Sony TC-142 Setup guide

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CASSETTE-CORDER
TC-142
OWNER'S
INSTRUCTION
MANUAL

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The Sony Cassette-Corder M ode l TC- 142 is easy to operate,
conven i ent to carry and e njoyabl e to use.
B
efore operating the TC -1 42 , be s ur e to read this owner's in-
struction manual thoroughly to ensure proper operation . Save
this manua l for future reference.
2
PRINCIPAL FEATURES
F & F (Ferrite and Ferrite) head
Th e TC-142's record / playback head is all " ferrit e" with dura -
bility , gap precision and surface smoothness to en sure longer
head lif e.
3- head system
W ith the monitor head you can monitor the just - recorded sounds
during recording .
Automatic recording and manual recording systems
Aut omatic recording system adjusts the recording l evel auto -
matically (SONY- MATIC ).
Manual
recording system permits you to adjust the recording
level to your preference.
All - mode shut - off
The tape will stop and the power will be disconnected at end -
of - tape in any operating mode .
Pre-end alarm system
The END ALARM lamp will start to flicker during recording a
few mi nutes before end-of - tape . Simultaneously , an alarm is
heard through the earp h one .
Counter-inertial flywheel system
Thi s system prevents excessive wow and flutter during mobile
r ecordings .
Four way power
The TC- 142 may be operated with the batteries , house current ,
rechargeab le battery or a 12 volt car battery .
Furth ermo re TC-142 also provides a Built -in condenser micro -
pho ne, PAUSE button , TAPE SELECT switch , and a B attery check
button .

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
WARNING . 3
PRECAUTIONS 3
NOTES ON CASSETTES 4
LOCATION
OF PARTS AND CONTROLS 5
POWER SOURCES 6
RECORDING 8
PLAYBACK
... . 11
OTHER RECORDINGS .
12
ERASING . . ... 13
MAINTENANCE. . . . 14
TO ATTACH THE SHOULDER STRAP. 15
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE 16
SPECIFICATIONS . . 18
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
18
WARNING
To avoid electrical shock, do not open the
cabinet.
Refer servicing to qualified personnel only.
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not ex-
pose the set to rain or moisture.
PRECAUTIONS
O Keeping the tape heads in a clean condition is essential to
the proper operation of the recorder . For cleaning information
refer to page 14 .
O
Operate only on 120V AC or 6V DC. For AC operation use
the supplied AC power cord . Do not use any other type AC
power cord.
0 Unplug the set from the wall outlet when it is not to be
used.
O
To disconnect the cord , pull it out by the plug. Never pull
it by the cord .
O
Should any liquid or foreign objects fall into the cabinet ,
unplug the set and have it checked by qualified personnel
before operating it any further .
O
Allow adequate air circulation to prevent internal heat build -
up . Do not place the set on surfaces (rugs , blankets , etc .)
or near materials (curtains , draperies) that may block the venti -
lation holes .
0 Do not install the set in a location near heat sources such
as radiators or airducts , or in a place s ubject to direct sun -
light , or excessive dust or shock.
O The RECORD button cannot be depressed in the following
cases.
1.
No cassette in the Cassette holder .
2.
The cassette in the holder has the safety tabs removed .
(Refer to page 4 .)
O
lf you have any problem or question regarding your TC- 142 ,
consult your nearest authorized Service Station of Sony tape
recorder
3

