3-859-945-11(1) Mini Hi-Fi Component System Operating Instructions f MHC-GR8 ©1997 by Sony Corporation
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. Laser component in this product is capable of emitting radiation exceeding the limit for Class 1. This appliance is classified as a CLASS 1 LASER product. The CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT MARKING is located on the rear exterior.
Table of Contents Getting Started Sound Adjustment Step 1: Hooking up the system ............ 4 Adjusting the sound ............................ 29 Step 2: Setting the time ......................... 6 Selecting the audio emphasis ............. 30 Step 3: Presetting radio stations .......... 7 Adjusting the audio emphasis ............ 31 Connecting optional AV components . 8 Making a personal audio emphasis file .................................................... 33 Basic Operations Playing a CD .
Getting Started Step 1: Hooking up the system Do the following procedure 1 to 5 to hook up your system using the supplied cords and accessories. Surround speaker (Right) Surround speaker (Left) 1 1 AM loop antenna FM antenna 5 2 1 1 3 1 Front speaker (Right) 1 Front speaker (Left) Connect the speakers. 1 Connect the speaker cords of front speakers to the SPEAKER jacks of the same color . Keep the speaker cords away from the antennas to prevent noise. Insert only the stripped portion.
Note Do not place the surround speakers on top of a TV. This may cause distortion of the colors in the TV screen. 4 Demo mode appears in the display. If the plug on this unit does not fit your wall outlet, detach the supplied adapter from the plug (except for Latin American countries, Australia and Malaysia). Insert only the stripped portion. R + L + – 5 Gray ( ‘) Black (’) 2 Deactivate the demo mode by pressing DISPLAY/DEMO when the system power is turned off.
Step 1: Hooking up the system (continued) Inserting two size AA (R6) batteries into the remote Step 2: Setting the time You must set the time before using the timer functions. ] 1 } } ] 2,4 3,5 0 „ ) ⁄ Æ‚ 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. Note If you do not use the remote for a long period of time, remove the batteries to avoid possible damage from battery leakage.
5 Press ENTER/NEXT. The clock starts working. Step 3: Presetting radio stations Tips • If you’ve made a mistake, start over from step 1. • Setting the time deactivates the demo mode. If you want to display the demo mode, press DISPLAY/DEMO when the power is off. You can preset up to 40 stations, 20 for FM, 10 for MW and 10 for SW. For South American, Australian and Thai models, you can preset up to 30 stations, 20 for FM and 10 for AM.
Step 3: Presetting radio stations (continued) 4 Connecting optional AV components Press TUNER MEMORY. A preset number appears in the display. Preset number TUNED STEREO To enhance your system, you can connect optional components. Refer to the instructions of each component. VOLUME AUTO Connecting audio components 5 Turn the jog dial to select the preset number you want. 6 Select one of the following two connections, depending on the equipment to be connected and method of connecting.
Connecting an MD deck for analog recording Connecting a super woofer speaker Make sure to match the color of the plugs and the connectors. To listen to the sound of the connected MD deck, press FUNCTION repeatedly until “MD” appears. You can connect an optional super woofer speaker.
Connecting optional AV components (continued) Connecting outdoor antennas Connect the outdoor antenna to improve the reception. FM antenna Connect the optional FM outdoor antenna. You can also use the TV antenna instead. Screw clamp 75-ohm coaxial cable (not supplied) FM 75 y AM Ground wire (not supplied) AM antenna Connect a 6- to 15- meter (20- to 50- feet) insulated wire to the AM antenna terminal. Leave the supplied AM loop antenna connected.
Basic Operations 1 Playing a CD — Normal play If a disc is not placed properly it will not be recognized. You can play up to three CDs in a row. POWER 0 ) 0 2 1 Æ‚ „ ) Æ‚ ⁄ Press § OPEN/CLOSE and place up to two CDs on the disc tray. With the label side up. When you play a single CD, place it on the inner circle of the tray. = 0 ) „ + Æ‚ ⁄ To insert a third disc, press DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE to rotate the disc tray. 2 … » Æ … „ » „ Æ Press one of the DISC 1~3 buttons.
Playing a CD (continued) To Do this Stop play Press Pause Press · (P on the remote). Press again to resume play. Select a track During play or pause, turn the jog dial clockwise (to go forward) or counterclockwise (to go back) and release it when you reach the desired track. Or press + (to go forward) or = (to go back) on the remote. Find a point in a track Press and hold down ) or 0 (or )/0 on the remote) during play and release it at the desired point.
2 Recording a CD — CD Synchro Recording Then press again to close the disc tray. If the indicator for the tray you want to record is not lit green, press DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE repeatedly so that it lights green. The CD SYNCHRO button lets you record from a CD to a tape easily. You can use TYPE I (normal) or TYPE II (CrO2) tapes. The recording level is adjusted automatically. DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE POWER 0 With the label side up. When you play a single CD, place it on the inner circle of the tray.
