User’s Guide
Copyright © 2004 by Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved. The Creative logo, and Creative MediaSource are trademarks or registered trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Media, Outlook and the Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Zen Micro at a Glance.................................................. 6 Zen Micro....................................................................... 6 Touch Pad ..................................................................... 9 Main Menu ................................................................... 12 Now Playing screen ..................................................... 13 Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer ..................... 14 Zen Media Explorer ..................................
Searching for similar tracks ......................................... Selecting tracks with Zen Micro’s DJ ........................... Managing the list of selected tracks............................. Shuffling and repeating the list of selected tracks ....... Searching within a track............................................... Using bookmarks ......................................................... Listening to the radio ................................................... Deleting radio presets.......
Using Zen Micro’s equalizer (EQ)................................ Setting playback at a constant volume ........................ Labeling Zen Micro with your name............................. Setting the backlight duration ...................................... Setting the display contrast.......................................... Setting the idle shutdown time..................................... Enabling Sleep Timer .................................................. Changing the menu language..............
Zen Micro at a Glance Zen Micro at a Glance After completing the setup instructions in the Quick Start booklet, take some time to read this User’s Guide to learn how to get the most out of your player.
Zen Micro at a Glance Next/Fast-Forward button Press this button to go the next track. Press and hold this button to move forward within a track. Options button Press this button to display the options available. Touch Pad Use the Touch Pad to scroll through and select menu items. During playback, use the Touch Pad to adjust the volume. For more information using the Touch Pad, see "Touch Pad" on page 9. Menu/Back button During playback, press this button to display the main menu.
Zen Micro at a Glance Lock Slide the Power switch to the Lock position to disable your player’s controls. Headphone jack Connect Zen Micro’s earphones to this jack. USB 2.0 port To charge Zen Micro’s battery, connect one end of Zen Micro’s Power Adapter to this port, and the other end to a power outlet. Turn on the power outlet if necessary. To transfer music and data files, connect one end of the supplied USB cable to this port, and the other end of the USB cable to the your computer’s USB port.
Zen Micro at a Glance Touch Pad Move your finger up and down the Touch Pad to scroll through menu items.
Zen Micro at a Glance To rapidly scroll though menu items, hold down the top or bottom portion of the Touch Pad with your finger.
Zen Micro at a Glance To select a menu item, lightly tap the Touch Pad.
Zen Micro at a Glance Main Menu Press the Menu/Back button to view Zen Micro’s main menu. Move your finger up and down the Touch Pad to scroll through menu items, and press the Menu/Back button to return to the previous menu or screen.
Zen Micro at a Glance Now Playing screen The Now Playing screen appears when you turn on Zen Micro, or when a song is playing. When you see the Now Playing screen, move your finger up and down the Touch Pad to adjust the volume. Status icons at the top right corner of the LCD indicate Zen Micro’s current settings and battery status. NOTE When you see the Now Playing screen, lightly tap the Touch Pad to view the Selected Music screen. The Selected Music screen shows you your list of selected music tracks.
Zen Micro at a Glance Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer Use Creative MediaSource™ Player/Organizer to import music into your computer and transfer it to Zen Micro. Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer is your digital music center for playing, creating, organizing and transferring digital music. Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer is included with your player and is automatically installed when you set up the Zen Micro software on your computer.
Accessories Accessories Zen Micro comes with some of the accessories described below. Accessories that are not included with your player are available from your Creative Labs dealer or at our online store at www.creative.com. Earphones Zen Micro’s earphones feature dynamic bass response and enhanced audio clarity. WARNING! For your safety and the safety of others, do not use your earphones while driving, cycling or any other activity that requires your full attention.
Accessories Belt Clip Use the Zen Micro belt clip to fasten Zen Micro to your belt.
Accessories Pouch Zen Micro’s protective pouch keeps Zen Micro snug and safe.
Accessories Neckstrap With Zen Micro’s neckstrap, your music collection goes wherever you go. NOTE Zen Micro’s neckstrap is available separately in selected countries.
