Sony MHC-RG88 User manual

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
1
GB
Mini Hi-Fi
Component
System
© 2002 Sony Corporation
Operating Instructions
4-238-410-73 (1)
MHC-RG88

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
2
GB
WARNING
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not
expose the unit to rain or moisture.
To avoid electrical shock, do not open the cabinet.
Refer servicing to qualified personnel only.
Do not install the appliance in a confined space,
such as a bookcase or built-in cabinet.
This appliance is classified
as a CLASS 1 LASER
product. The CLASS 1
LASER PRODUCT
MARKING is located on
the rear exterior.
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.
Don’t throw away the battery with
general house waste, dispose of it
correctly as chemical waste.
ENERGY STAR®is a U.S.
registered mark.
As an ENERGY STAR®partner,
Sony Corporation has determined
that this product meets the
ENERGY STAR®guidelines for
energy efficiency.
The MHC-RG88 consists of the
following components:
– Tuner/CD player/Stereo cassette
deck/Amplifier (main unit) HCD-RG88
– Subwoofer SS-WGV8
– Speaker System
• Front speakers SS-RG88
• Surround speakers SS-RS88

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
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Table of Contents
List of Button Location and
Reference Pages
Main unit ............................................... 4
Subwoofer ............................................. 5
Remote Control ..................................... 5
Getting Started
Hooking up the system .......................... 6
Inserting two size AA (R6) batteries into
the remote ........................................ 8
Setting the clock .................................... 8
CD
Loading the CD ..................................... 9
Playing the CD
–– Normal Play/Shuffle Play/
Repeat Play ..................................... 9
Programming the CD tracks
–– Program Play ............................ 10
Tuner
Presetting radio stations ....................... 11
Listening to the radio
–– Preset Tuning ........................... 11
Tape
Loading a tape ..................................... 12
Playing a tape ...................................... 12
Recording to a tape
–– CD Synchro Recording/
High Speed Dubbing/Recording
Manually/Program Edit ................. 13
Timer-recording radio programs ......... 14
Sound Adjustment
Adjusting the sound ............................. 16
Selecting the speaker system ............... 16
Selecting the preset effect .................... 16
Adjusting the graphic equalizer and
storing the personal file ................. 17
Selecting the surround effect ............... 17
Other Features
Changing the spectrum analyzer
display ........................................... 18
Adjusting the brightness of the
display ........................................... 18
Enhancing the video game sound
— Game Sync ............................... 18
Mixing the sound
— Game Mixing ........................... 18
Singing along ....................................... 19
Falling asleep to music
— Sleep Timer .............................. 19
Waking up to music
— Daily Timer .............................. 20
Display
Turning off the display
— Power Saving Mode ................. 21
Using the display ................................. 21
Hooking Up the Optional
Components
Connecting an MD deck/VCR ............ 22
Connecting a Video Game Player ....... 22
Connecting external antennas .............. 23
Troubleshooting
Problems and remedies ........................ 24
Additional Information
Precautions .......................................... 26
Specifications ...................................... 27