Listening to the radio 2 –– Preset Tuning MANUAL n AUTO n PRESET 3 0 STEREO/MONO n Preset radio stations in the tuner's memory first (see “Step 3: Presetting radio stations”). POWER Press TUNING MODE repeatedly so that “PRESET” appears in the display. 3 Turn the jog dial (or press = or + on the remote) to tune in the desired preset station. „ ) Æ‚ ⁄ Turn counterclockwise (or press = on the remote) for lower preset numbers.
To listen to non-preset radio stations Press TUNING MODE repeatedly so that “MANUAL” appears in step 2, then tune in the station by turning the jog dial. Tips • Pressing TUNER/BAND when the power is off automatically turns the power on and tunes to the last received station (One Touch Play). • You can switch from another source to the radio just by pressing TUNER/BAND (Automatic Source Selection). • When an FM program is noisy, press STEREO/MONO so that “MONO” appears in the display.
Recording from the Radio (continued) 4 Playing a tape Press § EJECT and insert a blank tape into deck B. With the side you want to record facing forward … „ Æ » ⁄ You can use any type of tape, TYPE I (normal), TYPE II (CrO2) or TYPE IV (metal) , since the deck automatically detects the tape type. To select either deck A or B, press DECK A or DECK B on the remote. POWER 2 VOLUME REPEAT/DOLBY NR 0 „ ) Æ‚ ⁄ 5 Press r. Deck B stands by for recording.
1 Press § EJECT and insert a recorded tape in deck A or B. With the side you want to play facing forward … » Æ „ ⁄ 2 Tips • Pressing · or ª when the power is off automatically turns the power on and starts tape playback if there is a tape in the deck (One Touch Play). • You can switch from another source to the tape deck just by pressing · or ª (Automatic Source Selection).
Recording from a tape 3 Press EDIT/DIRECTION repeatedly to select A to record on one side. Select a (or RELAY) to record on both sides. 4 Press — High-speed Dubbing You can use TYPE I (normal) or TYPE II (CrO2) tapes. The recording level is automatically adjusted. To stop dubbing REPEAT/DOLBY NR Press 3 POWER 0 Æ‚ … „ » „ ⁄ 1 1 • When you dub on both sides, start recording from the front side. If you record from the reverse side, recording stops at the end of the reverse side.
The CD Player Using the CD display You can check the remaining time of the current track or that of the CD. 0 –– Repeat Play This function lets you repeat a single CD or all CDs in normal play, Shuffle Play and Program Play. DISPLAY/DEMO POWER Playing the CD tracks repeatedly „ ) ⁄ Æ‚ POWER 1/ALL DISCS 0 REPEAT/DOLBY NR „ ) ⁄ / Press DISPLAY/DEMO during playback.
Playing the CD tracks in random order –– Shuffle Play To cancel Shuffle Play Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “SHUFFLE” or “PROGRAM” disappears from the display. The tracks continue playing in their original order. To select a desired CD You can play all the tracks on one CD or all CDs in random order. POWER 3 2 0 4 1 DISC 1-3 „ ) Æ‚ ⁄ … » Æ … „ „ ⁄ » Æ ⁄ 1 Press FUNCTION repeatedly until “CD” appears in the display, then place a CD.
Programming the CD tracks –– Program Play 3 Press one of the DISC 1~3 buttons to select a CD. 4 Turn the jog dial until the desired track appears in the display. You can make a program of up to 32 tracks from all the CDs in the order you want them to be played. POWER 24 3 Disc number 5 71 „ VOLUME 1DISC PROGRAM Track number 0 „ ) ⁄ Æ‚ 5 Press ENTER/NEXT. The track is programmed. The program step number appears, followed by the total playing time.
Programming the CD tracks (continued) To Press Check the program CHECK on the remote repeatedly. After the last track, “CHECK END” appears. Clear a track from the end CLEAR on the remote in stop mode. Clear a specific track CHECK on the remote repeatedly until the number of the track to be erased lights up, then press CLEAR. Add a track to the program 1 Select the disc tray with a DISC 1~3 button. 2 Select the track by turning the jog dial. 3 Press ENTER/NEXT.
The Tape Deck Recording on a tape manually You can record from CD, tape, or radio as you like. For example, you can record just the songs you want or record from the middle of the tape. The recording level is adjusted automatically. REPEAT/ DOLBY NR Press on deck B. Recording starts. 6 Start playing the source to be recorded.
