Olympus DS-2600 User manual

EN
DIGITAL
VOICE RECORDER
DS-2600
INSTRUCTIONS
Thank you for purchasing an Olympus digital voice recorder.
Please read these instructions for information about using the product correctly and safely.
Keep the instructions handy for future reference.
To ensure successful recording, we recommend that you test the record function and volume before use.

2
EN
1 Getting started
Main features ....................................4
Names of parts..................................5
Recorder .............................................................5
Display................................................................. 6
Inserting the battery ........................7
Charge the battery ...........................8
Charging directly via USB cable ................. 8
Charge using the docking station.............8
Using the lithium ion battery...................... 9
Power supply from USB cable or AC
adapter ............................................10
Turn the power on ..........................11
Memory card ...................................11
Compatible memory cards ........................11
Inserting and ejecting a memory card....12
Setting time and date
[Time & date]...................................13
Changing the time and date.....................14
Operate the slide switch.................15
2 Basic operations
Recording ........................................16
New recording................................................17
Overwrite recording.....................................18
Insert recording..............................................19
Recording monitor..........................20
Playback ..........................................21
Erasing.............................................23
Erasing files......................................................23
Partially erasing a file ...................................23
3 Advanced operations
Selecting folders and files..............25
Displaying file information............25
Index marks.....................................26
How to use the menu......................27
Menu items......................................29
File menu .................................................29
Recording menu....................................29
LCD/ Sound menu ................................30
Device menu...........................................31
Formatting the memory card
[Format] ...........................................32
Table of contents

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1
2
3
4
5
Table of contents
4 Managing files on your PC
DSS Player Software.......................34
Operating environment..............................35
Using online help ..........................................35
Connecting to your PC....................36
Connecting to your PC using the
USB cable..........................................................36
Connecting to your PC using the
docking station ..............................................36
Disconnecting from your PC .....................37
5 Other information
Alarm message list..........................38
Troubleshooting .............................39
Device care ......................................41
Accessories (optional) ....................41
Copyright and trademark
information .....................................42
Safety precautions..........................43
Specifications..................................47
Indications used in this manual
NOTE
Describes precautions and operations that should be
absolutely avoided in using the voice recorder.
TIP
Describes useful information and hints that will help
you getting the most out of your voice recorder.
☞
Indicates reference pages describing details or
related information.
This manual is the advanced version. Additionally,
the basic version (Quick User Guide), which
summarizes basic operation, is also included with
this product.

4
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Main features
Main features
sSlide switch operation for ease of use
and fast response.
sThree recording modes are available
for selection: DSS, PCM, and MP3
(☞P.29).
sTwo microphone modes are provided:
dictation and conference. Select the one
that is the best match for your purpose
or usage environment (☞P.29).
sLithium ion battery rechargeable via
USB cable.
Getting started
sThis recorder is compatible with USB
2.0, enabling fast data transfer to a
computer.
sFive folders and up to 200 files per
folder, for a maximum of 1,000
recordings (☞P.16).
sLarge color LCD display.
sIndex mark function which is useful to
search particular points in the dictation
files (☞P.26).

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Names of parts
9
0
!
@
#
$
&
^
%
3
5
6
1
2
7
8
4
*
(
)
-
=
Names of parts
1q(earphone) jack
2Built-in 2nd microphone (L)
3Display
4Programmable smart (F1,F2,F3)
buttons
5+(volume) button
6
0 (rewind) button
7–(volume) button
8Built-in speaker
9SD card slot
0m(microphone) jack
!Built-in main microphone (R)
@NEW button
#LED indicator light
$Slide (sREC/ 4STOP/ `PLAY/
7 REV)
switch
%OK/MENU button
^
9 (fast forward) button
&k(erase) button
*POWER (ON/OFF) switch
(Battery cover release button
)Battery cover
-Docking station connector
=USB connector
Recorder

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Names of parts
Names of parts
Display in the recording
mode
Display in the playback
mode
Display in the device
information
Display
1Recording media indicator
2Battery status indicator
3Slide switch guide
[ ]: Recording indicator
[ ]: Stop indicator
[ ]: Playback indicator
[ ]: Fast-rewind indicator
4Current recording time
5Recording level meter
6File information area
7Current playback time
8File length
9Current position
0Playback position bar
!Device information area
Meanings of indicators
[ ]: Internal memory
[
]: SD card
[ ]: SD card lock status
[ ]: Battery
[ ]: Folder
[ ]: File lock
[ ] [ ] [ ], etc.: Recording mode
[ ] [ ] [ ]: Microphone sensitivity
[ ]: VCVA (Variable Control Voice Actuator)
2
6
7
3
2
6
5
4
32
!
1 1
1
9
0
8

