http://www.olympusamerica.com/ DS-50 Stores highly compressed WMA (Windows Media Audio) format voice messages in integrated flash memory. Playback and store WMA and MP3 music files. High-sensitivity detachable stereo microphone included, offering excellent portability. Built-in monaural microphone for monaural recording. Three modes of microphone sensitivity to meet recording needs. Several recording modes can be selected including stereo recording modes ST XQ or ST HQ, and three types of monaural recording modes including HQ, SP, and LP. Five voice folders can save up to 200 messages per folder. Music, Podcast, and Audible folder are also available. New, brighter high-contrast monochrome LCD panel with backlight.
The voice guidance feature gives audio notification of operating conditions. It ensures seamless operation of various complex functions. Built-in Variable Control Voice Actuator (VCVA) function. Timer Recording and Alarm features enable automatic recording and playing at a set time. The Low Cut Filter minimizes air conditioner noise and other similar noises while recording. Index mark and temp mark features allow you to quickly find desired locations. Variable playback speed can be controlled as preferred. Choose from four playback functions: Repeat, Skip, Fast, and Slow. Noise Cancel Function and Voice Filter Function cut noise and enable clear audio playback. Can be used as a USB microphone or USB speaker. Can be utilized as external memory to store pictures, text data, etc. An included remote control (RS29) can be attached to the recorder to control recording and stop functions. DSS Player Software (included) enables easy archiving, editing and further processing of recordings. By registering favorite Podcast programs in DSS Player, you can download the latest broadcasting content automatically. New content can be transferred to the recorder simply by connecting it to a computer. Compatible with Audible.com files. Store and listen to audible contents purchased from Audible.com in the recorder. The optional AC adapter is available for longer recording. Up to 32 hours of continuous operation with two AAA batteries. Recording Format WMA (Windows Media Audio) Recording Media Built-in 1GB flash memory Recording Time ST XQ mode: 17 hours 30 minutes ST HQ mode: 35 hours 10 minutes HQ mode: 70 hours 20 minutes SP mode: 138 hours 30 minutes LP mode: 275 hours 20 minutes Card Format N/A Input Level -70 dBv PC Interface USB LCD Yes LED Yes Folders Messages 5/200 per folder Sampling Frequency STXQ/STHQ/HQ: 44.1 kHz /SP: 22 kHz /LP: 8kHz Overall Frequency Response STXQ: 50-19000Hz/ STHQ: 50-16000Hz/ HQ: 50-13000Hz/ SP:100-8000Hz/ LP:100-3000Hz LP Mode Yes Voice Activation Available, Switchable On/Off Demographic Data Input N/A Practical Maximum Output 250 mW Write Protection Yes Speaker 23 mm diameter round dynamic speaker Microphone Jack 3.5 mm mini-jack, impedance 680 Ohm Earphone Jack 3.5 mm mini-jack, impedance 8 Ohm or more Power Supply Rated Voltage: 3V DC Batteries: Two AAA External Power Supply: AC Adapter Batteries Two AAA batteries External Power Supply Available Battery Life Approx. 32 hours (using alkaline dry cell battery) Size 4.37 x 1.48 x .63 (111 x 37.5 x 16 mm) with bundled ME53S microphone, excluding protrusions Weight 2.81 oz (80 grams), including bundled ME53S microphone and alkaline batteries OS Supported Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional/XP Professional,Home Edition CPU Intel Pentium II class 333 MHz processor or more RAM 128 MB or more (256MB or more is recommended) Sound Board Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 or 100% compatible sound card Video Card and Display 800 x 600 pixels or more, 256 colors or more Removable Drive 2x or faster CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM drive USB Port One free port Audio Output Speaker or earphone output http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1278&fl=5&acccategory=all&submit=Go http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_support_product.asp?id=1278 http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_support_faqs.asp?id=1278 I formatted the recorder using my computer and the Voice Guide Data is gone. Can I restore it? If you format the recorder and erase the Voice Guide Data by mistake, the Voice Guide Data can be copied from the DSS Player software to the recorder via the following procedure: list of 6 items 1. Make sure the recorder's Voice Guide is set to ON. 2. Connect the recorder to the computer using the bundled USB cable. 3. Start DSS Player. 4. If the recorder does not have Voice Guide Data, the File transfer dialog box will appear. 5. Clicking Yes in the File transfer dialog box will cause data to be copied to the recorder. A window showing the copy progress bar will appear. 