Olympus WS-331M User manual

II'ltroduction0J
•The contents of this document may be changed in the future without
advanced notice. Contact our Customer Support Center for the latest
information relating to product names and model numbers.
•The utmost care has been taken to ensure the integrity of the contents of this
document.
In the unlikely event that aquestionable item, error, or omission is
found, please contact our Customer Support Center.
•Any liability for passive damages or damage of any kind occurred due to data
loss incurred by adefect of the product, repair performed by the third party
other than Olympus or an Olympus authorized service station, or any other
reasons is excluded from the Olympus's liability.
[J Trademarks
IBM and PC/AT are the trademarks or registered trademarks of International
Business Machines Corporation.
Microsoft, Windows and Windows Media are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
WOW
XT, SRS and Ce) symbol are trademarks of SRS Labs, Inc.
WOW XT technology is incorporated under license from SRS Labs, Inc.
MPEG Layer-3 audio coding technology licensed from Fraunhofer
liS and
Thomson.
The product was developed based
on noise-canceling technology under license
from NEC Corporation.
Other product and brand names mentioned herein may be the trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective owners.
2
,,~ _Pla_ys_----t
~= Windows
-'.TM Media™
SRSCe)

Safe and Proper Usage
Before using your new recorder, read this manual carefully to ensure that
you know how
to operate it safely and correctly. Keep this manual in an
easily accessible location
for future reference.
•The warning symbols indicate important safety related information. To protect yourself and
others from personal injury or damage to property, it is essential that you always read the
warnings and information provided.
General Precautions
•Do not leave the recorder in hot, humid locations such as inside a
closed automobile under direct sunlight or on the beach in the summer.
•Do
not store the recorder in places exposed to excessive moisture or
dust.
•Do not use organic solvents such as alcohol and lacquer thinner to
clean the unit.
•Do not place the recorder on top of or near electric appliances such
as TVs or refrigerators.
• Avoid recording or playing back near cellular phones or other wireless
equipment, as they may cause interferenceand noise. If you experience
noise, move to another place, or move the recorder further away from
such equipment.
• Avoid sand or dirt. These can cause irreparable damage.
•
Avoid strong vibrations or shocks.
•Do not disassemble, repair or modify the unit yourself.
•Do not operate the unit while operating a vehicle (such as a bicycle,
motorcycle, or go-cart).
•Keep the unit out of the reach of children.
3

4
<Warning regarding data loss>
Recorded
content in memory may be destroyed or erased by operating
mistakes, unit malfunction, or during repair work.
It
is recommended to back up and save important content to other media
such as a computer hard disk.
Any liability for passive damages or damage of any kind occurred due to
data loss incurred by adefect of the product, repair performed by the third
party other than Olympus or an Olympus authorized service station, or any
other reasons is excluded from the Olympus's liability.
Batteries
~Warning
• Batteries should never be exposed to flame, heated, short-circuited or
disassembled.
• Do not attempt to recharge alkaline, lithium or any other non-
rechargeable batteries.
• Never use any battery with a torn or cracked outer cover.
• Keep batteries out of the reach of children.
• If you notice anything unusual when using this product such as
abnormal noise, heat, smoke, or a burning odor:
CD remove the batteries immediately while being careful notto burn yourself,
and;
®call your dealer or local Olympus representative for service.

Identification of Parts
---=------i 3Main unit
Battery
compartment
CD EAR (Earphone) jack
®MIC (Microphone) jack
®Built-in stereo microphone (R)
@REC (Record) button
®STOP button
®PLAY button
(j) Built-in speaker
®USB terminal
®VOL (+) button
@ ~ button
@VOL (-) button
@FOLDER/INDEX button
@ERASE button
@OK/MENU button
@ ~ button
@ Display (LCD panel)
@ Record/Play indicator light
@Built-in stereo microphone (L)
@) USB access indicxator light
® Strap hole
®HOLD switch
@ Mode (VOICE/MUSIC) switch
@RELEASE (Release) button
@ Battery cover
5