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
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CD eg (7, 9, 10, 13, 14)
CD SYNC HI-DUB qf (13, 14)
DECK A Awh (12~14)
DECK B Aqh (12~15)
DIMMER 9(18)
DIRECTION q; (12~14)
DISC 1~3 4(9, 10)
DISC SKIP EX-CHANGE 5(9, 10)
Disc tray 3(9)
DISPLAY 7(21)
EDIT q; (14)
EFFECT ON/OFF rs (16)
ENTER ra (10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20,
25)
FM MODE qs (11, 25)
GAME ea (18, 22)
GAME EQ rd (18)
GAME INPUT wd (13, 18)
GAME MIXING wl (13, 18)
GROOVE rf (16)
IR (receptor) 2
MD (VIDEO) es (22, 24)
MIC wa (19)
MIC LEVEL w; (19)
MOVIE EQ ek (16)
MUSIC EQ eh (16)
OPEN/CLOSE Z6(9, 10)
P FILE r; (17)
PHONES jack ql (24)
PLAY MODE e; (9, 10, 14)
REC PAUSE/START qg (13, 14)
REPEAT qs (10)
SPECTRUM 8(18)
SURROUND el (17)
SURROUND SPEAKER MODE
wj (16)
TAPE A/B ed (12, 13)
TUNER/BAND ef (11)
TUNER MEMORY e; (11)
VOLUME qa (16, 20)
BUTTON DESCRIPTIONS
@/1 1
hH ws
xqd
Xwk
>qj
.wg
M/+ qk
m/– wf
v/V/b/Bej
List of Button Location and Reference Pages
ALPHABETICAL ORDER
A - D
M - Q
123 4 56
7
8
90
K
L
M
N
O
qh
qj
qk
qlw;waws
W
X
wg
wh
wj
wk
wl
e;
ea es
eg
ed ef ejeh ek
el
rar;
rdrs
rf
How to use this page
Use this page to find the location of buttons and other
parts of the system that are mentioned in the text.
Main unit
Illustration number
r
PLAY MODE e; (9, 10, 14)
R R
Name of button/part Reference page
E - L
R - Z

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
List of Button Location and Reference Pages
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Remote Control
D
E
R
S
T
U
V
ABC
Y
X
W
qh
qj
qa
qs
qd
qf
7
q;
qg
8
9
6
CD ql (7, 9, 10, 13, 14)
CLEAR 7(10, 14)
CLOCK/TIMER SELECT 2
(15, 20)
CLOCK/TIMER SET 3(8, 14,
20)
D.SKIP 9(9)
ENTER qd (8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17,
20)
EFFECT ON/OFF qf (16)
GAME w; (18, 22)
MD (VIDEO) q; (22)
PRESET – wd (11)
PRESET + wf (11)
PRESET EQ qj (16)
P FILE qh (17)
SURROUND SPEAKER MODE
qs (16)
SLEEP 1(19)
TAPE A/B qa (12, 13)
TUNER/BAND qk (11)
TUNING – wa (11)
TUNING + ws (11)
VOL +/– 8(16)
BUTTON DESCRIPTIONS
@/1 4
hH wg
X5
x6
.wd
>wf
mwa
Mws
v/V/b/Bqg
A - M
P - Z
ALPHABETICAL ORDER
Subwoofer
LINK (indicator) 6(16)
MATRIX SUR1 (indicator) 5(16)
MATRIX SUR2 (indicator) 4(16)
SUBWOOFER LEVEL 2(16)
SUBWOOFER ON/OFF 1(16)
SURROUND SPEAKER MODE
3(16)
A - Z
AB
C
D
E
6
ALPHABETICAL ORDER

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
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Getting Started
Hooking up the system
Do the following procedure 1to 7to hook up your system using the supplied cords and
accessories.
AM loop antenna
Front speaker
(Left)
Front speaker
(Right)
FM antenna
6
5
34
47
2
1
Surround
speaker (Left)
3Connect the front speakers.
Connect the speaker cords to the FRONT
SPEAKER jacks.
4Connect the surround speaker.
Connect the speaker cords to SURROUND
SPEAKER jacks.
Note
Keep the speaker cords away from the antennas to
prevent noise.
LR
+
_
Insert only the stripped portion.
Black/Stripe (#)Red/Solid (3)
Surround
speaker (Right)
Black/Stripe (#)Blue/Solid (3)
Insert only the stripped portion.
Main Unit
Subwoofer
1Connect the system cord to the
SYSTEM CONTROL connectors
properly.
Be sure to make this connection before you
connect the main units power cord to a wall
outlet.
2Connect the subwoofer.
Connect the subwoofer cord to
SUBWOOFER jacks as below. Be sure to
match the color of the cord and jacks.
Note
Place the subwoofer at least 0.3m away from the main
unit.
To disconnect
R
+
Insert only the stripped portion.
Black/Stripe (#)Grey/Solid (3)
Red
LR
+
_
Blue
Grey

