Sony MZ-R91 Operating Manual

3-867-571-23(1)

Portable MiniDisc Recorder

Operating Instructions

MZ-R90 MZ-R91

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.

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

Caution

The use of optical instruments with this product will increase eye hazard.

CAUTION — INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN

AVOID EXPOSURE TO BEAM

Information

For customers in the USA

DISPOSAL OF NICKEL METAL HYDRIDE BATTERY.

NICKEL METAL HYDRIDE BATTERY. DISPOSE OF PROPERLY.

You can return your unwanted nickel metal hydride batteries to your nearest Sony Service Center. Note: In some areas the disposal of nickel metal hydride batteries in household or business trash may be prohibited. For the Sony Service Center nearest you call 1-800-222-SONY (United States only). Caution: Do not handle damaged or leaking nickel metal hydride battery.

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. This 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 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.

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

The built-in battery should be replaced by qualified personnel only.

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.

Owner’s Record

The serial number is located at the rear of the disc compartment lid and the model number is located at the top and bottom. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to them whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product. Model No. MZ-R90/R91 Serial No.

For Customers in Australia

If the supply cord of the AC power adaptor is damaged, the AC power adaptor must be returned to the manufacturer or his agent for the cord to be replaced.

“MD WALKMAN” is a trademark of Sony Corporation.

Welcome!

Welcome to the world of the MiniDisc! Here are some of the capabilities and features you’ll discover with the new MiniDisc Recorder.

• Recording MD Walkman in an ultra-

compact body — Almost as small as a playback-only MD Walkman; easy to carry in your pocket or bag.

• Ultra-light body (MZ-R90) —

Magnesium lid for extra lightness.

• Ultra-compact body (MZ-R91) —

Fashionable design and colors.

• Low power consumption design — Less

drain and the longer service life for the rechargeable battery.

• 9-letter, backlit LCD remote control

with editing capabilities — You can now label tracks and discs, change track sequence, etc., with the easy-to-operate stick remote control.

• Simultaneous labeling feature — No

more waiting for the recording to end; you can label tracks and discs while the MD is being recorded.

• Phrase bank function — Phrases that

you often use in track or disc names can be stored in the recorder’s memory and retrieved whenever you need them.

• Copying CD text — If you use a CD text

connecting cord (not supplied) to connect a Joint Text-compatible portable CD player to the recorder, CD text data (such as track and disc names) on the CD that is compatible to CDTEXT display will be recorded automatically during recording.

• Shock-resistant memory — Offsets up

to 40 seconds of optical read errors.

• High-fidelity recording — Low-noise,

low-distortion, high-fidelity recording through the optical digital input jack.

• Digital synchro-recording — When

recording from a digital equipment with optical output, the recorder automatically starts and pauses recording in sync with operation on the digital source.

• Digital REC level control.

• Long-time recording with monaural

sound — You can record up to 160 minutes (when using 80 minutes recordable MD) on a disc using monaural recording.

• Date and time stamp function — The

built-in clock automatically records the date and time whenever you make a recording.

• Digital AGC (Auto Gain Control) —

Automatic recording level adjustment without sacrificing superb digital sound.

This manual is for models MZR90 and MZ-R91.

The MZ-R90 appears in the instructions for illustration purposes. Though they differ in appearance, the models share the same functions and are operated in the same way. For detailed specifications, see page 50.

MZ-R90

MZ-R91

How to use the jog lever.

About the i/LINE OUT jack on the recorder.

The parameter (“AUDIO OUT”) for the i/LINE OUT jack must be set to “HeadPhone” if you want to connect headphones other than the supplied set, or to “LINE OUT” if you want to connect another component to the recorder through a line cable. There is no need to make this when using the supplied headphones with remote control since it is done automatically. To set the “AUDIO OUT” parameter for the i/LINE OUT jack, do the following procedure:

1 Press the jog lever, flip until “AUDIO

OUT” flashes in the display, and then press the lever again.

2 Flip the jog lever until “HeadPhone” or

“LINE OUT” flashes in the display.

3 Press the jog lever when the item you want

to select is flashing.

Notes

• When the “AUDIO OUT” parameter is set to

“LINE OUT”, the VOL +/– buttons and the Mega Bass function become inoperative. To make them operative, set the “AUDIO OUT” parameter to “HeadPhone”.

• The “AUDIO OUT” parameter is

automatically set to “HeadPhone” when you turn off the power.

Flip to select

Push to enter

The jog lever can be used to perform various operations during playback, recording, and editing, as well as when the recorder is stopped. Flip the jog lever to select an item in the display. Then press the jog lever to enter your selection.