Recording a CD by specifying track order — Program Edit You can record tracks from all the CDs in the order you want. When programming, make sure the playing times for each side do not exceed the length of one side of the tape. REPEAT/DOLBY NR 3 11 4 POWER 0 1 2 1 Place a CD and insert a blank tape into deck B. 2 Press FUNCTION repeatedly until “CD” appears in the display. 3 Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until “PROGRAM” appears in the display. 4 Press one of the DISC 1~3 buttons to select a CD.
8 Press on the remote to insert a pause at the end of side A. “P” appears in the display and the total playing time resets to “0.00” in the display. 9 Repeat steps 5 and 6 for tracks from the same disc or steps 4 to 6 for tracks from another disc to program the remaining tracks to be recorded on side B. 10 Press CD SYNCHRO. Deck B stands by for recording and the CD player stands by for playback. · (for front side) lights up. 11 Press EDIT/DIRECTION repeatedly to select A to record on one side.
DJ Effects Looping part of a CD Flashing part of a CD — Loop — Flash With the loop function, you can repeat part of a CD during playback. This lets you create original recordings. With the flash function, you can “flash” the CD sound during playback. This lets you create original recordings. POWER LOOP 0 jog dial POWER FLASH jog dial „ ) ⁄ Æ‚ 0 „ ) ⁄ / Press and hold LOOP during playback at the point you want to start the Loop function, and release to resume normal play.
Waving the equalizer Using the drum pads — Wave With the Wave function, you can fluctuate the graphic equalizer automatically. This effect can be used with any source, but it cannot be recorded. POWER WAVE 0 With the drum pads, you can add percussion during playback. This effect can be used with any source, to create original recordings.
To change the speed Using the beat function Hold down BEAT SPEED and turn the jog dial (or press BEAT SPEED +/– on the remote) to select the speed you desire (BPM 70~140). With the beat function, you can create a variety of rhythms automatically. This effect can be used with any source, to create original recordings. POWER LEVEL +/– jog dial To change the beat pattern You can select from 8 different beat patterns.
Sound Adjustment Adjusting the sound You can reinforce the bass, create a more powerful sound, and listen with headphones. POWER DBFB 0 Notes • With some songs, the music will sound distorted when you use the DBFB system with the graphic equalizer if the bass is too strong. Adjust the bass slowly while listening to music so that you can monitor the effect of the adjustment. ” • Cancelling GROOVE sets DBFB to “DBFB and flattens the equalizer curve.
Selecting the audio emphasis The audio emphasis menu lets you select the sound characteristic according to the sound you are listening to. Music menu options “SUR ” appears if you select an effect with surround effects.
To change the equalizer display Each time you press SPECTRUM ANALYZER, the equalizer display changes to show one of the four displays below. Spectrum analyzer pattern 1 m Adjusting the audio emphasis You can adjust the audio emphasis using the graphic equalizer and surround effect. VOLUME Adjusting the graphic equalizer µ Spectrum analyzer pattern 2 VOLUME You can adjust the sound by raising or lowering the levels of specific frequency ranges.
Adjusting the Audio Emphasis (continued) Activating the surround effect 3 You can enjoy the surround effect. Turn the jog dial to adjust level. SURROUND POWER VOLUME -0 „ ) Æ‚ ⁄ 4 Repeat steps 2 and 3. 5 Press ENTER/NEXT when finished. Note If you choose another menu audio emphasis (other than “EFFECT OFF”) the adjusted sound effect is lost. To retain the adjusted sound effect for future use, store it in a personal file. (See “Making a personal audio emphasis file”.
Making a personal audio emphasis file — Personal file To call up the personal file 1 Press P FILE to display the last selected personal file. 2 Use the jog dial to select the personal file you desire. 3 Press ENTER/NEXT. You can create a personal file of audio patterns (surround effect and graphic equalizer) and store them in the memory of the unit. Later call up an audio pattern to play a favorite tape, CD, or radio program. Create up to five audio files.
Switching the Speaker Formation NORMAL mode The surround speakers provide reverberation and reflective sound effects that emphasize the sound from the front speakers. FRONT SPEAKER (L) – Sonic formation FRONT SPEAKER (R) You can select from four different speaker formations depending on your listening situation.
LINK mode The same sound is output from the front speakers and surround speakers. For instance, when you want to listen to the same sound in two rooms, it is suitable to set the front speakers and the surround speakers in each room. FRONT SPEAKER (L) FRONT SURROUND SURROUND SPEAKER SPEAKER SPEAKER (R) (L) (R) FRONT ONLY mode No sound is output from the surround speakers. Sound comes from the front speakers only.
Other Features Adjusting the microphone echo (Middle Eastern Model only) Singing along: Karaoke Turn ECHO LEVEL to adjust the echo effect. You can sing along with any stereo CD or tape by turning down the singer’s voice. You need to connect an optional microphone. 3 POWER 0 „ ) ⁄ Æ‚ To cancel the echoing, turn ECHO LEVEL to 0. When you are done Turn MIC LEVEL to 0 and disconnect the microphone from MIX MIC, then press KARAOKE PON/MPX repeatedly so that “h” disappears.