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
Getting Started
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5Connect the FM and AM antennas.
Set up the AM loop antenna, then connect
it.
Extend the FM lead
antenna horizontally.
AM loop antenna
Extend the FM lead
antenna horizontally.
AM loop antenna
FM75
AM
FM75
AM
Jack type A
6For models with a voltage selector, set
VOLTAGE SELECTOR to the position of
your local power line voltage.
7Connect the power cord to a wall outlet.
The demonstration appears in the display.
When you press ?/1, the system turns on
and the demonstration automatically ends.
If the supplied adaptor on the plug does not
fit your wall outlet, detach it from the plug
(only for models equipped with an adaptor).
220V
120V
230-
240V
Jack type B
To connect optional components
See page 22.
To attach the speaker pads
Attach the supplied speaker pads to the bottom
of the speakers to stabilize the speakers and
prevent them from slipping.
Positioning the speakers
Place the front speakers at an angle of 45
degrees from your listening position. Place the
subwoofer at least 0.3m away from the main
unit.
Notice for carrying this system
Do the following to protect the CD
mechanism.
1Make sure that all discs are removed
from the unit.
2Hold down CD and then press ?/1until
“LOCK” appears.
3Release ?/1first, then release CD.
4Unplug the AC power cord.
Front
speaker
(L)
Front
speaker
(R)
45º
Surround
speaker
(L)
Surround
speaker
(R)
Main Unit Subwoofer
0.3m

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
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Inserting two size AA (R6)
batteries into the remote
Tip
With normal use, the batteries should last for about
six months. When the remote no longer operates the
system, replace both batteries with new ones.
Note
If you do not use the remote for a long period of time,
remove the batteries to avoid possible damage from
battery leakage.
E
e
eE
AA (R6)
batteries
Setting the clock
1Turn on the system.
2Press CLOCK/TIMER SET on the
remote.
When you set the time for the first time,
proceed to step 5.
3Press Vor vrepeatedly to select
CLOCK SET.
4Press ENTER.
5Press Vor vrepeatedly to set the hour.
6Press ENTER.
7Press Vor vrepeatedly to set the
minute.
8Press ENTER.
The clock starts functioning.
Tip
If you have made a mistake or want to change the
time, start over from step 2.
Note
The clock settings are cancelled when you disconnect
the power cord or if a power failure occurs.

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
CD
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GB
Loading the CD
1Press OPEN/CLOSE Z.
The CD compartment slides out.
2Place a CD with the label side up on the
disc tray.
To insert additional discs, press DISC SKIP
EX-CHANGE to rotate the disc tray.
3Press OPEN/CLOSE Zto close the CD
compartment.
Playing the CD
––Normal Play/Shuffle Play/Repeat
Play
This unit lets you play the CD in different play
modes.
1When playback is stopped, press PLAY
MODE repeatedly until the mode you
want appears in the display.
2Press one of the DISC 1~3 buttons.
If you press hH when CD is selected as
the function (press CD) and the disc tray is
closed, playback starts from the selected
CD.
Tip
You cannot change the play mode during playback.
Other Operations
To
Stop playback
Pause playback
Select a track
Find a point in a track
Select a CD when
playback is stopped
Switch to CD function
from another source
CD
Select
ALL DISCS
1 DISC
SHUFFLE
ALL DISCS
SHUFFLE
1 DISC
PROGRAM
To play
All CDs in the disc tray
continuously.
The CD you have selected in the
original order.
The tracks on all CDs in random
order.
The tracks on the CD you have
selected in random order.
The tracks on all CDs in the
order you want them to be
played (see “Programming the
CD tracks”on page 10).
Do this
Press x.
Press X.
Press again to resume
playback.
During playback or pause,
press >(to go forward)
or .(to go back).
Press and hold down Mor
mduring playback and
release it at the point you
want.
Press one of the DISC 1~3
buttons or DISC SKIP EX-
CHANGE (or D. SKIP on
the remote).
Press CD or one of the
DISC 1~3 buttons
(Automatic Source
Selection).
continued
ALL1 DISCS
Track
number Playing time
Disc presence
indicator
Disc tray number

