Yamaha AX-397: PLAYING AND RECORDING

PLAYING AND RECORDING

11

English

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As for AX-397 only, if the TAPE MONITOR indicator on the 

front panel lights up when you listen to a source, press TAPE 

MONITOR on the front panel to turn off the TAPE MONITOR 

function (the TAPE MONITOR indicator turns off as a result).

1

Set VOLUME on the front panel 

counterclockwise to the extreme end.

2

Press POWER on the front panel inward to 

the ON position.

3

Rotate the INPUT selector on the front panel 

(or press one of the input selector buttons on 

the remote control) to select the input source 

you want to listen to.

The indicator of the selected input source lights up.

4

Press SPEAKERS A and/or B on the front 

panel to select speakers A and/or B.

• Both SPEAKERS A and B can be selected.

• If you listen with headphones, press both switches to release 

them outward to the OFF position.

5

Play the source.

6

Rotate VOLUME on the front panel (or press 

VOLUME +/– on the remote control) to adjust 

the sound output level.

PLAYING AND RECORDING

Playing a source

Note

0

12

12

2

8

4

∞

20

20

60

60

26

26

40

40

16

16

-dB

-dB

STANDBY

/ON

STANDBY

INPUT

PHONES

SPEAKERS

BASS

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

A

POWER

ON

OFF

ON

OFF

AUX

MD

TAPE

CD/DVD

TUNER

PHONO

PURE DIRECT

CD/DVD DIRECT AMP

B

+

–

TREBLE

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

+

–

BALANCE

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

TUNER

PHONO

TAPE

MD

AUX

R

L

LOUDNESS

REC OUT

VOLUME

7

–30dB

FLAT

CD/DVD

10

9

5

6

1

4

2

3

8

4

3

8

7

1,6

2

7

CD/DVD

PHONO

TUNER

POWER

STANDBY

MD

TAPE

AUX

+

–

u

d

DISPLAY

A/B

REC

DISC

DIR A

p

DIR B

A/B/C/D/E

PRESET

VOLUME

TAPE

CD

w

e

f

b

s

a

DISPLAY

8

6

3

0

12

12

2

8

4

∞

20

20

60

60

26

26

40

40

16

16

-dB

-dB

VOLUME

POWER

ON

OFF

Notes

INPUT

CD/DVD

PHONO

TUNER

POWER

STANDBY

MD

TAPE

AUX

AUX

MD

TAPE

CD/DVD

TUNER

PHONO

Front panel

Remote control

or

Lights up

SPEAKERS

A

ON

OFF

B

0

12

12

2

8

4

∞

20

20

60

60

26

26

40

40

16

16

-dB

-dB

VOLUME

+

–

VOLUME

Remote control

Front panel

or

12

PLAYING AND RECORDING

7

Adjust the tonal quality by using the BASS, 

TREBLE, BALANCE and LOUDNESS controls 

or the CD/DVD DIRECT AMP switch on the 

front panel.

As for AX-497 only, you can also adjust the tonal quality by 

using PURE DIRECT on the front panel.

8

Press STANDBY/ON on the front panel again 

(or STANDBY on the remote control) to finish 

using this unit and set it to the standby 

mode.

The STANDBY indicator lights up.

To completely cut off power supply from the AC wall outlet, 

press POWER on the front panel to release it outward to the OFF 

position.

Note

Note

BASS

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

+

–

TREBLE

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

+

–

BALANCE

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

R

L

LOUDNESS

7

–30dB

FLAT

10

9

5

6

1

4

2

3

8

CD/DVD DIRECT AMP

or

STANDBY

/ON

STANDBY

STANDBY

Remote control

Front panel

or

Lights up

13

PLAYING AND RECORDING

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English

■

Adjusting the BALANCE control

Adjusts the sound output balance of the left and right 

speakers to compensate for sound imbalance caused by 

speaker locations or listening room conditions.

■

Using the CD/DVD DIRECT AMP switch

Routes input signals from your CD or DVD player 

directly to the specially built-in amplifier for the CD or 

DVD player. As a result, the input signals bypass the 

INPUT selector and the BASS, TREBLE, BALANCE and 

LOUDNESS controls (and the TAPE MONITOR switch 

for AX-397 only) and then sent to the power amplifier, 

thus eliminating any alterations to the CD or DVD signals 

and creating the purest possible sound.

■

Using the PURE DIRECT switch

(AX-497 only)

Routes input signals from your audio sources. As a result, 

the input signals bypass the BASS, TREBLE, BALANCE 

and LOUDNESS controls, thus eliminating any alterations 

to the audio signals and creating the purest possible sound.

As for AX-497 only, if both the CD/DVD DIRECT AMP and the 

PURE DIRECT switches are turned on, only the CD/DVD 

DIRECT AMP switch will function.

■

Adjusting the BASS and TREBLE 

controls

Adjusts the high and low frequency response.

BASS

Increases or decreases the low frequency response.

TREBLE

Increases or decreases the high frequency response.

■

Adjusting the LOUDNESS control

Retains a full tonal range at any volume level, thus 

compensating for the human ears’ loss of sensitivity to 

high and low-frequency ranges at low volume.