3 Press r. 4 Press 5 Press · to start playing the CD player (or tape deck A). . Playback starts. Start singing along with the music. Falling asleep to music — Sleep Timer You can let the system turn off at the preset time, so you can sleep to the music. You can preset the time to be turned off by 10 minutes. To stop recording POWER Press p on deck B and the CD player.
Waking up to music 5 Turn jog dial to set the hour, then press ENTER/NEXT. The minute indication starts flashing. — Wake-up Timer You can wake up to music at a preset time every day. Make sure you have set the clock (see “Step 2: Setting the time”). 9 3 0 … Æ Turn jog dial to set the minute, then press ENTER/NEXT. The hour indication flashes again. „ Æ‚ ⁄ » 1 VOLUME 4,5,6,7,8 ) 6 Set the time to stop playback following the above procedure.
To check the setting Press TIMER SELECT and turn the jog dial to select the respective mode (DAILY 1 or DAILY 2), then press ENTER/NEXT. To change the setting, start over from step 1. To cancel the timer operation Press TIMER SELECT and turn the jog dial to select “OFF”, then press ENTER/NEXT. Timer-recording radio programs To timer-record, you must preset the radio station (see “Step 3: Presetting radio stations”) and set the clock (see “Step 2: Setting the time”) beforehand.
Timer-recording radio programs (continued) 3 Turn jog dial to select REC, then press ENTER/NEXT. REC VOLUME Set the time to start recording. Turn jog dial to set the hour, then press ENTER/NEXT. The minute indication starts flashing. REC VOLUME Turn jog dial to set the minute, then press ENTER/NEXT. The hour indication flashes again. 5 Set the time to stop recording following the above procedure.
Additional Information Precautions Cleaning the cabinet Use a soft cloth slightly moistened with mild detergent solution. On operating voltage To save a tape permanently Before operating the system, check that the operating voltage of your system is identical with the voltage of your local power supply. To prevent a tape from being accidentally recorded over, break off the cassette tab from side A or B as illustrated.
Precautions (continued) Before placing a cassette in the tape deck Take up any slack in the tape. Otherwise the tape may get entangled in the parts of the tape deck and become damaged. When using a tape longer than 90 minutes The tape is very elastic. Do not change the tape operations such as play, stop, and fast-winding etc. frequently. The tape may get entangled in the tape deck. Troubleshooting If you run into any problem using this stereo system, use the following check list.
There is severe hum or noise. • A TV or VCR is placed too close to the stereo system. Move the stereo system away from the TV or VCR. The sound from the connected source is distorted. • If “VIDEO” appears in the display when you press FUNCTION, switch the display to “MD” (see “Notes: Connecting a VCR”). The timer does not function. • Set the clock correctly. DAILY1, DAILY 2, and REC do not appear when you press the TIMER SELECT button. • Set the timer correctly. • Set the clock.
Troubleshooting (continued) Tape Deck The tape does not record. •No tape in the cassette holder. •The tab has been removed from the cassette (see “To save a tape permanently” on page 40). •The tape has reeled to the end. The tape does not record nor play or there is a decrease in sound level. •The heads are dirty. Clean them (see “Cleaning the tape heads” on page 41). •The record/playback heads are magnetized. Demagnetize them (see “Demagnetizing the tape heads” on page 41).
Specifications Tape player section Recording system Frequency response (DOLBY NR OFF) Amplifier section Continuous RMS power output: 90 + 90 watts (8 ohms at 1 kHz, 10% THD) Peak music power output: 1500 watts Inputs VIDEO/MD IN (phono jacks): voltage 250 mV, impedance 47 kilohms MIX MIC (phone jack): sensitivity 1 mV, impedance 10 kilohms Outputs VIDEO/MD OUT (phono jacks): voltage 250 mV impedance 1 kilohms PHONES (stereo phone jack): accepts headphones of 8 ohms or more.
Specifications (continued) Speaker Front Speaker (SS-L90V/L90VH) Speaker system 4-way, 5-unit, bass-reflex type Speaker units Woofer: 17 cm, cone type Center Tweeter: 5 cm, cone type Side Tweeter: 5 cm, cone type x2 Super Tweeter: 2 cm, dome type Nominal impedance 8 ohms Dimensions (w/h/d) Approx. 220 x 330 x 315 mm Mass Approx.
Index A Adjusting the audio emphasis 31 the sound 29 the volume 12, 14, 17 Antennas 4, 10 Automatic Source Selection 12, 15, 17 B Batteries 6 C CD player 11, 19 CD Synchro Recording 13 Clock setting 6 Connecting.
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