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
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To
Play repeatedly
(Repeat Play)
Cancel Repeat
Play
Exchange other CDs
while playing
Remove the CD
*1 All the tracks repeated up to five times.
You cannot use this function during SHUFFLE
ALL DISCS.
*2 To repeat the current track you are playing.
Tip
Pressing the CD while the power is off automatically
turns the power on and CD is selected as a function.
Programming the CD
tracks
–– Program Play
You can make a program of up to 25 tracks
from all the CDs in the order you want them to
be played.
1Press CD.
2Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until
“PROGRAM” appears in the display.
3Press one of the DISC 1~3 to select a
CD.
To program all the tracks on a CD at once,
proceed to step 5 while “AL”appears on the
display.
Playing the CD (continued)
Do this
Press REPEAT repeatedly to
select “REPEAT”*1 or
“REPEAT 1”*2.
Press REPEAT until
“REPEAT”or “REPEAT 1”
disappears from the display.
Press DISC SKIP
EX-CHANGE.
Press OPEN/CLOSE Z.
4Press .or >repeatedly until the
track you want appears in the display.
5Press ENTER.
The track(s) is (are) programmed. The
program step number appears, followed by
the total playing time.
6To program additional tracks, repeat
steps 3 to 5.
Skip step 3 to select tracks from the same
disc.
7Press hH.
To
Cancel Program Play
Clear a track from
the end
Add a track to the
program when
playback is stopped
Tips
•The program you made remains in the system’s
memory even after it has been played back. Press
hH to play the same program again.
•If “--.--”appears instead of the total playing time
during programming, this means:
–you have programmed a track number
which exceeds 20.
–the total playing time has exceeded 100 minutes.
Track
number
Total playing time
(including selected
track)
PROGRAM
Disc tray
number
Do this
Press PLAY MODE
repeatedly until “1 DISC”or
“ALL DISCS”appears in
the display.
Press CLEAR on the remote
when playback is stopped.
1 Press one of the DISC
1~3 buttons to select a
CD.
2 Press .or >
repeatedly to select the
track.
3 Press ENTER.

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
Tuner
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Tuner
Presetting radio stations
You can preset 20 stations for FM and 10
stations for AM.
1Press TUNER/BAND repeatedly to
select FM or AM.
2Press and hold Mor m(or TUNING
+/–on the remote) until “AUTO”
appears in the display and the
frequency indication starts to change,
then release.
Scanning stops when the system tunes in a
station. “TUNED”and “STEREO”(for a
stereo program) appear.
3Press TUNER MEMORY.
A preset number appears in the display.
4Press .or >to select the preset
number you want to store.
5Press ENTER.
“COMPLETE”appears in the display.
The station is stored.
6Repeat steps 1 to 5 to store other
stations.
To tune in a station with a weak
signal (Manual Tuning)
Press Mor m(TUNING +/–on the remote)
repeatedly to tune in the station manually.
To change the AM tuning interval
(Except Middle Eastern models)
The factory settings for AM tuning interval is 9 kHz
(10 kHz in some areas). To change the AM tuning
interval, select any AM station first, then turn off the
power. While holding down the ENTER button, turn
the power back on. When you change the interval,
AM preset stations will be erased. To reset the
interval, repeat the same procedure.
Preset number
AUTO
MHz
Tips
•The preset stations are retained for half a day even
if you unplug the power cord or if a power failure
occurs.
•Pressing TUNER/BAND while the power is off
automatically turns the power on and TUNER is
selected as a function.
Listening to the radio
–– Preset Tuning
Preset radio stations in the tuner's memory first
(see “Presetting radio stations”).
1Press TUNER/BAND repeatedly to
select FM or AM.
2Press .or >(or press PRESET
+/–on the remote) to tune in the preset
station you want.
To listen to non-preset radio stations
Press Mor m(or TUNING +/–on the
remote) repeatedly (Manual Tuning) or press
and hold Mor m(or TUNING +/–on the
remote) (Automatic Tuning).
Tips
•When an FM program is noisy, press FM MODE so
that “MONO”appears in the display. There will be
no stereo effect, but the reception will improve.
•To improve broadcast reception, reorient the
antennas.
MHz
Preset number Frequency