Table of contents

Recording an MD right away! ...........................8

Playing an MD right away! ..............................11

Various ways of recording .............................. 14

Two ways of connecting to a sound source ..........................................14

Recording with digital (optical) input (optical cable required) ............15

To start/stop recording in sync with the source player

(Synchro-recording) ........................................................................16

Recording from a microphone ..............................................................17

Recording in monaural for double the normal recording time .............17

Adjusting the recording level manually (Manual recording) ................18

Checking the remaining time or the recording position .......................19

On the recorder ...............................................................................19

On the remote control .....................................................................21

Setting the clock to stamp the recorded time ........................................22

Copying CD text information while recording (Joint Text) ................23

Various ways of playback ..............................25

Selecting a track directly .......................................................................25

Playing tracks repeatedly ......................................................................25

On the recorder ...............................................................................25

On the remote control .....................................................................26

Emphasizing bass (DIGITAL MEGA BASS) ......................................27

Protecting your hearing (AVLS) ...........................................................27

Checking the remaining time or the playing position ...........................28

On the recorder ...............................................................................28

On the remote control .....................................................................29

Locking the controls (HOLD) ...............................................................29

Connecting to a stereo system (LINE OUT) ........................................30

Editing recorded tracks .................................. 31

Erasing tracks ....................................................................................... 31

To erase a track .............................................................................. 31

To erase the whole disc .................................................................. 31

Adding a track mark ............................................................................. 32

Erasing a track mark ............................................................................ 32

Moving recorded tracks ....................................................................... 33

On the recorder .............................................................................. 33

On the remote control .................................................................... 33

Labeling recordings .............................................................................. 34

On the recorder .............................................................................. 34

On the remote control .................................................................... 35

Storing phrases frequently used in labeling (Phrase Bank) ................. 37

On the recorder ............................................................................. 37

On the remote control .................................................................... 38

Power sources ................................................ 40

Charging the nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery ..................... 40

Using on a nickel metal hydride rechargeable battery ......................... 41

Using dry battery .................................................................................. 41

Additional information .................................... 42

Precautions ........................................................................................... 42

Troubleshooting ................................................................................... 44

System limitations ................................................................................ 46

Messages .............................................................................................. 47

Specifications ....................................................................................... 50

What is an MD? ................................................................................... 51

Looking at the controls ........................................................................ 53

Recording an MD right away!

The sound will be sent from the connected equipment as analog signal but will be recorded digitally on the disc. To record from a digital source, see “Recording with digital (optical) input (optical cable required)” (page 15). To record from an MD, see “Note on digital recording” (page 43).

Make connections.

firmly and completely into the appropriate jacks.)

CD player, cassette recorder, etc. (source)

to LINE OUT

∗ Use the connecting cords

without an attenuator. To connect to a portable CD player having a stereo mini-jack, use the RK-G136 connecting cord (not supplied).

R (red)

L (white)

(Insert the cables

Line cable (RK-G129, not supplied)*

to DC IN 3V

to LINE IN (OPTICAL)

to a wall outlet

AC power adaptor (supplied)

Insert a recordable MD.

1 Slide OPEN to open the lid. 2 Insert a recordable MD with the label

side facing up, and press the lid down to close.

Record an MD.

REC

CD player, cassette recorder, etc. (source)

1 Slide REC to the right.

“REC” lights up and recording starts.

2 Play the CD or tape you want to record.

To stop recording, press x.

After you press x, the recorder will automatically turn off in about 10 seconds (when using batteries) or about 5 minutes (when using AC power adaptor).

Notes

• “Data Save” or “TOC Edit” flashes while data

of the recording (the track’s start and end points, etc.) is being recorded. Do not move or jog the recorder or disconnect the power source while the indication is flashing in the display.

• The lid does not open until “TOC Edit”

disappears in the display.

To Pr ess

Record from the end of the previous

END SEARCH and slide REC.

recording

Record partway through the previous recording

N, > or . to find the start point of recording and press x to stop. Then slide REC.

Pause X

Press X again to resume recording.

Remove the MD x and open the lid.2) (The lid does not open

while “TOC Edit” flashing in the display.)

A track mark is added at the point where you press X again to resume recording while pausing; thus the remainder of the track will be counted as a new track.

Once you open the lid, the point to start recording will change to the beginning of the first track. Check the point to start recording on the display.

If the recording does not start

• Make sure the recorder is not locked

(page 29).

• Make sure the MD is not record-protected

(page 43).

• Premastered MDs cannot be recorded over.

For the models supplied with the AC plug adaptor

If the AC power adaptor does not fit the wall outlet, use the AC plug adaptor.

