Olympus WS-812 Operating and maintenance manual

DETAILED
INSTRUCTIONS
DIGITAL VOICE
RECORDER
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.
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dictate.com.au

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I n t r o d u c t i o n
• The contents of this document are subject to change without notice. Contact our
Customer Support Center for the latest information relating to product names and model
numbers.
• Illustrations of the screen and the recorder shown in this manual may differ from the
actual product. The utmost care has been taken to ensure the integrity of this document
but should you happen to find a questionable item, error or omission, please contact our
Customer Support Center.
• Olympus does not accept any liability for passive damages or damage of any kind incurred
due to data loss resulting from a defect of the product, repair performed by a third party
other than Olympus or an Olympus authorized service station, or for any other reason.
Trademarks and registered trademarks
• IBM and PC/AT are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation.
• Microsoft, Windows and Windows Media are registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.
• Macintosh and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc.
• microSD and microSDHC are trademarks of SD Card Association.
• MPEG Layer-3 audio coding technology is licensed from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson.
• The product was developed based on noise-canceling technology under license from NEC
Corporation.
• Voice Activity Detection technology is licensed from NTT Electronics Corporation.
Other product and brand names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.

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Introduction
Safety precautions ............................................ 4
1 Getting started
Main features.................................................... 8
Identification of parts......................................10
Display (LCD panel)..................................................11
Power supply....................................................14
Inserting the battery...............................................14
Battery settings.......................................................15
Charging by connecting to a computer via USB......16
Connecting the USB-type AC adapter
(optional) to charge ..........................................17
Turning on/off the power........................................19
HOLD ................................................................20
Setting the time and date [Time & Date] ...........21
Changing the time and date....................................22
Inserting and ejecting a microSD card...............23
Inserting a microSD card .........................................23
Ejecting a microSD card...........................................24
[Home] display operations................................25
Notes on the folders .........................................26
About the folders for voice recordings....................26
About the folders for music playback .....................27
Selecting folders and files ................................28
2 About recording
Recording.........................................................29
Changing the recording scene [Rec Scene].............32
Recommended settings according to
the recording conditions...................................33
Recording from an external microphone or
other device.......................................................34
3 About playback
Playback ..........................................................36
Searching for a file ..................................................40
Changing the playback sound.................................41
Setting an index mark or a temp mark ...................42
How to begin segment repeat playback .................43
Changing the playback scene [Play Scene] .............44
Erasing.............................................................45
Erasing files .............................................................45
Erasing a folder........................................................45
4 About the FM radio
(WS-813 only)
Using the FM radio............................................47
FM radio mode operations ............................... 48
Presetting radio stations automatically
[Auto-preset] ....................................................49
Changing the reception mode ................................50
Adding a radio station.............................................51
Recording from the FM radio.............................52
5 Menu setting
Menu setting method.......................................53
+File Menu............................................................55
,Rec Menu............................................................56
-Play Menu...........................................................61
.LCD/Sound Menu................................................64
/Device Menu.......................................................65
!FM Menu.............................................................67
Extract voice portions from file [Voice Detect].......68
Rearranging files [Replace].....................................69
Moving/Copying files [Move/Copy] ........................70
Dividing files [File Divide] .......................................72
Changing the USB class [USB Settings]...................73
Formatting the recorder [Format] ..........................74
6 Using the recorder on your PC
Operating environment....................................77
Connecting to your PC.......................................79
Disconnecting from your PC....................................80
Transfer voice files to your PC ...........................81
Usage as external memory of the PC .................82
7 Other information
Alarm message list ...........................................83
Troubleshooting...............................................85
Accessories (optional)...................................... 88
Specifications...................................................89
Technical assistance and support......................94
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Table of contents

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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.
Cautions relating to the operating
environment
• To protect the high-precision
technology contained in this
product, never use or store the
recorder in any of the following
environments:
• Places where temperatures and/or
humidity are high or undergo extreme
changes, such as direct sunlight,
beaches, locked cars, or near other
heat sources (stove, radiator, etc.) or
humidifiers.
• In sandy or dusty environments.
• Near flammable items or explosives.
• In wet places, such as bathrooms or in
the rain.
• In places prone to strong vibration.
• Never drop the recorder or subject
it to severe shock or vibration.
• The recorder may malfunction
if it is used in a location where
it is subject to a magnetic/
electromagnetic field, radio waves,
or high voltage, such as near a
TV set, microwave, video game,
loud speakers, large monitor unit,
TV/radio tower, or transmission
towers. In such cases, momentarily
turn the recorder off before further
operation.
• Avoid recording or playing back
near cellular phones or other
wireless equipment, as they may
cause interference and noise. If
you experience noise, move the
recorder further away from such
equipment.
• Do not use organic solvents such
as alcohol and lacquer thinner to
clean the unit.
Safety precautions
fDanger
If the product is used without
observing the information given
under this symbol, serious injury
or death may result.
fWarning
If the product is used without
observing the information given
under this symbol, injury or
death may result.
fCaution
If the product is used without
observing the information
given under this symbol, minor
personal injury, damage to the
equipment, or loss of valuable
data may result.

