Sony Walkman MZ-N910 User manual

3-253-938-11(1)
Portable
MiniDisc Recorder
Operating Instructions
Recorder Operation
_
____________________________
_
Software Operation
_
____________________________
_
page 11
page 92
©2003 Sony Corporation
MZ-N910
“WALKMAN” is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation to
represent Headphone Stereo products. is a
trademark of Sony Corporation.
Portable MiniDisc Recorder MZ-N910

2
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do
not expose the unit to rain or
moisture.
To prevent fire, do not cover the
ventilation of the apparatus with news
papers, table cloths, curtains, etc. And
don’t place lighted candles on the
apparatus.
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not
place objects filled with liquids, such as
vases, on the apparatus.
Certain countries may regulate disposal of
the battery used to power this product.
Please consult with your local authority.
Caution
The use of optical instruments with this
product will increase eye hazard.
CAUTION —INVISIBLE LASER
RADIATION WHEN OPEN
AVOID EXPOSURE TO BEAM
Information
The validity of the CE marking is
restricted to only those countries where it
is legally enforced, mainly in the
countries EEA (European Economic
Area).
•SonicStage, OpenMG and the OpenMG
logo, MagicGate Memory Stick and the
MagicGate Memory Stick logo,
Memory Stick and the Memory Stick
logo, Net MD and the Net MD logo are
trademarks of Sony Corporation.
•Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT and
Windows Media are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and /or
other countries.
•IBM and PC/AT are registered
trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation.
•Macintosh is a trademark of Apple
Computer, Inc. in the United States and/
or other countries.
•MMX and Pentium are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Intel
Corporation.
•All other trademarks and registered
trademarks are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders.
•™ and ® marks are omitted in this
manual.
Do not install the appliance in a
confined space, such as a bookcase or
built-in cabinet.
WARNING IN NO EVENT SHALL SELLER BE
LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT,
INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF
ANY NATURE, OR LOSSES OR
EXPENSES RESULTING FROM
ANY DEFECTIVE PRODUCT OR
THE USE OF ANY PRODUCT.

3
Notice for users
On the supplied software
•Copyright laws prohibit reproducing the
software or the manual accompanying it
in whole or in part, or renting the
software without the permission of the
copyright holder.
•In no event will SONY be liable for any
financial damage, or loss of profits,
including claims made by third parties,
arising out of the use of the software
supplied with this recorder.
•In the event a problem occurs with this
software as a result of defective
manufacturing, SONY will replace it.
However, SONY bears no other
responsibility.
•The software provided with this
recorder cannot be used with equipment
other than that which is so designated.
•Please note that, due to continued efforts
to improve quality, the software
specifications may be changed without
notice.
•Operation of this recorder with software
other than that provided is not covered
by the warranty.
Program © 2001, 2002 Sony Corporation
Documentation © 2003 Sony Corporation

4
Table of contents
Recorder Operation
Looking at controls .........................................12
Getting started ...............................................16
Recording an MD right away! .........................19
Playing an MD right away! ..............................23
Various ways of recording ..............................25
Viewing various information ................................................................25
To start/stop recording in sync with the sound source
(Synchro-recording) ........................................................................26
Long-time recording (MDLP) ..............................................................27
Recording from a TV or radio (Analog Recording) .............................28
Recording from a microphone ..............................................................29
To select microphone sensitivity ....................................................29
Adding track marks while recording ....................................................30
Adding track marks manually ........................................................30
Adding track marks automatically (Auto Time Mark) ...................30
Adjusting the recording level manually ................................................31
Various ways of playback ..............................32
Viewing various information ................................................................32
Selecting the play mode ........................................................................32
Playing a track repeatedly (Repeat Play) ........................................33
Listening to selected tracks only (Bookmark Play) ........................33
Listening to tracks in a desired sequence (Program Play) ..............34
Adjusting the sound (Virtual-Surround • 6-Band Equalizer) ...............34
Varying the virtual sound to create different acoustics (Virtual-
Surround) .........................................................................34
Selecting the sound quality (6-Band Equalizer) .............................35
Changing playback speed (Digital Pitch Control) ................................36
Setting the alarm (Melody Timer) ........................................................36
Connecting to a stereo system (LINE OUT) ........................................38

