MANUAL SHMANUAL

[Patrick Arend]

Who needs the manual to the xw synths,   we got Mike Martins clinic vids That's much better than a paperbook manual.

[Joe Gerardi]

When I started with synths (1972) i was lucky enough to get an Arp 2600. It was purchased new from Sam Ash on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, and it came without any manual. It was spending days experimenting, trying stuff, screwing stuff up, and learning the hard way.

 

Now, that can't be quite done today. The synths are far too complex. Think about it: once last night Mike had to change an answer because he realized that something might be doable through NRPNs, and once he had to check on the answer becasue he didn't know if the synths were capable of doing what was asked. Of those of us on this forum, who has spent more time delving into these sytnths than him, and even he isn't familiar with every single capability a year plus after their release.

 

So whilst clinics are nice, informative, and enjoyable, there is still a necessary need for the documentation, and an absolute need for experimentation. I've had a Korg Kronos 88 for 8 months now, and if you want to see a deep synth, go there. I probably haven't explored 5% of its capabilities.

 

..Joe

[Patrick Arend]

Hi Joe,  I agree with everything you said, but when it comes to the xw synths  there is very little good documentation, the only good info in the xw  manual is the midi implementation chart.   Now if we didn't have Mikes videos I would have tried to figure it out with the manual, but it is almost completely useless.  As far as Mike changing his answer to a question about  NRPNs, I bet he didn't get the answer from the manual. It has been proven that people learn faster and better when someone shows them how something works, (like Mikes videos)  as compared to learning it from a book or manual. Now if casio had made an understandable manual that was written in straight forward vigorous English with better visual cues I would not have said manual shmanual, but as it stands, I stand by my comment. However, I get what your saying. If I would have got my xw-p1 way back over a year ago when it first came out I would have certainly needed the manual ,and any other documentation  that existed at that time .but I got my xw-p1 in april this year,when there was two tutorials and a clinic video by Mike Martin, not to mention the ton of videos on utube and various other sources, and now we have the newest clinic video from just a few days ago. Although when I first got my xw-p1 I did reference the manual at first for things i wanted to learn, but I found it was somewhat confusing. I got more from video tutorials, and this forum than I did the manual.    I guess my perspective on the xw manual is that  in a way its obsolete , and if Mike Martin does two or three more clinics, he will have explained pretty much how the intire xw-p1 works.I do believe we need manuals for the electronic products we buy, Its just that darn xw-p1 manual.

[Joe Gerardi]

Not "just that darn xw-p1 manual." I'll agree that most of them suck, but it's usually because it's a direct translation from the Japanese original, and the difference is sentence grammar/structure/word meaning is enough to confuse anyone.

 

However, you are right, the clinics are priceless.

 

..Joe

[BobbyS]

Not "just that darn xw-p1 manual." I'll agree that most of them suck, but it's usually because it's a direct translation from the Japanese original, and the difference is sentence grammar/structure/word meaning is enough to confuse anyone.

 

However, you are right, the clinics are priceless.

 

..Joe

 

 

 

Most of the manual couldn't be anymore confusing and frustrating if it WAS written in Japanese!