CMS Author MikeRivers Posted August 21, 2015 CMS Author Share Posted August 21, 2015 I like having the PDFs on my iPad because they're more portable, and they don't get in the way of onscreen interaction with the software I'm coming to grips with the way PDFs on my computer did. Also, tablet PDFs are just as portable as hard copy owner's manuals—in some ways even more so in that you can carry as many owner's manuals as you need at once. As a result, I almost never open an old fashioned paper manual anymore. I think that a searchable PDF is a good supplement to a printed manual, but for me, unless it's really short, it doesn't replace a real manual. If I know what i'm looking for, I can sometimew find it quicker by searching a PDF than by leafing through a printed manual, but if I don't know what I'm looking for, I find it easier to look through the manual. Also, if I'm starting out with something new that I haven't already figured out before opening the box, I'm more comfortable sitting on the couch and reading enough of the manual to get the idea of how the device works and what's in the manual (and what isn't). I find that being tied to a computer or a tablet is too much of a distraction when I'm trying to learn overall concepts. One handy thing with a PDF is that I can print out selected pages and put them where I'm working. When troubleshooting the power supply of a H-P voltmeter from the 1970s, I looked up a PDF manual on the web (of course I didn't get a paper manual with the meter). Seems like there's a scan of just about everything that's been printed, and after trying three different scans of the manual for this meter I found one that was scanned with searchable text. So I went to the section with the schematics (when was the last time you bought something with a schematic in the manual?), blew up the power supply part, printed that, and took the single page to the workbench. I could write notes and voltage measurements on it, and I didn't have to worry about dropping melted solder on my tablet. So, yeah, I like PDF manuals, but as an addition to the printed manual. I know I can print and bind my own manual from the PDF if that's all that's supplied, but I don't spend the time and paper and toner cost on it. I've sent a few to Kinko's for printing, but only when it's necessary for a job that I'm getting paid for. But a 500 page manual at about a dime a page plus a few bucks for binding can get pretty expensive. It's no wonder that the manufacturers are listening to their customers who say "I never read the manual" and have stopped printing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ernest Buckley Posted August 21, 2015 Members Share Posted August 21, 2015 I read hardware manuals cover to cover. Software manuals…. not too much. I`ll read the intro but I`ll also refer to the manual if I have a question about something or curious to know something. As for DAWs… I`ve been slowly transitioning to Ableton LIVE and there are hundreds of videos online so I tend to watch those instead of reading the manual. I`ve been using Digital Performer since 2001 and honestly, I have tried several times to read the manual but its boring as hell. Anyone ever try to read a Roland or Korg manual? You`ll want to shoot yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted August 21, 2015 Members Share Posted August 21, 2015 Looking further down the road, I can imagine a day when a Siri on steroids acts as a tutor, answering questions verbally while loading information from an owner's manual into "her" memory. Best, Geoff That's pretty brilliant, actually. "Siri [or Cortana, I suppose], what's the keyboard shortcut for 1/16th note quantization?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted August 21, 2015 Members Share Posted August 21, 2015 There was a time when I took great pleasure in reading manuals. I'd get some new piece of hardware or software and go down to the coffee house and spent a couple hours going over it, getting an overview. Now I can barely be bothered. I just want a good look-up. It's not 'right' -- and it's got me hung out once or twice with software that was counterintuitive -- but after you've read hundreds of HW and SW manuals, the thrill is kinda gone. It's like the jaded romance reader... one more ripped bodice. Blah... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 I like having the PDFs on my iPad because they're more portable, and they don't get in the way of onscreen interaction with the software I'm coming to grips with the way PDFs on my computer did. Also, tablet PDFs are just as portable as hard copy owner's manuals—in some ways even more so in that you can carry as many owner's manuals as you need at once. As a result, I almost never open an old fashioned paper manual anymore. I find myself using my iPad in a very similar way - almost like it's like a book or something... The forums and videos on the Internet to some degree have replaced the old system of second engineering that studios more commonly provided in the 20th century. Knowledge is more commonly available than