Note

If the power supply is disrupted (i.e. the battery is removed or becomes exhausted or the AC power adaptor is disconnected) during a recording or editing operation, or while “TOC Edit” appears in the display, then it will not be possible to open the lid until power is restored.

• The level of the recorded sound is adjusted

automatically.

• You can monitor the sound during recording.

Connect the supplied headphones with remote control to i/LINE OUT and adjust the volume by pressing VOL +/–. This does not affect the recording level.

Playing an MD right away!

To use the recorder on a rechargeable battery or dry batteries, see “Power sources” (page 40).

Make connections.

firmly and completely into the appropriate jacks.)

Headphones with a remote control (supplied)

Wear the earpiece marked R in your right ear and the one marked L in your left ear.

Insert an MD.

(Insert the cables

to a wall outlet

AC power adaptor (supplied)

to DC IN 3V

to i/LINE OUT

1 Slide OPEN to open the lid. 2 Insert an MD with the label side facing

up, and press the lid down to close.

Play an MD.

1 Press N (Press the control towards

VOL +/–

N • > on the remote control).

A short beep sounds in the headphones when you operate on the remote control.

2 Press VOL +/– to adjust the volume.

VOL +/–

To Press (Beeps in the headphones)

Find the beginning of the current track

Find the beginning of the next track

. once (Press the control towards . on the remote control). (Three short beeps)

> once (Press the control towards N • > on the remote control). (Two short beeps)

Pause X (Continuous short beeps)

Press X again to resume play.

Go backwards while

playing

Go forward while playing

keep pressing . (Press and hold the control towards . on the remote control)

keep pressing > (Press and hold the control towards N • > on the remote control)

Remove the MD x and open the lid.

To go backward or forward quickly without listening, press X and keep pressing . or > (press and hold the control towards . or N • > on the remote control).

Once you open the lid, the point to start play will change to the beginning of the first track.

If the play does not start

Make sure the recorder is not locked (page 29).

The volume will be shown in the display.

To stop play, press x.

A long beep sounds in the headphones when you operate on the remote control. Playback starts from the point you last stopped playing. After you press x, the recorder will automatically turn off in about 10 seconds (when using batteries) or about 5 minutes (when using AC power adaptor).

When using optional headphones

• Use only headphones with stereo mini plugs.

You cannot use headphones with micro plugs.

Stereo mini plug Micro plug

• The VOL +/– buttons and the Mega Bass

function may become inoperative. In this case, do the procedure below. 1 Press the jog lever, flip the jog lever until

“AUDIO OUT” flashes in the display, and then press the lever again. “LINE OUT” flashes in the display.

2 Flip the jog lever until “HeadPhone”

appears in the display.

3 Press the jog lever again.

Playback will switch automatically between stereo and monaural according to the sound source.

Notes

• The sound may skip during playback when the

recorder is exposed to continuous vibration, such as while jogging.

• If the power supply is disrupted (i.e. the

battery is removed or becomes exhausted or the AC power adaptor is disconnected) when the recorder is operating, the lid may not open until the power is restored.

Various ways of recording

Two ways of connecting to a sound source

The input jack of this recorder works as both digital and analog input jacks. Connect the recorder to a CD player or a cassette recorder using either digital (optical) input or analog (line) input. To record, see “Recording with digital (optical) input (optical cable required)” (page 15) to record using digital (optical) input, and “Recording an MD right away!” (page 8) to record using analog (line) input.

Difference between digital (optical) and analog (line) inputs

Difference Digital (optical) input Analog (line) input

Connectable source

Usable cord Optical cable (with an optical or an

Signal from the source

Recorded track numbers

Recorded sound level

When recording a CD or an MD, track numbers are automatically marked in the order of the original disc.

Note

Track marks may be copied incorrectly:

• when you record from some CD players or multi disc players using digital (optical) input.

• when the source is in shuffle or program play mode while recording using digital (optical) input. In

this case, play the source in normal play mode.

• when recording BS or CS programs through digital (optical) input.

Equipment with a digital (optical) output jack

Equipment with an analog (line) output jack

Line cable (with 2 phono plugs or

optical-mini plug)(page 15)

a stereo-mini plug)(page 8)

Digital Analog

Even when a digital source (such as a CD) is connected, the signal sent to the recorder is analog.

Marked (copied) automatically

• at the same positions as the source.

• after more than 2 seconds of blank or low-level segment

• when the recorder is paused while recording.

You can erase unnecessary marks

Marked automatically

• after more than 2 seconds of blank or low-level segment.

• when the recorder is paused

while recording.

