SUPERSCOPE PSD300 CD Recording System User Guide

: June 16, 2024
: SUPERSCOPE

Superscope PSD300 CD Recording System

Quick Start Guide

Powering Up

Check that the AC power cord is snuggly fit in the power cord jack on the back panel.
Make sure the back panel Master Power button is ON. The STANDBY light should now be glowing. Upon power up, this light will dim and the display will come on.

To Play a CD

Upon inserting a CD in the top CD player drive, the display will show the total number of tracks and total time of the CD. You can always tell which drive is being displayed by observing which set of control buttons are lit … the CD Player drive or CD Recorder drive. When you have discs in both drives, you can toggle between the two drives by pressing the SELECT JOG WHEEL.

Internal Speaker / Headphones

SPEAKER switch in the ON position.
PHONE SELECTOR switch in the ” LINE OUT” position. (This is a preferred setting, enabling EQ adjustments to be heard via headphones or the speaker. You’ll also be able to listen to CDs in the CD-RW drive.)
Press the CD player PLAY/PAUSE button to start playback.
Adjust the PHONE/SPEAKER LEVEL to the desired volume.

External Speakers

Connect back panel LINE OUT to powered speakers or a sound system using standard stereo RCA cables.
SPEAKER switch in the OFF position.
PHONE SELECTOR switch in the LINE OUT position.
Press the CD player PLAY/PAUSE button to start playback.
Adjust the LINE OUT level knob to control volume.

Changing Tracks

Change tracks quickly by rotating the JOG WHEEL. Once you’ve found the track you want, press the JOG WHEEL or the PLAY/PAUSE button to begin playing that track. You can change tracks during Play, Pause, and Stop.

HOT HINT
When “CD” is selected on the PHONE/SPEAKER switch, all CD EQ controls are disengaged for headphones or internal speaker. Switch to “LINE OUT” on the PHONE SELECTOR to hear EQ changes.

Programming Tracks on a CD

Press the PROG button located on top of the PSD300.
” PROG” will be flashing in the display showing no tracks programmed and no track time displayed. The letter ” P” indicates programmed tracks.
Select a track using the JOG WHEEL (see previous section). The display will show one track programmed and its total playing time. Continue selecting tracks using the JOG WHEEL. As you select tracks, the display will show total playing time for the selected tracks.
Press the PROG button to exit the program mode. Your tracks are now programmed. NOTE: Tracks can only be programmed in the CD Playback drive, and once you take a CD out of the drive, the program is erased.
As you rotate the JOG WHEEL, the display will now show only the programmed track numbers.
Press the PLAY/PAUSE button for playback of the programmed tracks.

SUPERSCOPE PSD300 CD Recording System A4

HOT HINT
To clear the entire program quickly, simply press the “STOP” button (CD drive controls) while the unit is in “STOP” mode. If you’re in playback mode, hit the “STOP” key twice. Press once to stop the programmed playback, and once to clear the program.

Changing the Key of a Song

Key change range is +/- one octave in 12.5 cent increments. Each time you press the KEY + or KEY – button, the key will shift 12.5 cents without changing tempo. (See NOTE below )
Integers on the display represent half step changes. (i.e., -2.0 is one step flat.)

SUPERSCOPE PSD300 CD Recording System A5

To start the Key Change function, press the flat (b) or sharp (#) buttons located beneath the display. You can do this before starting play or while a song is playing. The display will change from total tracks and total time to ” KEY 0.00″ .
Now, every time you press the flat (b) or sharp (#) buttons the key will change 12.5 cents. After about 5 seconds, the display will revert back to total tracks and total time but retain the manipulation information in an abbreviated form. Example: 2 4:20K 1.00. The example shows Track 2 with a total time of 4 minutes 20 seconds, and a Key manipulation of 1 half step flat.
You can toggle between the changed key and the original key by pressing both the sharp (#) and flat (b) buttons at the same time.
Once the Key Change has been adjusted, you can also adjust the Tempo. This way, you simultaneously change key and tempo. For a key adjustment in a range of + /- 5.00 half steps, the tempo can be adjusted 33% or +50% .

Changing t he Tempo of a CD

Tempo Control will decrease the tempo of a CD by 33% , or increase the tempo by +50% , without changing the pitch, in 1% increments. (See NOTE below )

To start the Tempo Change function, press the Tempo minus (-) or plus (+) controls located beneath the display. The display will change from total tracks and total time to ” TEM PO 0% .” Press the minus (-) or plus (+) controls to change the tempo in 1% increments. After about 5 seconds, the display will revert back to total tracks and total time but retain the manipulation in an abbreviated form. Example: 7 24:07 T -20% . The example shows Track 7 with a total time of 24 minutes 7 seconds, and a tempo reduction of -20% .
You can toggle between the changed tempo and the original by pressing both the Tempo (+) and (-) buttons at the same time.

