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A good user manual
The rules should oblige the seller to give the purchaser an operating instrucion of Roland A-49, along with an item. The lack of an instruction or false information given to customer shall constitute grounds to apply for a complaint because of nonconformity of goods with the contract. In accordance with the law, a customer can receive an instruction in non-paper form; lately graphic and electronic forms of the manuals, as well as instructional videos have been majorly used. A necessary precondition for this is the unmistakable, legible character of an instruction.
What is an instruction?
The term originates from the Latin word „instructio”, which means organizing. Therefore, in an instruction of Roland A-49 one could find a process description. An instruction's purpose is to teach, to ease the start-up and an item's use or performance of certain activities. An instruction is a compilation of information about an item/a service, it is a clue.
Unfortunately, only a few customers devote their time to read an instruction of Roland A-49. A good user manual introduces us to a number of additional functionalities of the purchased item, and also helps us to avoid the formation of most of the defects.
What should a perfect user manual contain?
First and foremost, an user manual of Roland A-49 should contain:
- informations concerning technical data of Roland A-49
- name of the manufacturer and a year of construction of the Roland A-49 item
- rules of operation, control and maintenance of the Roland A-49 item
- safety signs and mark certificates which confirm compatibility with appropriate standards
Why don't we read the manuals?
Usually it results from the lack of time and certainty about functionalities of purchased items. Unfortunately, networking and start-up of Roland A-49 alone are not enough. An instruction contains a number of clues concerning respective functionalities, safety rules, maintenance methods (what means should be used), eventual defects of Roland A-49, and methods of problem resolution. Eventually, when one still can't find the answer to his problems, he will be directed to the Roland service. Lately animated manuals and instructional videos are quite popular among customers. These kinds of user manuals are effective; they assure that a customer will familiarize himself with the whole material, and won't skip complicated, technical information of Roland A-49.
Why one should read the manuals?
It is mostly in the manuals where we will find the details concerning construction and possibility of the Roland A-49 item, and its use of respective accessory, as well as information concerning all the functions and facilities.
After a successful purchase of an item one should find a moment and get to know with every part of an instruction. Currently the manuals are carefully prearranged and translated, so they could be fully understood by its users. The manuals will serve as an informational aid.
Table of contents for the manual
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For the following languages, a PDF version of the Owner’s Manual can be found on the CD-ROM. Deutsch, Français, Italiano, Español, Português, Nederlands Owner ’ s Manual[...]
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2 Before using this unit, carefully r ead the sections entitled:”USING THE UNIT SAFEL Y” (p . 3) and “IMPORT ANT NOTES ” (p. 4). T hese sections provide important information concerning the proper operation of the unit. Additionally , in order to f eel assured that you hav e gained a good grasp of every feature pro vided by your new unit, O[...]
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3 USING THE UNIT SAFEL Y Used for instructions intended to alert the user to the risk of injury or material damage should the unit be used improperly . * Material damage refers to damage or other adverse effects caused with respect to the home and all its furnishings, as well t o domestic animals or pets. Used for instructions intended to alert the[...]
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IMPORT ANT NOTES 4 Po wer Supply • T o prevent malfunction and equipment failure, always make sure to turn o the po wer on all your equipment before y ou make any connections. Placement • This device may interfere with radio and television reception. Do not use this device in the vicinity of such receivers . • Do not expose the unit to dir[...]
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IMPORT ANT NOTES 5 • Do not put anything that contains wat er on this unit. Also, a void the use of insecticides, perfumes, alcohol, nail polish, spray cans , etc., near the unit. Swiftly wipe away any liquid that spills on the unit using a dry, soft cloth. Maintenance • For ev eryday cleaning wipe the unit with a soft, dry cloth or one that ha[...]
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6 Quick P age Refer ence T able Performing Switching the operating mode (PLA Y/FUNCTION/SuperNA TURAL/MIDI Visual Contr ol) p. 22 Setting the MIDI transmit channel (MIDI CHANNEL) p. 26 Switching sounds ([S1][S2] knobs) p. 26 Performing — Octave Shift, T ranspose p. 28 Pitch Bend, Modulation p. 29 D-BEAM p. 30 [C1][C2] knobs p. 31 Hold, Expression[...]