6
Display (LCD Panel)
VOICE mode display
~r-·-1.----~----- 1
o-tB IH X !Jl~L~~j mf0
:+=~120/120t:
E 'F+-0
o Folder indicator
eVCVA (Variable Control
Voice Actuator) indicator
oRecord mode indicator
oCharacter information
display
" Microphone sensitivity
indicator
oErase lock indicator
8 Low Cut Filter indicator
MUSIC mode display
GH-SONG AI Artist
_i iiIIII I. .'t:
o-tl~~-~~-~'~-mj~r •• lr
oPlayback effect indicator
o Battery indicator
CD) Current file number
CD Total number of recorded
files in the folder
C8 Memory remaining indicator
(ElF bar)
CD Title and artist name
indicator
CD Play position bar indicator

Inserting Battery
Lightly press down on the arrow and
slide the battery cover open.
Insert size-AAA alkaline battery,
observi ng the correct polarity.
Close the battery cover completely
by
pressing to the direction @, then sliding
to the direction @.
If the "hour" indicator flashes in the display, see
"Setting Time/Date (Time &Date)"
(lIE P.12).
Replacing the Battery
The battery indicator on the display changes as the
battery loses power.
~r.jl ~ ~ .jl ~ a ~ 0
When aappears on the display, replace the battery
as soon
as possible.
When the battery is too weak, 0"Battery Low"
appears
on the display and the recorder shuts down.
When changing battery, AAA alkaline battery
or
Olympus Ni-MH battery is recommended.
1
.,.--- Ni-MH Rechargeable Battery -------....
Optional Ni-MH rechargeable batteries from
Olympus can
be used for the recorder. Use them
with the BU-400 Olympus Ni-MH Rechargeable
Battery Charger (Europe only).
7

R
8
•Manganese battery may not be used in this recorder.
•Be sure to stop the recorder before replacing the battery. Unloading the battery while the recorder is in
use may corrupt the file. If you are recording into afile and the battery runs out, you will lose your currently
recorded file because the file header will not be able to close. It
is crucial to change the battery once you
see only one hash mark in the battery indicator.
•If it takes longerthan 15 minutes to replace the dead battery or if you take the battery
in and out repeatedly
at short intervals, you may have to reset the time when you have loaded afresh battery.
•Remove the battery if you are not going to use the recorder for
an extended period of time.
•When playing avoice/music file, the recorder may be reset due to the reduction of the voltage output of
the battery depending
on the volume level even if ~r •• 1is displayed in the battery indicator. In this case,
lower the volume of the recorder.

Power Supply
When the recorder is not being used, turn the power off to reduce battery
consumption to aminimum. Even if the power is turned off, existing data, mode
settings, and clock settings will be maintained.
Turning On the Power
Slide the HOLD switch in the direction opposite
that indicated by the arrow.
The display will turn on and the power will be turned on.
The resume function will bring the recorder back to the
stop position in memory before
power was turned off.
Hold
Slide the HOLD switch in
the direction indicated by
the arrow while the recorder
is not
in operation.
The display shuts off and the
power will be turned off.
The resume function remembers the stop position before
the power is turned off.
Turning Off the Power
-- Standby Mode and Display Shut Off -----....
If the recorder is stopped/not used for over 5minutes
after it is turned on, it goes into standby (power-save)
mode, and the display shuts off.
To exit standby mode
and turn on the display, press any button.
9

VOICE Mode and MUSIC Mode
This device can be used as avoice recorder or as amusic player. For recording
and playing back voice recordings, set the mode switch to VOICE. For listening
to music, set the mode switch to MUSIC.
<
o
o
m
VOICE Mode
Slide the mode switch to the VOICE position.
The recorder provides five folders, named ~ through
(]J, for storing audio data. The files like recorded audio
or language files transferred from aPC, are stored in
these folders as individual files. Up to 200 files can be
saved in each folder.
File names will be automatically created for files recorded
by this recorder.
WS330001.WMA
L ----c= Extension
File number: Aserial number automatically
assigned by aDigital Voice Recorder.
User 10: The name that has been set on the Digital
Voice Recorder.
10
List display
File display
Current folder and files recorded in this folder are Information of the selected file is
displayed. displayed.
~I
Current folder
~I
Current
folder
rl'1l
H
~ ... I
Scroll bar (appears when 011120
CIDll
the whole contents cannot «•
WS330003.WMA
be displayed.) o
OM 0 Os
WS330004.WMA
18M05s
jFile length
File
being selected (The file name will be
highlighted, and the file name, and date and time
the file was recorded, will scroll across the
screen once.)