Fine Tuning

Once the Tempo Control is adjusted, the Key Control can be used for fine- tuning. Pressing the flat (b) or sharp (#) key lets you tune the CD Playback drive to an instrument. The Key Control raises or lowers the tuning in .1% increments and is displayed as a whole number. For example, to raise or finetune a CD by 1.5% , the display will show ” +15.” The maximum range of fine tuning is +/-2% .

How t o use Voice Reduction

Voice Reduction (VR) reduces the lead vocal from many stereo CDs when the lead vocal is centered between left and right channels.

VR works only in the CD Playback drive.
VR works only with stereo, not mono recordings.
Results vary depending on how the song was recorded. Sometimes it works great; if the recording includes reverb or other processing, the lead vocal may not be fully reduced.

Place a prerecorded CD in the CD Playback drive.
Press the ” VR” button located on top of the PSD300. A single push and release of the ” VR” button will momentarily display the status of Voice Reduction. Example: ” VR OFF” indicates the Voice Reduction is off.
Press and release ” VR” again to switch and activate Voice Reduction. The display will momentarily show ” VR ON” . The display will revert back to total tracks and total time, plus ” VR” will be showing in the display when the Voice Reduction is on. Example: 7 27:27 VR.
Press the ” PLAY/PAUSE” button to begin playback. Note the reduction of the lead vocal from the CD. To turn off Voice Reduction, press and release the ” VR” button to activate, then press and release again to change status. Voice Reduction can be activated while the unit is stopped, or in playback mode.

Selecting A-B Practice Loops

Use the A-B loop button to select the start point (A), and the ending point (B) of a section of music to continuously loop.

Select or program the track to be looped. Press ” PLAY/ PAUSE” to begin playback.
When playback gets to the desired segment of music to be looped, press the ” AB” button located on top of the PSD300. This sets point A (starting point) of the loop. The display will show ” REPEAT A” .
When the segment of music reaches the desired end point, press the ” AB” button again to mark point B (ending point) of the loop. The display will show ” REPEAT AB.” The loop is now set. Playback of the loop begins immediately upon setting point B.

NOTE: Tempo and key changes only work in the CD player drive. Also, any key changes you make will apply to the entire CD, or your programmed play list. You cannot individually program key changes for each track, since the unit does not have a way to store these changes. Rather, you can record a new disc of the changes you want, a track at a time.

To exit the loop during playback, press the “REPEAT” button located on top of the PSD300. “REPEAT A–B” will leave the display as playback of the CD continues. Pressing the “STOP” button will end playback and exit the loop. Refer to page 11 of the owners manual for more looping options.

Recording Live Music

The Superscope PSD300 can record onto any 1X or 2X compatible CD–R (write once), or CD–RW (rewritable) disc.

1. Place an unfinalized CD-R or CD-RW disc in the CD Recording drive
2. Connect your microphone(s) or instrument(s) to the MIC/LINE INPUTS (XLR or 1/4”) on the front panel.

3. For each channel –R (right) and L (left) — you’ll find an input selector switch directly above each XLR input. Select “LINE” for instruments or other line sources. Or select “MIC” for microphones. Select “INT” if you want to record using the internal mic. “INT” will override the other inputs. NOTE: It’s possible to have one channel set as a microphone source and the other channel set as a line/instrument source.

4. Set the INPUT switch to “ANALOG”. It is located above the CD Recorder drive.
5. Set the MIC/LINE switch to “STEREO.” (located above the CD-RW drive.)
6. Set the record levels. Use headphones for monitoring. To avoid feedback, switch the internal speaker to “OFF. If the PSD300 is connected to external speakers, turn down the LINE OUT volume control. Turn the PHONE SELECTOR knob to “LINE OUT”. Turn the “L” and “R” MIC/LINE level knobs clockwise to the 12 o’clock” position. Digital level meters will appear in the display and will fluctuate as sound is detected from the inputs. Set the record levels as close to “0dB”as possible. Back down the record level knobs if the meters go into the the red zone.

7. Select the Record mode. Press and release the REC MODE button located on top of the PSD300. Turn the JOG WHEEL until “RECORD” shows in the display, then press the JOG WHEEL to select this mode. After 5 seconds, the display will show “PUSH REC KEY,” and the REC button will be flashing red, indicating that the unit is now in record pause.
8. Press the REC button to begin recording. While recording, the display will show which track number is recording and the record time. The upper left hand corner of the display will show the red dot and triangular “PLAY” icon indicating a recording is in process.
9. To pause a recording, press the “PLAY/PAUSE” button. To start recording again, push the REC button. You will create a new track every time you stop or pause during recording.
10.To create (or mark) new tracks during recording, press the track increment (TR INC) button on the IR remote. You can create up to 99 tracks.
11.After recording is completed, the disc must be finalized for playback in standard CD players. To finalize a CD, press the FINALIZE button located above the REC button. The display will indicate “PUSH REC KEY.” When you push the record key, the unit will take 2:10 to finalize the disc.

