4-230-236-12(1) MiniDisc Deck Operating Instructions MDS-SP55 ©2000 Sony Corporation
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. The CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT MARKING is located on the rear exterior. The following caution label is located inside of the unit. The MDS-SP55 MD deck is designed only for the CMT-SP55TC Micro Hi-Fi component system Here are some of the features you can use with this MD deck when connected with the CMT-SP55TC Micro Hi-Fi component system (see page 4).
Table of Contents Getting Started Hooking up the system .............................. 4 Playback Playing an MD .......................................... 6 Playing MD tracks in random order — Shuffle Play ................................... 7 Programming MD tracks — Programme Play ............................ 8 Playing MD tracks repeatedly — Repeat Play .................................... 9 Using the MD display ............................. 10 Recording Before you start recording .......................
Getting Started Hooking up the system Perform the following procedure 1 to 3 to hook up MDS-SP55 using the supplied cords. Note Be sure to hook up the system with the mains lead unplugged from the mains. Hooking up the system with the mains lead plugged in may cause the system to malfunction.
Preparations 2 Connect the SYSTEM CONTROL 3 connectors in the order of the tuner, tape deck and MD deck using the system cable supplied with MDS-SP55. SY ST EM 1 Connect the supplied digital cable to CO NT RO L3 DIGITAL OPTICAL OUT on the CD player and DIGITAL OPTICAL CD IN 1 on the MD deck. Take the caps off the connectors, then insert the plugs until they click into place. SY ST EM Getting Started 1 Stack the components vertically in the order of tuner, amplifier, CD player, tape deck and MD deck.
Playback 3 Playing an MD Press N. Play starts. You can play an MD just like a CD. To turn on the system, press ?/1 (power). The MD deck turns on automatically. Track number Playing time `/1 ?/1 (power) 3 2 To Do this Stop play Press x. Pause Press X. Press X again or N to resume play. Select a track Press . or >. Find a point in a track Keep pressing m or M during play and release it at the desired point. Remove the MD Press A on the MD deck. Adjust the volume Press VOLUME + or –.
Playing MD tracks in random order — Shuffle Play You can play all the tracks on an MD in random order. 2 Press x to stop Shuffle Play, then press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “SHUFFLE” and “PROGRAM” disappear. Tip To skip a track, press >. Press . to go back to the beginning of the current track. However, you cannot go back to the previous track. Playback `/1 To cancel Shuffle Play 3 1 1 Press MD to switch the function to MD. 2 Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “SHUFFLE” appears in stop mode.
Programming MD tracks 3 — Programme Play Press the track number of the track you want to listen to. To select track number 11 and higher You can make a programme of up to 25 tracks in the order you want them to be played. Press >10 once and then the number buttons of the track number. For example, to select track 32, press >10, 3, and 2. `/1 To select track number 100 and higher 2 Press >10 twice and then the number buttons of the track number.
To Do this Cancel Programme Play Press x, then press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “PROGRAM” and “SHUFFLE” disappear. Add a track to the programme (in stop mode) Do step 3. Erase the entire programme Do steps 1 and 2, then press and hold CLEAR. Playing MD tracks repeatedly — Repeat Play You can repeat an MD in normal play, Shuffle Play and Programme Play. Tips • You can select the desired track using . or > in step 3. Press .
Using the MD display You can check the total number of tracks, the total playing time and the remaining time on the MD. `/1 In stop mode t Total number of tracks and total playing time r Remaining recordable time (Only for a recordable MD) Disc title appears for a pre-mastered MD. r Disc title*3 r Clock display *3 “No Name” appears if no disc title is labelled. Tips DISPLAY , Press DISPLAY.
Recording Before you start recording When the source you record from is: • This system’s CD player (CMTSP55TC) – The MD deck performs digital recording.*1 – Track numbers are automatically marked as on the original CD. • Other digital components connected to the DIGITAL OPTICAL AUX IN jack of MDSSP55 (e.g., a DVD player) – The MD deck performs digital recording.*1*2*3 – Track numbers are marked differently depending on the source you record.
1 Recording a CD on an MD — CD-MD Synchro Recording With the arrow pointing toward the deck. You can make a digital recording of a CD on an MD, marking track numbers in the same sequence as the original CD. You can also record a programme of favourite tracks (see page 15). To turn on the system, press ?/1 (power). The MD deck turns on automatically. 3 ?/1 (power) Insert a recordable MD. 2 With the label side up, and the shutter on the righthand side.