before, but the signal to noise ratio involved in dispensing that knowledge has become much more clamorous. That's one of the big problems with the 'net - everyone can post, and because of that, there's as much misinformation out there as there is useful and accurate information. For someone who is just getting started and has a limited personal knowledge base to draw from, separating the wheat from the chaff can be difficult. Fortunately there are reputable, knowledgeable people out there like Craig and Bruce Swedien that people can find good sources to learn from if they're willing to put in a little effort. And IMO, being able to learn from people like them, or George Massenburg or any of the other legendary engineers who have had a web presence is a fantastic benefit that aspiring engineers have available that wasn't available to any but a select few back when I was getting started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Geoff Grace Posted August 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted August 21, 2015 Speaking of reading on an iPad, I wonder whether it's a superior tablet for that particular experience. I imagine with Apple's emphasis on light weight and crisp displays that it is, but I have nothing to compare it to. (Lest I sound too much like an Apple fanboy, I'll add that I also imagine Windows tablets to be superior in other ways, considering all that can be done under Windows' much more mature operating system.) I have converted all my magazine subscriptions to iPad apps (other than Tape Op, which no longer offers one) because I enjoy the experience of reading on an iPad so much. I bring this up because there are iPad features I like that improve the reading experience which might be applied to manuals. One thing I enjoy about my Sound On Sound iPad subscription is that there are nested audio and video files within the digital version of the magazine. I can listen to audio examples of sample libraries they review at the touch of a button and watch magazine interviews with engineers in their control rooms, for example. Wouldn't it be great if you could nest audio files into a digital formatted manual so you could hear the effect of various compression settings? Another iPad feature I like is the ability to have iBook versions of manuals that Apple notifies you of updates for. Best, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 Speaking of reading on an iPad, I wonder whether it's a superior tablet for that particular experience. I imagine with Apple's emphasis on light weight and crisp displays that it is, but I have nothing to compare it to. I really love the display on my iPad - as long as I'm indoors. Outside in the sunlight, it's darned near to impossible to see the thing. That's really the biggest complaint I have about it. I've heard that Kindles are better in that respect, but I've never tried one, and I'm really not interested in getting a tablet "just for reading." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted August 21, 2015 Members Share Posted August 21, 2015 You can do more on a Kindle than read - especially the Fire HD. The Fire HD color screen is quite readable in bright sunlight - but it will drain the battery a lot sooner. You can unlock a Kindle to do what they call sideload Android apps. Sometimes this tactic works, sometimes it doesn't. And Amazon seems to keep trying ways to keep the fences up so the sheep only graze on Amazon-purchased stuff. So it's no substitute for a real tablet - but what it does do, it does very well. I watch movies, listen to music, use a few apps, and of course read - it's my constant companion whereas I usually don't know where my phone is. nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ernest Buckley Posted August 21, 2015 Members Share Posted August 21, 2015 That's one of the big problems with the 'net - everyone can post, and because of that, there's as much misinformation out there as there is useful and accurate information. For someone who is just getting started and has a limited personal knowledge base to draw from, separating the wheat from the chaff can be difficult. Fortunately there are reputable, knowledgeable people out there like Craig and Bruce Swedien that people can find good sources to learn from if they're willing to put in a little effort. And IMO, being able to learn from people like them, or George Massenburg or any of the other legendary engineers who have had a web presence is a fantastic benefit that aspiring engineers have available that wasn't available to any but a select few back when I was getting started. This to me is where HC can really raise the standards and fill that hole. Why not publish more videos with above mentioned pros and really put HC on the map as the "Grand Central" of professional tutorials? I know there are companies with paid subscription that supply this sort of thing but HC could put together more general tutorials and then have more in depth videos on occasion sort of how some magazines have those one pagers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted August 22, 2015 Members Share Posted August 22, 2015 I read manuals, but like Phil, not necessarily before using the product. I also occasionally ask for directions and ask for advice on power tools, construction, and barbeque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted August 22, 2015 Members Share Posted August 22, 2015 Oh, and for a bunch of stuff, I do find videos helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 22, 2015 CMS Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Yep, and that doesn't help me, the consumer, if, as was mentioned between our posts, the English part is compromised because the text has to be tolerant of all eight languages, which is virtually impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 22, 2015 CMS Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 What I like are the warning messages. WARNING!! Do not use batteries as suppositories for farm animals. Caution: Do not use the AC line cord to tie up boats to moorings. Danger: Do not dispose of gear by breaking into small pieces and eating, or feeding to cats. Do not bring unit into bathtub, it is not a bath toy. ACHTUNG !! Verwenden Sie keine Batterien als Zäpfchen für Nutztiere. Vorsicht: Verwenden Sie nicht das Netzkabel zu binden Boote Liegeplätzen. Danger: Nicht von Getriebe verfügen nicht in kleine Stücke brechen und essen, oder Fütterung von Katzen. Nicht in die Badewanne zu bringen Einheit, ist es nicht ein Badespielzeug. ATTENTION!! Ne pas utiliser de piles sous forme de suppositoires pour animaux de ferme. Attention: Ne pas utiliser le cordon secteur pour attacher des bateaux pour amarres. Danger: Ne jetez pas des engins en brisant en petits morceaux et de manger, ou l'alimentation pour les chats. Ne pas apporter l'unité dans la baignoire, il est pas un jouet de bain. ADVERTENCIA !! No utilice pilas en forma de supositorios para animales de granja. Precaución: No utilice el cable de línea de CA para amarrar barcos de amarres. Peligro: No se deshaga de las artes al romper en pedazos pequeños y comer, o alimentar a los gatos. No traiga unidad en la bañera, no es un juguete de baño. WARNING!!農場の動物のための坐剤として電池は使用しないでください。 注意：係留に船を拘束するためにACラインコードを使用しないでください。 危険：小片に破壊し、食べること、または猫に供給することにより、ギアを処分しないでください。 浴槽の中にユニットを持っていない、それはお風呂のおもちゃではありません。 警告！不使用电池作为栓剂用于农场动物。 注意：不要使用交流电源线，以配合船只最多停泊。 危险：请勿破成小块，吃，喂养或猫处置齿轮。 不要带单元放入浴缸，它不是一个洗澡玩具。 DIGNIIN !! Ha isticmaalin bateriga sida dabada u yahay xoolo beer. Digniin: Ha isticmaalin line xadhig AC si ay u soo wareegaan doonyo si moorings. Danger: Ha ku tuurin marsho jebiyey burburi iyo cunista, ama quudinta bisadaha. Ha unit soo gelin qubeyska, waxa aanan aheyn alaabta qubeyska. ЕСКЕРТУ !! Ауыл шаруашылығы малдарына арналған суппозиторийлер ретінде батареяларды қолданбаңыз. Абайлаңыз: айлақ қайық байланыстыру айнымалы ток желісінің сымын пайдаланбаңыз. Қауіпті: кішкене кесектерге және тамақтану бұзу, немесе мысықтарды үшін азықтандыру арқылы Кесуші тастамаңыз. Бұл монша ойыншық емес, ванна енген әкелсеңіз болмайды. What would be nice is the ability to quickly locate and delete all that garbage, as well as all the unused languages, so the manual is "customized" to what I need. Yes, I can do a 'find and replace' for the keywords, but for something like my old GT-6B manual, which is like 60,000 pages, that's gonna take a bit of time. Maybe there's a niche market for an "unPCurManual" tool..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 22, 2015 CMS Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Try Boss' manuals for their multi-pedals. Click, snap, BOOM!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 22, 2015 CMS Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 "I found 6 shortcuts to 16th Street from your location" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dboomer Posted August 23, 2015 Members Share Posted August 23, 2015 Geoff, I love ya man... but you're so old school. The correct procedure if you don't understand something is to go to the manufacturer's forum, and start a thread about how much the product sucks, and how it's broken and doesn't work. And dont forget the threaten legal action! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted August 23, 2015 Members Share Posted August 23, 2015 And dont forget the threaten legal action! My mistake, clearly you are a Jedi forum follower Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted August 23, 2015 Members Share Posted August 23, 2015 This to me is where HC can really raise the standards and fill that hole. Why not publish more videos with above mentioned pros and really put HC on the map as the "Grand Central" of professional tutorials? I know there are companies with paid subscription that supply this sort of thing but HC could put together more general tutorials and then have more in depth videos on occasion sort of how some magazines have those one pagers... That is a truly excellent comment. Doing really good videos takes a lot of time, but...it would really make a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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