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
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Loading a tape
1Press TAPE A/B repeatedly to select
Deck A or B.
2Press Z on the selected deck.
3Insert a tape in deck A or B.
Playing a tape
1Load a tape.
2Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select
gto play one side, jto play both
sides or RELAY* (Relay Play) to play
both decks in succession.
3Press hH. The tape starts playing.
Press hH again to play the reverse side.
* Relay Play always follow this cyclic sequence:
Deck A (front side) tDeck A (reverse side) t
Deck B (front side) tDeck B (reverse side)
Tape
Tape presence indicator
Insert with the
side you want to
play/record facing
forward.
To
Stop playback
Pause playback
Fast-forward
Rewind
Tips
•During jor Relay Play, the deck stops
automatically after repeating the sequence five
times.
•Pressing TAPE A/B while the power is off
automatically turns the power on and TAPE is
selected as a function.
•When a tape (tapes) is (are) inserted, corresponding
presence indicators light up.
Searching for the beginning of a
track (AMS*)
During playback, press .or >repeatedly
for the number of songs you want to skip
forward (or backward).
The search direction, + (forward) or –(back),
and number of songs being skipped (1~9)
appear in the display.
* AMS (Automatic Music Sensor)
Note
The AMS function may not operate correctly under
the following circumstances:
–When the unrecorded space between songs is less
than 4 seconds long.
–When the unit is placed near a television.
Example: searching forward 2 songs
ALL1 DISCS
Do this
Press x.
Press X.
Press again to resume
playback.
Press Mwhile playing the
front side, or press mwhile
playing the reverse side.
Press mwhile playing the
front side, or press Mwhile
playing the reverse side.

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
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Recording to a tape
–– CD Synchro Recording/High Speed Dubbing/Recording Manually/
Program Edit
You can record from a CD, tape, radio or other connected component. The recording level is adjusted
automatically.
Recording from a tape
(High-Speed Dubbing)
Recording from a CD
(CD Synchro Recording) Recording Manually
Insert a recordable tape into deck B.
Press TAPE A/B repeatedly
to select TAPE A.
Press CD. Press a function button
for the recording source.
Load the tape you want to
record into deck A.
Load the CD you want to
record.
Load the CD or tape
(or other audio
sources), or tune to the
station you want to
record.
Press CD SYNC HI-DUB. Press REC PAUSE/
START.
DECK B stands by for recording.
REC PAUSE/START indicator flashes.
Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select gto record on one side.
Select j(or RELAY) to record on both sides.
Press REC PAUSE/START. If you are recording manually, press hH to start
playing the source (for CD or Tape).
Recording starts.
Tips
•When you record on both sides, be sure to start
from the front side. If you start from the reverse
side, recording stops at the end of the reverse side.
•For recording from the reverse side:
After step 1, press TAPE A/B to select deck B and
press hH twice to start playback of the reverse
side. Press xat the point where you want to start
recording. The TAPE B reverse side indicator lights
up.
•(High-Speed Dubbing only)
If you set direction to jwhen the tapes you use
have different lengths, the tapes in each deck
reverses independently. If you select RELAY, the
tapes in both decks reverse together.
•For recording from the radio:
If noise is heard while recording from the radio,
move the respective antenna to reduce the noise.
Press xto stop recording.
Steps
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
•For recording from a CD to a tape manually:
You can press .or >to select tracks during
recording pause mode (after step 4 and before step
6).
•You can mix the sound from the component
connected to the GAME INPUT jacks with another
function such as CD, tape, radio or MD connected
to this system. To record the mixed sound, press
GAME MIXING after step 4 of “Recording
Manually”and then press REC PAUSE/START to
start recording. Game Mixing does not function
during High-Speed Dubbing and CD Synchro
Recording.
Note
You cannot listen to other sources while recording.
continued

