Welcome Contents Index 1 Rio S50 User’s Guide Welcome Thanks for your purchase of the Rio S50 digital music player. The S50 portable player supports MP3 and WMA playback, and features a built-in FM radio. With 128MB memory — expandable with optional external memory cards — the S50 holds hours of your favorite music. The S50 comes equipped with a rechargeable battery to supply up to 20 hours of continuous music playtime.
Welcome Contents Index 2 Glossary of Digital Audio Terms Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Troubleshooting Warranty Information Regulatory Information Customer Care Index To learn more: • Refer to the Quick Start poster for the basics on how to set up and start using your Rio player.
Legal Notices Contents Index 3 Click the show/hide navigation pane button in the Acrobat toolbar to show a list of bookmarks. Bookmarks are links to the contents of the User’s Guide. Click any bookmark in the list to jump to the page in the User’s Guide that contains the topic. Legal Notices © 2002 SONICblue Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.
Tour of the Rio Player Contents Index 4 Tour of the Rio Player PLAY/PAUSE Press to play or pause playback; In Menu mode, press to navigate to the previous Menu option; In Stopwatch mode, press to start and stop the timer; In Tuner mode, press to mute/unmute radio output Display (LCD) REVERSE and FORWARD Press to skip to the start of the current or next track — if less than five seconds have elapsed, REVERSE skips to the start of the previous track; Press and hold to scan backward or forward within the
Tour of the Rio Player Contents Index 5 Tour of the Rio player (continued) LANYARD HOLDER Fasten optional cords here to wear your Rio player OFF (0) / ON (1) Slide to turn your Rio player OFF or ON; When the player is turned OFF, the current mode and user preferences are saved and resume when the player is turned back ON MENU Press to display the main Menu system; If a Menu is already open, press to close; Press to cancel before selecting or executing Menu options; Press and hold, then press ENTER to pu
Tour of the Rio Player Contents Index 6 LCD Overview Player Mode Repeat Shuffle Indicator Indicator Hold Indicator Battery Indicator Clock Track Title (from ID3 tag info) Artist (from ID3 tag) Album (CD) (from ID3 tag) Rio S50 Digital Music Player Volume Indicator Progress Indicator Track Timer: Time Elapsed or Time Remaining Playback Mode Indicator Track Number of Total The Battery Indicator graphically shows the power level: Empty to Full.
Tour of the Rio Player Contents Index Stopwatch Mode Timer Lap Times Lap Statistics: Average Lap Time Lap Statistics: Current to Average Lap Time Difference FM Tuner mode Strong Stereo/ Station Mono Indicator Indicator Press ENTER to switch between Manual and Preset FM Tuner modes Mute Indicator Frequency Scale Currently Tuned Frequency Tuning Mode Indicator Tuning Mode Indicator Preset Station Frequencies: Currently selected preset highlighted Preset Scroll Indicator 7
Getting Started Contents Index 8 Getting Started Please refer to the Quick Start poster for complete setup instructions, including information on connecting the Rio to your computer.
Getting Started Contents Step 3: Install Software PC Follow these instructions to load the software that enables your PC to recognize the Rio player. The installation also loads the selected music management software. 1 Place the software CD label side up into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. After a few seconds, the install screen will display. 2 Click the “Install” link of the music management software that you would like to install, then follow the on-screen instructions.
Getting Started Contents 10 Step 4: Connect USB Step 5: Rip/Load Music 1 Insert the USB cable into the MULTIFUNCTION port on top of the Rio player. The Rio USB connection only fits one way. Do not try to force the connection. 2 Connect the other end of the USB cable to your computer’s USB port. 3 Turn your Rio player ON.
Using the Player Contents Index 11 Using the Player Playing Music 1 Connect the supplied earphones or optional headphones into the MULTIFUNCTION port on top of the Rio player. 2 Turn the player ON. 3 Press PLAY/PAUSE to begin playback. Switching Modes Follow these steps to play music without changing the display from Stopwatch or Tuner modes, or to switch to Player mode. 1 Press MENU.
Using the Player Contents Index 12 Using the Stopwatch You can use the Stopwatch feature while you are playing music. Lap Statistics shown at the bottom of the LCD toggle Timer between Average Lap Time and Current to Average Lap Time Difference. Lap Times Tip: The Current to Average Lap Time Difference statistic indicates a “+” if the current lap is above the average time (slower than average), or a “-” if the current lap is below the average time (faster than average).
Using the Player Contents Index 13 Setting and Releasing Hold Press and hold MENU, then press ENTER to put the Rio player into or out of Hold mode. Hold mode locks the Rio player buttons — except the OFF/ON switch — preventing accidental operation. This is a useful feature, for example, if you wish to prevent the player buttons from being bumped while you are exercising.
