Olympus VN-541PC User manual

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.
• If there are additions and/or modifications of functions due to firmware update, contents may
differ. For the latest information, please visit Olympus website.
Getting started
Recording
Playback
Editing
Use with a PC
Other information
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VN-541PC
DIGITAL VOICE
RECORDER
USER MANUAL
EN

2
EN
Namesofparts................................... 4
1 Getting started
Setup.................................................. 5
Inserting the batteries ........................................6
Turning the power ON........................................7
Setting the time/date..........................................7
Setting the beeping sounds.............................8
Batteries............................................. 9
TurningthepowerOFF..................... 9
Preventingaccidentaloperation.... 10
Setting HOLD mode ..........................................10
Releasing HOLD mode .....................................10
2 Recording
Recording......................................... 11
Changing the recording scene......................11
Basic recording procedure ..............................12
Monitoring while recording ...........................13
Recording with an external microphone...13
Recordingfromanotherconnected
device............................................... 14
Recording audio from another device with
this recorder .........................................................14
Recording audio from this recorder with
another device.....................................................14
3 Playback
Playback........................................... 15
Basic playback procedure................................15
Fast-forwarding...................................................16
Rewinding.............................................................17
Skipping to the beginning of a file .............17
Playback through the earphones .................18
Changingtheplaybackspeed........ 19
Repeatplayback.............................. 20
Folder/File repeat playback ............................20
A/B repeat playback ..........................................20
Reducingnoiseduringplayback
(NoiseCancel).................................. 21
4 Editing
Changingtheinformationscreen... 22
Preventingaccidentalfileerasure
(FileLock)......................................... 22
Indexmarks/tempmarks................ 23
Writing an index mark/temp mark...............23
Erasing an index mark/temp mark...............23
Erasingfiles...................................... 24
Erase a single file.................................................24
Erase all the files in the folder........................24
Formattingtheinternalmemory... 26
Table of contents

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EN
Table of contents
5 Use with a PC
PCoperatingenvironment............. 27
PCconnection/disconnection......... 28
Connecting the voice recorder to a PC.......28
Disconnecting the voice recorder
from a PC ...............................................................29
LoadingafiletoaPC....................... 30
6 Other information
Troubleshooting.............................. 31
Recordercare................................... 33
Accessories(optional)..................... 34
Copyrightandtrademark
information...................................... 35
Safetyprecautions.......................... 36
Specifications................................... 40
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 advanced version. Additionally,
the basic version (Basic Manual), which
summarizes basic operation, is also included
with this product.

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EN
Names of parts
@
#
^
0
!
$
%
&
1
2
4
3
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6
7
8
9
(
*
1 2 4 53
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9
Recorder
1Built-inmicrophone
2m(microphone)jack
3Display
4USBconnector
5l(index/repeat)
button
6n(recording
scene, folder/noise
cancel)button
7p(playback, pause)
button
80button
9Built-inspeaker
0q(earphone)jack
!LEDindicatorlight
@o(power, hold)
button
#
REC (record)switch
$
+
button
%9button
^k(erase)button
&
–
button
*Batterycover
(Straphole
Display
1Repeat
2Filelock
3Filenumber/Total
numberofrecorded
filesinfolder,
A/Brepeat
4Volume
5Battery
6
Folder(recording scene)
7Voicerecorderstatus
(recording, playback,
fast playback, slow
playback)
8Timeanddate,
Recordingscene
9Indicatordisplay
area(recording date,
time and date, remain,
index/temp mark,
erase, noise cancel,
hold, format, beep)
Names of parts

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5
EN
Setup
Setup
After unpacking the voice recorder, follow the
steps below to have it ready for use.
Getting
started
1
3
Inserting the batteries
Getting
started
2
3
Turning the power ON
Getting
started
3
3
Setting the time/date
Set the voice recorder’s clock for
use with file management.
Getting
started
4
Setting the beeping
sounds
Remove the screen
protector on the
display.
Getting started
This product is a voice recorder that is easy
to use for all age groups, from children to
senior citizens. It can be used in a range of
situations, such as in business, or recording
memos.
Usageexamples
Recording meetings and discussions means
that if you miss something important, you
can listen to it again as many times as you like
to confirm the content.
This recorder also features Noise Cancel
function useful for transcription, as well as
faster and slower playback.
×
Record messages as well as
changes to schedules instead
of taking memos. Simple
one-handed recording
means it is easier
than writing in a
notebook.
This voice recorder
can also be connected
to a PC, and used as
mass USB storage.
This is convenient for
transferring large files
such as image data
between computers.