5 Press H on the MD deck. Recording starts. When the recording is completed, the CD player and the MD deck stop automatically. Do this Stop recording Press s on the MD deck or CD player. Remove the MD and CD Press A on the MD deck and CD player in stop mode. You can make an analogue recording of a tape on an MD. You can use TYPE I (normal), TYPE II (CrO2) tape. The recording level is automatically adjusted.
Recording a tape on an MD (continued) 5 Press H on the MD deck. Recording starts. 1 Insert a recordable MD. 6 Press H on the tape deck. With the arrow pointing toward the deck. To stop recording Press s on the MD deck. Tips With the label side up, and the shutter on the righthand side. 2 Press A on the tape deck to open the cassette tray and insert a tape. With the side you want to play facing up • If you use a partially recorded MD, recording starts after the recorded tracks.
Recording your favourite CD tracks on an MD Selecting the tracks 1 — CD-MD Synchro Recording Press CD on the remote to switch the function to CD. Place a CD. 2 Press PLAY MODE on the remote repeatedly until “PROGRAM” appears. 3 Press the track number of the track you want to record. 6 To select track number 11 and higher Recording You can select your favourite CD tracks with the Programme Play feature, then record the programme on an MD using the Synchro Recording feature.
Recording your favourite CD tracks on an MD (continued) To stop recording Press s on the MD deck. If the MD becomes full during recording The MD deck and the CD player automatically stop. Note Recording your favourite portions on an MD — Manual Recording With manual recording, you can record just the portions you like from a CD, or start recording from the middle of the tape. If you use a partially recorded MD, recording starts after the recorded tracks.
Tips • If you turn FUNCTION during recording, the MD deck and the CD player automatically stop. • You can check the remaining recordable time on the MD during recording by pressing DISPLAY. Note If the MD is record protected, “C11” and “Protected” appear alternately and the MD cannot be recorded. Remove the MD, then slide the record protection tab to the closed position (see page 11).
Recording an MD on a tape (continued) 6 Press DIRECTION on the tape deck repeatedly until g appears to record on one side or h (or j) to record on both sides. Recording your favourite MD tracks You can select your favourite MD tracks with the Programme Play feature, then record the programme on a tape. `/1 If you select both sides recording and the tape reaches the end of the front side partway through a track, the entire track is recorded again from the beginning of the reverse side.
3 Press the track number of the track you want to record. To select track number 11 and higher Press >10 once and then the number buttons of the track number. For example, to select track 32, press >10, 3, and 2. Recording from the radio — Manual Recording You can make an analogue recording a radio programme on an MD. 5 Recording To select track number 100 and higher Press >10 twice and then the number buttons of the track number. Selected track number 4 To programme additional tracks, repeat step 3.
Recording from the radio (continued) 5 Press z REC on the MD deck. The z REC indicator lights up. The MD deck stands by for recording. 6 Press H on the MD deck. Recording starts. To Do this Stop recording Press s on the MD deck. Pause Press S on the MD deck. Press S again or H on the MD deck to restart recording. Remove the MD Press A on the MD deck in stop mode.
4 Set the time to start recording. Press . or > repeatedly to set the hour, then press ENTER/YES. The minute indication flashes. 7 Insert a recordable MD. If you use a partially recorded MD, recording starts after the recorded tracks. 8 Press ?/1 to turn off the system. To cancel the procedure 5 To change the setting Start over from step 1. Set the time to stop recording following the procedure in step 4. “OFF TIME NG” appears if the start time and the stop time settings are the same.
2,5 2,3,4 Making a space between tracks 3 seconds long — Smart Space The Smart Space function lets you make the blank spaces between tracks 3 seconds long automatically while making a digital recording from a CD. For other types of recording, if the Smart Space function is on and there is no sound input for about 3 seconds or more (but less than 30 seconds) while recording, the MD deck replaces this silence with a blank of about 3 seconds and continues recording.
To stop recording Press s on the MD deck. To turn off Smart Space and Auto Cut functions Tips • The Smart Space and Auto Cut functions are factory set to on. • If you turn off the system or disconnect the mains lead, the MD deck will retain the last setting (MD S.Space ON or OFF). — Time Machine Recording When recording from an FM or satellite broadcast, the first few seconds of material are often lost due to the time it takes you to ascertain the contents and press the record button.
Starting recording with 6 seconds of prestored audio data (continued) 3 5 Marking track numbers You can mark track numbers as follows: • Automatically during recording Track numbers are automatically marked as on the original source during recording from this system’s CD player (CMT-SP55TC) or components connected to the DIGITAL OPTICAL AUX IN jack.