Accessories Remote Control Zen Micro’s optional remote control gives you easy access to basic playback functions. To Zen Micro’s Headphone NOTE jack Zen Micro’s remote control is available separately in selected countries.
Accessories + Volume Increase button Press this button to increase the volume. – Volume Decrease button Press this button to decrease the volume. Play/Pause button Starts, pauses and resumes playback. Next/Fast-Forward button Press this button to go the next track. Press and hold this button to move forward within a track. Previous/Rewind button Press this button to go the previous track. Press and hold this button to move back within a track. Headphone jack Connect Zen Micro’s earphones to this jack.
Importing Music into Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer Importing Music into Creative MediaSource Player/ Organizer To listen to music on Zen Micro, first import music into Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, and then transfer this music to your player. Music can be ripped from your CD collection, or downloaded from Internet music sites.
Importing Music into Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer To rip an audio CD using Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer 1 Start Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer. 2 Insert an audio CD into your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive. 3 If Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer is in Player view, click the Player/Organizer View button to switch to Organizer view. 4 In the Sources window, select [d:] Audio CD (replace d: with the drive letter of your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive). 5 In the Task bar, click the Rip Now button.
Importing Music into Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer 3 In the Task bar, click the Import button, and select Import Tracks. The Import Wizard dialog box appears. 4 In the My Computer panel, locate the track or folder you want to import, and then click the Add File or Add Folder button. 5 Click the Continue button and follow the instructions on the screen.
Transferring Music to Zen Micro Transferring Music to Zen Micro Music tracks that you transfer to Zen Micro must be MP3 or WMA files if you want to play them back. Transferring music tracks 1 Connect Zen Micro to your computer’s USB port with the supplied USB cable.
Transferring Music to Zen Micro 2 When your computer detects Zen Micro, Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer starts automatically. Transfer your music tracks (MP3 or WMA files) to Zen Micro using the drag-and-drop method. 3 When you have finished transferring music tracks, disconnect Zen Micro. Wait till you see the inactive Docked screen before disconnecting Zen Micro. DO NOT disconnect Zen Micro if you see the active Docked screen on the LCD.
Transferring Music to Zen Micro Creating and transferring playlists With Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, organizing music tracks into playlists (tracks you have organized into lists) has never been easier. You can create as many playlists as you like and transfer these to Zen Micro. You can compile playlists using the drag-and-drop method, or automatically generate playlists based on your preferences using the Smart Playlist feature.
Playing and Managing Music Playing and Managing Music After transferring music to Zen Micro, read on to learn how to get the most out of your player. Turning Zen Micro on and off 1 To turn on Zen Micro, slide the Power switch towards the Power icon and hold it there until the LCD lights up. 2 To turn off Zen Micro, slide the Power switch towards the Power icon and hold it there until Shutting down... appears.
Playing and Managing Music To lock Zen Micro Slide the Power switch towards the Lock Playing screen. icon.
Playing and Managing Music To lock the Zen Micro remote control Slide the Lock switch towards the Lock icon.
Playing and Managing Music Selecting and playing music tracks You can search for music tracks by album, artist, genre or title. If you have created playlists (tracks you have organized into lists) on Zen Micro, or transferred playlists from Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer, you can search for music tracks in playlists as well. 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select Music Library and select a music category, such as Albums or Genres.
Playing and Managing Music You can also select this option when viewing the Selected Music screen. Lightly tap the Touch Pad when viewing the Now Playing screen to view the Selected Music screen. The Selected Music screen shows you your list of selected music tracks. Selecting tracks with Zen Micro’s DJ Instead of selecting tracks yourself, you can let Zen Micro’s DJ pick out tracks for you. 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select Music Library DJ.
Playing and Managing Music 4 Press the Options ■ ■ ■ TIP button and select one of the following playlist management options: Remove... Remove Track Removes the current track from the list. Remove... Remove All Clears the list. Save As Playlist Saves the list as a playlist. Name the playlist using the characters in the list box that appears, and then select Ok. These playlist management options are also available in the Now Playing screen.