1
Setup
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EN
Setup
Inserting the batteries
Before using the voice recorder, insert the batteries in the battery compartment of the voice
recorder.
1 Slideopenthebatterycover
whilepressingdownonit.
1
2
2 Insertthebatteries,making
sureitspositiveandnegative
terminalsareplacedcorrectly.
1
2
Insert the battery’s
negative terminal first.
3 Slidethebatterycover
completelyclosed.
1
2
• Do not close the battery cover while
the batteries are still loose.

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Setup
Setup
Turning the power ON
1 Whilethevoicerecorderisturned
off,pressandholdtheobutton.
 TIP
• If you install batteries for the first time
or replaced with new ones, the [hour]
indicator will flash automatically when
the power is turned on.
Setting the time/date
Set the time and date beforehand to enable
easier management of recorded files.
1 Pressthe9(p)or0
buttontoselectthedesired
settingitem.
2 Pressthe + or – buttontochange
thenumber.
• To change the setting of another item,
press the 9or 0button to move
the blinking cursor, then press the +or
–button to change the number.
3 Pressthepbuttontofinalize
thesetting.

1
Setup
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EN
Setup
 TIP
• When setting the hour or minute, each
time you press the nbutton the
display changes between the AM/PM
and 24-hour clock formats.
Example:10:38PM
PM10:38
(defaultformat)
22:38
• When setting the year, month or date,
each time you press the nbutton
the display order used for the date
changes.
Example:March24,2016
03.24.,16
(defaultformat)
24.03.,16
 NOTE
• If the batteries in the voice recorder are
replaced with new ones, the [DATE]
screen is displayed automatically when
the power is turned on.
• Even if the voice recorder is not used
for a long period of time, when the
batteries are used up, the time and date
must be re-entered.
Setting the beeping sounds
The voice recorder makes beeping sounds
when buttons are pressed, or to warn in case
of operation errors. You can select whether
the voice recorder makes these beeping
sounds.
1 Pressthe9or0buttonto
select[ ON ]or[ OFF ].
[ON]
Enables beeping sounds.
[OFF]
Disables beeping sounds.
2 Pressthepbuttontofinalize
thesetting.
• After beeping sound has been set,
version information will be displayed,
and then voice recorder will enter stop
mode.

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Batteries/Turning the power OFF
Batteries
Existing data, mode settings and the clock
setting are saved when the power is turned
off.
1Pressandholdtheobuttonwhile
thevoicerecorderisinstopmode.
 TIP
• Turning the power OFF whenever the
voice recorder is not in use minimizes
battery consumption.
Power Save mode
When the voice recorder has been
stopped for at least 5 minutes after power
ON, the power turns off automatically.
Turning the power OFF
Battery indicator
As the battery loses its remaining charge, the
battery indicator on the display changes as
follows:
• [ ] indicates there is little remaining
battery charge. Replace it with a fresh one.
When the batteries has run out, [ ] and
[LO] appear, and operation stops.
Battery precautions
• The voice recorder does not support
manganese batteries.
• Always turn power OFF before replacing
the batteries. Files may be damaged if
the batteries are removed while the voice
recorder is recording or performing an
operation such as erasing a file.
• You need to reset the time/date if the
batteries are replaced. See“Settingthe
time/date”(☞P. 7) for the procedure.
• When not using the voice recorder for
an extended period, always remove the
batteries before storage.
• Even if the battery indicator is [ ],
playback with the built-in speaker at some
volumes may result in a drop in battery
output voltage, causing the voice recorder
to reset. Lower the volume in this case.
• The continuous battery usage time will
vary depending on the performance of the
battery in use (☞P. 41).

1
Preventing accidental operation
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EN
Setting the voice recorder to HOLD mode maintains the current operation and disables button
operations.
Setting HOLD mode
1 Pressandholdtheobutton
duringrecordingorplayback.
[HOLD] appears in the display,
and the recorder enters HOLD
mode.
• Even if in HOLD mode, the REC switch
can be moved to the ON and OFF
positions.
Releasing HOLD mode
1 Pressandholdtheobutton
duringHOLDmode.
 TIP
• HOLD mode is automatically released
after recording or playback finishes.
 NOTE
• When any button is pressed during HOLD mode, [HOLD] appears in the display for 2
seconds. No other operation is performed.
• Setting HOLD mode during voice recorder playback (or recording) continues the playback
(or recording) operation and prevents any other operation from being performed. (The
voice recorder stops when playback ends or when recording ends because, for example,
there is no remaining memory space.)
Preventing accidental operation