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7 C onten ts USING THE UNIT SAFEL Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 IMPORT ANT NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Quick Page Refer ence T able . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Conten ts of the Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Panel Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [...]
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8 How t o read the proc edural explana tions V alue 1–128 0–9 Press the [FUNCTION] button. Press the key that has “PRGM CHANGE” printed above it. Press the key that has “ENTER” printed above it. Press the keys tha t have “NUMERIC ENTRY” pr inted abov e them. Using NUMERIC ENTR Y to enter a v alue V alue 0–127 0–9 NUMERIC ENTRY k[...]
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9 C onten ts of the P ack age After you open the package, please check that all items are pr esent. (If any accessories are missing , please contact the place of purchase.) ☐ A-49 ☐ A-Series Keyboard CD-ROM This contains the USB driver and PDF les of the owner’ s manual. ☐ Cake walk SONAR LE DVD-ROM Windo ws DA W software allows you to r[...]
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10 P anel D escriptions P anel POWER indicator This will light if the A-49 is connected to your computer via USB. [FUNCTION] button If you press this button so it’ s lit, you can change the MIDI channel or transmit a program change by pressing the appropriate keys (p. 23). [Pitch Bend/Modulation] lever Use this lever to vary the pitch or to apply[...]
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P anel Descriptions 11 [TRANSPOSE] button, OC T A VE/TRANSPOSE indic at or , [+][–] buttons In PLA Y mode (p. 22), you can press the [TRANSPOSE] button to switch the function of the OC T AVE/TRANSPOSE indicator and the [+] [–] buttons. When the [ TRANSPOSE] button is turned on, the transposition setting is enabled. When the [ TRANSPOSE] button [...]
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P anel Descriptions 12 Rear P anel USB COMPUTER port Use a USB cable to connect the A-49 to your computer . * Install the driver in your computer before y ou make this connection (p. 13). HOLD jack Y ou can connect a pedal switch (DP-2, DP -10; avail- able separately) here and use it as a hold pedal (p. 32). EXPRESSION jack Y ou can connect an expr[...]
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13 Driver Installation Windo ws users page 14 Mac OS X users page 16 Note Do not connect the A-49 to the computer until you ar e directed to do so. A “ driver ” is soft ware tha t transfers data between the A-49 and application software running on your computer when y our computer and the A-49 are connected. 1 . Start up the computer without th[...]
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Driver Installation 14 5 . When a c onrmation screen regar ding user account c ontrol appears, click [Y es] or [C ontinue]. 6 . When “The A-Series Keyboard Driver will be installed on y our computer ” appears, click [Next]. 7 . Click [Next] again. Windo ws 7/Window s V ista If a dialog box regarding Windows security appears, click [Install].[...]
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Driver Installation 15 Windo ws XP 9 . If a dialog box tha t asks whether you want to connect to Windows Updat e appears, select [No, not this time] and click [Next]. 1 0. Select [I nstall the software automatically (Recommended)] and click [Ne xt]. 1 1. If the “Hardware Installation ” dialog box appears, click [C ontinue Anyway] to proceed wit[...]
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Driver Installation 16 If the “ Authenticate” or “Installer requires that you type your passwor d” dialog box appears during the installation, enter an administrator passw ord and click [OK]. 5 . When “W elcome to the A-Series Keyboar d Driver installer” appears, click [C ontinue]. 6 . If the screen for selecting the installation destin[...]
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Driver Installation 17 1 3. Conrm that [ A-Series Keyboard] appears in the “MIDI Studio ” window or the “ Audio MIDI Settings” dialog box. If [A-Series Keyboard] does not appear or if it is gray ed out, it means that the A-49 is not being detected properly . Click [Rescan MIDI]. Also tr y disconnecting and reconnecting the A-49’ s USB [...]