Playing and Managing Music 3 Select one of the following items in the Play Mode screen: ■ Normal Plays your selected tracks in sequential order. Repeat Track ■ Repeats the current track. When you select this play mode, screen. Repeat All ■ Repeats all selected tracks. When you select this play mode, screen. Shuffle ■ Plays all selected tracks in random order, once only. When you select this play mode, appears on the Now Playing screen.
Playing and Managing Music 3 Lightly tap the Touch Pad to start playing from the selected position. Using bookmarks You can insert bookmarks during playback. A bookmark helps you mark a point within a track, so you can return to it at a later time. For example, if you are listening to your recording of an interview, insert a bookmark if you need to stop halfway through. When you want to continue listening from where you left off, go to this bookmark. You can use up to 10 bookmarks at any one time.
Playing and Managing Music Listening to the radio 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select FM Radio. 3 To automatically scan and save radio stations, press the Options button and select Autoscan. The player scans for all radio stations with clear reception. At the end of the autoscan, Zen Micro automatically saves all stations as presets and tunes in to the first preset. 4 Press the Next/Fast-Forward button or Previous/Rewind button to select a different preset.
Playing and Managing Music 5 To fine tune or manually scan for a radio station, press the Play/Pause button to switch to the manual tuning view. Manual tuning view Preset information disappears in the manual tuning view. 6 Press the Next/Fast-Forward button or Previous/Rewind button to fine tune the radio frequency. 7 Hold down the Next/Fast-Forward button or Previous/Rewind second to scan for the next available radio station.
Playing and Managing Music Deleting radio presets 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select FM Radio. 3 Press the Next/Fast-Forward button or Previous/Rewind button to select the preset you want to delete. 4 Press the Options button and select Delete Preset. Recording radio broadcasts 1 While listening to a radio broadcast, press the Options button and select Record Radio to start recording.
Playing and Managing Music 4 To view and play back recorded tracks, see "Playing recorded tracks" on page 39. NOTE Make sure your earphones are connected to your player when recording radio broadcasts. The earphone cable acts as an antenna for radio reception. Recording with the built-in microphone 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select Extras Microphone. 3 Press the Play/Pause button to start recording.
Playing and Managing Music To view and play back recorded tracks, see "Playing recorded tracks" on page 39. Playing recorded tracks 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select Music Library Recordings, and select the recording you want to play. Deleting tracks 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select Music Library. 3 Continue searching with the Touch Pad until you find the track or category of tracks that you want to delete.
Playing and Managing Music 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select System Information.
Using Zen Micro’s Organizer Features Using Zen Micro’s Organizer Features Zen Micro stores your contacts, calendar events and tasks from Microsoft Outlook®. Read on to learn how to use these organizer features. Synchronizing with Microsoft Outlook 1 Connect Zen Micro to your computer. 2 Start Sync Manager. You can start Sync Manager from Zen Media Explorer or Creative Media Source Player/ Organizer. 3 Select the My Computer and Zen Micro as the devices you want to synchronize, and then click Sync Now.
Using Zen Micro’s Organizer Features 3 Use the Next/Fast Forward and Previous/Rewind buttons to scroll between months, and use the Touch Pad to scroll between the days in the selected month. 4 Lightly tap the Touch Pad to view the events and to-do list of the selected day. Viewing today’s tasks 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select Extras Organizer Tasks. Viewing contacts 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select Extras Organizer Contacts.
Storing Data Files in Zen Micro Storing Data Files in Zen Micro You can use Zen Micro to store backup copies of your computer’s data files, or use it to transfer files from one computer to another. Use Zen Media Explorer if you need to transfer data files between Zen Micro and your computer. Zen Media Explorer is automatically installed when you set up the Zen Micro software on your computer.
Storing Data Files in Zen Micro 4 Connect Zen Micro to your computer using the supplied USB cable.