Using the Player Contents Index 14 Setting the Equalizer 1 2 3 4 Press MENU. Press STOP or PLAY/PAUSE to navigate to Settings. Press FORWARD to select the Settings option. Press STOP or PLAY/PAUSE to navigate to Equalizer. Press FORWARD to select Equalizer (EQ). The EQ options list is displayed. 5 Press PLAY/PAUSE or STOP to navigate through the list. If a track is playing the sound adjusts as each option is highlighted, but the equalizer reverts to the original setting if the dialog is canceled.
Using the Player Contents Listening to the FM Radio When the Tuner locates a strong frequency, the Strong Station Indicator displays on the LCD. The Stereo/Mono Indicator shows one of the three following states: • Stereo Symbol (default): Two circles • Stereo Reception Disabled: Stereo symbol crossed through • Stereo Enabled but Station is Mono: blank/no icon. 1 Press MENU. 2 Press PLAY/PAUSE or STOP to navigate to Tuner. 3 Press FORWARD to select Tuner mode.
Advanced Features Contents Index 16 Advanced Features The following main Menu Settings and options are described in this section: Bookmarks Power Resume Contrast Time Tuner About • REVERSE: Press REVERSE from the main Menu to close the current display; Press REVERSE from within a sub-menu to move up the hierarchy to the parent menu. Press REVERSE from within a dialog display to cycle through available values for the selected option, or to navigate to the previous field.
Advanced Features Contents Looking for information on the Playback (Shuffle and Repeat) or Equalizer Menu options? Click the links in the previous sentence to jump to the Playback or Equalizer sections in this manual. Bookmarks Bookmarks are electronic markers you can set in a track to return to later. Bookmark options include: • Set: Displays Bookmark list with a bookmark number highlighted. Bookmarks already set are shown in bold text. Press FORWARD to set bookmark and return to Player mode.
Advanced Features Contents player OFF if you will not be using it instead of leaving it in Power Save mode for extended periods of time. High playback volume level and using high performance headphones can result in shorter battery life as well, because of the greater power these options need. Rio S50 Digital Music Player Resume This feature controls how the player will resume playback after being turned OFF and back ON.
Advanced Features Contents Tuner This feature sets FM Tuner options. Press PLAY/PAUSE or STOP to navigate between fields; press FORWARD or REVERSE to cycle through values for each field; press ENTER to save the settings and exit. In Manual tuning mode, you can access the Store Preset screen by pressing MENU, then navigating to Settings > Tuner > Store Preset.
Using the Music Management Software Contents Index 20 Using the Music Management Software This section is an introduction to the music management software included on the CDs. Please refer to the complete online Help within each application for more information about the music management software. Rio Music Manager (PC) RealOne (PC) Mood Logic (PC) iTunes (Mac) Using Rio Music Manager (PC) Rio S50 Digital Music Player Rio Music Manager is included on the PC software CD.
Using the Music Management Software Contents Downloading Music to Your Rio Player 1 Start the Rio Music Manager software. 2 Connect the Rio player to your computer with the USB cable. 3 Turn the Rio player ON. Click check Select “Format boxes to Portable” on the select tracks Tools menu to to download erase all tracks from the player Index 21 Use Tabs to search for music 4 Use the tabs located in the top part of the Rio Music Manager software screen to locate music to transfer.
Using the Music Management Software Contents Index 22 Using RealOne (PC) RealOne music management software is included on the PC software CD. Use RealOne to: • Save (encode) your audio CDs into compressed digital audio formats like MP3. • Organize digital audio tracks on your computer. • Copy tracks to your Rio player. • Search for tracks on your computer or on the Internet. • Create a custom CD—if you have CD burning hardware and your computer supports it.
Using the Music Management Software Contents Saving an Audio CD 1 Start the RealOne software. 2 Put an audio CD in your computer’s CD-ROM drive. If the Prompt To Save CD preference is enabled (under Preferences > CD), a message is displayed, asking if you wish to save the CD. If you select Yes, RealOne starts saving (encoding) all tracks on the CD. If this preference is not enabled, continue with Step 3. 3 After a few seconds, CD and track information is displayed.
Using the Music Management Software Contents Index 24 Downloading Tracks to Your Rio Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 Start the RealOne software. Plug your Rio player into your computer with the USB cable. Turn your Rio player ON. Click DEVICES at the bottom of the RealOne window. The Devices window is displayed. Double-click the name of your portable digital audio player that you want to transfer tracks to. Click ADD CLIPS in the command bar at the bottom of the RealOne window. The Add Clips window is displayed.
Using the Music Management Software Contents Index 25 Using MoodLogic (PC) MoodLogic software helps you manage your digital audio collection. Your Rio package includes a free 100 track trial version of MoodLogic client software. Use MoodLogic to: • Identify your songs regardless of file names and tags. • Auto-classify your songs by genre, mood, tempo, and more. • Auto-correct your file tags. • Build instant playlists filled with songs that match your mood.