You can erase unnecessary marks after recording (“Erasing a track

mark”, page 32). after recording. (“Erasing a track mark”, page 32).

Same as the source. Can also be adjusted manually

(Digital REC level control) (“Adjusting the recording level

Adjusted automatically. Can also

be adjusted manually (“Adjusting

the recording level manually

(Manual recording)”, page 18). manually (Manual recording)”,

page 18).

Recording with digital (optical) input (optical cable required)

Connect to a digital source using an optical cable (POC-5B or POC-5AB, not supplied) to make digital recordings. Digital recording is possible even from digital equipment with different sampling rates, such as a DAT deck or a BS tuner, using the built-in sampling rate converter.

CD player, MD player, digital amplifier, etc.

Portable CD player, etc.

Notes

• You can make a digital recording only from an

optical type output.

• When recording from a portable CD player,

play it on AC power and disable the anti-skip function (such as ESP*).

• Digital output may be disabled on some

portable CD players when the player is not run on AC power.

∗ Electronic Shock Protection

Optical plug

POC-5AB etc. (not supplied)

POC-5B etc. (not supplied)

to LINE IN (OPTICAL)

Optical miniplug

1 Insert a recordable MD and start

recording. For recording operations, see

“Recording an MD right away!” (page 8). To record from a portable CD player, set the CD player to pause and then start recording.

LINE IN (OPTICAL) jack is for both digital and analog input

The recorder automatically recognizes the type of line cable and switches to digital or analog input.

To start/stop recording in sync with the source player (Synchro-recording)

You can easily make digital recordings of a digital source on an MD. Before synchro-recording, make connections to the digital source with a digital cable, and insert a recordable MD.

CD players, etc.

SYNCHRO REC

1 Slide SYNCHRO REC to ON.

“SYNC” appears in the display.

End ¢¢7

• You cannot pause manually during synchro-

recording.

• When there is no sound from the player for

more than 3 seconds during synchrorecording, the recorder goes into the standby mode automatically. When the sound comes from the player again, the recorder resumes synchro-recording. If the recorder is kept in the standby mode for 5 minutes or longer, the recorder stops automatically.

Notes

• Do not switch SYNCHRO REC after step 3.

Recording may not be done properly.

• When recording in monaural, follow steps 1 to

3 of “Recording in monaural for double the normal recording time” (page 17), and then do steps 1 and 3 of synchro-recording.

• Even when there is no recorded sound on the

sound source, there may be cases when recording does not pause automatically during synchro-recording due to the noise level emitted from the sound source.

• If a silent portion is encountered for 2 seconds

or more during synchro-recording, a new track mark is automatically added at the point where the silent portion ends.

• Synchro-recording cannot be done if the

connecting cord is not an optical cable, or if the cable is connected to the MIC (PLUG IN POWER) jack.

• You cannot adjust the recording level

manually during synchro-recording.

“SYNC” doesn’t appear if optical cable is not connected to the recorder.

2 Slide REC to the right.

The recorder stands by for recording.

3 Play the source sound.

The recorder starts recording when it receives the playing sound.

To stop recording, press x.

Recording from a microphone

Connect a stereo microphone (ECM-717, ECM-MS907, ECM-MS957, etc.; not supplied) to the MIC (PLUG IN POWER) jack.

Stereo microphone

to MIC (PLUG IN POWER)

1 Insert a recordable MD and start

recording. Slide REC to the right.

For other operations, see “Recording an MD right away!” (page 8).

Notes

• You cannot record through the microphone

while an optical cable is connected to the LINE IN (OPTICAL) jack. The recorder automatically switches input in the following order; optical input, microphone input, and analog input.

• The microphone may pick up the operating

sound of the recorder itself. Use the microphone away from the recorder in such cases.

Recording in monaural for double the normal recording time

For longer recordings, choose to record in monaural. The recording time becomes double the normal.

Jog lever

REC

1 While pressing X, slide REC to the

right. The recorder stands by for recording.

2 Press the jog lever, flip until “REC

MODE” flashes in the display, and then press the lever again.

3 Flip the jog lever until “Mono REC”

flashes in the display, and then press the lever.

To switch back to stereo recording, press the lever while “Stereo REC” flashes in the display.

4 Press X again to start recording. 5 Play the sound source.

To stop recording, press x.

The recorder switches back to stereo recording when you record the next time.

Notes

• If you record a stereo source in monaural, the

sounds from left and right will be mixed.

• You cannot record in monaural if SYNCHRO

REC is slid to ON. If you are recording digital input, make sure to slide SYNCHRO REC to OFF before you begin recording.

• The MDs recorded in monaural can be played

back only with an MD player/recorder that has the monaural playing function.

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