t
MUSIC Mode
Slide the mode switch to the MUSIC
position.
This recorder can save the music files (WMA, MP3
files) transferred from the
PC in the 2music folders,
the original "Root" folder and its subsidiary "Music"
folder.
Also, this recorder can create the folders
in up to 2
layers within the "Music" folder. It is convenient to
manage the multiple albums with the same artist
name. Up to 200 files can be saved
in each folder.
001
C1J Folder
oFile
Save up to 200
files.
002
~200
Music File G
Music File F
---------
•
•
•
Music File 0
Music File E
First layer ......... .... .... Second layer ........
II I
•
• I
•
• I
•
•
•
•
•
,. ........
II
·
·
·
Music File B
Music File A
. :: .
Music File C : II
.:.
: II
lit : \I
®
::.
:.
:.
::..
w,III;IIJIIIIIJllmlllllllllllllllll •••••••••••• g ••• B ••
•Up to 128 folders including "Root" and "Music" folders can be operated on this recorder.
•When using
Windows Media Player 10, click [Start Sync] instead of setting the synchronization options.
All the files will be transferred to the part @above.
11

SettingTime/Date (Time &Date)
If you set the date and time beforehand, the information when the file is recorded
is automatically stored for each file. Setting the date and time beforehand enables
easier file management.
The hour indicator will flash automatically when you load
a battery before using the recorder for the first time, or
after the recorder hasn't been used for a long time.
Proceed from step 1.
~ Press the ~ or ~ button to select the item
I to set.
@Selectthe item from "hour", "minute", "year" "month" and
"day" with aflashing point.
2
'Press
the + or - button to set.
,Follow the same steps by pressing the ~ or ~
button to select the next item, and press the +or-button
to set.
Set
Tlme&
Dale
Time &Date
Time &Date
•2007v 1M 70 =:J
12
•You can choose between 12 and 24 hour display by pressing the FOLDER
button while setting the hour and minute.
Example: 10:38
P.M.
10:38 PM ~ 22:38
(Initial setting)
•
You can choose the order of the year, month, day by pressing the FOLDER
button while setting them.
Example: January
7, 2007
C 1M 70 2007v •70 1M 2007v
(Initial setting)

3
.· Press the OK button to complete the setup screen.
.The clock will start from the set date and time. Press the OK button according
to the time signal.
Press the STOP button to close the menu.
•If you press the OK button during the setup operation, the recorder will save the items that were set to that
point.
Changing the Time/Date
Press and hold the STOP button while this recorder is in stop mode to display the
"Time &Date". If the "Time &Date" is not correct, set it using the procedure below.
Time &Date
Sub Menu
iLbdk;
Menu
" " Porm?lt ?
System
Press the +or -button to choose "Time &
Date".
Press the
OK or ~ button.
While the recorder is stopped, press the MENU button for 1
second or longer.
The "Menu" screen opens (row P.25).
Press the +or -button to choose"Sub Menu".
Press the OK or ~ button.
The hour indicatorflashes, indicating the start of the Time/
Date setup process.
The following steps are the same as Step 1through Step 4
of "Setting Time/Date (Time &Date)"
(row P.12).
13