1,4 1,2,3 Marking track numbers at a specific point during recording — Track Mark You can mark track numbers at any time during recording, regardless of the type of sound source. z REC Recording 2,3 1 Press MENU/NO during recording pause to display “MD Setup ?”, then press ENTER/YES. 2 Turn l/L until “MD T.Mark Off” (or “MD T.Mark LSync”) appears, then press ENTER/YES. 3 Turn l/L until “MD T.Mark LSync” appears, then press ENTER/ YES.
Adjusting the recording level When recording on an MD, you can adjust the recording level to the desired volume. You can adjust the recording level not only when making an analogue recording, but also when making a digital recording from a CD, etc. Once adjusted, the recording level is maintained until you adjust it again. 1,5 1,2,4 2,3 1 Press MENU/NO during recording pause to display “MD Setup ?”, then press ENTER/YES. 2 Turn l/L until “Level Adjust” appears, then press ENTER/YES.
Monaural recording 6 Stereo signals such as an FM stereo broadcast can be converted to monaural format and recorded. When recording in monaural format, the MD recording time is approximately twice the normal recording (stereo recording) time (i.e., 120 minutes of monaural audio can be recorded on a 60-minute MD). 7 2 2,3,4 The MD deck stands by for recording. Press H on the MD deck. Recording starts. The sound source is heard as is (e.g.
Editing Before you start editing You can edit the recorded tracks on an MD. By using the editing functions, you can create a new sequence to the recorded MD. Editing functions • Name — Labelling MDs (page 29) Use this function to label discs and tracks. You can use upper case, lower case, numbers, and symbols for the titles. • Erase — Erasing recordings (page 31) Use this function to erase a single track one by one, all the tracks at once, or a portion of a track.
1 Labelling an MD Press MD to switch the function to MD. To label a track, press . or > until the desired track number appears. — Name Function You can create titles for your recorded MDs and tracks as follows. 2 Press NAME EDIT. The text input screen appears, and the cursor flashes. During recording If “CD-TEXT” flashes in the display during recording a CD, you can record the CD disc title on the MD (see page 16). Cursor Use the Name function on this page.
Labelling an MD (continued) 6 Repeat steps 3 to 5 to complete the entire title. If you made a mistake Press CURSORT or t until the character you want to change flashes, then repeat steps 3 to 5. To erase a character Press CURSORT or t until the character you want to erase flashes, then press CLEAR. 7 To erase the disc titles and all track titles at once 1 Press MENU/NO in stop mode. 2 Press . or > repeatedly until “MD Name ?” appears, then press ENTER/YES. 3 Press .
Erasing recordings `/1 — Erase Function The MD deck lets you erase unwanted tracks quickly and easily. You can restore the contents to the condition before erasing (unerase) by using the Undo function. Note, however, you cannot undo an edit after performing any additional edits.
Erasing recordings (continued) To cancel Track Erase 1 Press MD to switch the function to MD. 2 Press MENU/NO to display “MD Edit Menu”. 3 Press . or > repeatedly until “MD All Erase ?” appears, then press ENTER/YES. Press MENU/NO before completing the procedure. To return to the condition before Track Erase You can return to the original condition immediately after erasing the track by using the Undo function (see page 38).
Erasing a portion of a track 2 — A-B Erase function While playing an MD, press X at the starting point of the portion to be erased (point A). You can specify a portion within a track and erase the portion with ease. You can shift the desired portion by frame*, minute or second intervals. This function is convenient when erasing unnecessary sections after recording a satellite broadcast or FM broadcast. 3 Press MENU/NO to display “MD Edit Menu”. * 1 frame is 1/86 second. 4 Press .
Erasing recordings (continued) 10 Press . or > repeatedly to find point B. The procedure is the same as step 6. 11 Press ENTER/YES if point B is correct. “MD Complete!!” appears for a few seconds and the portion between point A and B is erased. Moving recorded tracks — Move Function You can use this function to change the order of any track on the disc. When you move tracks, the tracks are automatically renumbered. Example: Moving track 3 to position 2.
3 Press . or > repeatedly until “MD Move ?” appears, then press ENTER/YES. Dividing recorded tracks 4 Press . or > repeatedly until the desired track number to move appears, then press ENTER/YES. You can use this function to mark track numbers after recording. The total number of tracks increases by one and all the tracks following the divided ones are renumbered. 5 Press . or > repeatedly until the new track position appears. Example: Dividing track 2 into two tracks.
Dividing recorded tracks (continued) 2 Press MENU/NO to display “MD Edit Menu”. 3 You can return to the original condition immediately after dividing the tracks by using the Undo function (see page 38). You can also return to the original condition by using the Combine function (see page 37). Press . or > repeatedly until “MD Divide ?” appears, then press ENTER/YES. Notes 4 Press . or > repeatedly until the desired track number to divide appears, then press ENTER/YES.