2
Recording
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Recording
You can select from four recording scenes on this voice recorder - [MEMO], [TALK], [MUSIC],
and [LP]. Recorded audio will be stored in the same folder as the selected recording scenes.
Each folder can store up to 199 files.
Changing the recording scene
[ MEMO ] Suitable for recording your own voice and other sounds that are extremely close.
[
TALK ] Suitable for recording meetings held in a small space and other sounds that are fairly close.
[
MUSIC ] Suitable for recording realistic audio with exceptional clarity such as live recording of a
musical instrument performance or out in the open air.
[
LP ] Suitable for recording for a long time.
1 Whilethevoicerecorderisinstop
mode,pressthenbutton.
a
b
aFolder in which the recorded file is
stored
bRecording scene
• Press the nbutton to switch
between recording scenes.
 TIP
• To record the speaker’s voice clearly, set
[MEMO], and place the voice recorder’s
built-in microphone near the speaker’s
mouth (5to10 cm away).
Recording

2
Recording
12
EN
Recording
Basic recording procedure
1 Changingtherecordingscene
(☞P. 11).
• Each new voice recording file is saved
in the selected folder.
2 Pointthebuilt-inmicrophone
inthedirectionofthesoundto
record.
3 Slidethe
REC switchtostart
recordinginthedirectionofthe
arrow.
c
b
a
aFile number/Total number of
recorded files in folder
bVoice recorder status indicator
(during recording)
cElapsed recording time
• The LED indicator light lights.
4 Slidethe REC switchtostop
recordinginthedirectionofthe
arrow.
d
dFile length
 TIP
• Even when the power is turned off, you
can immediately start recording by
sliding the REC switch up.
 NOTE
• To prevent the beginning of the
recording being cut off, start recording
after the LED indicator light has lit or
recording indicator has appeared in
the display.
• When the remaining possible recording
time is 60 seconds, the LED indicator
light starts flashing. It flashes more
rapidly as the remaining time decreases
(at the 30- and 10-second points).
• If the number of files inside the
recorder reached 199 or the memory
becomes full, you will not be able to
record any further, and [FULL] will
be displayed. You will need to delete
unnecessary files to record more
(☞P.24).

2
Recording
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EN
Recording
Monitoring while recording
You can monitor the recording as you are
making it by listening on the earphones
plugged into the voice recorder’s qjack.
Use the +or –button to adjust the recording
monitor volume.
• The earphones is not supplied.
1 Connecttheearphonestothe
voicerecorder’sqjack.
To qjack
• Changing the volume will not affect
the recording level.
 NOTE
• To avoid unpleasantly loud sound, set
the volume to [00] before plugging in
the earphone.
• To prevent feedback, do not place the
earphone near the microphone while
recording.
Recording with an external
microphone
You can record audio input using an external
microphone or other device connected to
the voice recorder’s mjack. Do not plug or
unplug devices into voice recorder jacks
while recording.
• Microphones with plug-in power supplies
can be used.
1 Connectanexternalmicrophone
tothevoicerecorder’smjack.
To mjack
2 Startrecording.
• See “Recording” (☞P. 12) for
descriptions of recording operations.
 TIP
• See “Accessories(optional)”
(☞P. 34) for the compatible external
microphones.

2
Recording from another connected device
14
EN
Recording audio from another
device with this recorder
Audio can be recorded when you have
connected the audio output terminal
(earphone jack) of another device and the m
jack of the recorder by using the connecting
cord KA333 (optional).
To mjack
To audio output terminal
of other device
 NOTE
• When recording from a connected
external device, perform a test
recording and adjust the output level
of the connected device as needed.
Recording audio from this recorder
with another device
Audio from this recorder can be recorded
to another device by connecting the audio
input terminal (microphone jack) of the other
device and the qjack of this recorder using
the connecting cord KA333 (optional).
To qjack
To audio input terminal
of other device
Recording from another connected device

3
Playback
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EN
Playback
In addition to files recorded by the voice recorder, you can also play files in WMA format
transferred from a PC.
Basic playback procedure
1 Selectthefiletoplayfromthe
foldercontainingit.
• Immediately after selecting the file,
the following file information will be
displayed in order.
b
c
d
a
e
f
aCurrent file
number
bCurrent folder
cRecording
date
dRecording
time
eFile length
fFile start
2 Pressthepbuttontostart
playback.
h
g
gVoice recorder status indicator
(during playback)
hElapsed playback time
3 Pressthe + or – buttontoadjust
thevolumetothedesiredlevel.
i
iVolume
• The volume can be adjusted to a
setting between [00] to [30]. The
higher the number, the louder the
volume.
• If the volume is set too loud, a warning
screen may appear.
Playback

3
Playback
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EN
Playback
4 Pressthepbuttontostop
playback.
• The file being played stops right away.
The resume function automatically
stores the playback stop position in
memory. The position is retained even
if the power is turned off. The next
time the power is turned on, playback
can be resumed from the stop position
stored in the memory.
• If the end of a file is reached without
the pbutton being pressed, then
it will stop at the beginning of the
next file.
Fast-forwarding
1 Pressandholdthe9button
duringplayback.
• Playback starts from the current
position when you release the9
button.
• If an index mark or temp mark in the
file is reached, fast-forwarding stops at
the mark (☞P. 23).
• Fast-forwarding stops when the end of
the file is reached.
 TIP
• Press the 9button during playback
to skip forward 10 seconds.