Recording
Before starting recording, select afolder between Folder III to Folder £;I.These
five folders can
be selectively used to distinguish the kind of recording; forexample,
Folder tll might
be used to store private information, while Folder mmight be
dedicated to holding business information.
Newly recorded audio will
be saved as the last file in the selected folder.
14
til ..•.. ·. Press the FOLDER button to choose a folder
in which to make a recording.
Every time the FOLDER button is pressed, folders will
switch.
® Current folder
n Press the REC button to start recording.
,~
JJt, The record/play indicator light glows red.
ih. Turn the built-in stereo microphone in the direction to
be recorded.
The displaychanges depending
on the recording mode
(1& P.18).
® Current recording mode
© Recording elapsed time
@ Memory remaining indicator (ElF bar)
(the bar indicates remaining memory)
®Level meter (varies according to the sound volume being
recorded)
Every time the OK button is pressed while recording,
"Recording elapsed time" and "Remaining recording
time" cycles
in the location indicated by @.
I) Press the STOP button to stop recording.
J
....
' ... ',
.. -,'
.
~ 01/119
-~
WS330002. WMA
WS330003. WMA
WS330004.WMA
Display in the stereo
recording mode
~ fH I(gj)
~ 120/1,~~ @
®l 35M12s1
.~
Display in the monaural
recording mode

• To ensure recording from the beginning, start speaking after you see the red record/play indicator light on.
• A beep will sound when remaining recording time reaches 60 seconds, 30 seconds, and 10 seconds while
recording.
•When remaining recording time is less than 60 seconds, the record/play indicator light starts flashing in
red. When the recording time is decreasing to 30 or 10 seconds, the light flashes faster.
•"Memory Full" or "Folder Full" will be displayed when the memory or folder capacity is full. Delete any
unnecessary files before recording any further
(1rW P.35).
•If the REC button is pressed while the mode switch is set to MUSIC, "Music Mode" will flash on the screen.
Set the mode switch to VOICE before recording
(1& P.1 0).
Pause
Press the REC button while recording.
.. "Rec Pause" will flash on the display.
•The recorder will time out after 1hour when left
in "Rec
Pause". Rec
Pause
Resume Recording
Press the REC button again.
.. Recording will resume at the point of interruption.
~fH g
([CID) 120/120
EiF
35M 1 3s
LCI
5= RI=
15

Using the Variable Control Voice
Actuator(VCVA)
When the microphone senses that sounds have reached apreset threshold volume
level, the built-in Variable Control Voice Actuator (VCVA) starts recording
automatically, and stops when the volume drops below the threshold level.
The VCVA feature extends recording time and conserves memory by stopping
recording during silent periods, which helps the playback to be more efficient.
VCVA
While the recorder is stopped, press the MENU
button for 1 second or longer.
The "Menu" screen opens (1lW P.25).
Press the OK or ~ button.
The "Rec Menu" screen opens.
Press the + or - button to choose "VCVA".
Press
the OK or ~ button.
The VCVA setup process begins.
Rec Menu
4J: ~Ia¥ M~no : ~"
, Beep'& D(splay
Sub Menu
Rec Menu
Rec Mode
+ ~ Mid S~rlsa : : ,"
tF @ ~b'4' quI F;ilt~r~ ".
16
CPress the + or - button to choose between
J "On" and "Off".
On: Will start recording in VCVA mode.
Off: Will resume recording in normal mode.
. f:.~ Press the OK button to complete the setup
oscreen.
If the ~ button is pressed, the setting will be canceled
and it will return to the "Rec Menu" screen.
VCVA

7
··· 'Press the STOP button to close the menu.
•. If it is set to "On", ~ will appear on the display.
®VCVA (Variable Control Voice Actuator) indicator
1201120
•
OOMOOS
1H27M53s
•
Standb
VCVA Level a2
3:1:11 1211121
E!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~~IF
ii"
ILl
~RI
©.....=========.
oPress the REC button to start recording.
o When the sound volume is lower than the preset
.. threshold sound level, recording automatically stops after
1sec approximately,
and "Standby" flashes on the
display. The record/play indicator light glows red when
recording starts and flashes when recording pauses.
QPress the ~ or ~ button adjust the pause
Vsound level.
The VCVA level can be set to any of 15 different values.
The higher the value, the more sensitive the recorder to
sounds. At the highest value, even the faintest sound
will activate recording.
The VCVA pause sound level can be adjusted according
to the ambient (background) noise.
@ Level meter (varies according to the sound volume being
recorded)
® Start level (moves to the right/left according to the set level)
•The start/stop actuation level also varies depending on the selected microphone sensitivity mode (1lW P.19).
•If the starting level is not adjusted within 2seconds, the display will return to the previous.
•If the surrounding noise is loud, the starting sensitivity of the VCVA can be adjusted according to the
recording situation.
•To
ensure successful recordings, prior testing and adjustment of the start/stop actuation level is
recommended.
17