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NOTES
ON
CASSETTES
Before
inserting
a
cassette,
take
up
any
slack
in
the
tape
by
inserting
a
pencil
into
the
hub
of
the
cassette
and
turning
it
a
few
times.
(
Fi
g.
1)
The
sides
of
a
Sony
cassette
are
marked
"A"
and
"B"
.
To
record
or
play
back
side
"A
",
place a
cassette
into
the
Cassette
holder
with
side
"A"
up
as
illustrated
in Fig. 2.
Similarly
for
si
de
" B" ,
insert
t
he
cassette
with
side
"
B"
up
as
illustrated
in Fig. 3.
The
letter
" A"
on
the
Sony
cassette
is
embossed
to
help
you
distinguish
that
side
of
the
cassette
in a
dim
ly l
ighted
area.
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
4
To
pr
even
t acci
dental
era
s
ure
W
hen
the
recorder
is
operated
in
the
record
mode
,
previous
recordings
are
automatically
erased. For
this
reason,
cassettes
incorporate
a
convenient
safety
device
to
prevent
accidental
erasure
.
When
the
small
tabs
at
the
rear
of
a
cassette
are
br
oken
out
, a
safety
device
on
the
recorder
will
be
activated
,
preventing
recording
.
To
protect
side
"
A"
recording,
break
out
the tab
on
that
side
(F
ig.
4)
. For
protection
of
side
"B"
, break
out
the
tab
of
side
" B
".
When
the
cassette
is
installed
with
the
tabs
broken
out
,
the
RECO
RD
button
cannot
be
depressed
.
To
reuse
a
cassette
for
recording
after
the
tabs
have
been re-
moved
,
simply
cover
each
slot
with
a
small
piece
of
cellophane
or
vinyl
tape.
(Fig. 5)
O
Don
't
stick
cellophane
,
vinyl
tape
or
paper
anywhere
except
on
the
portion
marked
O .

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LOCATION
OF
PARTS
AND
CONTROLS
Ca
sse
tte
holder
----------
--
----
-
---
---,
Reset
button
----
--
-----------~
Tap
e
counter
----
-
----------~
AC
input
socket
[AC
INPUT
]
Pre-end alarm la
mp
END
ALARM
Record /
battery
indi
cato
r [
REC
BATT
]-------
~
Battery
check
button
[
BATT
CHECK
]--------
-~
Ton
e
control
l
TONE
]-
--
--------------~
Volume
control
[
VOLUME
]-----------
--
----~
,--
------------
-Cassette
eject
button
[EJECT]
,--
----
-
-----
--
---
Rewind
button
[
◄◄
]
--
--
----
--
-----
Stop
button
[
■
]
-
-------
--
--
Forward
button
[
►
]
-
-------
Fa
st
forward
button
[
►►
]
___
_ _
Built
-in
condenser
mi
c
rophone
'
MICROPHONE
]
----
R
eco
rd
button
'RECORD]
-----
Pause
button
, PAUSE]
--
--
Microphone
input
jack
[
MIC
]
----
Remote
control
jack
[REMOTE]
'---
-----
Line
input
jack
[LINE IN]
--
----
- -
Monitor
jack
[
MONITOR
]
--
-----
Monitor
switch
[SOURCE/TAPE]
---
---
Record
mode
switch
[
AUTO
/
MANUAL
]
'-----
-
---
Tape
select
switch
[
NORMA
L/
CrO2]
5

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POWER
SOURCES
Batteries
1.
Remove
the
cover
of
the
Battery
compartment
located
at
th
e
rear
.
2.
Insert
four
batteries
(size " C" )
with
correct
battery
polarity
indicated
inside
.
3. Replace
the
cover.
O Be s
ure
that
the
AC
power
cord
and
/
or
the
optional
car
battery
cord
is
disconnected
from
the
respective
socket
of
the
set.
O
When
th
e
set
is
not
to
be
used
for
a
long
time
or
used
on
house
current,
remove
the
batteries
to
avoid
damage
from
battery
leakage
and
corrosion
.
6
Battery
life
About
5
hours
of
continuous
recording
with
the
Built
-in
condenser
microphone
is
possible
using
Sony
Super
Batteries
(size " C" ).·
Intermittent
use
will
prolong
the
battery
life
.
0
If
the
set
is
operated
on
batteries
in
the
cold
,
the
life
of
the
batterie
s
will
be
shortened
.
Checking
battery
condition
Depress
the
►
button
.
If
the
pointer
of
the
REC
/
BATT
indicator
does
not
stay
within
the
green
zone,
replace
all
four
batteries
with
new
ones
.
When
you
check
the
battery
condition
while
recording
,
depress
the
BATT
CHECK
button
and
see
the
pointer
in
the
same
way
as in
playback
.
O
For
critical
recording
,
fre
sh
batteries
are
recommended
.
Repla
ce
t
he
b~II
P.
ri
Ps
Good
ba
ll
ery
co
nd11
1on