6. When copying is complete, safely disconnect the recorder from the computer. list end img/but_up The DS-50 digital voice recorder has a Podcast folder. How are podcasts transferred to the recorder? The DSS Player version 7 application has provisions to subscribe to podcasts and download the podcasts into the recorder's Podcast folder. Briefly, the process is as follows: list of 5 items 1. In the DSS Player version 7 application, the Dictation Tree View window shows a Podcast folder. Right-click on the folder to open an options box. 2. Click on Subscribe Podcast. The Subscribe Podcast dialog box opens 3. Enter the URL of the podcast web site, and press the [OK] button. Clicking on the [OK} button registers the podcast web site in DSS Player version 7. When a program is registered, a list of broadcast content provided by the program will appear in the Podcast folder's list view. By default, programs registered in the Podcast folder will be automatically updated. To change update intervals, in the DSS Player menu go to Tools then Options. The Options toolbox opens. 4. Click on the Podcast tab. Change the intervals by selecting a new interval from the Update Interval of the Episodes drop menu. 5. Content from the podcast website can be downloaded into the Podcast folder by highlighting the file and clicking on the [Download] button in the toolbar of DSS Player version 7. The file will then be downloaded from the web site into the Podcast folder. list end Alternatively, the files can be downloaded into the recorder directly. Briefly, the process is as follows: list of 5 items 1. Connect the recorder to the computer with the bundled USB cable, and in the Device Manager list, click on the DS-50 device listing. A list of folders in the recorder will be displayed. 2. Click on the Podcast folder in the Dictation Tree View. This displays the contents of the folder. 3. Highlight a podcast file, and then drag it into the Podcast icon in the Device Manager. This will download the file and install it in the recorder. 4. Click on the Podcast folder in the Device Manager. This will display the contents of the folder in the recorder. (Highlight and right-click on the file to display the [Delete] function so that the file can be deleted from the recorder.) 5. Detailed instructions on managing podcasts using DSS Player version 7 can be found in the Online manual on pages 142-145. The Online Manual is installed when the DSS Player version 7 software is installed. To access the manual, open the operating systems' Program Files list and navigate to Olympus DSS Player. list end img/but_up How are files erased from the recorder? Dictation, Audible, and podcast files can be erased from the recorder by selecting the file and pressing the [ERASE] button. The LCD screen will flash Cancel. While Cancel is flashing press the [+] button to select Erase, and then press the [OK] button. The LCD screen will briefly flash File Erase! and then Erase Done. img/but_up What is the purpose of the Audible folder? The Audible folder is present to download and play audio content from the Audible.com® website (http://www.audible.com). Audible.com is a source for audio books and audio newspaper and magazine articles. Audible also has web sites for the United Kingdom, France, and Germany for content in other languages. Audible files are not managed by the DSS version 7 software. When users purchase a subscription to Audible.com, they receive Audible Manager software. The DS-30, DS-40, and DS-50 are listed in the Mobile Device listing in Audible Manager. Audible Manager is used to download audio content from the Audible.com web site and transfer files to the recorder's Audible folder. When the Audible folder is selected on the recorder, the recorder automatically switches to the Audible mode. The Audible mode is able to play the downloaded Audible files in any of the three formats used by Audible. The different modes determine the quality and file size properties of the downloaded files. Only those Audible files that have a .aa file extension are displayed in the Audible mode. img/but_up What is VCVA? Variable Control Voice Actuator (VCVA) is a function that sets up the recorder to record automatically only when sound is detected at a pre-set level, and stop when the sound drops below the threshold level. The purpose of the function is to eliminate "dead air" during recordings, thereby conserving memory and shortening file times. VCVA is enabled in the recorder's menu. In the DS-50, the VCVA can be set to any of 15 diffferent values. The higher the value, the more sensitive the recorder is to sounds. At the highest level, even the faintest sound will activate recording. img/but_up What are the specifications for the DS-50? table with 2 columns and 15 rows Olympus DS-50 Digital Voice Recorder Olympus DS-50 Digital Voice Recorder Product Number 141915 Shipping date: January 2007 Box Contents DS-50 Digital Voice Recorder Stereo Microphone (MS-53SA) USB 2.0 Cable (CB-USB4) Stereo Earbuds Remote Control RS29 Carrying Case Two AAA Alkaline Batteries CD-ROM: DSS Player Ver. 7 Instruction Manual Warranty Card table end Features and Benefits table with 2 columns and 28 rows Model DS-50 Recording Format WMA (Windows Media Audio) Recording Media 1 GB built-in Flash memory Recording Time STEREO XQ mode: 17 hours 30 minutes STEREO HQ mode: 35 hours 10 minutes HQ mode: 70 hours 20 minutes SP mode: 138 hours 30 minutes LP mode: 275 hours 20 minutes Card Format n/a Input Level -70 dBv PC Interface USB LCD 26 x 25 mm LED 2 colors (red = record/transfer, green = playback) Folder Messages 5 folders, 200 messages per folder, plus Audible, Music, and Podcast folders Sampling Frequency STEREO XQ mode: 44.1 kHz STEREO HQ mode: 44.1 kHz HQ mode: 44.1 kHz SP mode: 22.0 kHz LP mode: 8.0 kHz Overall Frequency Response STEREO XQ mode: 50 - 19,000 Hz STEREO HQ mode: 50 - 16,000 Hz HQ mode: 50 - 13,000 Hz SP Mode: 100 - 8,000 Hz LP Mode: 100 - 3,000 Hz LP Mode Yes Voice Activation Available, Switchable ON/OFF Demographic Data Input Yes Practical Maximum Output 250 mW Write Protection Yes Speaker Built-in 23 mm round dynamic speaker Microphone Jack 3.5 mm mini-jack, impedance 680 ohms Earphone Jack 3.5 mm mini-jack, impedance 8 ohms Power Supply 2 AAA Alkaline or 2 AAA NiMH batteries (BR-401) External Power Supply Optional AC Adapter A321 (120 VAC) or A322 (220 VAC) Battery Life Alkaline Recording: STEREO XQ mode: Approx. 