Recording Modes (Rec Mode)
The recording mode can be chosen from ST XQ (stereo extra high quality sound
recording), ST HQ (stereo high quality sound recording), ST SP (stereo standard
recording), HQ (high quality sound recording), SP (standard recording), and LP
(long-term recording).
1While the recorder is stopped, press the MENU
I button for 1 second or longer.
The "Menu" screen opens (~ P.25).
t; Press the OK or ~ button.
'" The "Rec Menu" screen opens.
'j Press the OK or ~ button .
•J The recording mode setup process begins.
ll... Press the + or - button to select the recording
-r mode.
Rec Mode
"',,:st:XQ: :.~'
ST HQ
~? I$TI$mI I ~
, ~. £'" ~ ~ ".-
Ii O· ... " ~ .
Press the OK button to complete the setup
screen.
If the ~ button is pressed, the setting will be canceled
and it will return to the "Rec Menu" screen.
b
l'i .... Press the STOP button to close the menu .
... ; ® Record mode indicator
Press and hold the STOP button while the recorder is
stopped to check "Remaining Memory" and "Remaining
Recording Time" in the selected recording mode.
1201120
J
OOMOOS
1H27M53s
18
•When ameeting and lecture is to be recorded clearly, set other than LP mode to record.
•When an external monaural microphone is used while the recorder is set to ST XQ, ST HQ, or ST SP
mode, audio will be recorded to the Lchannel only.

Microphone Sensitivity
(Mic Sense)
Microphone sensitivity is adjustable to meet recording needs.
While the recorder is stopped, press the MENU
button for 1 second or longer.
The "Menu" screen opens (I@" P.25).
Press the OK or ~ button.
The "Rec Menu" screen opens.
Press the + or - button to choose "Mic Sense".
Press the OK or ~ button.
The microphone sensitivity setup process begins.
Rec Menu
Rec Mode
Mic Sense
VCV~
Low Cut Filter
I:)lc
120/120
•
Con
Mic Sense
®I
~IH
Press the + or - button to choose between
"Conf" and "Diet".
Canf: High-sensitivity mode that records sounds in all
directions.
Diet: Low-sensitivity mode suited for dictation.
Press the OK button to complete the setup
screen.
If the ~ button is pressed, the setting will be canceled
and it will return to the "Rec Menu" screen.
Press the STOP button to close the menu.
@ Microphone sensitivity indicator
OOMOOS
1 H27M53s
• When the speaker's voice is to be recorded clearly, set to Dict (dictation) mode and move the built-in
stereo
microphone close to the speaker's mouth (5 to 10 cm / 2 to 4inches) and record.
19

Playing
I[]
4Press the FOLDER button to choose afolder.
g
IEvery time the FOLDER button is pressed, folders will
switch.
~ 01/120
~~
WS330002.WMA
WS330003. WMA
WS330004. WMA
"Press the + or - button to choose the file that
41
~'"{ you want to play.
In the list display, use the +and -buttons to place the
cursor on the desired file.
Press the ~ button in the list display to change the
screen to the file display.
In the file display, press the ~ or ~ button to
select afile.
If you want to return from the file display to the list display,
press the FOLDER button.
~ 03/120
WS33000 1. WMA ~
WS330002.WMA
~
WS330004.WMA
List display
~IH ~
(GOO) 031120
IJ
OOMOOS
22M41 S
File display
Volume Level 1 5
@+ ~
031120
J
'1 Press the PLAY or OK button to start playback.
\I The record/play indicator light glows green. ~ ~H ~r •• l
®Play position bar indicator
® Current playback time (GOO) 031120
@Filelength ~+I--===O=5=M=1 =O::::J~
You can change the playing speed by pressing the PLAY @....:...I----22M41s
button while the recorder is playing back.
11 Press the + or - button to select the proper
'+ sound volume.
!!i!
The display shows the volume level. You can choose
between 0and 30.
@Volume level meter
20