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House
Current
First
insert
the
AC
power
cord
in
the
AC
INPUT
socket
of
the
se
t
and
th
en
connec
t
the
cord
plug
to
an AC
outlet.
Wh
ile
the
AC
power
co
rd is
connected
to
the
AC
INPUT
socket
,
the
inte
rnal
batteries
are a
ut
omatical
ly
disconnected
.
[
to
an
AC
o
utl
et 0
AC
INPUTJ
.._
~------JV
Car
Battery
With
the
use
of
Sony
Car
Ba
tt
ery
Cord
DCC-
127H
(opt
i
ona
l),
connect
the
DC
IN
6V
socket
of
the
set
to
a
cigare
tt
e lig
ht
er
socket
of
a 1
2V
car.
For
further
details
refer
to
the
instruction
manual
of DCC-127H.
r--
[
DC
-I
N
JLJ=l,
V,
F--
ro
~
1
(ill»
l
DCC-
127H
f------~
06~
-..
to a cigare
tt
e lig
ht
er s
ocket
Rechargeable
Battery
Pack
In
stal
l
the
Sony
Rechargeable
Batt
ery
P
ack
BP
-
16H
(optional)
into
the
B
attery
compartment
instead
of
the
batteries.
Th
e
fully
charged
BP
-
16H
allows
about
7
hours
of
continuous
recording
with
the
Built-in
condenser
microphone
.
Charging
time
is
about
21
hours
.
B
efore
using
,
charge
the
battery
pack
.
The
BP
-
16H
will
auto
-
matically
be
recharged
whenever
the
TC-
142
is
connected
to
house
current
.
OW
hen
recharging
is
completed
,
remove
the
AC
power
cord
to
avoid
overcharg
i
ng
the
battery
pack
.
7

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RECORDING
With
the
Built
-in
condenser
microphone
SONY-MATIC
recording
The
SONY-MATIC
recording
control
system
adjusts
and
maintain
s
proper
recording
level
automatically
.
1.
Depress
the
EJECT
button
to
open
the
Cassette
holder.
2.
Install
a
cassette
into
the
holder
with
the
desired
side
"UP"
for
recording
. Close
the
holder
.
0
Do
not
touch
the
exposed
portion
of
the
tape
.
OBe
sure
that
the
portion
of
the
tape
to
be
recorded
is
wound
on
the
left
reel.
If
not.
depr
ess
the
◄◄
button
to
rewind
th
e
tape
.
3.
Set
the
RECORD
mode
switch
to
AUTO
.
4 .
Set
the
TAPE
SELECT
switch
to
NORMAL
:
to
record
with
a
standard
cassett
e
(including
Sony
UHF
cassette)
.
Cr02:
to
record
with
a
chromium
dioxide
cassette
.
5.
Set
the
Tape
counter
to
"
000"
by
pushing
the
Reset
button
.
6.
Depress
the
RECORD
button
and
the
►
button
simultaneous
ly
.
Recording
will
begin
.
7.
To
stop
the
tape
before
it
comes
to
the
end
,
depress
the
■
button
.
0
You
can
make
sure
that
the
TC-
142
is reco
rding
,
by
setting
the
MONITOR
switch
to
TAPE
and
monitoring
through
the
earphone
and
by
REC
/
BATT
indicator
's
swinging
.
0
If
the
recording
is
not
completed
by
the
end
of
one
side
of
the
tape,
depress
the
EJECT
button
to
open
the
cassett
e
holder
and
take
out
the
cassette
.
Turn
the
cassette
over
and
repeat
step
2, 5
and
6.
8