Using the Music Management Software Contents Index 26 Using iTunes (Mac) iTunes music management software is included on the Mac software CD. iTunes turns your Mac into a powerful digital jukebox, complete with easy-to-use tools for recording music from audio CDs (simply insert a CD to import music to MP3s), searching and browsing your entire collection, managing playlists, and listening to Internet radio stations.
Glossary of Digital Audio Terms Contents Index 27 Glossary of Digital Audio Terms Bass Bass is the particular low-range area of the sound spectrum where low musical notes and sounds are located. Increasing the bass value will make the low vocals and drums more prominent in your music. Adjusting this level too high can cause distortion at high volumes in some music files. Bitrate Bitrate denotes the number of bits per second used to represent a digital music file.
Glossary of Digital Audio Terms Rio S50 Digital Music Player Contents Index 28 ID3 tag Skin The ID3 tag is the part of the encoded MP3 file that contains information about the digital music file such as song title, artist, album title, encoding bitrate, track time duration, and so on. ID3 Tag information for each track appears on the Player mode screens. The skin is a software option that lets you change how software applications appear on your computer screen.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Contents Index 29 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) What size and type external memory cards will my Rio player hold? The Rio players support current MMC memory sizes of 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128MB. Please visit the SONICblue Support Web site at www.sonicblue.com/support for more information on external memory cards. How do I install an external memory card? 1 2 3 4 Turn the Rio player OFF. Remove the battery compartment cover on the back of the player. Remove the battery.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Contents Index 30 4 Press STOP to navigate to the Battery field on the Power Control screen. Press PLAY/PAUSE to navigate up the screen. 5 Press REVERSE and FORWARD to cycle through Battery options. 6 Press ENTER to save your choices and exit. What does the Rio player Hold feature do? The Hold feature locks the player buttons and controls except the OFF/ON Power Control switch. This is useful at times when the player may be bumped or jostled.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Contents Index 31 Calculating Play Time Note: Due to different software compression algorithms, the following information may vary slightly depending on what software you are using and what program created the MP3. To determine how much play time your Rio player actually has, use the following equation: Rio player Play Time = M / (S x 0.439) where: M = Rio player memory size in megabytes (MB): 64MB, 128MB, and so on.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Contents Index 32 3 Double-click the firmware update file that you downloaded from the Web site. The firmware update should take approximately 30 seconds to load. Upgrading the Rio player firmware (Mac) Important: Do not close the program, turn off the Rio player or unplug the USB cable during the update. 1 2 3 4 5 Connect the Rio player to the computer with the USB cable. Turn the Rio player ON. Double-click the iTunes icon. Select the Rio player icon.
Troubleshooting Contents Index 33 Troubleshooting Problem Solution I can’t read the display; First make sure that the battery has power. If the player firmware becomes corrupted for any reason, follow these steps to restart the player in Recovery mode. After you restart the player in Recovery mode, proceed with the firmware update. The player seems “dead”; The player firmware is corrupted Note: Performing a recovery mode firmware update erases all content on the player. 1 Turn the player OFF.
Troubleshooting Rio S50 Digital Music Player Contents Index 34 Problem Solution Error message is displayed on the computer screen when CD encoding begins The following factors may interfere with the CD encoding process: • Over-utilization of the CPU during the encoding process. Close all other software before encoding. • Insufficient RAM to cache the track properly. Generally, 64 MB is fine if no other memory intensive application is running. Close all other software before encoding.
Limited Warranty Contents Index 35 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. SONICblue Incorporated warrants refurbished products, marked and sold as such, for ninety (90) days from the original purchase date. This warranty is extended to the original end user purchaser only and is not assignable or transferable to any other party.
Regulatory Information Contents Index 36 Regulatory Information Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rio S50 Digital Music Player This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1 This device may not cause harmful interference, and 2 This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Customer Care Contents Index 37 Customer Care Web site http://www.sonicblue.com/support E-mail customersupport@sonicblue.
Customer Care Rio S50 Digital Music Player Contents Index 38
Index Contents Index A about menu 19 audio file size 27 B bass 27 battery cover 4 battery installation 8 battery life 17 bitrate 27 bookmarks menu 17 buttons and controls 4 C changing the battery 29 charging the battery 8 codec defined 27 MP3 28 WMA 28 common questions 29 contrast menu 18 copyright/trademark 3 corrupted display troubleshooting 33 customer care 37 D dead player troubleshooting 33 display 6 downloading tracks (Mac) 26 downloading tracks (PC) 24 E encoding a CD (Mac) 26 a CD (PC) 23
Index Contents T technical support 37 time menu 18 timer 12 treble 28 tuner menu 19 U USB connection 10 V variable bitrate (VBR) 28 VOLUME + and - buttons 5 W Rio S50 Digital Music Player warranty 35 WMA 28 40