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Inserting the battery
Inserting the battery
This recorder uses a lithium ion battery specified
by Olympus (Li-92B). Do not use any other type of
battery.
1Lightly press down on the battery cover
release button, then open the battery
cover, as shown in the illustration below.
1
2
2Insert the battery observing the correct
polarity as shown in the illustration,
then close the battery cover.
• Insert the battery by sliding in direction A
while pushing down in direction B.
• The supplied battery is not fully charged. It is
recommended to fully charge it before using the
recorder for the first time or after the battery has
been left unattended for a long time (☞P. 8) .
Battery indicator
The battery indicator on the display will decrease as
the battery loses power.
(100-20% White) (19-1% Red) (0 %)
• When the battery indicator turns red, charge the
battery as soon as possible. When the battery is
too weak, [ ] and [Battery low] will appear on
the display and the recorder will shut down.
NOTE
• Turn off the recorder before removing the
battery. Removing the battery while the recorder
is still in use may cause malfunctions, file
corruption or file loss.
• Remove the battery if you are not going to use
the recorder for an extended period of time.
• After removing the battery, it may become
necessary to re-set the time and date if you leave
the battery out of the recorder for more than
1minute or if you remove the battery right after
loading it into the recorder.

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Charge the battery
After loading the battery into the recorder, you
can charge it by connecting the USB cable to the
recorder.
Charging directly via USB cable
After loading the battery into the recorder, you
can charge it by connecting the USB cable to the
recorder.
Connect the USB cable to the recorder.
Charge using the docking station
The docking station and AC adapter are sold
separately.
Charge using docking station and AC adapter
Fully charge the battery (approx. 2 hours)before use.
1Connect the AC adapter to the docking
station.
2Firmly press the recorder all the way
into the docking station as shown in the
illustration.
Charge the battery
2
1
CHARGE indicator light
• The CHARGE indicator light turns on when
charging starts, and turns off when charging is
complete.
Charge using docking station and USB cable
Fully charge the battery (approx. 4 hours) before use.
Verify that the recorder is in stop mode.
Connect the USB cable to the docking
station.

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Charge the battery
Charge the battery
Recommended temperature range of use:
During operation:
0°C - 42°C/ 32°F - 107.6°F
Charging:
5°C - 35°C/ 41°F - 95°F
Using the battery outside the above temperature
range may result in declining efficiency and shorter
battery life.
NOTE
• When disposing the batteries, always observe
the local laws and regulations. Contact your local
recycling center for proper disposal methods.
• If battery is not fully discharged, protect it
against short-circuiting (e.g. by taping the
contacts) before disposal.
For customers in Germany:
Olympus has a contract with the GRS (Joint Battery
Disposal Association) in Germany to ensure
environmentally friendly disposal.
NOTE
• Charge the battery frequently during the first
period of use. The battery will perform better
after several charge/discharge cycles.
• Models of batteries which are different from the
included one may not be charged.
• Charging the battery via the USB cable
connection may not be successful depending on
the power capacity of the USB port in your PC.
Use the AC adapter instead.
• Do not set or remove the recorder from the
docking station while operating.
• Do not charge the recorder through a USB hub.
• Do not attach or remove the battery if the USB
cable is connected.
Using the lithium ion battery
This recorder uses a lithium ion battery specified
by Olympus (Li-92B). Do not use any other type of
battery.
Cautions concerning the battery
Read the following instructions carefully when you
use the battery.
Discharging:
Rechargeable batteries self-discharge while not in
use. Charge it regularly before use.
Battery life:
Over time, the rechargeable battery may gradually
wear down. When the operating time becomes
shorter even if the rechargeable battery is fully
charged under the specified condition, replace it
with a new one.
Operating temperature:
Rechargeable batteries are chemical products.
Battery efficiency may vary even when operating
within the recommended temperature range.
This is an inherent nature of these products.

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Power supply from USB cable or AC adapter
Use the AC adapter or USB cable when recording for
extended period of time.
The docking station and AC adapter are sold
separately.
Use the USB cable
1Verify that the recorder is in stop mode.
2Connect the USB cable to the recorder.
Detecting abnormal voltage
If the recorder detects a DC power voltage
outside the allowed voltage range (4.4-5.5V),
then [Power supply error Remove power
plug] will appear on the display, and all
operation will stop. The recorder will not be
operable if abnormal voltage is detected. Use
the AC adapter.
Power supply from USB cable or AC adapter
Use the AC adapter
Plug the AC adapter into a household power outlet
and connect the power plug to the recorder via the
docking station. Always turn off the recorder before
you connect power.

