User Manuals

[stebee]

hi,

 

Having just read another post/request for a lost user manual I got to thinking...

Does anyone else think it's a good idea to load the user manual cdrom onto a laptop and that way you will always have it with you when out on the road. Common sense or not?

 

Or are you one of those people who think that reading the manual is for idiots?

 

Regards

 

Stebee

[Pete McCrea]

If I'm on a show with new kit, or even stuff I've used regularly but maybe trying in a new way, then I try and have a copy on the Laptop. If it really is new, then on paper too for those stressful moments.

[mac.calder]

I keep most of the manuals I have in electronic format on my USB key - makes sense over the laptop to me because I don't always have my laptop, but I always have my USB key.

[JimWebber]

I can see the logic in carrying around a soft copy set of user manuals on a USB key- You always have some form of documentation on you. But personally I prefer to use hard copy documentation wherever possible! It is so much easier to flick between chapters and pages, you can prop it up in front of the kit you are working on, you can scribble notes, ammendments etc. as required.

 

Maybe it's an age thing, give me a bit of paper over a VDU any time!

 

Jim

[dwh]

I prefer to have a hard copy in front of me, but I have a copy of the manual for all the kit I use on my USB key just in case!

[WiLL]

Keep a copy of the pdf yep, but a print a copy off onto recycled trees when I'm going to be using a new (or forgotten) desk.

[mac.calder]

Maybe it's an age thing, give me a bit of paper over a VDU any time!

 

Jim

 

Absolutely. However if I was to carry round the docs I have on my USB key in hard copy, then I would not have room for anything else in my bag of tricks. It is more a case of if I am at work, and I know I am going to be doing a long programming session on an LX desk that I am not too familiar with, I make sure I have the manual with me in hard copy. However if I rock up to work, knowing that it is just a regular day, I have the security of knowing if something pops up I was not expecting, I can find a computer and pull up the docs.

[charlyfarly]

I keep things like the PM5d manual on my 'puter.

As far as user manual for outboard........I haven't seen a hardcopy one since the Soundcraft 800b was the hot desk of choice! They usually get "borrowed" at the warehouse, never to be seen again! :)

[peternewman]

I think even with the best index you'll struggle compared to the searching abilities of a PDF. But yes I keep copies of any manual I use as a PDF on my laptop, and setup the laptop for remote access where needed.

[Jamtastic3]

I think it would be great if there was a website that had almost every manual of every piece of equipment of each department (sound, lights, AV etc) although that would be a very difficult task to construct.

I like having a hard copy as I think it's easier to read yet at the same time, I don't want to be trying to find one small section in a manual thats at least 150 pages long!

[stebee]

I keep copies of any manual I use as a PDF on my laptop, and setup the laptop for remote access where needed.

Now there's a good idea.

I know what I'm doing during the next lull in activity.

 

stebee

[IRW]

If there is a quick-start guide to a console that I am using that I have not got much experience on, I tend to print that off, and have an electronic copy of the full manual on my laptop.

 

I also find it is a lot quicker to search through manuals on the computer (Ctrl-F is your friend!).

Try quickly finding out why some obscure feature on a Hog III has stopped working in a printed 400+ page manual :)

[david.elsbury]

Get a tablet PC... then you can scrawl notes all over the thing! ;-)

[peternewman]

I think it would be great if there was a website that had almost every manual of every piece of equipment of each department (sound, lights, AV etc) although that would be a very difficult task to construct.

I think someone, possibly 3guk, looked into this, and posted, either here or on UKSLC. I believe he struggled to get manufacturers to agree, and quite a few said no, or weren't helpful. However this is all from memory, so I may be wrong. I imagine that while they may possibly let you host the manuals for free, they almost definitely wouldn't let you profit I'd imagine, so you would be in a Catch 22 and would lose either way, not being able to have ads, and having to cover the huge bandwidth if it takes off, out of your own pocket, although this is all conjecture, I could be wrong. I guess you could link to their pages, but then they probably wouldn't want a direct link to the PDF anyway, if anyone is feeling keen, they could add such links to the wiki :). Anyway I've rambled on for too long.

[andy_s]

central resource for user manuals....

 

I believe he struggled to get manufacturers to agree, and quite a few said no, or weren't helpful. However this is all from memory, so I may be wrong.

 

 

this doesn't really surprise me - I'd imagine manufacturers would want you to notice all the lovely new things they are plugging on their website as you navigate to the manual, which of course wouldn't happen on a multi manufacturer manuals-only website....