5
Editing recorded tracks ..................................39
Before editing ....................................................................................... 39
Labeling a track or a disc (Name) ........................................................ 39
Labeling ......................................................................................... 40
Re-labeling ..................................................................................... 41
Moving recorded tracks (Move) .......................................................... 42
Dividing a track (Divide) ..................................................................... 43
Dividing a track directly ................................................................ 43
Adjusting the dividing point before dividing a track (Divide
Rehearsal) ....................................................................... 43
Combining tracks (Combine) ............................................................... 44
Erasing tracks and the entire disc (Erase) ............................................ 44
To erase a track .............................................................................. 45
To erase the whole disc .................................................................. 45
Using the group function ................................46
What is the group function? ................................................................. 46
Using the group function when recording ............................................ 46
Recording tracks to a new group ................................................... 46
Recording a track to an existing group .......................................... 47
Using the group function when playing ............................................... 47
Playing a track in group play ......................................................... 47
Selecting the play mode for group play (Group Play Mode) ......... 48
Repeat play for the selected group play mode
(Group Repeat Play) ....................................................... 48
Playing groups in a desired sequence (Group Program Play) ....... 48
Editing groups ...................................................................................... 49
Assigning tracks or groups as a new group (Group Setting) ......... 49
Releasing a group setting ............................................................... 50
Labeling recorded groups .............................................................. 50
Moving a track in a disc with group setting ................................... 51
Changing the order of a group on a disc (Group Move) ................ 52
To erase a group ............................................................................. 52

6
Other operations .............................................54
Useful settings .......................................................................................54
How to use the menu items ............................................................57
Setting the clock to stamp the recorded time ..................................58
Turning off the beep sound .............................................................58
Changing the operational direction of the display ..........................59
Preserving battery power (Power Save Mode) ...............................59
Recording without overwriting existing material ...........................59
Creating a new group when recording ............................................60
Selecting the play mode ..................................................................60
Adjusting the sound (Virtual-Surround • 6-Band Equalizer) .........62
Changing playback speed (Digital Pitch Control) ..........................63
Starting the playback quickly (Quick Mode) .................................63
Protecting your hearing (AVLS) ....................................................64
Viewing various information ..........................................................64
Turning on/off the backlight ...........................................................65
Adjusting the contrast of the display window
(Contrast Adjustment) .....................................................65
Labeling (Name) .............................................................................65
Moving recorded tracks ..................................................................66
Erasing tracks, the entire disc or groups (Erase) ............................67
Assigning tracks or groups as a new group (Group Setting) ..........67
Releasing a group setting ................................................................67
Using the alarm (Melody Timer) ....................................................68
Storing the settings for individual discs
(Personal Disc Memory) .................................................68
List of menus ..................................................................................70
Power sources ................................................72
Battery life ......................................................................................72
Additional information ....................................73
Precautions ............................................................................................73
Specifications ........................................................................................75

7
Troubleshooting and explanations ................77
Troubleshooting ................................................................................... 77
While charging ............................................................................... 77
While recording ............................................................................. 78
While playing ................................................................................. 80
While Editing ................................................................................. 82
While using group function ........................................................... 83
Others ............................................................................................. 83
Messages .............................................................................................. 85
Explanations ......................................................................................... 89

