RTFM? C’mon, who really bothers with user guides?

wired2moon

I didn’t... until recently! For deep apps like Turnado, Fieldscaper and Discord4 etc. I’m slowly finding that user guide study time really pays off. Things are only now being demystified after several years of blind tweaking and preset hopping. Always wanted that instant gratification, diving straight in and relying purely on experimentation (and the odd YT video to be fair) to figure stuff out... but now I’m systematically going through the manuals for every app I have. It’s like I’ve got a whole new collection of tools!

craftycurate

It really pays off, esp with more complex apps, and with apps which work in a unique way. Sugar Bytes is a great example of developer whose apps really benefit from a deep dive into the manual, and thankfully their manuals are comprehensive and easy to read.

Tarekith

I usually read the manual before I even bug a new bit of gear, just so I can make sure there’s no ‘gotchas’. Plus then when it arrives (downloads) I can usually dive right in.

Telefunky

I remember an app from the old Mac days, with the usual Help menu item...
If you choose it, a dialog box popped up reading: real Mac users don‘t need help

But a good manual is always worth reading, sometimes even the not so great ones.
(as I experienced with SAW Studio, which is impossible to figure out by trial&error).
Beathawk on IOS has an exceptionally great doc imho.

uraniumwilly

For questions, it's best to read the manual and do thoughtful searches before posting questions on forums.

tsamba

Love a well written manual! Increasingly rare. The manuals for old Mackie mixers come to mind as being especially useful, and offer lots of practical usage-advice beyond simply describing the functionality. A little personality and humor in a manual goes a long way, for me at least.

For learning something totally new though, a YouTube video or similar is sometimes better for an idea to "click."

oat_phipps

A-plus to OP. I’ve always loved user manuals both for studying their technical writing and because they increase my knowledge of this thingie I bought. A well-written manual is as good as a short story or novella to me. They’re like the liner notes and lyrics to LPs: crucial to the overall package. If it can be terse, all the better if so, but yes, I would like to know all the things you intended me to be able to do. I can’t read your devilish designing mind.

iOS manuals were sorely lacking for years, or too often not nearly descriptive enough. I’d say they’ve gotten better but I think that’s more because I usually only buy these days from the well-established indies and the industry leaders that have gotten in on the platform. I appreciate the professionalism.

Moog does amazing hardware synth manuals. brambos on iOS is probably the best manual writer, very streamlined like his apps, although he does leave a few fine details uncovered.

michael_m

They’re useful to have to hand, along with YouTube, forums, advice from friends, and trial and error.

Frank303

I concur! A great manual adds a lot of value for me personally

Poppadocrock

I do but only with apps I need to. If I don’t read them entirely I refer to them when needed.

McD

RTFM?

(Leslie Nielsen), “Surely you can’t be serious,” and Rumack replies, “I am serious — and don’t call me Shirley.”

In the time it takes to read a manual I can buy 2-3 more apps.

"And don't call me Shirley." - Airplane? or Naked Gun? IMDB for quotes?

I have a theory that the stimulus reward system of the internet and social media (yes, Virginia, this forum is social media) program the brain that makes long form prose reading and non-fiction repellent for the addict.

Repellent - something that repels an unwanted object... in this case, thought.

I am a victim of my own proclivities. (click, click, click...)

BillS

A well written manual is a joy to read! I'm still fairly new to ios music making and find some of apps' manuals are not great or don't exist at all.

jolico

@wired2moon said:
I didn’t... until recently! For deep apps like Turnado, Fieldscaper and Discord4 etc. I’m slowly finding that user guide study time really pays off. Things are only now being demystified after several years of blind tweaking and preset hopping. Always wanted that instant gratification, diving straight in and relying purely on experimentation (and the odd YT video to be fair) to figure stuff out... but now I’m systematically going through the manuals for every app I have. It’s like I’ve got a whole new collection of tools!

I only read manuals to solve problems, but most of the time, the solution is not in the manual. It’s on YouTube.

Gavinski

Amen for manuals, and amen to people net reading them, it gives me a niche lol. But seriously, people would be far better off buying fewer apps and actually learning to use what they have, which for anything complex will usually involve a manual or a long and thorough youtube vid, wink wink. Reality is, most iOS music app buyers are money rich and time poor, that's the problem

SpartanClownTide

Favourite reading material. Even if it's pretty obvious what everything does eventually I'll skim through to make sure I haven't missed anything. Personally I'd rather have a manual than watch a YouTube video.

drewinnit

The Sugar Bytes manuals are essential reading. Can turn their apps from “happy accident generators” to surgical tools with precise settings you can dial in.

Jamie_Mallender

I can’t take it in. I read the words but I don’t retain the info. Short sections at a time maybe. I learn to use an app by pissypanting around with it.

ashh

I print them out and have a library of binders with them all in.

wired2moon

@Jamie_Mallender said:
I can’t take it in. I read the words but I don’t retain the info. Short sections at a time maybe. I learn to use an app by pissypanting around with it.

Yep this was me

@drewinnit said:
The Sugar Bytes manuals are essential reading. Can turn their apps from “happy accident generators” to surgical tools with precise settings you can dial in.

I’ve found this too. Turnado FX are really pretty good quality too IMHO

@Gavinski said:
But seriously, people would be far better off buying fewer apps and actually learning to use what they have

Good to hear from the maker of video Haynes manuals (which certainly have their place btw)! This comment here is bang on.

@oat_phipps said:
iOS manuals were sorely lacking for years, or too often not nearly descriptive enough. I’d say they’ve gotten better but I think that’s more because I usually only buy these days from the well-established indies and the industry leaders that have gotten in on the platform.

Agree the quality can be a bit of a mixed bag. Thanks for the A+

@Telefunky said:
I remember an app from the old Mac days, with the usual Help menu item...
If you choose it, a dialog box popped up reading: real Mac users don‘t need help

That’s priceless

Have added a poll as interesting to know what the trends are when it comes to manuals

lasselu

For me manuals are a must. I almost consider an app without a manual as unfinished...

Eschatone

I learn most environments just by using them and find my acquired experience translates pretty easily between different plugins...with a few notable exceptions:

I definitely need a manual or tutorial if the designer is a mad scientist like Igor Vasiliev, Don Buchla (ID700 emulation app) , Alexander Zolotov or for most Elektron hardware. I’m glad I learned the basics before I stepped foot in their universe, as I’d really be lost without that foundation.