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Safety precautions
Precautions relating to reception:
• Radio reception will vary substantially
depending on where you are using the
radio. If the reception is poor, try moving
the recorder near to a window and away
from electrical products such as cellular
phones, televisions, fluorescent lights etc.
Warning regarding data loss:
• Recorded content in memory may be
destroyed or erased by operating errors,
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.
• Olympus does not accept any liability for
passive damages or damage of any kind
incurred due to data loss resulting from a
defect of the product, repair performed
by a third party other than Olympus or an
Olympus authorized service station, or
for any other reasons.
Handling the recorder
fWarning:
• Do not use the recorder near
flammable or explosive gases.
• Keep young children and infants
away from the recorder.
Always use and store the recorder out of
the reach of young children and infants
to prevent the following dangerous
situations which could cause serious
injury:
1Becoming entangled in the recorder
strap, causing strangulation.
2Accidentally swallowing the battery,
cards or other small parts.
3Accidentally being injured by the
moving parts of the recorder.
• Do not use or store the recorder in
dusty or humid places.
• Do not disassemble, repair or
modify the unit yourself.
• Use microSD/microSDHC memory
cards only. Never use other types
of cards.
If you accidentally insert another type
of card into the recorder, contact an
authorized distributor or service center.
Do not try to remove the card by force.
• Do not operate the unit while
driving or riding a vehicle (such as
a bicycle, motorcycle, or car).
fCaution:
• Stop using the recorder
immediately if you notice any
unusual odors, noise, or smoke
emanating from it.
Never remove the batteries with bare
hands. Doing so may cause a fire or burn
your hands.
• Be careful with the strap.
Be careful with the strap when carrying
the recorder. It could easily catch on
something and cause serious damage.
• Do not leave the recorder where it
may be subject to extremely high
temperatures.
Doing so may cause parts to deteriorate
and, in some circumstances, cause the
recorder to catch fire. Do not cover (such
as with a blanket) the charger or AC
adapter while it is being used. This could
cause overheating, resulting in fire.
• Handle the recorder with care to
avoid getting a low-temperature
burn.
• If the recorder contains metal parts,
overheating can result in a low-
temperature burn. Note the following:
• When used for a long period, the
recorder will get hot. If you hold the
recorder while it is hot, you may suffer
a low-temperature burn.

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Safety precautions
• In places subject to extremely cold
temperatures, the temperature of
the recorder may be lower than the
ambient temperature. If possible, wear
gloves when handling the recorder in
cold temperatures.
Battery handling precautions
Follow these important guidelines
to prevent batteries from leaking,
overheating, burning, exploding, or
causing electrical shock or burns.
fDanger:
• Do not attempt to recharge
alkaline, lithium or any other non-
rechargeable batteries.
• Batteries should never be exposed
to flame, heated, short-circuited or
disassembled.
• Never heat or incinerate batteries.
• Take precautions when carrying or
storing batteries to prevent them
from coming into contact with any
metal objects such as jewelry, pins,
fasteners, etc.
• Never store batteries where they
will be exposed to direct sunlight,
or subjected to high temperatures
in a hot vehicle, near a heat source,
etc.
• To prevent causing battery leaks
or damaging their terminals,
carefully follow all instructions
regarding the use of batteries.
Never attempt to disassemble a
battery or modify it in any way by
soldering it, etc.
• Do not connect the battery directly
to a power outlet or the cigarette
lighter in an automobile.
• If battery fluid gets into your eyes,
flush your eyes immediately with
clean, cold running water and seek
medical attention immediately.
fWarning:
• Keep batteries dry at all times.
• If rechargeable batteries have
not been recharged within the
specified time, do not use them.
• Do not use a battery if it is cracked
or broken.
• Never subject batteries to strong
shock or continuous vibration.
• If a battery leaks, becomes
discolored or deformed, or
becomes abnormal in any other
way during operation, stop using
the recorder.
• If a battery leaks fluid onto your
clothing or skin, remove the
clothing and flush the affected
area with clean, cold running water
immediately. If the fluid burns
your skin, seek medical attention
immediately.
• 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:
1remove the battery immediately,
taking care not to burn yourself, and;
2call your dealer or local Olympus
representative for service.

