About the User Guide Page 1 Rio 800 User Guide About the User Guide The Rio 800 User Guide includes the following information: Introduction Using your Rio Using Rio menu options and settings Using the Rio software Understanding digital audio terms Common questions about the Rio 800 Warranty Regulatory information Customer care Index To learn more: • Refer to the Getting Started Guide for the basics on how to set up and start using your Rio.
About the User Guide Page 2 Legal notices Copyright © 2000-2001 SONICblue, Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. SONICblue, Incorporated does not assume any responsibility for errors or omissions in this document or make any commitment to update the information contained herein. Rio® is a registered trademark of RioPort, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries and is used under licence.
Introduction Page 3 Introduction The Rio 800 provides ultimate access to your favourite music or spoken audio while you exercise, commute, or relax. Create and mix your favourite musical selections on your PC or Mac for playback on the Rio. It’s like virtual reality for your ears. Your Rio is similar in function to a portable cassette or CD player. However, it has no moving parts, so the Rio does not skip or jitter during playback.
Using your Rio Page 4 Using your Rio This section explains what you need to know about: Using Rio buttons and controls Using the rechargeable backpack Multifunction port On/Hold/Off Microphone LCD Volume Play/Pause Select Forward Menu Reverse Record Stop Using Rio buttons and controls • Select: The Centre Rio joypad button. In menu mode, press Select to choose a menu or dialogue option. • >/||: Play/Pause; the top button on the joypad.
Using your Rio Page 5 • Menu: Press the Menu button to display the Rio menu options. Press >/||, >>, <<, and ! to navigate through menu options. Press Select to choose a menu option. Generally, pressing Menu while in menu mode before saving any changes returns the Rio to play mode without saving. • Rec: The Record button on the Rio. Press Rec to display the Recorder options menu, where you can choose to record your voice or play a recording.
Using your Rio Page 6 Using the rechargeable backpack The first time you charge the battery backpack, it is important to calibrate it and give it a full charge overnight or until the calibration timer expires. Calibrating the battery ensures accurate battery level display. You do not need to charge the battery before you calibrate it. Note: You do not have to calibrate the battery each time you charge it—only the first time. See the section on Battery Calibration for instructions and more information.
Using menu options and settings Page 7 Using menu options and settings When the Menu button is pressed, the LCD displays Rio menu options: • Audio: Preset and custom equaliser settings. • Player: Random and repeat play options, delete track, and playlist functions. • Prefs: Player settings including power saving (time to sleep), LCD display backlight and contrast, time and date, and battery level and calibration.
Using menu options and settings Page 8 Setting the Custom EQ 1 Press Menu. 2 Press the << or >> joypad buttons to navigate to Audio. 3 Press Select. 4 The EQ settings are displayed. 5 Press the >/||, !, << or >> joypad buttons to navigate to Custom. 6 Press Select. 7 Press the >/|| or ! joypad buttons to toggle between Bass and Treble. 8 Use the << or >> joypad buttons to increase or decrease the Bass or Treble value from 1 (low) to 9 (high). • To save the settings, press Select.
Using menu options and settings Page 9 Using Player functions Player functions include: • Play options: Repeat or randomise tracks. • Delete tracks: Remove content from the Rio. • Playlist: Select playlists, create new playlists, manage playlists downloaded from your computer or remove playlists from the Rio. Setting Repeat and Random play options 1 Press Menu. 2 Press the << or >> joypad buttons to navigate to Player. 3 Press Select. 4 Navigate to Play Options. 5 Press Select.
Using menu options and settings Page 10 Deleting tracks from the Rio 1 Press Menu. 2 Press the << or >> joypad buttons to navigate to Player. 3 Press Select. 4 Press the joypad buttons to navigate to Delete Tracks. 5 Press Select. A list of all tracks is displayed. 6 Press the >/|| or ! joypad buttons to navigate to the track you want to delete. 7 Press Select. • Highlight Yes on the Delete dialogue, then press Select to delete the track.
Using menu options and settings Page 11 Working with Playlists Playlist options include: • Choose: Select a playlist from playlists stored on the Rio. • New: Build a new playlist. • Edit: Modify an existing playlist. • Remove: Remove a playlist from the Rio. 1 Press Menu. 2 Press the << or >> joypad buttons to navigate to Player. 3 Press Select. 4 Navigate to Playlist. 5 Press Select. 6 Press the <<, >>, >/|| or ! joypad buttons to highlight Choose, New, Edit or Remove playlist options.