20 hours STEREO HQ mode: Approx. 22 hours HQ mode: Approx. 24 hours SP mode: Approx. 28 hours LP mode: Approx. 32 hours Playback: (all modes) Speaker playback: Approx. 12 hours Earphone playback: Approx. 26 hours NiMH (BR-401) Recording: STEREO XQ mode: Approx. 15 hours STEREO HQ mode: Approx. 16 hours HQ mode: Approx. 18 hours SP mode: Approx. 21 hours LP mode: Approx. 22 hours Playback: (all modes) Speaker playback: Approx. 9 hours earphone playback: Approx. 20 hours Size 4.37" x 1.48" x .63" (111 x 37.5 x 16 mm) with bundled microphone, excluding protrusions Weight 2.81 oz (80 g) including bundled microphone and alkaline batteries OS Supported Windows® 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, Windows Home Edition USB Port One free port Audio Output Earphone output or speakers table end img/but_up What are the main features of this model? The DS-50 digital voice recorder is part of a new generation of Olympus Digital Voice Recorders. It features a removable stereo microphone styled to match the design of the recorder. When the stereo microphone is removed, the recorder switches to a discreet, built-in monaural microphone for recording dictation. The stereo microphone can also be connected with the bundled RS29 Remote Controller that controls RECORD and STOP functions. The DS-50 recorder includes features to enable use by the visually impaired. Buttons feature ridges and grooves that make them more identifiable by touch. The recorder has a Voice Guide that can be set to speak button functions when pressed, aiding navigation by touch. The recorder also has an Audible folder, permitting download of purchased audio content from Audible.com®. The Music folder permits the download of WMA (Windows Media Audio) and mp3 music files using Windows Media Player. The bundled DSS Player Version 7 software can be used to manage, archive, and edit audio files made with the recorder. Files can be downloaded to the software via a bundled USB 2.0 cable. The software also enables subscription to and download from podcast URLs. The podcasts can be transfered to the recorder for playback at the user's convenience. Technical support for the DS-50 is provided by Olympus Professional Dictation Products dealers. img/but_up What is the function of the LowCut Filter? The recorder has a LowCut Filter function to minimize low-frequency sounds and record voices more clearly. The function can reduce noise from air conditioners, projectors, and other types of "white noise." img/but_up What is the functions of the Voice Filter? The Voice Filter cuts low- and -high frequency tones to create a playback frequency range encompassing tones in the human voice, thereby making the playback of dictation recordings clearer. Voice Filter works in Normal, Fast, or Slow playback. img/but_up What is the function of Noise Cancel? Noise Cancel can be enabled to reduce background noise in recordings made in noisy surroundings. In effect, the function treats the loudest sounds as the most important and reduces other sounds to make dictation clearer. The Noise Cancel options are OFF, LOW, and HIGH. The options are set in the recorder's menu. The LOW or HIGH settings remain valid until Noise Cancel is set to OFF. Noise Cancel is not available while the Voice Filter is set, and it cannot be used during slow or fast playback. img/but_up What are Index marks and Temp Marks? Index Marks are digital tags that can be inserted while recording or during playback. They are used to skip forward or backward in recordings to pre-selected points. Up to 16 Index Marks can be added to a single file. Index Marks cannot be placed in files created on machines other than Olympus digital voice recorders. This means they cannot be placed in podcasts. Instead, Temp Marks can be placed in podcasts to temporarily remember desired locations. Up to 16 podcasts can be added to a single file. Both Index marks and Temp Marks are inserted using the [INDEX] button on the recorder. Index Marks and Temp Marks cannot be added in the Audible function. img/but_up Can I rename my files when they are displayed in My Computer? Files in the DS-50 should not be renamed when displayed in My Computer because the recorder's file-management software may not be able to find a renamed file. img/but_up I want to clear my recorder of all loaded files. How do I format the recorder? The recorder should be formatted only by using the internal FORMAT function found in the Menu. Formatting using the computer may corrupt system files needed to run the recorder and may delete the Voice Guide Data and Audible system files, so computer formatting is not recommended. When the recorder is connected