8
Software Operation
What is a Net MD? ..........................................93
Basic Operations ............................................94
Basic operational flow using the Net MD ............................................94
Providing the required system environment .........................................95
System requirements ......................................................................95
Installing the software onto your computer ..........................................96
Before installing the software .........................................................96
Installing SonicStage Ver.1.5 .........................................................97
Connecting the Net MD to your computer ...........................................99
Storing audio data to your computer ...................................................100
Starting SonicStage ......................................................................100
Recording audio CDs to the hard disk drive ................................101
Labeling audio data ......................................................................103
Transferring audio data from your computer to the
Net MD (Check-out) ......................................................................104
Checking out audio files to the Net MD .......................................104
Listening to an MD .............................................................................107
Listening to an MD with the Net MD connected to the
computer ........................................................................107
Listening to an MD with the Net MD disconnected from the
computer ........................................................................107
Advanced operations ....................................108
Using other functions! ........................................................................108
Using the SonicStage online help .................................................108

9
Other information .........................................110
Settings and Precautions .................................................................... 110
Settings according to OS .............................................................. 110
For users with OpenMG Jukebox, SonicStage, or SonicStage
Premium installed on their computer ............................ 112
Note on hard disk drive space ...................................................... 113
Notes on system suspend/hibernation mode ................................ 113
Backing up the audio data ............................................................ 113
Uninstalling the SonicStage software ................................................ 114
For Windows XP users ................................................................ 114
For Windows Millennium Edition/Windows 98 Second Edition
users .............................................................................. 114
For Windows 2000 users ............................................................. 115
Troubleshooting ................................................................................. 116
If your computer does not recognize the Net MD ....................... 118
If the installation was not successful ........................................... 118
Information and explanations ............................................................. 120
Net MD FAQ ............................................................................... 120
On copyright protection ............................................................... 122
Glossary ............................................................................................. 124
Index ................................................................................................... 126

10
Before using this product
This manual explains the recorder operations and the installation and basic use of the
supplied SonicStage software. For details on the various operations, refer to the pages
indicated below.
When using the recorder
Recorder Operation (pages 11 to 91)
Pages 11 to 91 in this manual explain the use of the Net MD as an
ordinary MiniDisc Walkman.
Troubleshooting and explanations (page 77)
This section shows the troubles you may find while using the recorder,
and their solutions.
When using the Net MD (the recorder) connected to your
computer
Software Operation (pages 92 to 125)
Pages 92 to 125 in this manual explain the installation and basic operations of the supplied
SonicStage software. Refer to these pages for details.
Other information (page 110)
This section shows the troubles you may find while using the SonicStage software, and
their solutions. It also has the list of frequently asked questions and answers.
SonicStage Ver. 1.5 Help
This is an online help that you can view on your computer
screen.
Refer to online help for details on the use of the software. To
display the help window, see page 108.
Notes on the “Software Operation” section
•The displayed items in the illustrations that appear in this section may differ from the actual items
displayed by the software.
•Explanations in this section assume familiarity with basic Windows operations. For details on the use
of your computer and the operating system, please refer to the respective manuals.
•Explanations in this section cover general Net MD products. For this reason, some explanations (and
some illustrations) may not be applicable to your Net MD. Please refer to the operating instructions of
your Net MD as well.
3-000-000-11(1)
Portable
MiniDisc Recorder
Operating Instructions
Recorder Operation _____________________________
_
Software Operation _____________________________
_
page 13
page 94
©2003 Sony Corporation
MZ-N910
ìWALKMANî is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation to
represent Headphone Stereo products. is a
trademark of Sony Corporation.
Portable MiniDisc Recorder MZ-N910

11
Checking the supplied accessories
Optical cable (1)
CD-ROM (SonicStage Ver. 1.5) (1)*
Carrying pouch/carrying case with a belt clip (1)
∗Do not play a CD-ROM on an audio CD player.
AC power adaptor (1) Battery charging stand (1) Headphones/earphones
with a remote control (1)
NH-14WM Nickel metal
hydride rechargeable
battery (1)
Dedicated USB cable (1)
Dry battery case (1)
Battery carrying
case (1)
Recorder Operation