3
Playback
17
EN
Playback
Rewinding
1 Pressandholdthe0button
duringplayback.
• Playback starts from the current
position when you release the 0
button.
• If an index mark or temp mark in the
file is reached, rewinding stops at the
mark (☞P. 23).
• Rewinding stops when the beginning
of the file is reached.
 TIP
• Press the 0button during playback
to rewind 3 seconds.
Skipping to the beginning of a file
Skippingtothebeginningofthe
nextfile
1 Pressthe9buttonwhilethe
voicerecorderisinstopmode.
Skippingtothebeginningofthe
currentfile
1 Pressthe0buttonwhilethe
voicerecorderisinstopmode.
Skippingtothebeginningofthe
previousfile
1 Pressthe0buttonwhen
theplaybackpositionisthe
beginningofthefile.
 TIP
• To skip the files continuously, pressing
the 9or 0button while the
recorder is in stop mode.

3
Playback
18
EN
Playback
Playback through the earphones
You can connect the earphones to the voice
recorder’s qjack and listen to playback
through them.
• The earphones are optional.
1 Connecttheearphonestothe
voicerecorder’sqjack.
To qjack
2 Pressthepbuttontostart
playback.
• There will be no sound from the speaker
when the earphones are connected.
fCAUTION
• Avoid excessive volume when listening to
playback through the earphones.
It may cause hearing damage or loss.
 NOTE
• To avoid unpleasantly loud sound, set
the volume to [00] before plugging in
the earphone.
• If the volume is set too loud, a warning
screen may appear.
Music files
If a music file transferred to the voice recorder
is unplayable, check that its sampling rate,
bit count and bit rate values are within the
supported ranges. The sampling rate, bit
count and bit rate combinations supported
for music file playback by the voice recorder
are shown below.
Fileformat Samplingrate Bitrate
WMA format
8 kHz,
22.05 kHz,
44.1 kHz
5 to 320 kbps
• Even if the file formats is compatible for
playback on this recorder, the recorder does
not support every encoder.

3
Changing the playback speed
19
EN
Changing the playback speed is handy for speeding up conference presentations, or for slowing
down parts difficult to discern when learning a language.
1 Pressandholdthepbutton
duringplayback.
a
aPlayback speed
2 Pressthe + or – button.
• The playback speed can be adjusted
between [x0.5] and [x2.0] in 0.1
increments.
• The playback speed increases when
the +button is pressed, and decreases
when the –button is pressed.
• To return to the normal playback
speed, set the setting to [x1.0].
 TIP
• Press and hold the pbutton on
the playback speed screen to return
to [x1.0] at once.
3 Pressthepbuttontofinalize
thesetting.
b
bVoice recorder status indicator
(during fast-playback)
 NOTE
• Altered playback speed settings are
retained even after power OFF.
• Changing the playback speed will make
the battery deplete more quickly.
• Noise Cancel function will not be
available while you are changing the
playback speed (☞P. 21).
Fast playback restrictions
Depending on their sampling frequency and
bit rate, some files may not play normally.
In this case, you will need to reduce the
playback speed.
Changing the playback speed

3
Repeat playback
20
EN
Folder/File repeat playback
You can select the repeat range in the file or
the folder.
1 Pressandholdthelbutton
whilethevoicerecorderisinstop
mode.
a
aRepeat indicator
[]:
Plays the files in the current folder
repeatedly.
[]:
Plays the current file repeatedly.
• Press and hold the lbutton to
switch repeat settings.
2 Releasethepbuttontofinalize
thesetting.
A/B repeat playback
The voice recorder has a function with
which you repeat the playback of a portion
(segment) of the file being played.
1 SelectafileforA/Brepeat
playback,andstartplayback.
2 Pressandholdthelbutton
whenplaybackreachesthe
desiredstartpositionforA/B
repeatplayback.
• [A] will flash on the display.
 TIP
• You can change the playback speed
(☞P.19), and fast-forward/rewind
(☞P.16, P.17) when the [A]
indicator is blinking.
• If playback reaches the end of the file
when the [A] indicator is blinking,
the end of the file is treated as the
segment end position, and repeat
playback starts.
Repeat playback