If the CD/DVD DIRECT AMP switch (or the PURE 

DIRECT switch for AX-497 only) is turned on with the 

LOUDNESS control set at a certain level, the input signals 

bypass the LOUDNESS control, resulting in a sudden 

increase in the sound output level. To prevent your ears or 

the speakers from being undesirably damaged, be sure to 

press the CD/DVD DIRECT AMP switch (or the PURE 

DIRECT switch for AX-497 only) AFTER lowering the 

sound output level or AFTER checking that the 

LOUDNESS control is properly set.

1

Set the LOUDNESS control to the FLAT 

position.

2

Rotate VOLUME on the front panel (or press 

VOLUME +/– on the remote control) to set the 

sound output level to the loudest listening 

level that you would listen to.

3

Rotate the LOUDNESS control until the 

desired volume is obtained.

Adjusting the tonal quality

Note

BALANCE

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

R

L

CD/DVD DIRECT AMP

Lights up

PURE DIRECT

Lights up

BASS

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

+

–

TREBLE

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

+

–

CAUTION

LOUDNESS

7

–30dB

FLAT

10

9

5

6

1

4

2

3

8

0

12

12

2

8

4

∞

20

20

60

60

26

26

40

40

16

16

-dB

-dB

VOLUME

+

–

VOLUME

Remote control

Front panel

or

LOUDNESS

7

–30dB

FLAT

10

9

5

6

1

4

2

3

8

14

PLAYING AND RECORDING

• The VOLUME, BASS, TREBLE, BALANCE and 

LOUDNESS controls and the CD/DVD DIRECT AMP switch 

(and the PURE DIRECT switch for AX-497 only) have no 

effect on the source being recorded.

• Check the copyright laws in your country to record from 

records, CDs, radio, etc. Recording copyright-protected 

material may infringe on copyright laws.

■

AX-497

1

Rotate the REC OUT selector on the front 

panel to select the source you want to 

record.

2

Play the source.

3

Rotate the INPUT selector on the front panel 

(or press one of the input selector buttons on 

the remote control) to select the input source 

you want to listen to.

4

Rotate VOLUME on the front panel (or press 

VOLUME +/– on the remote control) to adjust 

the sound output level.

5

Begin recording on the tape deck or the MD 

recorder.

6

Rotate the INPUT selector on the front panel 

(or press TAPE or MD on the remote control) 

to select TAPE or MD and then monitor the 

sound being recorded on the tape deck or 

the MD recorder.

Selecting another source with the INPUT selector on the front 

panel (or the corresponding input selector button on the remote 

control) while recording is in progress will not affect the 

recording.

Recording a source to a tape  or an MD

Notes

0

12

12

2

8

4

∞

20

20

60

60

26

26

40

40

16

16

-dB

-dB

STANDBY

/ON

STANDBY

INPUT

PHONES

SPEAKERS

BASS

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

A

POWER

ON

OFF

ON

OFF

AUX

MD

TAPE

CD/DVD

TUNER

PHONO

PURE DIRECT

CD/DVD DIRECT AMP

B

+

–

TREBLE

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

+

–

BALANCE

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

TUNER

PHONO

TAPE

MD

AUX

R

L

LOUDNESS

REC OUT

VOLUME

7

–30dB

FLAT

CD/DVD

10

9

5

6

1

4

2

3

8

3,6

4

1

TUNER

PHONO

TAPE

MD

AUX

REC OUT

CD/DVD

INPUT

CD/DVD

PHONO

TUNER

POWER

STANDBY

MD

TAPE

AUX

Remote control

Front panel

or

Note

0

12

12

2

8

4

∞

20

20

60

60

26

26

40

40

16

16

-dB

-dB

VOLUME

+

–

VOLUME

Remote control

Front panel

or

CD/DVD

PHONO

TUNER

POWER

STANDBY

MD

TAPE

AUX

Remote control

Front panel

or

INPUT

15

PLAYING AND RECORDING

OPE

R

A

T

IO

N

English

■

AX-397

1

Play the source.

2

Rotate the INPUT selector on the front panel 

(or press one of the input selector buttons on 

the remote control) to select the input source 

you want to listen to.

You cannot select any input source while the TAPE MONITOR 

indicator on the front panel lights up.

3

Rotate VOLUME on the front panel (or press 

VOLUME +/– on the remote control) to adjust 

the sound output level.

4

Begin recording on the tape deck or the MD 

recorder.

y

If the 3-head tape deck is used for recording, you can monitor the 

sound of recording by pressing TAPE MONITOR.

Note

0

12

12

2

8

4

∞

20

20

60

60

26

26

40

40

16

16

-dB

-dB

STANDBY

/ON

STANDBY

INPUT

PHONES

SPEAKERS

BASS

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

A

POWER

ON

OFF

ON

OFF

AUX

MD

TAPE

CD/DVD

TUNER

PHONO

TAPE MONITOR

CD/DVD DIRECT AMP

B

+

–

TREBLE

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

+

–

BALANCE

5

1

4

2

3

5

1

4

2

3

R

L

LOUDNESS

VOLUME

7

–30dB

FLAT

10

9

5

6

1

4

2

3

8

2

3

Remote control

Front panel

or

INPUT

CD/DVD

PHONO

TUNER

POWER

STANDBY

MD

TAPE

AUX

0

12

12

2

8

4

∞

20

20

60

60

26

26

40

40

16

16

-dB

-dB

VOLUME

+

–

VOLUME

Remote control

Front panel

or