12
Looking at controls
The recorder
AEND SEARCH button
BT MARK button
CBattery compartment
DDisplay window
EGROUP button
Fx• CHG button
GHOLD switch
Slide the switch in the direction of the
arrow to disable the buttons on the
recorder. To prevent the buttons from
being accidentally operated when you
carry the recorder, use this function.
HTerminals for attaching a battery
charging stand
ITerminals for attaching a dry battery
case
JDC IN 3V jack
KXbutton
L5-way control key
∗The Nand VOL + button has a tactile dot.
MOPEN switch
qf
1
4
5
8
6
7
9
q;
q
a
qd
qs
qh
qg
qj
qk
w;
ql
2
3
Operation Function
Press N*play
Press .rewind
Press >fast forward
Press VOL +*, – volume

13
NJog dial (MENU/ENTER)
OHandstrap hole
Use the hole to attach your own strap.
PDedicated USB cable connecting jack
QLINE IN (OPT) jack
RMIC (PLUG IN POWER) jack
There is a tactile dot beside the MIC
(PLUG IN POWER) jack.
SREC (record) switch
Ti(headphones/earphones)/LINE
OUT jack
The display window of the recorder
APlay mode indication
Shows the play mode (shuffle play,
program play, repeat play, etc.) of the
MD.
BGroup indication
CCharacter information display
Displays the disc and track names,
date, error messages, track numbers,
etc.
DREC indication
Lights up while recording. When
flashing, the recorder is in record
standby mode.
ESYNC (synchro-recording) indication
FBookmark indication
Lights up when playing a bookmarked
track.
GLevel meter
HBattery indication
Shows the approximate remaining
battery condition.
ILP2, LP4, MONO (monaural)
indication
JMelody timer indication
KDisc indication
Shows that the disc is rotating for
recording or playing.
Turn to select Push to enter
1 2 3 5
89 0q
a
4 6
7

14
The headphones/earphones with a remote control
AVolume control (VOL+, –)
Turn to adjust the volume.
Bx(stop) button
CJog lever (NX/ENT, ., >)
NX/ENT (to press): play, pause,
enter
.(to slide towards): REW
>(to slide towards): FF
DDisplay window
E(group) +, –
FClip
GHOLD switch
Slide the switch in the direction of the
arrow (a yellow mark appears) to
disable the buttons on the remote
control. To prevent the buttons from
being accidentally operated when you
carry the recorder, use this function.
HDISPLAY button
IP MODE/ button
JSOUND button
B
C
D
E
AF
G
H
I
J

15
The display window of the remote control
ADisc indication
BTrack number display
CCharacter information display
DPlay mode indication
ESOUND indication
FBattery level indication
GGroup indication
HBookmark indication
IMelody timer indication
1
2
Using the clip for the remote control
It may be hard for you to read the indications in the display if the remote control is attached
upside down with the clip in its current position. In this case, attach the clip in the opposite
direction as shown below.
1 Remove the clip. 2 Attach the clip in the opposite direction.
FGHI
BACDE

16
Getting started
Charge the rechargeable battery before using. Even if the rechargeable
battery is not charged, you can use the recorder as long as the AC
power adaptor is connected.
1 Insert the rechargeable battery.
2 Charge the rechargeable battery.
1Connect the AC power adaptor to the
battery charging stand and the AC
adaptor to a wall outlet.
2Place the recorder on the battery
charging stand.
“Charging” flashes, eappears in the
display, and charging starts. When charging
is completed, the battery indication
disappears. Full charging of a completely
discharged rechargeable battery takes about
3.5 hours. The recorder can be used when
edisappears in the display. The battery
will be fully charged after charging is
continued 2 more hours.
e
E
Insert the NH-14WM
rechargeable battery minus
end first.
Close the lid.Slide OPEN to open the
battery compartment lid.
AC power
adaptor To DC IN 3V
To a wall
outlet Battery charging
stand
Attach the
connector to the
jack firmly.

