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ICD-U50/U60/U70 U 2-671-946-12(1)

IC Recorder

Operating Instructions

Owner’s Record

The model number is located at the rear and the serial number is located inside the battery 
compartment. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to these numbers whenever 
you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product.

Model No.   ______________ 

Serial No.  __________________________________

©2006 Sony Corporation        Printed in China

ICD-U50/U60/U70

Printed on 100% recycled 
paper using VOC (Volatile 
Organic Compound)-free 
vegetable oil based ink.

Information

IN NO EVENT SHALL SELLER BE LIABLE FOR 
ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL 
DAMAGES OF ANY NATURE, OR LOSSES OR 
EXPENSES RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECTIVE 
PRODUCT OR THE USE OF ANY PRODUCT.

For the customers in the U.S.A.

INFORMATION

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with 
the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide 
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a 
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and 
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and 
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful 
interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not 
occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does 
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, 
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and 
on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference 
by one or more of the following measures:
– Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
– Increase the separation between the equipment and 

receiver.

– Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different 

from that to which the receiver is connected.

– Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician 

for help.

You are cautioned that any changes or modifications not 
expressly approved in this manual could void your authority 
to operate this equipment.

If you have any questions about this product, you may call: 
Sony Customer Information Services Center 1-800-222-7669 
or http://www.sony.com/

Declaration of Conformity

Trade Name:

SONY

Model:

ICD-U50/U60/U70

Responsible Party:

Sony Electronics Inc.

Address:

16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 
92127 U.S.A.

Telephone Number: 858-942-2230
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.

Disposal of Old Electrical & Electronic 

Equipment (Applicable in the European 

Union and other European countries with 

separate collection systems)

This symbol on the product or on its 
packaging indicates that this product shall 
not be treated as household waste. Instead 
it shall be handed over to the applicable 
collection point for the recycling of electrical 
and electronic equipment. By ensuring 
this product is disposed of correctly, you 

will help prevent potential negative consequences for the 
environment and human health, which could otherwise be 
caused by inappropriate waste handling of this product. 
The recycling of materials will help to conserve natural 
resources. For more detailed information about recycling 
of this product, please contact your local Civic Office, your 
household waste disposal service or the shop where you 
purchased the product.

Applicable accessories: Headphone

 Troubleshooting

Before taking the unit for repair, check the following 
sections. Should any problem persist after you have made 
these checks, consult your nearest Sony dealer.

The unit does not operate.

 The battery has been inserted with incorrect polarity.

 The battery is weak.

 The buttons are locked with the HOLD switch. (If you 

press any button, “HOLD” will flash 3 times.)

No sound comes from the speaker.

 The ear receiver or headphones are plugged in.

 The volume is turned down completely.

“MEMORY FULL” or “MESSAGE FULL” 

flashes and you cannot start recording.

 The memory is full. Erase some of the messages. 

 99 messages have been recorded in the selected folder. 

Select another folder or erase some of the messages. 

Noise is heard.

 An object, such as your finger, etc., accidentally rubbed 

or scratched the unit during recording so that noise was 
recorded.

 The unit was placed near an AC power source, a 

fluorescent lamp or a mobile phone during recording or 
playback.

 Ear receiver/headphones plug is dirty. Clean the plug.

Recording level is low.

 Set the microphone sensitivity to “MIC SENS:H (high)” 

using the menu. 

Recording is interrupted.

 The advanced VOR function is activated. Set “VOR:OFF” 

in the menu.

“--:--” is displayed.

 You have not set the clock.

“--Y--M--D” or “--:--” is displayed on the 

REC DATE or REC TIME display.

 The date and time of recording will not be displayed if you 

recorded the message when the clock was not set.

The battery life is short.

 The batery life mentioned in “Installing the Battery” is 

based on playback through stereo headphone(s) with the 
medium volume level using Sony LR03(SG) alkaline 
battery. The battery life may shorten depending on the 
operation of the unit.

You cannot record messages up to the 

maximum recording time.

 If you record messages in a mixture of HQ, SP and LP 

modes, the recordable time varies from the maximum HQ 
mode recording time to the maximum LP mode recording 
time.

 No more recording can be made when 99 messages each 

have been recorded in a folder.

 Due to the limitation of the IC recording system, this unit 

records in the minimum recording unit. If the length of 
each message cannot be divided by the minimum recording 
unit, the remaining recording time may decrease by more 
than the total length of the messages.

The unit does not operate correctly.

 Take out the battery and insert it again.

Please note that recorded messages may be erased during 
service or repair work.