SUPERSCOPE PSD300 CD Recording System A12

How to Record Key, Tempo, and Vocal Reduction Changes to a CD

Any prerecorded CD can be manipulated with our Key, Tempo, and Voice Reduction features, and recorded onto a CD-R or CD-RW. Here’s how:

Program the track(s) to be manipulated. (See pg. 1)
After programming, adjust the KEY and/or TEMPO controls to the desired settings.
Press the jog wheel or the CD Recorder drive’s STOP button to activate the CD Recorder drive.
Place a blank CD-R or CD-RW disc in the CD Recorder drive.
You must use the RECORD MODE button and the JOG WHEEL to select the “REC with CD” MODE. NOTE: This is the only mode that permits you to record key and tempo changes. Press the JOG WHEEL to accept the “REC with CD” mode. After initialization, “PUSH REC KEY” will now show in the display.
If you also want to record with vocal reduction activated, press the “VR” button twice while the REC button is flashing. (VR will not be recorded unless you are in record mode or record-pause.) You can turn vocal reduction on and off any time while recording a CD in “record with CD”.
Press the flashing red REC button to begin recording. Any manipulations made to the CD player drive will be recorded to the CD recorder drive.

HOT HINT
You can use an external effects device connected between your mic and the PSD300 to provide such things as reverb and other effects.

Troubleshooting:

Can’t seem to record key / tempo changes:

The “REC with CD” mode is the only record mode that will transfer key, tempo, and voice reduction alterations to the CD recording drive. If you are in Record, Copy CD, Copy and Finalize, or Convert to Half speed mode, you are not in the mode that records these manipulations.

Can’t seem to change key more than five half steps.

You are in combination key and tempo change mode. When combining Key and Tempo controls, the Key control is limited to + or 5.00 half steps, as opposed to the octave of adjustment when the Key control is used alone. Tempo can still be adjusted -33% or +50% .

Can’t hear a CD when I try to play it in the CD Recording drive

Make sure the Phone Selector switch is set to LINE OUT. This is the only setting that enables you to monitor playback in the CD-R drive via headphones or the built-in speaker.

For more troubleshooting answers, also see our FAQs on our website: www.superscopetechnologies.com

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, TRY SYSTEM RESET.

With the unit off (no power or standby), simultaneously press down the “STOP” key (lower right hand corner on top of the unit) of the CDR drive and the rotary “SELECT” knob with your right hand fingers (little or ring finger and thumb).
While holding those functions down, reach to the backside of the unit with your left hand and press in the “POWER – ON/OFF” switch to turn on the unit.
The lighted display on top of the unit should now read “PSD300” along with the operating system version number.
Once you see the read-out in the display, simply turn the “POWER – ON/OFF” switch on the back of the unit to the off position. Your unit is now “reset”. Operate the unit as normal.

HOT HINT
A finalized CD-R can never be recorded onto again. Only a CD-RW can be unfinalized for more recording. If a disc is blank or has already been finalized, when you press the FINALIZE button, “NOT POSSIBLE” will flash 3 times.

RECOMMENDED MEDIA

We do not recommend generic or off-brand computer data discs. You may experience a higher failure rate with such generic media. Test the media before you invest in a spindle of CD-Rs. We do recommend premium brand, silver or gold discs from brand names such as Mitsui, Sony, Taiyo Yuden, Philips, and TDK. Whatever the brand, be sure that the disc is certified to record at 1X speed and has a capacity of no more than 80 minutes.

You do not have to buy consumer “music” CD-R or CD-RW discs. These discs are required by consumer-grade CD burners, and cost more than computer discs.

CONNECTING TO EXTERNAL SPEAKIERS

If more volume output is required, the PSD300 can be connected to a stereo system, or powered speak ers. Simply connect an RCA patch cable from the “LINE OUT” jacks on the back panel of the PSD300 to the “CD” or “AUX” inputs of the stereo, or to the inputs of powered monitors. Next, adjust the “LINE OUT” level control, located on the front panel of the PSD300, in conjunction with your amplifier’s volume control, to set the desired output level.

Toll Free Help Line:866-371-4773
For more in-depth information, consult the product owner’s manual.
FAQs are available from the PSD300 page on our website
at: www.superscopetechnologies.com. You can also send us a question using our online Contact Form at: www.superscopetechnologies.com/forms/contactus.htm