17
3Remove the recorder from the battery
charging stand.
For models supplied with the AC plug adaptor
If the AC power adaptor does not fit the wall outlet, use the AC plug adaptor.
3 Make connections and unlock the
controls.
1Connect the headphones/earphones
with the remote control to i/LINE OUT. 2Slide HOLD to the opposite direction of the arrow (.) on the recorder or the
remote control to unlock the controls.
12
Using the alkaline dry battery
Attach the dry battery case to the recorder. Insert the battery minus end first.
Insert a LR6 (size AA) alkaline dry battery.
To operate the recorder for the longest possible time, use the dry battery together with a
fully charged rechargeable battery.
Rear of the
recorder
HOLD
Connect firmly
To i/LINE OUT
Connect firmly
HOLD
continued

18
z
You can also charge the rechargeable battery by
connecting the AC power adaptor directly to the
recorder.
Connect the AC power adaptor to DC IN 3V on
the recorder, and then press x• CHG while the
recorder is stopped.
“Charging” and eappear in the display and
charging starts. Full charging takes about 3.5
hours. Charging is complete when e
disappears. Charging time may vary depending
on the battery condition.
Notes
•If you start playback or do another operation
during charging, the charging will stop.
•“Charging” and emay not appear in the
display immediately after you place the
recorder on the battery charging stand. The
indication will, however, begin flashing after a
few minutes and charging will begin.
•Charge the battery at a temperature of +5°C
(+41°F) to +40°C (+104°F).
Battery life
The battery life is measured with the
power save mode on (see “Preserving
battery power (Power Save Mode)”
(page 59)). For details, refer to “Battery
life” (page 72).
When recording (Unit: Approx. hours)
When playing
Batteries SP
Stereo LP2 Stereo LP4 Stereo
NH-14WM
nickel metal
hydride
rechargeable
battery
11 16 20
LR6 (SG)
Sony alkaline
dry battery
11 16 21
NH-14WM
nickel metal
hydride
rechargeable
battery
+ LR6 (SG)
29 38 50
Batteries SP
Stereo LP2 Stereo LP4 Stereo
NH-14WM
nickel metal
hydride
rechargeable
battery
31 38 45
LR6 (SG)
Sony alkaline
dry battery
47 57 69
NH-14WM
nickel metal
hydride
rechargeable
batter
+ LR6 (SG)
80 95 114

19
Recording an MD right away!
This section explains the basic procedure for making digital
recordings using an optical cable connected to a CD player, Digital
TV or other digital equipment. Make sure to use the optical cable. It is
recommended to use the recorder with the AC power adaptor when
recording. For other recording operations, see “Various ways of
recording” (page 25).
1 Insert an MD.
1Slide OPEN to open the lid. 2Insert an MD to the direction of the
arrow with the label side facing front,
and press the lid down to close.
Make sure to
check the
record-protect
tab is closed.

20
2 Make connections. (Insert the cables
firmly and completely into the appropriate jacks.)
Note
It is recommended that you connect the AC power adaptor directly to the recorder while recording. If
you record using the battery charging stand, make sure that the fully charged rechargeable battery is
inserted in the recorder just in case the recorder becomes detached from the battery charging stand.
3 Record an MD.
1Select and pause the sound source to
be recorded.
2While the recorder is stopped, press
and slide REC.
“REC” and the REC LED light up and
recording starts.
3Play the source you want to record.
Track marks are automatically added at
the same point as the sound source.
To stop recording, press x.
Optical cable*
To LINE IN (OPT)
Optical plug Optical
mini-plug
CD player, MD
player, DVD
video player, etc.
Portable
CD player,
etc.
To a
wall
outlet
AC power
adaptor
To DC IN 3V
To a digital (optical) out jack
∗See “Optional
accessories” (page 75).
REC
5-way control
key (N,
., >)
END
SEARCH
Jog dial
x
X