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
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Recording a CD by specifying
track order
—Program Edit
You can record tracks from all the CDs in the
order you want. When programing, make sure
the playing times for each side do not exceed
the length of one side of the tape.
1Insert a recordable tape into deck B,
then press CD.
2Press PLAY MODE repeatedly until
“PROGRAM”appears in the display.
3Press one of the DISC 1–3 button to
select a CD.
To program all the tracks on a CD at once,
proceed to step 6 while “AL”appears in the
display.
4Press .or >repeatedly until the
tracks you want appears in the display.
5Press ENTER.
The track(s) is (are) programmed. The
program step number appears, followed by
the total playing time.
6To program additional tracks, repeat
steps 3 to 5.
Skip step 3 to select tracks from the same
disc.
7Press CD SYNC HI-DUB.
Deck B standby for recording. The REC
PAUSE/START indicator flashes.
8Press DIRECTION repeatedly to select
gto record on one side. Select j
(or RELAY) to record on both sides.
9Press REC PAUSE/START.
Recording starts.
Recording to a tape (continued)
To
Cancel Program Edit
Clear a track from
the end
Tip
To check the required tape length for recording a CD,
press EDIT after you have loaded a CD and pressed
CD. The required tape length for the currently
selected CD appears, followed by the total playing
time for side A and side B respectively (Tape Select
Edit).
Note
You cannot use Tape Select Edit for discs containing
over 20 tracks.
Timer-recording radio
programs
To timer-record, you must preset the radio
station (see “Presetting radio stations”on
page 11) and set the clock (see “Setting the
clock”on page 8) beforehand.
1Tune in the preset radio station (see
“Listening to the radio”on page 11).
2Press CLOCK/TIMER SET on the
remote.
“DAILY1 SET”appears.
3Press Vor vrepeatedly to select “REC
SET”, then press ENTER.
“ON”appears and the hour indication flash
in the display.
4Set the time to start recording.
Press Vor vrepeatedly to set the hour, then
press ENTER.
The minute indication starts flashing.
Press Vor vrepeatedly to set the minute,
then press ENTER.
The hour indication flashes again.
Do This
Press PLAY MODE
repeatedly until “1 DISC”or
“ALL DISCS”appears in
the display.
Press CLEAR on the remote
when playback is stopped.

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
Tape
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5Set the time to stop recording following
the above procedure.
The start time appears, followed by the stop
time, the preset radio station to be recorded
(e.g., “TUNER FM 5”), then the original
display appears.
6Insert a recordable tape into deck B.
Make sure the tape is in forward direction.
7Turn off the power.
When the recording starts, the volume level
is set to the minimum.
To
Check the setting
Change the setting
Cancel timer
operation
Notes
•If the power is on at the preset time, the Timer
recording does not work.
•The power turns on 15 seconds before the preset
time.
Do this
Press CLOCK/TIMER
SELECT on the remote and
press Vor vrepeatedly to
select “REC SEL”. Then, press
ENTER.
Start from step 1.
Press CLOCK/TIMER
SELECT on the remote and
press Vor vrepeatedly to
select “TIMER OFF”. Then,
press ENTER.