to a computer, individual files can be deleted using My Computer without negative effects. img/but_up How should the recorder be disconnected from a Windows computer? Any USB device should be disconnected from a Windows computer using the [Safely Remove Hardware] button located in the taskbar in the lower right corner of the Desktop screen. The button's icon features a green arrow pointing to the lower left over a device. Any open files should be closed before starting the disconnect process. Simply removing the device from the USB port without using the recommended disconnect procedure can result in corrupted files or firmware. Double-clicking on the [Safely Remove Hardware] icon opens a dialog box to shut down the USB connection so the device can be safely disconnected. Clicking on the [Stop] button launches another dialog box to confirm the devices that are to be stopped. Clicking the [OK] button closes the USB connection. The Desktop screen will display a message balloon above the taskbar indicating that it is safe to disconnect the hardware. img/but_up I recorded a file and the battery ran out. Now I can't play or find the file. Why? If the battery runs out during the recording of a file, the currently recorded file will be lost because the file header will be unable to close. It is crucial to change the battery once the battery indicator shows one hash mark of power remaining. Removing the battery while the recorder is in use may also corrupt a file img/but_up Will using an accessory microphone with an extended frequency range improve the quality of my recordings? Using an accessory microphone with an extended frequency range may not improve the quality of the recordings in a DS-50. The recorder has an overall frequency response of 50 Hz to 19,000 Hz, but the different quality modes modify the detail of the saved file data by saving some frequencies and discarding others. This is how the recorder varies the potential recording time and uses the built-in Flash memory more efficiently. The table below shows the overall frequency response in the different quality modes: table with 2 columns and 6 rows Quality Mode Overall Frequency Response STEREO XQ mode 50-19,000 Hz STEREO HQ mode 500-16,000 Hz HQ mode 50-13,000 Hz SP mode 100-8,000 Hz LP mode 100-3,000 Hz table end img/but_up How is the recorder turned off? The recorder is turned off by sliding the [POWER/HOLD] switch on the lower right side of the recorder downward and then releasing it. The switch should then be moved to the HOLD position to prevent accidental activation of button functions. img/but_up Is there an AC adapter available for the DS-50? The DS-50 uses the optional A-321 AC Adapter in countries with 120 VAC current and the A-322 in counties with 220 VAC current. The A-321 adapter can be purchased directly from Olympus' online store by clicking here. img/but_up Can the playback speed be controlled? The playback of files in the DS-50 can be changed to between 50% and 150% of the default playback speed in increments of x0.125. The tone of the file will be adjusted digitally without changing the pitch so that the recording sounds natural. The play speed is changed in the recorder's menu, under Play Speed. The options are: list of 2 items S. Play (Slow Play): x0.5, x0.625, x0.75, x0.875 F. Play (Fast Play): x1.125, x1.25, x1.375, x1.5 list end S. Play and F. Play are not available while Noise Cancel is enabled. During fast/slow playback, stereo files will be played in monaural even though the files were recorded in stereo. img/but_up What operating systems support the DS-50 digital voice recorder? The DS-50 digital voice recorder is supported by Windows® 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional, and Windows XP Home Edition. It is not compatible with Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. The DSS Player Version 7 software will be updated at a later date to make the software compatible with Windows Vista. The DS-50 is not supported by Macintosh operating systems. img/but_up How much dictation recording time is available in the DS-50? The length of the potential recording time available in the DS-50 is governed by the recording quality mode that is selected. When a quality mode is selected, several audio file properties are put into place. These properties determine the level of detail of the saved file data. A higher-quality data file saves more-detailed information and creates a larger data file that uses more memory space. A lower-quality recording makes a less detailed data file, so the memory goes a lot farther. Podcast and Audible files use up portions of the recorder's built-in Flash memory, as do files saved on the recorder used as a "jump" drive. This usage will reduce the amount of memory available for recording new files. The table below shows the maximum dictation recording times possible (assuming there are no other files saved in the recorder). table with 2 columns and 6 rows Quality Mode Maximum Dictation Recording Time STEREO XQ mode 17 hours 30 minutes STEREO HQ mode 17 hours 20 minutes HQ mode 70 hours 20 minutes SP mode 138 hours 30 minutes LP mode 275 hours 20 minutes table end The different quality modes save the digital record of the recording with different levels of faithfulness to the original sound. The STEREO