11
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Turn the power on/Memory card
Move the POWER switch to ON position to activate
the recorder.
POWER
ON
OFF
Turn the power on
The recorder has its own internal memory, and also
supports standard SD/SDHC cards sold separately.
Compatible memory cards
The recorder supports memory card capacity from
4 GB up to 32 GB.
For a list of memory card compatible with the
recorder, please visit the product homepage
at the Olympus website applicable to your
region or contact your Olympus reseller where
you purchased the product.
NOTE
• When initializing (formatting) a memory card,
confirm that no necessary data is stored on
the memory card beforehand. Initialization
completely erases the existing data on the
memory card.
• Memory cards formatted (initialized) by another
device, like a computer, may not be recognized.
Be sure to format them with this recorder before
use.
• The memory card has a service life. When
reaching the end of its life, writing or erasing data
on the memory card will be disabled. In this case,
replace the memory card.
• If you use a PC card adapter compatible with the
memory card to save or delete some data on the
memory card, the maximum recording time on
the memory card may be decreased. To recover
the original recording time, initialize/format the
memory card in the recorder.
Memory card
Memory cards compatibility

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Memory card
Memory card
Inserting and ejecting a memory card
Inserting a memory card
Insert the memory card fully into the card
slot with the card facing the direction
shown in the illustration below, until it
clicks into place.
• Insert the memory card keeping it straight.
Memory card recognition
After inserting memory card, the message [SD
card selected] will flash on the display while
the recorder recognizes the memory card.
Ejecting a memory card
Push the memory card inward to unlock it
and let it come out of the slot.
• Hold the memory card straight and pull it out.
NOTE
• Inserting the memory card the wrong way or
at an angle could damage the contact area or
cause the memory card to jam.
• If the memory card is not inserted all the
way into the slot, data may not be written
properly.
• When an unformatted memory card is inserted
into the card slot, the recorder will automatically
display the format menu options (☞P. 32) .
• Use only memory cards formatted with the
recorder (☞P. 32 ).
• Never remove the memory card while the
recorder is operating, as this may damage the
data.
• After pushing the memory card inward to eject it,
releasing your finger too quickly may cause the
memory card to be ejected unexpectedly.
• The recorder may not properly recognize the
memory card even when that memory card is
compatible with it.
• The processing performance reduces in a
memory card when you repeat writing and
deleting. In this case, format the memory card
(☞P. 32 ).

13
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Setting time and date [Time & date]
If you set the time and date beforehand,
the information when the file is recorded is
automatically stored for each file. Setting the
time and date beforehand enables easier file
management.
When you use the recorder for the first time
after purchasing it, or when the battery
has been inserted without the device being
used for a long time, the [Set time & date]
will appear.
1Press the 9 or 0 button to select
the item to set.
2Press the +or −button to set.
• You can select the order of the “Month”,
“Day” and “Year” by pressing the F2 (M/D/Y)
button while setting them.
3Press the OK/MENU button to complete
the setting.
• The clock will start from the set date and
time. Press the OK/MENU button according
to the time signal.
TIP
• Moving the slide switch to a position other than
STOP (4) while setting the time and date will
cancel the time and date setting. The recorder
will return to the previous time and date.
Setting time and date [Time & date]
OK/MENU button
+, −button
9 , 0 button
F1, F2, F3 button
Select the item from the
“hour”, “minute”, “month”,
“day” and “year” with a
flashing point.
You can select between
12 and 24 hour display
by pressing the F2 (24H)
button while setting the
hour and minute.

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Setting time and date [Time & date]
Setting time and date [Time & date]
Changing the time and date
If the current time and date is not correct, set it using the procedure below.
1When the file display screen appears,
press the OK/MENU button while the
voice recorder is in stop mode.
2Press the +or −button to select [Device
menu] tab.
[Device menu] tab
• You can change the menu display by moving
the settings tab cursor.
3Press the OK/MENU or 9 button.
4Press the +or −button to select
[Time & date].
5Press the OK/MENU button.
• The following steps are the same as Step 1
through Step 3 of “Setting time and date
[Time & date]” (☞P.13).
6Press the F3 (EXIT) button to exit the
menu screen.

