Ableton Forum

perhaps the manuel is not what you need, and instead an instructional book?

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/15 ... ewpoints=1

doc holiday wrote:perhaps the manuel is not what you need, and instead an instructional book?

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/15 ... ewpoints=1

+1 yes. You are looking for usage scenarios, seems like, less so explanation of workings, as you say.

I really like the manual - even the corny jokes. In amongst the "drunken jazz band" quips, there are some real gems of useful information in there. I like the informal style (much better than the majority of manuals' dry style) and the fact that I can read it "standalone" - all the screenshots do a good job of explaining things when you're not actually at your computer.

And Info View is invaluable when actually at your computer.

I agree with some of the other comments here that it could go deeper "under the hood", but for that I would be happy if Ableton released separate pdfs for "advanced users" who want to dig deeper.

Overall, Live's manual & info view are a damn sight better than the vast majority of other software apps' support info I've come across. Keep it up!

gjm wrote:And here lies the problem...ME. It seems that the grey matter between my ears needs more than just the software manual to get up and running. It's obvious that I am asking too much from the manual. Why should Ableton have to carry the burden of explaining the use of other companies driver issues, hardware and software use for example. The writer of the manual has assumed a certain level of general computor and software proficiency. It is not meant to be a 101 course in setting up and getting going in hobby home recording. It is clear from the response to this thread that the manual is a fine piece of work, in need of a couple of tweaks here and there but generally very good. So you see... it's ALL operator error (no pun intended)

thing is - the manual is great in what it does show, but the problem is in what it leaves out because there is nowhere else you can get that information - short of contacting Ableton and hoping they have the time to answer - often they are simple reference things that just aren't explained anywhere

but as for giving more than is necessary - sometimes that makes it easier to understand why things are the way they are - case in point being the Waves manuals which are extremely thorough and give you some real in depth audio engineering information which is probably not essential to the operation of their plug-ins, but perhaps essential to the proper use of their plug-ins

gjm wrote: Of course I have read the relavant parts of the manual. The problem is that I have a different expectation of what a manual should be. I expected it to do more than simply outline the workings of the software. I expected it to help me solve things that actually have nothing to do with the software. And here lies the problem...ME. It seems that the grey matter between my ears needs more than just the software manual to get up and running. It's obvious that I am asking too much from the manual. Why should Ableton have to carry the burden of explaining the use of other companies driver issues, hardware and software use for example. The writer of the manual has assumed a certain level of general computor and software proficiency. It is not meant to be a 101 course in setting up and getting going in hobby home recording. It is clear from the response to this thread that the manual is a fine piece of work, in need of a couple of tweaks here and there but generally very good. So you see... it's ALL operator error (no pun intended)

+1 on this. After being into the Roland V series stuff for a while followed by all the software, manuals have become absolutely essential. I learned via the experience of playing with a good number of different musicians that "manual" learning comes MUCH easier to some than others. It's all in how your brain is wired. Just like in the case of reading and comprehension itself. Some people (left brain side oriented) retain and digest information much more directly than those of *US* that are more right side oriented. The people that have an excellent ambidextrous grasp of both sides simultaneously are most of the time what are referred to as functional geniuses. These are the folks that normally have perfect pitch, can sing and play without much effort and can create and turn out and write one killer song after another.

I think the book that doc and some others here have recommended "power 6" or whatever it's called would do folks like myself that lean to the right (NOT government related!!!!!) a great deal of good.

THANKS for that.