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Driver Installation 18 1 6. Using your mouse , drag and connect the ▲ and ▼ (which represent the input/ output ports of each device) of the [A-Series Keyboard] and each [Ne w Device] that you added so that the y are connected as shown in the gure . 1 4 1 6 1 5 1 3 1 7. Close the “MIDI Studio” window or the “ Audio MIDI Setup” dialog [...]
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Driver Installation 19 V erify Tha t Y ou Can Hear Sound After you ’ve installed the driver , check to verify that the driver was installed correctly . W e will use SONAR LE as an example for Windows, and GarageBand as an example f or Mac OS X. Checking with a SONAR Soft Synths ( Windo ws) Here ’ s an example using a plug-in synth included with[...]
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Driver Installation 20 8 . In the “Insert Sof t Synth Options” dialog box, select the [Synth Property Page] option in the “ Open These W indows” area, and click [OK]. 9 . Play the A -49’ s keyboard. If the MIDI monitor in the taskbar responds and you hear the sound of the synth, the A-49 is correctly connected to your computer . This comp[...]
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Driver Installation 21 If you don ’t hear sound • From the [GarageBand] menu, click [P references]. If MIDI input is not detected in the [Audio/MIDI] tab ’ s “MIDI Status” eld, it may be that a problem has occurred . Please refer to “Problems When Using the Unit” (p. 43). • I n “System P referenc es, ” choose the [Sound]-[Out[...]
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22 Swit ching the O pera ting Mode The A-49 has four modes . When you turn on the power , the A-49 will automatically star t up in PLA Y mode. Y ou can switch the operating mode by pressing the following butt ons. SuperNA TURAL mode MIDI Visual Contr ol mode PLA Y mode or when you’ ve nished making settings + FUNCTION mode page 22 page 23 page[...]
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About the Operating Modes 23 FUNC TION Mode What is FUNCTION mode? This is the mode that lets you transmit specic c ontrol messages or make settings for the A-49 itself . In FUNC TION mode, the keyboar d is used to select the function that you want to set ( Y ou won ’t be able to per form by pla ying the keyboard). Functionality in FUNC TION m[...]
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About the Operating Modes 24 SuperNA TURAL Mode What is SuperNA TURAL mode? This is the mode that lets you contr ol a SuperNA TURAL sound module. Y ou can control the SuperNA TUR AL sound module that’ s connected to the A-49 via a MIDI cable. What ar e S uperNA TURAL T ones? T aking advantage of Behavior Modeling T echnology , SuperNA TUR AL is R[...]
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About the Operating Modes 25 MIDI Visual C ontrol Mode What is MIDI Visual Con trol mode? This is the mode that lets you contr ol a video device that suppor ts MIDI Visual Control (MVC). Y ou can control images on the V isual Control device that’ s connected to the A-49 via a MIDI cable. When you select MIDI Visual Control mode and play the keybo[...]
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26 P er f orming When the A-49’ s power is turned on, it will automatically start up in PLA Y mode (p. 22). In PLA Y mode, playing the keyboard will tr ansmit note messages, causing your MIDI devic e to produce sound. 1 . Set the A-49’ s MIDI transmit channel to mat ch the MIDI receive channel of your MIDI device (or software) (p . 26). 2 . Sel[...]
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P er forming 27 MEMO Y ou can change the func tions that are assigned t o the [S1] [S2] buttons. F or details, refer to “ Assigning F unc tions to the Knobs, Buttons , and Jacks” (p. 37). T o selec t sounds from a dier ent bank , rst transmit a Bank Select message, and then transmit a Prog ram Change message. * Simply transmitting a Bank [...]
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P er forming 28 T ransmitting a Program Change number (PRGM CHANGE) V alue 0–127 0–9 For details on this value , refer to p. 8. Shifting the Pitch of the Keyboar d Changing the oc ta ve ( O ctave Shift) Y ou can raise or lower the pitch range of the keyboard (Octave Shift) by using the [+] [–] butt ons. Y ou can change this setting in the ran[...]