Using menu options and settings Page 12 Modifying a playlist 1 Select the Edit playlist option. 2 Press the >/|| or ! joypad buttons to navigate to the playlist. 3 Press Select. 4 The playlist editor displays tracks and their playlist order numbers in the left column. 5 • To add or remove tracks from the playlist, highlight a track and press Select to tag or untag the track with a number in the left column. This number indicates the order in which the track is played in the playlist.
Using menu options and settings Page 13 Setting Preferences Preferences include these Rio settings: • • • • Power saving (time to sleep). Display backlight and contrast. Time and date. Battery level display and calibration. Adjusting the power saving setting You can adjust the time to sleep (suspend) setting from one to nine minutes. To turn off the power saving feature, set the time to sleep setting to 0 (zero). 1 Press Menu. 2 3 4 5 Press the << or >> joypad buttons to navigate to Prefs.
Using menu options and settings Page 14 Setting time and date 1 Press Menu. 2 Press the << or >> joypad buttons to navigate to Prefs. 3 Press Select. 4 Press the joypad buttons to navigate to Time/Date. 5 Press Select. 6 Press the << or >> joypad buttons to highlight each of the time and date fields. 7 Press the >/|| or ! joypad buttons when any of the time or date fields is highlighted to change the value.
Using menu options and settings Page 15 Displaying battery information 1 Press Menu. 2 Press the << or >> joypad buttons to navigate to Prefs. 3 Press Select. 4 Press the joypad buttons to navigate to Battery. 5 Press Select. 6 Press the joypad buttons to navigate to Power level. 7 Press Select to display battery information: 8 • Battery type: Rechargeable or Normal. • Battery charge level: The battery’s charge state (percentage).
Using menu options and settings Page 16 Displaying About information 1 Press Menu. 2 Press the << or >> joypad buttons to navigate to About. 3 Press Select. The following information is displayed: 4 • Player personalisation message defined through the software or Rio model number. • Firmware version the Rio is using. • Total internal memory amount installed and a bar graph display of the amount used. • Total external memory installed and a bar graph display of the amount used.
Using menu options and settings Page 17 Recording and playing voice Recording your voice Note: The recorder automatically turns off the backlight when in use to prevent background noise from the backlight from interfering with your recording. 1 To record your voice you can either: • Press the Rec button on the Rio, or • Press Menu, press the joypad buttons to navigate to Record, then press Select. 2 Highlight New Recording and press Select to start recording. 3 Press ! to stop recording.
Using the Rio software Page 18 Using the Rio software Rio Audio Manager (PC) The Rio Audio Manager creates, stores, and organises your digital audio tracks. The software incorporates tools for you to manage digital audio content from your PC. Click on the buttons along the top of the Rio Audio Manager window to use the various digital audio management tools. Use Rio Audio Manager to: • Create and organise audio content on your computer. • Organise audio content on your Rio. • Create a custom CD-ROM.
Using the Rio software Page 19 Rio Audio Manager buttons Make a playlist Click on this button to organise audio tracks into playlists on your computer. Listen to playlists directly from your PC. 1 Click on the make a playlist button. 2 Click on the Select Tracks from Database or Select Playlists from Database buttons. 3 Select tracks you wish to listen to by clicking on the check box to the left of the song title. Scroll down as necessary to find a track. 4 Click on the OK button.
Using the Rio software Page 20 Write audio CDs Create custom CDs from your favourite tracks and playlists stored in the database. See the Rio Audio Manager online help topics, and your computer’s software and hardware documentation for detailed instructions on writing audio CDs. Read a CD Take your favourite songs from a CD and convert them to compressed digital audio tracks for playback on your Rio or PC.
Using the Rio software Page 21 SoundJam MP (Mac) SoundJam MP player and encoder converts music to compressed digital quality MP3s from CD, MP2, AIFF, QuickTime™, SMD, Sound Designer, and WAV formats. Master Playlist Use the Master Playlist editor to: • Search the audio collection stored on your Mac. • Build and manage custom playlists. Main Window Use the SoundJam MP Main Window to: • Listen to audio on your Mac. • Play music files from your playlist or CD-ROM.
Using the Rio software Page 22 Converter Use the Converter window to: • Encode audio CDs. • Save tracks in MP3 format to be transferred to and played on your Rio. Connector The Connector window is displayed when you plug your Rio into your Mac using the USB cable. Use the Connector window to: • Manage the content on your Rio. • Export audio to your Rio. Choose the track by selecting “Add...” or drag the desired track to the view window.
