When you record on both sides, be sure to start from the front side. If you start from the reverse side, recording stops at the end of the reverse side.

• For recording from the radio: If noise is heard while recording from the radio, move the respective antenna to reduce the noise.

• For recording from a disc to a tape manually: You can turn . > clockwise or counterclockwise (or press >+ or –. repeatedly on the remote) to select tracks during recording pause (after step 3 and before step 5).

• You can mix the sound from the component connected to the GAME INPUT jacks with another function such as CD, tape, radio or MD connected to this system. To record the mixed sou nd, press GAME MIXING after step 4 and then press REC PAUSE/ START to start recording (page 26).

• For recording an album from an MP3 disc: Be sure to press PLAY MODE repeatedly to select “ALBM”, then turn and hold ALBUM clockwise or counterclockwise (or press ALBUM +/– on the remote) to select the album you want (after s tep 3 and before step 5).

Tape – Recording

Sound Adjustment

Adjusting the sound

You can reinforce the bass and create a more powerful sound. The GROOVE setting is ideal for music sources.

Press GROOVE repeatedly.

Each time you press the button, the display changes cyclically as follows:

GROOVE ON* t GROOVE OFF

* The volume switches to power mode, the equalizer

curve changes, and the “GROOVE” lights up in the display.

Selecting the preset effect

Turn MULTI JOG clockwise or counterclockwise (or press EQ repeatedly on the remote) to select the preset effect you want.

Preset effect options

Effect Category

ROCK POP JAZZ DANCE SOUL ORIENTAL*

ACTION DRAMA MUSICAL

ARCADE RACING

ADVENTURE P FILE 1

P FILE 2 P FILE 3

* CLASSIC for North and Latin American models

only.

To cancel the preset effect

Press EFFECT ON/OFF repeatedly until “EFFECT OFF” appears in the display.

Music preset effect (Standard music sources)

Movie preset effect (Soundtracks and special listening situations)

Game preset effect (Play Station 1, 2 and other video game music sources)

Personal file

Selecting the MP3

Selecting the sound

Booster effect

You can improve the sound quality of MP3 audio tracks during playback.

1 Press AMP MENU repeatedly to select

“MP3 BOOSTER”.

The last selected MP3 booster setting appears in the display.

2 Turn MULTI JOG clockwise or

counterclockwise to select the setting you want.

The display changes as follow: BOOSTER OFF y BOOSTER ON

3 Press ENTER.

system

(MHC-GN880/GN770 only)

You can enjoy different sounds by selecting the sound mode you want.

MHC-GN880 only Press SURR SPEAKER MODE repeatedly

(or turn SURROUND SPEAKER MODE on the subwoofer) to select the sound mode you want.

Each time you press the button, the indicators on the subwoofer and the display changes cyclically as follows:

LINK

t MATRIX SURR 12) t

MATRIX SURR 2

MHC-GN770 only

Press SURR SPEAKER MODE repeatedly to select the sound mode you want.

Each time you press the button, the display changes cyclically as follows:

LINK

t MATRIX SURR

LINK : Reproduces the same sound with different output levels.

MATRIX SURR/MATRIX SURR 1 : Reproduces a wide range of sound that can actually sense the size of the room.

MATRIX SURR 2 : Reproduces a wide range of sound that can actually sense the size of the room. The surround sound is reinforced.

Sound Adjustment

Using the subwoofer Adjusting the graphic

(MHC-GN880 only)

You can use the sound of the subwoofer to enhance the bass.

1 Press SUBWOOFER ON/OFF on the

subwoofer to turn on the subwoofer.

The indicator lights up when the subwoofer is turned on. Press the button again to turn off the subwoofer.

2 Turn SUBWOOFER LEVEL to adjust

the level.

You will be able to listen to low bass frequency sound.

Notes

• If you turn VOLUME (or press VOLUME +/– on the remote), the volume for all speakers will change.

• When you turn on the system, the last selected SURROUND SPEAKER MODE indicator on the subwoofer lights up.