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P er forming 29 Using the L ever t o Modify the S ound Changing the pitch of a sounding note (P itch Bend) Moving the [Pitch Bend/Modulation] lever t o the left or right will transmit pitch bend messages, causing the pitch to change slightly . * The range of the pitch change (“bend range”) will depend on the settings of y our sound module. Appl[...]
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P er forming 30 Using the D-BEAM to Modify the Sound Y ou use the D -BEAM contr oller simply by moving your hand abov e it. B y assigning di erent functions to it, you can control the sound in various wa ys. 1 . Pr ess the D -BEAM [PIT CH], [ VOL], or [ASSIGN] button to turn the D-BEAM controller on. Button Function [PITCH] button The pitch will[...]
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P er forming 31 Using the Knobs t o Modify the Sound Y ou can modify the sound by turning the [C1] [C2] knobs. Knob Function [C1] knob Transmits a C uto (CC#74) message . [C2] knob Transmits a Resonance ( CC#71) message. * The eect that’ s applied will depend on the sound module. For details , refer to the o wner’ s manual of your sound m[...]
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P er forming 32 Using the P edals to Modify the Sound The A-49 supports the use of a hold pedal (DP-2, DP-10; av ailable separately) and an expression pedal (EV-5, EV-7; available separat ely). Jack Function Pedal HOLD jack Hold (CC#64) Hold pedal EXPRESSION jack Expression (C C#11) Expression pedal * The eect that’ s applied will depend on th[...]
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P er forming 33 Using A f tertouch to Modify the Sound Aftertouch is a function that lets you modify the sound by applying additional pressure to the key after playing a note. On the A-49, applying further pressure to a key after playing a note will not aect the sound, turning on the [ASSIGN] button and moving your hand abo ve the D-BEAM control[...]
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34 T o change settings for the A-49, you need to be in FUNCTION mode. Paramet er F actory setting Explanation Page VEL O CURVE 1-MEDIUM When you play the A-49’ s keyboard, the transmitted note message will include a velocity value (volume data) corresponding to the for ce of your strike. The VELO CURVE setting lets you choose the curve by which t[...]
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Changing the A-49 Settings 35 Changing the V elocity Cur ve ( VEL O CURVE) For details on this value , refer to p. 8. * V alues outside the acceptable range (12–) will not be entered. V alue 0–11 0–9 V alue Setting K eyboard sensitivity T ype of cur ve 0 1-LIGHT Higher velocity values (volume) can be produced even if y ou play softly. These a[...]
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Changing the A-49 Settings 36 Specifying the Keyboar d V elocity V alue (KE Y VEL O) For details on this value , refer to p. 8. V alue 0–127 0–9 V alue Setting Explana tion 0 TOUCH (default) The velocity value that’ s transmitted will depend on the keyboard sensitivity and change curve you specify in “Changing the Velocity Curve ( VEL O CUR[...]
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Changing the A-49 Settings 37 Assigning Functions to the Knobs, Buttons , and Jacks Assigning a Program Change Message (PRGM CHANGE) [S1] [S2] buttons Press either Button Function [S1] button Decrement the program change number [S2] button Increment the program change number Other controllers Operate either Assigning After touch Operate either[...]
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Changing the A-49 Settings 38 Assigning a Contr ol Change Number (C C#) [S1] [S2] buttons For details on this value , refer to p. 8. V alue 0–127 0–9 Press either Latched Momentary Button [S1][S2] buttons [+] button The button will alternately transmit ON (127) and OFF (0) each time y ou press it (Latched operation) [–] button The button will[...]
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Changing the A-49 Settings 39 Fr equently used C C# CC# Function F actory assignments 1 Modulation Modulation of [Pitch Bend/Modulation] lever 5 Portamento time — 7 Volume [ VOL] button 10 Panpot — 11 Expression EXPRESSION jack 64 Hold HOLD jack 65 Portamento — 66 Sostenuto — 67 Soft — 71 Resonance [C2] knob 72 Release time — 73 Attack [...]