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Operate the slide switch
Operate the slide switch
Slide the slide switch on the side of the recorder up or down to perform the recording, stop, playback, and
fast-rewind operations.
You can determine the current position at a glance even from the front because the slide switch works in
conjunction with the slide switch guide on the screen.
The place indicated large in the slide
switch guide is the current slide
switch position.
POWER
ON
OFF Recording
Stop
Playback
Fast-rewind
The figure shows the stop position.
Slide switch

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Recording
Basic operations
By default, the recorder has five folders, [A], [B],
[C], [D], [E]. These five folders can be selectively
used to distinguish the kind of recording. Up to 200
messages can be recorded per folder.
Record function
Before starting recording over a previously
recorded file, the RECORD function can be set to the
following:
• Append: Attaches the new recording to the end
of the previously recorded file (☞P.17).
• Overwrite (default): Overwrites and deletes part
of the previously recorded file starting from the
chosen position (☞P.18).
• Insert: The recorded file will be inserted in the
middle of the previously recorded file, starting
from the chosen recording position. The original
file will be kept (☞P.19).
By default, the RECORD function is configured to
record using the overwrite option.
Recording will start from the current position of the
existing file.
NOTE
• Append recording, overwrite recording, and
insert recording are not available for MP3 files.
Recording
Recording related settings
Recording related settings can be configured
to provide a suitable recording environment.
• Recording monitor (☞P. 20 ).
• Microphone mode [Mic mode] (☞P. 2 9) .
• Microphone sensitivity [Mic sense] (☞P.29).
• Recording modes [Rec mode] (☞P. 2 9) .
• Using the Variable Control Voice Actuator
[VCVA] (☞P. 29 ).

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Recording
Recording
1
2
3
a
b
New recording
Create a new file to record in.
1Press the NEW button to create a new
file.
• [New file] appears in the display.
aNew file name
2Move the slide switch to the REC (s)
position to start recording.
• The LED indicator lights in red. Turn the
microphone in the direction of the source to
be recorded.
bRecording elapsed time
3Move the slide switch to the STOP (4)
position to stop recording.
• If you want to append additional recordings
to the same file, move the slide switch to the
REC (s) position again.
NOTE
• During recording, a beep will sound whenever the remaining recording time reaches 60, 30, and 10
seconds.
• When the remaining recording time reaches 60 seconds, the record indicator light will start flashing. The
light will flash faster when the remaining recording time decreases from 30 to 10 seconds.
• [Memory full] or [Folder full] will be displayed when the memory or folder capacity is full.
−
Delete unnecessary files before recording any further (☞P.23) or transfer dictation files to your PC.
− Change the recording media at [Memory select] setting (☞P.31) or change to a memory card with
free space.

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Recording
Recording
2
3
a
Overwrite recording
You can overwrite a previously recorded file starting from any point within the
file. When using overwriting, the overwritten part will be erased.
1Select and play the file you want to
overwrite.
• Stop the playback at the point you want to
start overwriting.
NOTE
• A file’s creation time and date will be updated to the time and date the file
was last edited.
• You cannot select a recording mode different from the one set onto the
original file.
• Overwrite recording is not available for MP3 files.
2Move the slide switch to the REC (s)
position to start overwriting.
• The LED indicator lights in red.
3Move the slide switch to the STOP (4)
position to stop overwriting.
aTotal recording time of the file

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Recording
Recording
3
4
2
5
a
Insert recording
Additional recording can be inserted into previously recorded file.
1Select and play the file you want to
insert an additional recording into.
2While playing the file, press the
F1 (INSERT) button to insert an
additional recording.
• [Insert Rec?] will appear on the display.
3Move the slide switch to the REC (s)
position to start inserting the
additional recording.
• [Insert rec] will appear on the display. The
LED indicator lights in blue.
aElapsed time during insert recording
4Move the slide switch to the STOP (4)
position to stop inserting the
additional recording.
5Press the F3 (EXIT) button to stop insert
recording.
NOTE
• The recording’s time and date will be updated to the one of the latest
recording inserted.
• You cannot select a recording mode different from the one set onto the
original file.
• Insert recording is not available for MP3 files.

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Recording monitor
It is possible to monitor your recording by listening
to it even while the recording is in progress. In
order to do so, insert the earphone plug into the q
(earphone) jack and use the +or –buttons to control
the volume level.
+, −(Volume)
button
NOTE
• When connecting an earphone or an external
microphone’s plug, insert the plug all the way in
as shown in the illustration above.
• To avoid irritation to the ear, insert the earphone
after turning down the volume level.
• Do not place earphones near a microphone as
this may cause feedback.
• The monitored audio may differ from the actually
recorded audio.
Recording monitor