Tip

You can turn VOLUME (or press VO LUME +/– on the remote) to adjust the volume of the subwoofer linked to the front speakers.

equalizer and storing

—Personal file

You can adjust the sound by raising or lowering the levels of specific frequency band, then store up to three personal files (P FILE) in the memory.

1 Press EQ EDIT repeatedly to select a

frequency band.

Frequency band and frequency level appears in the display.

2 Turn MULTI JOG clockwise or

counterclockwise to adjust the level.

Frequency levelFrequency band

A B

ALL

DISC S

EFFECT

GROOVE LINK

3 Press P FILE MEMORY.

A personal file number flashes.

4 Turn MULTI JOG clockwise or

counterclockwise to select a personal file number (1~3) you want to store the equalizer setting.

5 Press ENTER.

This setting is automatically stored as the personal file you selected in step 4.

The previous setting stored at this memory location is erased and replaced by the new setting.

Other operations

To Do this

Call up a personal file

Cancel a personal file

Turn MULTI JOG clockwise or counterclockwise to select the personal file number you want.

Press EFFECT ON/OFF repeatedly until “EFFECT OFF” appears in the display.

Selecting the surround

Enhancing video game

effect

MHC-GN660 only Press SURROUND repeatedly.

Each time you press the button, the display changes as follows:

SURROUND ON y SURROUND OFF

MHC-GN880/GN770 only

1 Press EQ EDIT repeatedly to select

surround setting.

The last selected surround effect appears in the display.

2 Turn MULTI JOG clockwise or

counterclockwise to adjust the surround effect.

3 Press ENTER.

Note

When you select certain preset effects, the surround effect may be cancelled.

sound

—Game Sync

You need to connect a video game player (see “Hooking up optional components” on page 33).

Press GAME.

“GAME” is selected as the function and the equalizer switches to game preset effect.

Tips

• If you press GAME while the system is off, the system turns on automatically and GAME is selected as the function.

• This operation cannot be performed in the Power Saving Mode (page 29).

• You can also press FUNCTION repeatedly on the remote to select “GAME”.

Sound Adjustment

Mixing video game sound

Singing along

with other sound source

— Game Mixing

You can mix the sound from the component connected to the GAME INPUT jacks with another function such as CD, tape, radio or MD connected to this system.

1 Select the source sound you want. 2 Press GAME MIXING repeatedly.

Each time you press the button, the level of the game sound changes cyclically as follows:

MIXING LOW t MIXING MID t MIXING HIGH t MIXING OFF

Notes

• If you start recording while Game Mixing is activated, Game Mixing is canceled. To record the mixed sound, press GAME MIXING after step 4 of “Recording on a tape manu ally” on page 21, and th en press REC PAUSE/START to start the recording.

• Game Mixing does not function during CD Synchro Recording.

• During Game Mixing, when “TAPE A” or “TAPE B” function is selected, you will not hear any sound from GAME INPUT if you use the AMS function.

Tips

• The GAME MIXING indicator lights up while Game Mixing is activated.

• Once Game Mixing is activated, it will remain active while the power is on even if the source sound is changed.

You can sing along with any music source. You need to connect an optional microphone.

1 Turn MIC LEVEL to MIN to turn down

the microphone volume.

Connect an optional microphone to MIC jack.

3 Adjust the volume while playing the

music.

4 Adjust the microphone volume by

turning MIC LEVEL.

After you have finished

Turn MIC LEVEL to MIN and disconnect the microhone from MIC jack.

Note

When “TAPE A” or “TAPE B” function is selected, you will not hear any sound output from microphone if you use the AMS function.

Tips

• You can mix and record sound from microphone after step 2. To record the sound, see “Recording on a tape manually” on page 21. To stop recording, press x.

• If acoustic feedback (howling) occurs, move the microphone away from the speakers or change the direction of the microphone.

• If you want to record your voice through the microphone only, you can do so by selecting the CD function and not playing a disc.