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With
an
external
microphone
Wh
en
using
a
two
-
pin
plug
microphone
such
as
Sony
F-
27S
(dptional),
insert
the
thicker
pin
in
the
MIC
input
jack
and
the
thinner
one
in
the
REMOTE
control
jack
.
When
using
a
one-pin
plug
microphone
such
as
Sony
ECM-
250D
(optional)
,
only
the
MIC
input
jack
is used.
The
built
-in
microphone
will
be
discon
-
nected
automatically
.
Other
recording
procedures
are
the
same
as
for
recording
with
the
Built
-in
condenser
microphon
e.
O
The
REMOTE
control
jack
of
the
set
is
not
set
firmly
in
order
to
allow
easier
access
wh
en
inserting
plug
.
OA
dual-pin
plug
mi
cro
phon
e
provid
es
remote
tape s
top
sta
rt
capability.
@ @ ~ I @
ON
(REMOTE!~
'""I
C_l
___
~
Manual
recording
In
manual
recording
,
recording
level
can be
adjusted
to
your
preference
.
Proceed as
follows
after
the
cassette
has been
installed
in
the
Cassette
holder
,
the
position
of
the
TAPE SELECT
switch
has
been
selected
,
and
the
Reset
button
has
been
pushed
.
1.
Set
the
RECORD
mode
s
witch
to
MANUAL
.
2. D
epress
the
PAUSE
button.
3. D
epress
th
e RECORD
button
and
the
►
button
simultaneously
.
4 .
Set
th
e
MONITOR
switch
to
SOURCE.
9

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5.
Insert
the
earphone
in
the
MONITOR
jack
.
While
monitoring
through
the
earphone
adjust
the
recording
level
with
the
VOLUME
control
so
that
the
pointer
of
the
REC
/
BATT
indicator
deflects
near
O
at
program
peak
s.
6. Depress
the
PAUSE
button
again
to
release.
Re
cordi
ng
will
begin
.
To
monitor
while
recording
Insert
the
supplied
earphone
in
the
MONITOR
jack.
When
setting
the
MONITOR
switch
at
SOURCE,
source
sounds
can be
monitored
and
at
the
TAPE
position
the
just
-
recorded
sounds
can be
monitored
.
Thu
s
you
can
make
sure
that
the
TC-
142
is
surely
recording
by
setting
the
MONITOR
switch
to
TAPE
and
monitoring
through
the
earphone.
While
monitoring
,
tone
quality
can be
adjusted
to
your
pre-
ference
by
TONE
control
in
both
SONY
-
MATIC
and
manual
re-
cording.
10
Pre-end
alarm
system
The
END
ALARM
lamp
will
start
to
flicker
a
few
minutes
before
end-of-tape
in
the
record
mode
.
Simultaneously
, an
alarm
is
heard
through
the
earphone
.
With
the
Sony
Cassette
Tape
C-
60
,
the
lamp
will
begin
to
flicker
about
1.5
minutes
before
end-of-tape,
C-
90
about
2.5
minutes
before
end-of-tape
and
C-
120
about
3.5
minutes
before
end-of
-
tap
e.
Tape
counter
Use
the
Tape
counter
for
indexing
tape
contents.
B
efo
re s
tarting
a
recording,
set
the
tape
counter
to
"000"
by
pushing
the
Reset
button
.
The
figures
on
the
counter
will
change,
as
the
tape
passes.
Make a
note
of
the
figures
and
the
program
being
recorded
.
PAUSE
button
To
momentarily
pause
during
the
recording
to
avoid
unwanted
program
material
,
depress
and
lock
the
PAUSE
button
.
To
re-
start
depress
the
button
again
to
release it.
The
PAUSE
button
can also be used
for
"s
tandby"
recording
.
For
instantaneous
recording
,
depress
and
lock
the
PAUSE
button
first.
Then
depress
the
►
button
and
the
RECORD
button
simul-
ta
neously
.
When
the
desired
program
starts,
depress
the
PAUSE
button
again
.
Recording
will
begin
immediately
.
The
PAUSE
button
can also be used
for
a
momentary
stop
during
playback
.
Use
the
■
button
for
extended
pauses.
O
The
PAUSE
button
does
not
operate
in
fast
forward
and
r
e-
wind
mode
.