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Safety precautions
fCaution:
• Please recycle batteries to help
save our planet’s resources. When
disposing of dead batteries, be
sure to cover their terminals and
always observe local laws and
regulations.
• Always charge a rechargeable
battery before using it for the first
time, or if it has not been used for a
long period.
• Rechargeable batteries have a
limited life. When the recorder's
operating time becomes
notably shorter even after the
rechargeable battery is fully
charged under the specified
conditions, replace the battery
with a new one.

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Main features
Main features
sThe Built-in Stereo FM tuner
means you can use the recorder
as a radio (WS-813 only) (☞P.47).
sIt supports the linear PCM format,
which is capable of recording
sound quality equivalent to
that of CDs (WS-813, WS-812 only)
(☞P.56).
sIt supports a wide range of
recording formats, including the
MP3 format (MPEG-1/MPEG-2
Audio Layer 3) and the Windows
Media Audio (WMA) format
(☞P.56).
sYou can play back WAV*, WMA,
and MP3 format files transferred
from a computer in addition to
files recorded by the device itself.
This allows you to use this recorder as a
music player.
*WS-813, WS-812 only.
sIt supports high capacity
recording media. Besides the
internal memory, you can also
record into a microSD card
(☞P.23).
sA directional microphone feature
has been included that allows
switching between broad stereo
recording and recording with a
highly directional quality
(WS-813 only) (☞P.57).
sIt is equipped with a variety
of features that support audio
recording.
With this recorder you can customize a
variety of recording functions such as the
recording sensitivity to suit the recording
conditions and personal preferences
(☞P.56).
sIt has a built-in Variable Control
Voice Actuator (VCVA) function
(☞P.57).
sThe Low Cut Filter minimizes air
conditioner noise and similar
noises while recording (☞P.57).
sIt has recording scene setting and
playback scene setting functions
to register the best setting
according to the use (☞P.32,
P.44, P.59, P.63).
sIt is equipped with the [
Calendar
Search ] function, convenient for
searching for files (☞P.40).
sIt features a [
Voice Detect ]
function, which extracts just the
voice portions from a recorded
audio file, and a [ Voice Playback ]
function, which plays back just
the extracted voice portions
(☞P.61, P.68).
sIt also features a [
Voice Balancer ]
function, which compensates
for the low-volume portions of a
recorded audio file, making them
louder and therefore easier to
understand (☞P.61).
Getting started

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Main features
Main features
sA Noise Cancel function (☞P.61)
and a Voice Filter function*
(☞P.61) cut noise and enable
clear audio playback.
*WS-811 only.
sIt features various repeat
functions (☞P.43, P.62).
sYou can change the playback
equalizer settings (☞P.62).
sYou can move or copy files
between the internal memory
and microSD card, and within the
folders in the memory (WS-813,
WS-812 only) (☞P.70).
sYou can divide files (PCM*, MP3)
that have been recorded with this
recorder into two files (☞P.72).
*WS-813, WS-812 only.
sIndex mark and temp mark
features allow you to quickly find
desired locations (☞P.42).
sThe playback speed and tone*
can be controlled (☞P.41).
*WS-813, WS-812 only.
sThis recorder is compatible
with USB 2.0, enabling fast data
transfer to a computer.
sIt has a USB charging function
(WS-813, WS-812 only) (☞P.16).
sIt has a backlight full-dot display
(LCD panel).

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Identification of parts
Identification of parts
1Built-in stereo microphone (L)
2Built-in stereo microphone (R)
3LED indicator light (LED)
4Card cover
5
LIST button
6
MIC (Microphone) jack
7Display (LCD panel)
8
MENU button
9
+ button
0
REC ( s) (Record) button
!9button
@
– button
#
SCENE / INDEX button
$ STOP ( 4) button
%0button
^`
OK button
& ERASE button
*Built-in speaker
(Battery cover
)
EAR (Earphone) jack
-
POWER / HOLD switch
=USB connector slide lever
qStrap hole
wUSB connector
• Remove the screen protector from the
display.