Storing Data Files in Zen Micro Zen Micro appears as a Removable Disk under My Computer in Windows Explorer. 5 Use the drag-and-drop method in Windows Explorer to copy files to and from Zen Micro. 6 When you have finished copying files, safely disconnect Zen Micro using the Windows Eject or Safely Remove Hardware icon on the Taskbar. Follow these steps below to safely disconnect your player: CAUTION! Only disconnect Zen Micro after the Do not Disconnect message disappears from the LCD.
Storing Data Files in Zen Micro To stop your player in Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows Me Click the Safely Remove Hardware icon on the Taskbar, click Safely remove USB Mass Storage Device, and disconnect your player when you are prompted to do so. To stop your player in Windows 98 SE In Windows Explorer, right-click the Removable Disk icon, click the Eject option, and disconnect your player when you are prompted to do so.
Storing Data Files in Zen Micro 7 To return to the Now Playing screen and continue listening to music on Zen Micro, press the Menu/Back button. Remember to disconnect Zen Micro first. Zen Micro cannot return to the Now Playing screen if the USB cable is still connected to it. NOTE ■ ■ Data files saved in the Recovery Mode memory space cannot be viewed or managed with Zen Media Explorer. Similarly, data files transferred to Zen Micro using Zen Media Explorer cannot be viewed or managed in Recovery Mode.
Storing Data Files in Zen Micro 4 Alternatively, connect Zen Micro to your computer and use Creative Removable Disk Manager to increase or decrease the amount of memory space in Removable Disk mode. TIP ■ ■ Creative Removable Disk Manager is included with your player and is automatically installed when you set up the Zen Micro software on your computer. To start Creative Removable Disk Manager, click Start → Programs or All Programs → Creative → Zen Micro → Creative Removable Disk Manager.
Personalizing Zen Micro Personalizing Zen Micro Zen Micro’s settings can be adjusted to suit your needs. Adjusting Touch Pad settings You can change the Touch Pad’s sensitivity, and to turn the Touch Pad’s clicking sound on or off. 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select System Player Settings Touch Pad. 3 To adjust the Touch Pad’s sensitivity, select Sensitivity and use the Touch Pad to scroll to the setting that you want.
Personalizing Zen Micro Setting the alarm 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select Extras Date & Time. The current date and time are displayed. 3 To adjust time, date and alarm settings, press the Options button and select Set Alarm. Using Zen Micro’s equalizer (EQ) EQ is Zen Micro’s collection of equalizer settings that enhance the sound of your music. You can select equalizer settings to suit the genre or style of your music, or customize your own setting.
Personalizing Zen Micro To create a customized equalizer setting 1 In the EQ screen, select Custom EQ. Each slider on the Custom EQ screen represents successively higher frequencies that can be adjusted. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 80 controls bass frequency 250 adjusts the low mid-range frequency 1k adjusts the mid-range frequency 4k adjusts the upper mid-range frequency 13k adjusts the treble frequency.
Personalizing Zen Micro Labeling Zen Micro with your name 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select System Player Settings Owner. 3 Spell out your name using the characters in the list box that appears, and then select Ok. Setting the backlight duration 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select System Player Settings Backlight Time. 3 Use the Touch Pad to scroll to the backlight duration that you want. Setting the display contrast 1 Press the Menu/Back button.
Personalizing Zen Micro Setting the idle shutdown time You can specify how long Zen Micro remains inactive before it automatically shuts down. This feature helps you conserve battery power. 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select System Player Settings Idle Shutdown. 3 Use the Touch Pad to scroll to the timing that you want. Enabling Sleep Timer You can specify a fixed period of time before Zen Micro automatically turns off.
Personalizing Zen Micro Resetting Zen Micro You can reset Zen Micro to its original settings. 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears. 2 Select System Reset Settings. Adding and removing main menu items You can personalize the main menu by adding and removing menu items. For example, if you usually search for songs by album, you can add Albums to the main menu so you can access the Albums screen more easily. 1 Press the Menu/Back button. The main menu appears.
Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions If the tips and advice in this chapter do not answer your question, refer to the Creative Knowledge Base for more information. Creative's 24-hour self-help Knowledge Base helps you resolve and troubleshoot technical queries. Go to www.creative.com and select your region.
Frequently Asked Questions Can I jog with my Zen Micro? You should not subject Zen Micro to continuous shocks, such as those that are likely to occur while you jog or run. Can I transfer DRM protected WMA files to my player? Yes. To transfer DRM protected WMA files to Zen Micro, you can use Creative MediaSource Player/Organizer or Zen Media Explorer. Can I use the player for portable data storage? Yes, you can. For more information, see "Storing Data Files in Zen Micro" on page 43.
Frequently Asked Questions I have to recharge Zen Micro’s battery quite often. Is there anything I can do to make it last longer? Generally, any operation requiring Zen Micro to access the hard disk uses battery power. Consequently, filling your player to capacity is not recommended. However, some operations consume more battery power: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ a long backlight timeout setting. A shorter timeout conserves battery power. a high contrast setting.
Frequently Asked Questions One of the following diagrams appears on the LCD. What does it mean? Your computer is actively managing your player. Warning: DO NOT disconnect your player while your computer is still actively managing it. Your computer is not actively managing your player. To use your player, disconnect it from your computer. You are upgrading your player’s firmware.
Frequently Asked Questions The firmware upgrade is complete. Reset your player to enable the new firmware to take effect. There was an unexpected power loss during audio file transfer. Use you player only after this library rebuilding is completed. There was an unexpected power loss while saving settings. Reload the firmware, download a newer firmware version or contact Customer Support Services.
Frequently Asked Questions The firmware is corrupted. Reload the firmware, download a newer firmware version or contact Customer Support Services. How do I reset Zen Micro? You can solve most problems with Zen Micro by resetting it. 1 Turn off Zen Micro. 2 Slide open the battery cover. 3 Remove the battery and wait five seconds before reinserting the battery. Zen Micro does not turn on or stops responding. What do I do? ■ ■ ■ Make sure the Power switch is not in the Lock position.
Frequently Asked Questions Do I need to defragment Zen Micro hard disk drive? Zen Micro may occasionally operate at less than optimal performance for a number of reasons, for example, if Music Library is rebuilt frequently when no changes are made to it. Selecting CleanUp in Zen Micro’s Recovery Mode menu cleans, rebuilds and reorganizes Music Library and restore it to optimal efficiency. Save a copy of Zen Micro’s content before cleaning up your player.
Frequently Asked Questions My optional Zen Micro remote control is not working. What do I do? ■ ■ Make sure the remote control’s Lock switch is not in the Lock position. Make sure the remote control is properly connected to Zen Micro, and the earphones are properly connected to the remote control. What is PC Music Library? PC Music Library is your collection of digital audio tracks in Creative MediaSource Player/ Organizer.
Safety Advice Safety Advice The following precautions apply to Zen Micro, its battery and its accessories. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Store away from direct sunlight. Do not expose to heat or fire. Avoid using or storing in environments that exceed 45ºC (113ºF). Keep away from excessive moisture. Do not subject to excessive force or impact. Do not modify or disassemble. Avoid contact with metal objects. Do not pierce or crush.
General Specifications General Specifications Size (WxHxD) ■ 51 mm (2.0") x 84 mm (3.3") x 19 mm (0.7") ■ 108 g (3.
General Specifications FM Radio ■ ■ ■ Stereo and Mono Up to 32 preset stations FM region support International: 87.5 MHz ~ 108.0 MHz, 100 kHz intervals Japan: 76.0 MHz ~ 90.0 MHz, 100 kHz intervals MP3 Playback Performance ■ ■ ■ ■ Signal-to-Noise Ratio: Up to 98 dB Channel Separation: Up to -70 dB Frequency Response: 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz Harmonic Distortion Output: <0.1% Connectors ■ Headphone jack: 3.5 mm (1/8") stereo minijack, 5~7 mW per channel USB 2.0 port: Standard USB mini-B receptacle USB 2.