• When high level sound signals are input, the system automatically adjusts the recording level to prevent distortion of the recorded sound signal (Auto Level Control function).

Timer

Falling asleep to music

— Sleep Timer

You can set the system to turn off at a preset time, so that you can fall asleep to music.

Press SLEEP repeatedly.

Each time you press the button, the minute display (the turn-off time) changes cyclically as follows: AUTO* t 90min t 80min t 70min t … t 10min t OFF

* The system automatically turns off in 100 minutes or

after the current disc or tape finishes playing.

Other operations

To Do this

Check the remaining time**

Change the time to turn off

Cancel the Sleep Timer

**You cannot check the remaining time if you select

“SLEEP AUTO”.

Tip

You can use the Sleep Timer, even if you have not set the clock.

Press SLEEP once.

Press SLEEP repeatedly to select

the time you want.

Press SLEEP repeatedly until

“SLEEP OFF” appears in the display.

Waking up to music

—Play Timer

You can wake up to music at a preset time. Make sure you have set the clock (see “Setting the clock” on page 11). Use buttons on the remote for the operation.

1 Prepare the music source you want to

play.

• Disc: Load a disc. To start from a specific track, make a program (see “Creating your own program” on page 15).

• Tape: Load a tape with the side you want to play facing forward.

• Radio: Tune in the preset station you want (see “Listening to the radio” on page 18).

2 Press VOLUME +/– to adjust the

volume.

3 Press CLOCK/TIMER SET.

“SET” appears in the display, followed by “PLAY SET?”.

4 Press ENTER.

“ON” appears and the hour indication flashes in the display.

5 Set the time to start playing.

Press >+ or –. repeatedly to set the hour, then press ENTER.

The minute indication start flashing. Press >+ or –. repeatedly to set the minute, then press ENTER.

6 Set the time to stop playing following

the same procedure as step 5.

7 Press >+ or –. repeatedly until

the music source you want appears in the display.

Each time you press the button, the display changes as follows:

TUNER y CD PLAY

TAPE PLAY

Timer

continued

8 Press ENTER.

The type of timer (PLAY TIMER), followed by the start time, the stop time and the music source appears, then the original display appears.

9 Press ?/1 to turn off the system.

Other operations

To Do this

Check the setting 1 Press CLOCK/TIMER

SELECT.

2 Press >+ or –.

repeatedly to select “PLAY SELECT?”, then press ENTER.

Change the setting Start from step 1. Cancel the timer 1 Press CLOCK/TIMER

SELECT.

2 Press >+ or –.

repeatedly to select “TIMER OFF?”, then press ENTER.

Notes

• You cannot select the Play Timer and Timer Recording at the same time.

• If you use the Play Timer and the Sleep Timer at the same time, the Sleep Timer has priority.

• The Play Timer will not be activated if the system is on.

Tip

The system turns on 15 seconds before the preset time.

Timer recording radio programs

You can record a preset radio station from a specified time. To make a timer recording, you must first preset the radio station (see “Presetting radio stations” on page 16) and set the clock (see “Setting the clock” on page 11). Use buttons on the remote for the operation.

1 Tune in the preset radio station (see

“Listening to a preset station” on page 18).

2 Press CLOCK/TIMER SET.

“SET” appears in the display, followed by “PLAY SET?”.

3 Press >+ or –. repeatedly to

select “REC SET?”, then press ENTER.

“ON” appears and the hour indication flashes in the display.

4 Set the time to start recording.

Press >+ or –. repeatedly to set the hour, then press ENTER.

The minute indication start flashing. Press >+ or –. repeatedly to set the

minute, then press ENTER.

5 Set the time to stop recording following

the same procedure as step 4.

The type of timer (REC), followed by the start time, the stop time and the preset radio station to be recorded (e.g., “TUNER FM 5”) appears, then the original display appears.

6 Load a recordable tape into Deck B. 7 Press TAPE repeatedly to select

“TAPE B”.

+ 64 hidden pages

Sony MHC-GN880, MHC-GN77, MHC-GN660 Operating Instructions Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual