manualshive.com logo in svg

Sony MD Walkman MZ-R70, Operating Instructions Manual, Page: 53 / 76

Share
Download
Sony MD Walkman MZ-R70 Operating Instructions Manual Download Page 53

53

Power sources

You can use the recorder on house current or as follows. 
In the recorder …

— a nickel cadmium rechargeable battery NC-WMAA (supplied)
— LR6 (size AA) alkaline dry battery (not supplied)

It is preferable to use the recorder on house current when recording 
for a long time.

Charging the nickel cadmium 
rechargeable battery

Before using the supplied NC-WMAA nickel cadmium rechargeable 
battery for the first time, charge it in the recorder.

1

Connect the supplied AC power adaptor.

to wall output

to DC IN 3V

AC power adaptor 
(supplied)

continued

Summary of Contents for MD Walkman MZ-R70

Page 1: ...3 043 516 13 1 Portable MiniDisc Recorder Operating Instructions 2000 Sony Corporation MZ R70 ...

Page 2: ...y 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 t...

Page 3: ...ment by returning your unwanted batteries to your nearest point for collection recycling or proper desposal Note In some areas the disposal of nickel cadmium batteries in household or business trash may be prohibited RBRC Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation advises you about spent battery collection by the following phone number Call toll free number 1 800 822 8837 United States and Canada ...

Page 4: ...ided for connection of up to two headphones Remote control with editing capabilities You can now label tracks and discs change track sequence etc with the easy to operate remote control Simultaneous labeling feature No more waiting for the recording to end you can label tracks and discs while the MD is being recorded Digital synchro recording When recording from a digital equipment with optical ou...

Page 5: ...5 ...

Page 6: ...king the remaining time or the recording position 25 On the recorder 25 On the remote control 28 Various ways of playback Selecting a track directly 29 Playing tracks repeatedly 30 On the recorder 30 On the remote control 31 Emphasizing bass DIGITAL MEGA BASS 32 On the recorder 32 On the remote control 33 Protecting your hearing AVLS 34 On the recorder 34 On the remote control 34 Checking the rema...

Page 7: ...rol 47 Labeling recordings 48 On the recorder 48 On the remote control 50 Power sources Charging the nickel cadmium rechargeable battery 53 Using on a battery 55 Additional information Precautions 56 Troubleshooting 60 System limitations 63 Messages 65 Specifications 68 What is an MD 70 Looking at the controls 72 ...

Page 8: ... cable required page 18 To record from an MD see Note on digital recording page 59 1 Make connections Insert the cables firmly and completely into the appropriate jacks to a wall outlet AC power adaptor supplied to LINE IN OPTICAL to DC IN 3V CD player MD player digital amplifier etc Portable CD player etc Optical cable supplied The supplied cable consists of one or the other of these cables The s...

Page 9: ...cord an MD 1 Slide REC to the right REC indication lights up in the display and recording starts 2 Play the source you want to record To stop recording press x After you press x the recorder will automatically turn off after about 5 minutes when using AC power adaptor about 10 seconds when using batteries REC CD player cassette recorder etc source x ...

Page 10: ...peration or while TOC Edit appears in the display then it will not be possible to open the lid until power is restored You can make a digital recording only from an optical type output When recording from a portable CD player play it on AC power and disable the anti skip function such as ESP To Press Record from the end of the previous recording END SEARCH and slide REC Record partway through the ...

Page 11: ...t run on AC power Electronic Shock Protection z The level of the recorded sound is adjusted automatically You can monitor the sound during recording Connect the supplied headphones with remote control to i1 and adjust the volume by pressing VOL This does not affect the recording level ...

Page 12: ...ry battery see Power sources page 53 1 Make connections Insert the cables firmly and completely into the appropriate jacks Headphones with a remote control supplied to i1 to DC IN 3V to a wall outlet AC power adaptor supplied i2 jack Use to connect a second pair of headphones etc ...

Page 13: ... the label side facing front and press the lid to close 3 Play an MD 1 Press N N on the remote control A short beep sounds in the headphones when you operate on the remote control 2 Press VOL to adjust the volume The volume will be shown in the display VOL VOL x x N N ...

Page 14: ...rent track once on the remote control Three short beeps Find the beginning of the next track once N on the remote control Two short beeps Pause X Continuous short beeps Press X again to resume play Go backwards while playing1 1 To go backward or forward quickly without listening press X and keep pressing or or N on the remote control keep pressing on the remote control Go forward while playing1 ke...

Page 15: ... i1 jack you can connect headphones to the i2 jack as well z Playback will switch automatically between stereo and monaural according to the sound source Notes To prevent recorder malfunction do not use a remote control that was supplied with another Sony portable MD model The sound may skip during playback when the recorder is exposed to continuous vibration such as while jogging Stereo mini plug...

Page 16: ...g with analog input line cable required page 18 to record using analog line input Difference between digital optical and analog line inputs Difference Digital optical input Analog line input Connectable source Equipment with a digital optical output jack Equipment with an analog line output jack Usable cord Optical cable with an optical or an optical mini plug page 8 Line cable with 2 phono plugs ...

Page 17: ...e recording You can erase unnecessary marks after recording Erasing a track mark page 45 Marked automatically after more than 2 seconds of blank or low level segment when the recorder is paused while recording You can erase unnecessary marks after recording Erasing a track mark page 45 Recorded sound level Same as the source Can also be adjusted manually Digital REC level control Adjusting the rec...

Page 18: ...rtable CD player set the CD player to pause and then start recording LINE IN OPTICAL jack is for both digital and analog input The recorder automatically recognizes the type of line cable and switches to digital or analog input to LINE IN OPTICAL Line cable RK G129 not supplied CD player cassette recorder etc to LINE OUT L white R red Use the connecting cords without an attenuator To connect to a ...

Page 19: ...a digital cable and insert a recordable MD 1 Slide SYNCHRO REC on the bottom of the recorder to ON SYNC appears in the display SYNC doesn t appear if optical cable is not connected to the recorder 2 Slide REC to the right The recorder stands by for recording 3 Play the source sound The recorder starts recording when it receives the playing sound To stop recording press x CD players etc SYNCHRO REC...

Page 20: ...ps 1 to 3 of Recording in monaural for double the normal recording time page 22 and then do steps 1 and 3 of synchro recording Even when there is no recorded sound on the sound source there may be cases when recording does not pause automatically during synchro recording due to the noise level emitted from the sound source If a silent portion is encountered for 2 seconds or more during synchro rec...

Page 21: ...ee Recording an MD right away page 8 Notes You cannot record through the microphone while an optical cable is connected to the LINE IN OPTICAL jack The recorder automatically switches input in the following order optical input microphone input and analog input The microphone may pick up the operating sound of the recorder itself Use the microphone away from the recorder in such cases to MIC PLUG I...

Page 22: ...tereo REC flashes in the display 4 Press X again to start recording 5 Play the sound source To stop recording press x The recorder switches back to stereo recording when you record the next time Notes If you record a stereo source in monaural the sounds from left and right will be mixed You cannot record in monaural if SYNCHRO REC is slid to ON If you are recording digital input make sure to slide...

Page 23: ...le recording 1 While holding down X slide REC to the right The recorder stands by for recording 2 Press ENTER press MENU repeatedly until RecVolume flashes in the display and then press ENTER again 3 Press MENU repeatedly until ManualREC flashes in the display and then press ENTER To switch back to the automatic control Press MENU repeatedly until Auto REC flashes in the display and then press ENT...

Page 24: ... component be sure to cue the source to the beginning of the material to be recorded before you start playback 6 Press X again to start recording To stop recording press x The recording level control is switched back to automatic control when you record the next time Notes The recording level cannot be adjusted while recording is in progress If you want to adjust the recording level after you have...

Page 25: ...stop On the recorder 1 While the recorder is recording or stopped press ENTER press MENU repeatedly until DISPLAY flashes in the display and then press ENTER again 2 Press MENU repeatedly until the information you want flashes in the display Each time you press MENU the display changes as follows MENU ENTER N ENTER x EDIT continued ...

Page 26: ... B2 2 Number of displayed items C 1 2 LapTime elapsed time 2 2 RecRemain remaining time for recording A1 1 Display order B2 2 Number of displayed items C 1 3 LapTime elapsed time 2 3 RecRemain remaining time for recording 3 3 AllRemain remaining time after the current location A B C ...

Page 27: ...want to check the playing position or track name while playing see page 35 A B Elapsed time Track number Remaining time for recording Track number A B Elapsed time Track number Remaining time for recording Track name1 1 Appears only if the track has been labeled Remaining time after the current location Disc name1 A B ...

Page 28: ...recording or stopped press EDIT for 2 seconds or more press or N repeatedly until DISPLAY flashes in the display and then press ENTER x 2 Press or N repeatedly until the information you want flashes in the display Each time you press N the display changes as step 2 of On the recorder page 26 3 Press ENTER x The display changes as step 3 of On the recorder page 27 ...

Page 29: ... track appears in the display and then press ENTER The selected track name appears in the display and the recorder starts playing by pressing ENTER If the track has no name the track number appears in the display z If you do step 1 while the recorder is shuffling the tracks shuffle play starts from the track that you selected MENU ENTER ...

Page 30: ...ss MENU repeatedly until PLAY MODE flashes in the display and then press ENTER again 2 Press MENU repeatedly to select the play mode and then press ENTER Each time you press MENU the display item indicated by B changes as shown in the table below Pressing ENTER while B is flashing causes the play mode to change The new mode then appears in the window indicated by A MENU ENTER N ENTER x EDIT ...

Page 31: ... flashes in the display and then press ENTER x 2 Press or N repeatedly to select the play mode and then press ENTER x Each time you press N the display changes as step 2 of On the recorder page 30 Indication A B Play mode No Repeat All the tracks are played once AllRepeat All the tracks are played repeatedly 1 Repeat A single track is played repeatedly Shuffle After the currently selected track fi...

Page 32: ...r 1 Press ENTER press MENU repeatedly until MEGA BASS flashes in the display and then press ENTER again 2 Press MENU to select the item and then press ENTER Each time you press MENU A and B change as follows Display window on the recorder Indication A B Play mode BASS 0 Normal play BASS 1 Mega Bass moderate effect BASS 2 Mega Bass strong effect ENTER MENU N ENTER x EDIT Bass 2 A B BASS BASS ...

Page 33: ...ow on the recorder 1 While the recorder is playing or stopped press EDIT for 2 seconds or more press or N repeatedly until MEGA BASS flashes in the display and then press ENTER x 2 Press or N repeatedly to select the item and then press ENTER x Each time you press N the display changes as step 2 of On the recorder page 32 Notes If the sound becomes distorted when emphasizing bass turn down the vol...

Page 34: ...S appears in the display The volume is kept to a moderate level On the remote control There is no display window on the remote control Menu items should be viewed in the display window on the recorder 1 While the recorder is playing or stopped press EDIT for 2 seconds or more press or N repeatedly until AVLS flashes in the display and then press ENTER x 2 Press or N repeatedly until AVLS ON flashe...

Page 35: ...the display and then press ENTER again 2 Press MENU repeatedly until the information you want flashes in the display Each time you press MENU the display changes as follows Display window on the recorder A1 1 Display order B2 2 Number of displayed items C 1 3 LapTime erapsed time 2 3 1 Remain remaining time of the current track 3 3 AllRemain remaining time after current location ENTER MENU N ENTER...

Page 36: ...r is playing or stopped press EDIT for 2 seconds or more press or N repeatedly until DISPLAY flashes in the display and then press ENTER x 2 Press or N repeatedly until the information you want flashes in the display Each time you press N the display changes as step 2 of On the recorder page 35 3 Press ENTER x The display changes as step 3 of On the recorder page 36 A B Elapsed time Track number R...

Page 37: ...carry the recorder use this function 1 Slide HOLD in the direction of the On the recorder slide HOLD to lock the controls of the recorder On the remote control slide HOLD to lock the controls of the remote control Slide HOLD in the opposite direction of the arrow to unlock the controls HOLD HOLD ...

Page 38: ...t supplied to the i1 or i2 jack of the recorder be sure to set the BEEP setting to BEEP OFF This keeps the beep sound out of the recorded signal or the output from the externally connected equipment 1 Press ENTER press MENU repeatedly until BEEP flashes in the display and then press ENTER again 2 Press MENU repeatedly until BEEP OFF flashes in the display and then press ENTER Portable DAT recorder...

Page 39: ...or recording to an externally connected equipment If however this level produces distortion in the recording press VOL several times to lower the level to that shown in the illustration below When recording through a line cable connected to i1 or i2 headphone jack refrain from connecting another line cable to the other headphone jack or disconnecting one that is already connected Doing this may pr...

Page 40: ...eration while playing be sure not to turn the power off until TOC Edit disappears in the display The lid does not open until TOC Edit disappears in the display after editing TOC Table of Contents Erasing tracks To erase a track Note that once a recording has been erased you cannot retrieve it Make sure of the track you are erasing On the recorder 1 While playing the track you want to erase press E...

Page 41: ...track you want to erase press EDIT for 2 seconds or more so that EDIT flashes in the display and then press ENTER x Name flashes in the display and the recorder plays the selected track repeatedly 2 Press or N repeatedly until Erase flashes in the display and then press ENTER x Erase OK and PushENTER appear alternately in the display To cancel erasing press EDIT for 2 seconds or more or press T MA...

Page 42: ...topped press ENTER so that EDIT flashes in the display and then press ENTER again Name flashes in the display 2 Press MENU repeatedly until Erase flashes in the display and then press ENTER All Erase and PushENTER appear alternately in the display To cancel erasing press x or T MARK 3 Press ENTER again TOC Edit flashes in the display and all the tracks will be erased When erasing is complete BLANK...

Page 43: ...flashes in the display and then press ENTER x Name flashes in the display 2 Press or N repeatedly until Erase flashes in the display and then press ENTER x Erase OK and PushENTER appear alternately in the display To cancel erasing press EDIT for 2 seconds or more or press T MARK 3 Press ENTER x TOC Edit flashes in the display and all the tracks will be erased When erasing is complete BLANKDISC app...

Page 44: ...der at the point you want to mark MARK ON appears in the display and a track mark is added The track number will increase by one To add track marks while recording Press T MARK on the recorder at the point you want to add a track mark Notes You cannot add track marks during synchro recording T MARK on the remote control does not function during playback 1 3 4 2 2 3 1 4 5 Track marking Track number...

Page 45: ...rk you want to erase press X to pause 2 Find the track mark by pressing slightly For example to erase the third track mark find the beginning of the third track 00 00 appears in the display MARK appears in the display for 2 seconds 3 Press T MARK to erase the mark MARK OFF appears in the display The track mark is erased and the two tracks are combined z When you erase a track mark name assigned to...

Page 46: ...ER again Name flashes in the display and the recorder plays the selected track repeatedly 2 Press MENU repeatedly until Move flashes in the display and then press ENTER For the example above MV 003 t 003 appears in the display 3 Press MENU to select the destination track number For the example above MV 003 t 002 appears in the display To cancel moving press x or T MARK A C D B A B D C Before movin...

Page 47: ...display and then press ENTER x Name flashes in the display and the recorder plays the selected track repeatedly 2 Press or N repeatedly until Move appears in the display 3 Press ENTER x For the example on page 46 MV 003 t 003 appears in the display 4 Press or N repeatedly to select the destination track number For the example on page 46 MV 003 t 002 appears in the display To cancel moving press ED...

Page 48: ...ame can be as long as 200 letters Each disc can hold up to 1700 alphanumeric letters during playback or stop On the recorder Labeling a disc during stop 1 Insert a disc 2 Press ENTER so that EDIT flashes in the display and then press ENTER again Name flashes in the display VOL T MARK X END SEARCH x ENTER MENU N SELECT T MARK VOL CAPS X ENTER x EDIT DELETE ...

Page 49: ... and play the track you want to label 2 Press ENTER so that EDIT flashes in the display and then press ENTER again Name flashes in the display 3 Press ENTER The track is ready to be labeled Press To X Switch between capital letters small letters and marks numbers VOL Move the cursor to the left or right Change the letter to the one before next one END SEARCH VOL Insert a blank space to type in a n...

Page 50: ...eling a disc during stop To cancel labeling press x or T MARK Note When the recording is stopped while labeling a track or a disc during recording or when the recording moves on to the next track while labeling a track the input at that point is entered automatically On the remote control There is no display window on the remote control Menu items should be viewed in the display window on the reco...

Page 51: ... Press EDIT for 2 seconds or more so that EDIT flashes in the display and then press ENTER x Name flashes in the display 3 Press ENTER x The track is ready to be labeled 4 Follow steps 4 to 6 of Labeling a disc during stop page 50 Press To CAPS X Switch between capital letters small letters and marks numbers VOL Move the cursor to the left or right N SELECT Change the letter to the one before next...

Page 52: ...sc during recording or when the recording moves on to the next track while labeling a track the input at that point is entered automatically Available characters Capital and small letters of the English alphabet Numbers 0 to 9 _ _ space Relabeling recordings Follow the steps corresponding to the labeling method until the disc or track is ready to be labeled Enter a new character over the one you w...

Page 53: ...attery not supplied It is preferable to use the recorder on house current when recording for a long time Charging the nickel cadmium rechargeable battery Before using the supplied NC WMAA nickel cadmium rechargeable battery for the first time charge it in the recorder 1 Connect the supplied AC power adaptor to wall output to DC IN 3V AC power adaptor supplied continued ...

Page 54: ...may vary depending on the battery condition When a rechargeable battery is charged for the first time or charged after a long period of disuse battery life may be shorter than usual Repeat discharging and recharging a few times The battery life should return to normal When the battery life of a fully charged rechargeable battery becomes about half the normal life replace it When carrying the recha...

Page 55: ...lay Replace the dry battery or charge the rechargeable battery The battery level indicator is approximate Note Stop the recorder before replacing battery Battery life1 1 The battery life may be shorter due to operating conditions and the temperature of the location Batteries Recording3 3 When you record use a fully charged rechargeable battery Playback NC WMAA nickel cadmium rechargeable battery A...

Page 56: ... off If you are not going to use this recorder for a long time be sure to disconnect the power supply AC power adaptor dry battery rechargeable battery or car battery cord To remove the AC power adaptor from the wall outlet grasp the adaptor plug itself never pull the cord On heat build up Heat may build up in the recorder if it is used for an extended period of time In this case leave the recorde...

Page 57: ...t break open the shutter Do not place the cartridge where it will be subject to light extreme temperatures moisture or dust On cleaning Clean the recorder casing with a soft cloth slightly moistened with water or a mild detergent solution Do not use any type of abrasive pad scouring powder or solvent such as alcohol or benzene as it may mar the finish of the casing Wipe the disc cartridge with a d...

Page 58: ...t 2 Fit the projection one by one into the slot as shown in the illustration Note on mechanical noise The recorder gives off mechanical noise while operating which is caused by the power saving system of the recorder and it is not a problem To protect a recorded MD To record protect an MD slide open the tab at the side of the MD In this position the MD cannot be recorded or editted To record again...

Page 59: ...rder please consult your nearest Sony dealer If a trouble occurred when the disc was in the recorder we recommend that the disc be left in the recorder when you consult your Sony dealer so that the cause of trouble may be better understood Premastered software such as CDs or MDs Digital recording Home recorded MD No digital recording Recordable MD Microphone record player tuner etc with analog out...

Page 60: ...the MD out and leave the recorder in a warm place with the lid open for several hours until the moisture evaporates The rechargeable battery or dry battery is weak r or LOW BATT flashes Charge the rechargeable battery or replace the dry battery page 53 The rechargeable battery or dry battery have been inserted incorrectly Insert the battery correctly page 55 You pressed a button while the disc ind...

Page 61: ...en exhausted Set the power sources again or replace the exhausted battery with new ones No sound comes through the headphones The headphones plug is not firmly connected Plug in the plug of the headphones firmly to the remote control Plug in the plug of the remote control firmly to i1 Volume is too low Adjust the volume by pressing VOL AVLS is on Set AVLS to AVLS OFF page 34 An MD is not played fr...

Page 62: ...magnetism Cannot find the track marks You pressed X after pressing or Press X before or pressing or page 45 The rechargeable battery does not start charging The rechargeable battery has been inserted incorrectly or the AC power adaptor has been connected incorrectly Insert the battery correctly or connect the AC power adaptor correctly Symptom Cause Solution ...

Page 63: ... reached the maximum track number or recording time Repeated recording and erasing may cause fragmentation and scattering of data Although those scattered data can be read each fragment is counted as a track In this case the number of tracks may reach 254 and further recording is not possible To continue recording erase unnecessary tracks Track marks cannot be erased The remaining recording time d...

Page 64: ...p the recorder will automatically insert a blank space amounting to 2 seconds before the next recording This is to prevent accidental erasing of a previous track whenever a new recording is started Therefore the actual recording time will decrease whenever a recording is stopped a maximum of 6 seconds compared to the potential recording time for each stop The edited tracks may exhibit sound dropou...

Page 65: ...the disk Wait until this process is completed Do not expose the player to any physical shock nor disrupt power supply TOC Edit The MD player is recording information track start and end position from the memory to the disk Wait until this process is completed Do not expose the player to physical shock nor disrupt power supply BUSY You tried to operate the recorder while it was accessing the record...

Page 66: ...nd start recording again NO COPY You tried to make a copy from a disc that is protected by the Serial Copy Management System You cannot make copies from a digitally connected source which was itself recorded using digital connection Use analog connection instead page 18 NO DISC You tried to play or record with no disc in the recorder Insert an MD NO SIGNAL The recorder could not detect digital inp...

Page 67: ...VER Heat has built up in the recorder Let the recorder cool down TR FULL There is no more space for new data when you are editing the MD Erase unnecessary tracks page 40 TrPROTECT You tried to record or edit on a track that is protected from erasing Record or edit on other tracks EDITING You pressed a key on the recorder while editing on the remote control MENU You pressed a key on the remote cont...

Page 68: ...Ransform Acoustic Coding ATRAC Modulation system EFM Eight to Fourteen Modulation Number of channels 2 stereo channels 1 monaural channel Frequency response 20 to 20 000 Hz 3 dB Wow and Flutter Below measurable limit Inputs Microphone stereo mini jack 0 35 1 38 mV Line in stereo mini jack 69 194 mV Optical Digital in optical digital mini jack Outputs i1 stereo mini jack maximum output level 5 mW 5...

Page 69: ...ories Optical Cable POC 15B POC 15AB POC DA12SP Line Cable RK G129 RK G136 Stereo Microphones ECM 717 ECM MS907 ECM MS957 Stereo Headphones MDR D77 MDR D55 Active Speakers SRS Z500 Recordable MDs MDW series Your dealer may not handle some of the above listed accessories Please ask the dealer for detailed information about the accessories in your country US and foreign patents licensed from Dolby L...

Page 70: ...al MO technology can be recorded again and again The laser inside the recorder applies heat to the MD demagnetizing the magnetic layer of the MD The recorder then applies a magnetic field to the layer This magnetic field corresponds exactly to the audio signals generated by the connected source The north and south polarities equate to digital 1 and 0 The demagnetized MD adopts the polarity of the ...

Page 71: ...s In other words starting and ending addresses for all music tracks recorded on the disc are stored in this area This lets you randomly access the beginning of any track as soon as you enter the track number AMS as well as label the location with a track name as you would a file on a diskette Shock Resistant Memory One major drawback of optical read systems is that they can skip or mute when subje...

Page 72: ... E T MARK button 41 F HOLD switch 37 G SYNCHRO REC synchro recording switch 19 H DC IN 3V jack 8 12 53 I X pause button 10 14 22 49 J x stop button 9 14 41 54 K search AMS button 10 14 45 49 L MENU button 22 30 41 M ENTER button 22 30 40 N Battery compartment 54 O MIC PLUG IN POWER jack 21 P LINE IN OPTICAL jack 8 18 A B C E D F G H I J K O L M N P Q R S T ...

Page 73: ...rack the remaining time of the MD or the remaining number of tracks D MONO monaural indication E Mega bass indication 32 F Battery indication 54 Shows approximate battery condition G Disc indication Shows that the disc is rotating for recording playing or editing an MD H SYNC synchro recording indication I REC indication 9 Lights up while recording When flashing the recorder is in record standby m...

Page 74: ...hones B VOL buttons 13 51 C DELETE button 51 D HOLD switch 37 Slide to lock the controls of the remote control E N SELECT button 13 28 31 41 51 F x stop ENTER button 14 47 50 G X pause CAPS button 14 51 H T MARK button 41 45 51 I EDIT button 28 33 41 H B A C D E F G I US model Other models ...

Page 75: ...75 ...

Page 76: ...Sony Corporation Printed in Japan ...

Reviews:

No comments