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
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Sound Adjustment
Adjusting the sound
You can reinforce the bass and create a more
powerful sound.
Press GROOVE.
Each time you press this button, the display
changes cyclically as follows:
GROOVE tV-GROOVE tGROOVE OFF
GROOVE
The volume switches to power mode and the
equalizer curve changes.
V-GROOVE
The volume switches to power mode, the low
bass frequencies are powerfully reinforced, and
the equalizer curve changes.
Selecting the speaker
system
You can enjoy different sounds when you
select the subwoofer or/and surround speaker
mode.
SUBWOOFER
1Press SUBWOOFER ON/OFF on the
subwoofer.
The button/indicator lights up.
2Turn SUBWOOFER LEVEL to adjust the
subwoofer volume.
You will be able to listen to low bass
frequency sound.
SURROUND SPEAKER MODE
Press SURROUND SPEAKER MODE
repeatedly (or turn SURROUND SPEAKER
MODE on the subwoofer) to select the
surround speaker mode you want.
Each time you change the surround speaker
mode, the indicators on the subwoofer and the
display changes cyclically as follows:
LINK tMATRIX SUR 1 tMATRIX SUR 2
LINK : Reproduces a same sound with
different output levels.
MATRIX SUR 1 and 2 : Reproduces a wide
range of sound that can actually sense the size
of the room. With MATRIX SUR 2, the
surround sound is reinforced.
Notes
•If you turn VOLUME (or press VOL +/–on the
remote), all the speakers volume will change.
•When you turn on the main unit, the last selected
surround speaker mode indicator on the subwoofer
lights up.
Selecting the preset
effect
Press MUSIC EQ, MOVIE EQ or GAME EQ
(or PRESET EQ on the remote) repeatedly to
select the preset effect you want.
The preset effect name appears in the display.
See the chart “Preset effect options”.
To cancel the effect
Press EFFECT ON/OFF repeatedly until
“EFFECT OFF”appears.
Preset effect options
“
SUR
”appears if you select an effect with
surround effects.

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
Sound Adjustment
17
GB
Adjusting the graphic
equalizer and storing the
personal file
You can adjust the sound by raising or
lowering the level of specific frequency band,
then store up to three personal files (P FILE) in
the memory.
Before operation, select the preset effect you
want for your basic sound.
1Press b or Brepeatedly to select a
frequency band or surround, then
press v or Vto adjust the level or
select the surround effect.
Frequency band Frequency level
2Press and hold P FILE until the
personal file number appears in the
display.
3Press v or V or B or bto select the
personal file number (P FILE) where
you want to store the equalizer setting.
4Press ENTER.
The setting is automatically stored as the
personal file you selected in step 3. The
previous setting stored at this memory
location is erased and replaced by the new
setting.
To call up the personal file
Press P FILE repeatedly until the personal file
number you want appears in the display.
Tip
If you do not want to store a personal file, press
ENTER after step 1.
Selecting the surround
effect
Press SURROUND.
Each time you press the button, the display
changes as follows:
SURROUND ON (
SUR
)
Y
SURROUND OFF
Note
When you choose other sound effects, the surround
effect may be cancelled.
For
standard music
sources.
soundtracks and
special listening
situations.
Play station 1, 2 and
other video game
music sources.
MENU Effect
button
MUSIC ROCK
EQ POP
JAZZ
DANCE
SOUL
ORIENTAL*
MOVIE ACTION
EQ DRAMA
MUSICAL
GAME ARCADE
EQ RACING
ADVENTURE
* CLASSIC for Latin American models only.

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
18
GB
Other Features
Changing the spectrum
analyzer display
Press SPECTRUM.
Each time you press the button, the display
changes cyclically as follows:
SPECTRUM 1 tSPECTRUM 2 t
SPECTRUM 3 tPATTERN 1 t
PATTERN 2 tPATTERN 3 t
PATTERN OFF
Adjusting the brightness
of the display
Press DIMMER.
Each time you press the button, the display
changes cyclically as follows:
DIMMER 1 tDIMMER 2 tDIMMER 3
Enhancing the video game
sound
—Game Sync
You need to connect a video game player
(see “Connecting a Video Game Player”on
page 22).
Press GAME
Tips
•In the standby mode, the system automatically turns
on.
•The GAME EQ is automatically selected.
•These operations cannot be performed in the Power
Saving Mode.
Mixing the sound
—Game Mixing
You can mix the sound from the component
connected to the GAME INPUT jacks with
another function such as CD, tape, radio or
MD connected to this system.
1Select source sound you want.
2Press GAME MIXING.
Each time you press the button, the level of
the game sound changes cyclically as
follows:
MIXING LOW tMIXING MID t
MIXING HIGH tMIXING OFF
Tips
•To record the mixed sound, press GAME MIXING
after step 4 of “Recording Manually”on page 13
and then press REC PAUSE/START to start
recording.
•The GAME MIXING indicator lights up while
Game Mixing is activated and it will remain active
while the power is on even if the function is
changed.
Notes
•Game Mixing is cancelled when you press REC
PAUSE/START.
•Game Mixing does not function during High Speed
Dubbing and CD Synchro Recording.