Index to Parts and Controls

 Main Unit

 (headphone) jack

*

1

A-B  (repeat) button

Control key

*

2

/MENU button

Front

REC (record)/

PAUSE button

STOP button

Display window

USB cap

Built-in 

microphone

    

Rear

Neck strap holder

*

3

OPR (operation) indicator

HOLD switch

*

4

Battery compartment

DPC switch

Speaker

This unit does not have a power on/off switch.

*

1

  Connect stereo headphone(s) or stereo ear receiver 

to the 

 (headphone) jack. If noise is heard, wipe 

the headphone/ear receiver plug.

*

2

  How to use the control key 

Use the key to change the menu settings as well as 

for playback. In the menu mode press the key right or 

left to select a menu item and press the key (



to confirm the setting.

*

3

  How to attach the neck strap

*

4

  Slide the HOLD switch in the direction of the arrow, 

and all the functions of all the buttons are locked. 

When the HOLD function is activated during stop, the 

display will be turned off, too.

 Display Window

Folder indicator (A, B, C, D, E,  )/Message number/REC (recording) indicator/Recording time indication/

Remaining memory indicator/Total number of messages in a folder/Menu indication/Counter/Remaining time 

indication/Recording date indication/Current time indication

Repeat play indicator

Playback mode indicator

Recording mode 

indicator

VOR indicator

Microphone sensitivity indicator

Remaining battery indicator

When recording or playback stops, the display changes from counter to current time, and then disappears 
in 30 seconds.

 Supplied Accessories

Stereo headphone (1) 

Operating instructions (1)

LR03 (size AAA) alkaline battery (1) 

Neck strap (1)

Getting Started

 Installing the Battery

 Slide and lift the battery compartment 

lid.

 Insert one LR03 (size AAA) alkaline 

battery with the correct polarity, and 

close the lid.

If the battery compartment lid is accidentally 
detached, attach it as illustrated.

Battery life

*

1

When using a Sony LR03 (SG) (size AAA) alkaline battery

Recording mode

Recording

Playback

*

2

HQ

*

3

Approx. 11 hr.

Approx. 13 hr.

SP

*

4

Approx. 16 hr. 30 min.

Approx. 19 hr.

LP

*

5

Approx. 16 hr. 30 min.

Approx. 19 hr.

MP3

Approx. 8 hr. 30 min.

(hr.: hours / min.: minutes)

*

1

 The battery life may shorten depending on the operation of the IC recorder.

*

2

 When playing back through the stereo headphone with the medium volume level

*

3

 HQ: High quality recording mode

*

4

 SP: Standard play recording mode

*

5

 LP: Long play recording mode

!

Note

Do not use a manganese battery with this IC recorder.

Battery remaining indicator

The battery indicator on the display shows the battery condition.
When 

 flashes, replace the battery with a new one.

When 

 flashes and “CHANGE BATTERY” flashes 3 times, the battery is exhausted and the 

IC 

recorder

 will stop operating.

!

Notes

 When you replace the battery with a new one, the clock returns to the setting display, or an incorrect date 

and time appear when you insert the new battery. In this case, set the date and time again. The recorded 
messages, however, will remain.

 The IC recorder is accessing data while “ACCESS” appears on the display or the OPR indicator flashes in 

orange. While the IC recorder is accessing data, do not remove the battery. Doing so may damage the data.

 Setting the Clock

You must set the clock to record the date and time.

 Press and hold  /MENU for more than 

1 second.

The unit enters the menu mode.

 Press the control key toward 

 to 

display “DATE & TIME>” and press 



.

The clock setting display appears.

 Press the control key toward 

 to 

select the digits of the year and press 



.

 Set the month, day, hour and minute in 

sequence, then press 



.

When the minute digits are selected, the clock 
will be set and the display will return to “DATE 
& TIME>.”

 Press STOP to exit from the menu 

mode.

Recording

 Recording Messages

You can record up to 99 messages in each of the five folders (A, B, C, D and E), a total of 495 messages.

Folders for messages 

Folder for MP3 files

*

*

 

 is a folder for MP3 files. 

If you select   and record messages, the folder 

will be automatically switched to A, B, C, D 

or E, whichever has sufficient space for those 

messages.

 Press  /MENU to select a folder.

 Press REC/PAUSE in the stop mode to 

start recording.

The message will be automatically added after the 
end of the last recorded message.

e.g.

Message 1

Message 2

New message

Empty space

 Speak into the built-in microphone.

 Press STOP to stop the recording.

!

Notes

 While the OPR indicator is flashing or is lit in orange, do not remove the battery. Doing so may damage the 

data.

 Noise may be recorded if an object, such as your finger, etc., accidentally rubs or scratches the IC recorder 

during recording.

 Before making a recording, be sure to check the remaining battery indicator.

To pause recording

Press REC/PAUSE. “PAUSE” flashes. To release pause and resume recording, press REC/PAUSE 
again.

Monitoring the recording

Connect the headphone supplied or an optional stereo ear receiver to the 

 (headphone) jack and 

monitor the recording. You can adjust the volume with the control key by pressing it toward VOL + or 
VOL –, but the recording level is fixed.

Selecting the recording mode

Select “HQ”, “SP”, or “LP” in the “REC MODE:HQ” menu (see “Menu Settings” on the reverse side).
To record in better sound quality, select “HQ.”

Selecting the microphone sensitivity

Select the microphone sensitivity in the “MIC SENS:H” menu (see “Menu Settings” on the reverse 
side).

Maximum recording time

The maximum recording time

*

 of all the folders is as follows. You can check the remaining recording 

time by selecting “REMAIN” in the “DISPLAY>” menu (see “Menu Settings” on the reverse side).

*

 When deleting “Player Plug-in for Windows Media Player” and “Windows

®

 2000 Professional, Windows

®

 

98 Second Edition Driver.”

ICD-U50

ICD-U60

ICD-U70

HQ

*

1

28 hr. 40 min.

57 hr. 30 min.

115 hr. 10 min.

SP

*

2

76 hr. 30 min.

153 hr. 25 min.

307 hr. 15 min.

LP

*

3

125 hr. 15 min.

251 hr. 5 min.

502 hr. 45 min.

(hr.: hours / min.: minutes)

*

1

 HQ: High quality recording mode

*

2

 SP: Standard play recording mode

*

3

 LP: Long play recording mode

Remaining memory indicator

During recording, the remaining memory amount indicated decreases. 
When nothing is recorded, “   ” is displayed.
When the remaining recording time reaches 5 minutes, the remaining memory indicator “   ” flashes.
When the memory is full, recording automatically stops, an alarm sounds, and “MEMORY FULL” 
will flash, and the remaining memory indicator “   ” will flash. To continue recording, first erase some 
of the messages.

 Adding a New Message Number during Recording 

(Dividing Recording)

 Press and hold REC/PAUSE for more than 1 second during recording.

A new message number is added at the point where you press the button, and you can easily find it 
during playback.

 Starting Recording Automatically in Response to the 

Sound (VOR Function)

Set the VOR (voice operated recording) function to “ON” in the “VOR:OFF” menu (see “Menu Settings” 
on the reverse side).

Playback/Erasing

 Playing Back Messages

When playing back a message you have just finished recording, start from Step 

.

 Press  /MENU to select the folder you 

want.

 Press the control key toward 

 or 

 to select the message number you 

want to play, and press 



 to start 

playback.

 Adjust the volume by pressing the 

control key toward VOL + or VOL –.

 Press STOP to stop playback.

To

Do this

pause playback

Press 



. To resume playback from that point, press 



 again.

go back to the beginning of the 

current message

Press toward 

 once.

go back to previous messages

Press toward 

 repeatedly. (During the stop mode, keep the key 

pressed to go back through the messages continuously.)

skip to the next message

Press toward 

 once.

skip to succeeding messages

Press toward 

 repeatedly. (During the stop mode, keep the key 

pressed to skip the messages continuously.)

search forward/backward*

Keep pressing toward 

 (forward/cue) or 

 (backward/review) 

during playback and release the key at the point you wish to resume 

playback.

*  If you keep the control key toward 

 or 

 pressed, the IC recorder starts to search at higher 

speed. During cue/review, the counter will be displayed, regardless of the display mode setting. 

If you keep the control key toward 

 to the end of the recorded messages, “MESSAGE END” 

flashes and the IC recorder stops at the beginning of the last message in the folder.

Adjusting the playback speed (DPC: Digital Pitch Control function)

Set the DPC switch to ON.
Set the playback speed in the “DPC: 0%” menu (see “Menu Settings” on the reverse side).

To resume normal playback

Set the DPC switch to OFF.

!

Notes

 When the DPC switch is set to ON, the playback sound changes.

 When the DPC switch is set to ON, an MP3 file may be played back at a lower speed than the one you set 

in the “DPC 0%” menu.

Selecting the playback mode

Change the playback mode in the “VOICE PL MODE>” menu (see “Menu Settings” on the reverse 
side).

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