XQ and HQ modes are recommended for music, drama, or interviews that may be made for broadcast. These quality modes make very detailed digital records of the sound and use a very wide frequency range that may exhaust the available Flash memory very rapidly. Lower-quality modes, such as SP (Standard Play) and LP (Long Play), make less-detailed records of the sound and use a narrower frequency range, so they will use up the available Flash memory much more slowly. These modes are best used for audio note taking or recording college lectures or seminars in which large content capacity is more important than high audio quality. img/but_up What are the maximum recording times per file? A maximum recording time per file is set in the recorder for each quality mode. Even if a recorder's memory is not exhausted, a single recording cannot be continued beyond the limit. The table below shows the maximum recording times per file. table with 2 columns and 6 rows Quality Mode Recording Time STEREO XQ mode 26 hours 40 minutes STEREO HQ mode 26 hours 40 minutes HQ mode 26 hours 40 minutes SP mode 53 hours 40 minutes LP mode 148 hours 40 minutes table end img/but_up How is the recording volume controlled? The DS-50 always records at 100% volume level to prevent accidentally recording with the volume set too low The recorder has three levels of microphone sensitivity : list of 3 items LECTURE: The highest recording sensitivity, it is suitable for conferences with large crowds and recording audio at a distance at low volume. CONF (Conference): Suitable for recording meetings and seminars with a small number of people. DICT (Dictation): The lowest recording sensitivity, it is suitable for close-up dictation. list end Microphone sensitivity is set via the [MIC SENSE] slide switch on the upper left side of the recorder. img/but_up How is the playback volume controlled? The playback volume is controlled during playback using the [+] (plus) and [-] (minus) buttons on the circular pad on the face of the recorder. Pressing [+] increases the playback volume. Pressing [-] reduces the playback volume. img/but_up What enhancements does the PLUS upgrade to DSS Player offer? Purchasing the DSS Player v.7 PLUS upgrade adds the following features to the version of DSS Player bundled with the DS-50: list of 3 items Splitting files--Individual audio files can be split into smaller units. This is especially useful if a file is longer than the capacity of an audio CD used for archiving. Joining files--Individual audio files can be joined together into a longer single file. This is useful when there are many short recordings on a similar topic that would be more convenient to archive or share as a single audio file. Files that are to be joined must be recorded in the same quality mode. Voice Recognition--Creates compatibility with voice-to-text applications IBM ViaVoice® 10 or Dragon NaturallySpeaking® 8 and 9. list end img/but_up What is Voice Recognition? Voice Recognition is technology that enables an application to "listen" to the playback of an audio dictation file and convert its contents to a text document. DSS Player version 7 is compatible with IBM ViaVoice® Pro USB Edition 10, and Dragon NaturallySpeaking® versions 8 and 9. The Voice Recognition software must be trained to understand individual speakers. The applications can create accounts for individual speakers who have read prepared text under controlled conditions into the digital voice recorder to be used. Corrections to the text by the transcriptionist can be incorporated by the voice-to-text software to "learn" how the dictator speaks. If the users correct their own text files, they can also learn to enunciate words so the software can better understand the speech and increase the accuracy of the text file. Voice Recognition performs poorly in meeting or lecture situations because of the presence of untrained voices and varying acoustics that will confuse the software. img/but_up How are music files imported into the DS-50 using a Windows computer? Note:The following instructions pertain to Windows Media Player version 11, which is available as a free upgrade from Microsoft. This version will also be included standard with the Windows Vista operating system. list of 5 items 1. Save music tracks from CDs or Internet downloads to the Library in Windows Media Player. 2. Connect the DS-50 to the computer's USB port. 3. Click [Sync] on the Windows Media Player toolbar. The [Sync List] window opens to the right of the Library. 4. Select the tracks from the Library that are to be synchronised and drag them into the Sync List. 5. Click on the Start Sync button. list end Windows Media Player will transfer the music tracks into the DS-50. When the sync is completed, a display will show how much free memory remains in the recorder. img/but_up What music formats does the DS-50 accept? The DS-50 accepts the WMA (Windows Media Audio) and mp3 music formats If the manual you would like to download is not shown above, or if you would like an Olympus representative to assist you, please email us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or call 1-888-553-4448 (Mon-Fri 8am to 10pm ET). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... http://www.pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