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
Other Features
19
GB
Singing along
You can sing along with any stereo CD or
Tape. You need to connect an optional
microphone.
1Turn MIC LEVEL to MIN to turn down
the microphone volume.
2Connect an optional microphone to MIC
jack.
3Start playing the music and adjust the
volume.
4Adjust the microphone volume by
turning MIC LEVEL.
After you have finished.
Turn MIC LEVEL to MIN and disconnect the
microphone from MIC jack.
Tips
•You can mix and record sound from microphone
after step 2. To record the sound see “Recording
Manually”on page 13. To stop recording, press x.
•If acoustic feedback (howling) occurs, move the
microphone away from the speakers or change the
direction of the microphone.
•If you want to record your voice through the
microphone only, you can do so by selecting the
CD function and not playing a CD.
•When high level sound signals are input, the unit
automatically adjust the recording level to prevent
distortion of the recorded sound signals (Auto
Level/ Control Function).
Note
The microphone does not function during High Speed
Dubbing.
Falling asleep to music
—Sleep Timer
You can set the system to turn off at a preset
time, so you can fall asleep to the music.
Press SLEEP on the remote.
Each time you press the button, the minute
display (the turn-off time) changes as follows:
AUTO* t90 t80 t70 t…t10 t
OFF
* The power turns off when the current CD or tape
finishes playback (for up to 100 minutes).
To
Check the remaining
time
Change the time to turn
off
Cancel the Sleep Timer
Do this
Press SLEEP once.
Press SLEEP
repeatedly to select the
time you want.
Press SLEEP
repeatedly until
“SLEEP OFF”appears.

MHC-RG88 E2, E51 4-238-410-73 (1)
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GB
Waking up to music
—Daily Timer
You can wake up to music at a preset time
every day. Make sure you have set the clock
(see “Setting the clock”on page 8).
1Prepare the music source you want to
play.
•CD: Load a CD. To start from a specific
track, make a program (see “Programming
the CD tracks”on page 10).
•Tape: Load a tape with the side you want
to play facing forward.
•Radio: Tune in the preset station you
want (see “Listening to the radio”on page
11).
2Adjust the volume.
3Press CLOCK/TIMER SET on the
remote.
“DAILY1 SET”appears.
4Press V or v repeatedly to select
“DAILY1 SET (or DAILY2 SET)”, then
press ENTER.
“ON”appears and the hour digits flash in
the display.
5Set the time to start playback.
Press V or v repeatedly to set the hour,
then press ENTER.
The minute indication flashes.
Press V or v repeatedly to set the minute,
then press ENTER.
The hour indication flashes again.
6Set the time to stop playback following
step 5 above.
7Press V or v repeatedly until the music
source you want appears.
The indications change as follows:
tTUNER yCD PLAY T
tTAPE PLAY T
8Press ENTER.
The type of timer (“DAILY1”or
“DAILY2”), followed by the start time, stop
time and the music source, appears, then the
original display appears.
9Turn off the power.
To
Check the setting
Change the setting
Cancel the timer
operation
Tip
The power turns on 15 seconds before the preset time.
Note
If the power is on at the preset time, the Daily Timer
does not work.
Do this
Press CLOCK/TIMER
SELECT on the remote and
press V or v repeatedly to
select the respective mode
(“DAILY1”or “DAILY2”),
then press ENTER.
Start from step 1.
Press CLOCK/TIMER
SELECT on the remote and
press V or v repeatedly to
select “TIMER OFF”, then
press ENTER.