Digital audio terms Page 23 Digital audio terms AAC Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) is one of the audio compression formats defined by the MPEG-2 specification. AAC used to be called NBC (Non-Backward-Compatible), because it is not compatible with the MPEG-1 audio formats. AAC may eventually replace MP3 since it offers better sound quality and greater file compression.
Digital audio terms Page 24 DRM, security Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies protect copyright ownership of digital information. DRM became an issue with the rise of MP3 technology and Internet distribution of music. DRM platforms serve as a security “wrapper” around digital audio supporting Internet distribution while at the same time protecting and managing rights related to that digital information. The security mechanism in the Rio supports several secure file formats.
Digital audio terms Page 25 MP3 MPEG-1, Layer 3 Audio (MP3) is a compressed digital audio file format. This format allows for near CD-quality sound, but at a fraction of the size of normal audio files. MP3 conversion of an audio track from CD-ROM reduces the file size by approximately a 12:1 ratio with virtually no loss in quality. This digital sound encoding and compression process was developed by the Fraunhofer Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen and Thomson Multimedia.
Common questions about the Rio 800 Page 26 Common questions about the Rio 800 How do I put music on the Rio? The Rio interfaces with your computer through the USB port. Use the software included to download digital audio tracks from your computer to the Rio. You can get digital audio from numerous Internet sites or encode your own digital audio tracks from your audio CDs using the CD-ROM drive on your computer. Can I use the Rio with Windows 95? I have the USB supplement pack. No.
Common questions about the Rio 800 Page 27 Upgrading the Rio firmware (Mac) Important: Do not close the programme, turn off the Rio or unplug the USB cable during the upgrade. 1 Connect the Rio to the computer using the USB cable. 2 Slide the Rio power switch to On. 3 Double-click on the SoundJam icon. The Rio Connector window is displayed. 4 Click on the Settings... button on the Rio Connector window. The Rio Settings window is displayed.
Common questions about the Rio 800 Page 28 Note: The Rio must be connected to the computer and turned on to complete the online upgrade. 1 Double-click on the Rio Audio Manager Icon to run the program. 2 Click on the Help menu at the top of the screen. 3 Click on Upgrade Online. 4 Follow the instructions on the screen. 5 You will receive your unlock code/certificate number by e-mail. How do I register my SoundJam software online? SoundJam allows 50 encodes prior to registration.
One Year Limited Warranty Page 29 One Year Limited Warranty Our warranty to you SONICblue, Incorporated warrants that your product will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of original retail purchase. If you discover a defect covered by this warranty, we will repair or replace the product at our option using new or remanufactured components. SONICblue, Incorporated's liability is limited solely to the repair or replacement of the defective product.
One Year Limited Warranty Page 30 You must deliver the product to SONICblue, Incorporated in order to obtain out of warranty service. You must pay for postage to SONICblue, Incorporated. It is recommended that you use a postal service providing you with tracking capability, because we will not be responsible for items lost in the post. A Return Authorisation number is required for all products sent to SONICblue, Incorporated.
Regulatory Information Page 31 Regulatory Information EU Declaration of Conformity We; DIAMOND Multimedia Systems Vertriebs GmbH Moosstrasse 18b D-82319 Starnberg GERMANY On behalf of; SONICblue, Incorporated 2841 Mission College Blvd. Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA Hereby declare under our sole responsibility that the following product(s) conform to the requirements of the European Parliament Council Directive 1999/5/EC dated 9th March 1999.
Customer Care Page 32 Customer Care Hours of Operation Monday to Friday 8.00 until 19.00 GMT Saturday 8.00 until 15.00 GMT Telephone Support - all Products +44-(0)870-870-5727 Fax Support- all Products +31-53-484-9536 Web site http://www.diamondmm.co.uk Postal Address SONICblue/Diamond European Customer Care Center P.O.
Index Page 33 Index F A file compression 23 firmware checking 26 defined 24 downloading from Web site 26 upgrading 26 forward button 4 frequently asked questions 26 AAC 23 ADPCM 23 Audible Manager software 20 audio file size 23 audio functions 7 B backlight 13 backpack 6 battery calibration 15 battery power level 15 bit rate 23 C calibrate 15 CDDB 24 charge backpack 6 clock display 16 set 14 codec (defined) 23 codecs AAC 23 ADPCM 23 MP3 25 WMA 25 common questions 26 contrast 13 D delete playlist 12
Index Page 34 S SDMI 25 select button 4 skins 25 SoundJam MP 21 stop button 4 T time and date display 16 set 14 time to sleep setting 13 troubleshooting 26 U USB 25 V voice recording 17 W warranty 29 WMA 25