Combining recorded tracks — Combine Function You can use this function to combine 2 tracks into a single track. The total number of tracks decreases by one and all tracks following the combined ones are renumbered. Press MD to switch the function to MD. 2 Press MENU/NO to display “MD Edit Menu”. 3 Press . or > repeatedly until “MD Combine ?” appears, then press ENTER/YES. 4 Press . or > repeatedly until the first track number of the two to be combined appears, then press ENTER/ YES.
Combining recorded tracks (continued) Undoing the last edit To cancel combining — Undo Function Press MENU/NO before completing the procedure. To return to the condition before Combine You can return to the original condition immediately after combining the tracks by using the Undo function (see this page). You can also return to the original condition by using the Divide function (see page 35).
Optional Components 3 Press ENTER/YES. One of the following messages appears, depending on the last edit. Editing done Labelling a track or an MD Message “MD Name Undo?” Erasing labelled titles Erasing a single track Erasing all tracks “MD Erase Undo?” Erasing a portion of a track Moving a track “MD Move Undo?” Dividing a track “MD Divide Undo?” Combining tracks “MD Combine Undo?” Press ENTER/YES again.
Connecting digital components (continued) 1 Connect an optical cable (square optical connector, not supplied). To the audio output of a digital component AUX Tuner 1 Take the cap off the DIGITAL OPTICAL AUX IN. IN 2 AUX 2 Connect an optical cable. IN 2 3 Connect the cable to the digital optical output of a digital component. 2 Connect audio cords (not supplied).
Additional Information Notes When “OVER” lights up during recording from the connected components A signal in excess of the specified level was input during recording. Perform the following operations and then record the source again. 1 Press MENU/NO twice during recording or recording pause. “Setup Menu” appears. 2 Turn l/L until “Level Adjust ?” appears, then press ENTER/YES. 3 Turn l/L to adjust the recording level. The recording level can be adjusted from –12 to +12.
Precautions (continued) On operation System limitations of MDs If the system is brought directly from a cold to a warm location, or is placed in a very damp room, moisture may condense on the lens inside the CD player or the MD deck. Should this occur, the system will not operate properly. Remove the CD or MD and leave the system turned on for about an hour until the moisture evaporates. The recording system in your MD deck has the limitations described below.
The sound may drop-out while searching the edited tracks Troubleshooting Tracks created through editing may exhibit sound dropout during searching because high-speed playback requires time to search for the position on the disc when the tracks are not in order. If you have any problem using this system, use the following checklist. Track numbers cannot be marked First, check that the mains lead is connected firmly and that the speakers are connected correctly and firmly.
Troubleshooting (continued) Play does not start from the first track. • Press PLAY MODE repeatedly while the MD deck is in stop mode until “PROGRAM” or “SHUFFLE” disappears to return to normal play. “- OVER -” appears. • Keep pressing m on the MD deck or turn l/L on the MD deck counterclockwise to return to the desired playing position. Self-diagnosis Display This system has a Self-diagnosis display function to let you know if there is a system malfunction.
C14/Toc Error The MD deck cannot read the disc information properly. cReplace the MD. cErase all the recorded contents of the MD using the All Erase function (see page 32). C41/Cannot Copy The sound source is a copy of a commercially available music software, or you tried to record a CD-R (Recordable CD). cThe Serial Copy Management System prevents making a digital copy (see page 43). You cannot record a CD-R. One of the following messages may appear or flash in the display during operation.
Messages (continued) Name Full There is no more space to store track or disc titles. No Name You tried to show the title of a non-labelled disc or track. - OVER You have reached the end of the MD while keep pressing M on the MD deck during playing pause. Position OK? The position to be divided by the Divide function is being played. Push STOP! You pressed PLAY MODE during play. - Rehearsal The MD is playing the specified dividing point for confirmation during the Divide function.
Additional Information 47
H, I, J, K Index Hooking up optional components 39 the system 4 A A-B Erase Function 33 Adjusting the recording level 26 the volume 6 After editing 28 recording 11 All Erase Function 32 Analogue recording 11, 13, 17, 19 Auto Cut 22 Automatic Source Selection 6 L Labelling an MD 29 Level Synchro Recording 24 M Manual recording 16, 19 Messages 45 Monaural recording 27 Move Function 34 N Name Function 29 Normal Play 6 B Before editing 28 recording 11 O Optional components 39 C P, Q CD-MD Synchro Recor