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Changing the A-49 Settings 40 Changing the Direc tion of V alue Increases for the Knobs , D-BEAM Contr oller , Buttons, and P edals (CTRL DIR) Operate either Button Setting Explana tion [+] button POSITIVE (default) Moving the knob toward the right will increase the value . Moving your hand closer to the D-BEAM controller will incr ease the value, [...]
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Changing the A-49 Settings 41 Restoring the F ac tor y Settings (F ACT RESET )[...]
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42 If you experience problems, r ead this chapter rst. It contains tips for solving most problems . If this chapter cannot help you solve a pr oblem, please refer to the support section of our website. If the problem is not resolved , refer to the contact information listed at the end of this manual. Roland support website: http://ww w .roland.c[...]
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T roubleshooting 43 Pr oblems When Using the Unit Problem Conrmation Resolution Cannot select or use unit device Is the driver installed? Install the driver (p . 13). Is the POWER indicator o? Make sure that the unit is connected to the computer correctly . If the problem is not resolved, r einstall the driver (p. 48). Is the unit’ s device[...]
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T roubleshooting 44 Problem Conrmation Resolution Cannot play back or record Is the driver installed? Install the driver (p . 13). Are the software’ s input device and output device congured? Select the A-49 as the input and output device (p. 19). Is the unit’ s POWER indicator o? Make sure that the unit is connected to the computer co[...]
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T roubleshooting 45 Problem Conrmation Resolution Sound is interrupted during playback or recording , sound drops out Are multiple programs running? Exit programs that are not in use. Is the system software up to date? Run Windows Update or Microsoft Update and make sure the system software is up to date. Have you used Mac OS X Software Update? [...]
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T roubleshooting 46 Changing Comput er S ettings to A void Pr oblems Changing these computer settings can help you a void the problems described in “Problems When Installing the Driver ” (p. 42) and “Problems When Using the Unit” (p. 43). Driver Signing Options S etting ( W indows XP) If the “Dr iver Sig ning Options” setting is set to [...]
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T roubleshooting 47 5 . In the [A dvanced settings] tab of the “Power Options ” control panel, click the [+] mark next to “Hard disk, ” and then click the [+] mark next to “ T urn o hard disk after . ” 6 . Click [Setting], click the down arro w, and then select [Never]. 7 . Click [ OK ] to close the “Po wer Options” window . 8 . [...]
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T roubleshooting 48 Reinstalling the Driver If you experience problems installing the driver , use the following procedure and reinstall the driver . 1 . Delete the driv er . 2 . Install the driver again as described in “Driver Installation ” (p. 13). Deleting the Driver If the computer does not detect the unit correctly , use the following pro[...]
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T roubleshooting 49 Mac OS X 1 . Start up the Mac without the unit connected. Disconnect all USB cables other than those for a USB keyboard and/or USB mouse (if used). 2 . Insert the included CD -ROM into the c omputer ’ s DVD-ROM drive. 3 . Double- click [Uninstaller] in the [MacDriver] f older on the included CD-ROM. 4 . When “This uninstalls[...]
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50 Roland A-49: MIDI Keyboar d Contr oller Keyboard 49 keys (with velocity) Controllers Buttons: [S1] [S2] (Assignable) Knobs: [C1] [C2] (Assig nable) Foot P edals: HOLD, EXPRESSION [Pitch Bend/Modulation] lever D-BEAM controller Buttons [FUNCTION] button [SuperNA TURAL] button [+][–] buttons [ TRANSPOSE] button Display POWER indicator LED OCT AV[...]
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51 Symbols [+][–] buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 A Aftertouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 [ASSIGN] button . . . . . . . . . . . 10 , 30 B Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Bank Select LSB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Bank Select MSB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 C [C1] knob . . . . . . .[...]
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52 MEMO[...]
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53 MEMO[...]
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54 For EU Countries For China[...]
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55 This product complies with the requirements of EMC Directive 2004/108/EC. For EU Countries For Canada This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations. Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada. NOTICE AV[...]
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* 5 1 0 0 0 2 5 0 0 0 - 0 2 *[...]