Dear all, I am frequently browsing the Forum and quite often I find relatively “simple” questions. I mean, of course the Forum is a place to find help - for whatever Level of questions. So please do not get me wrong, i am really, really meaning the following in an absolutely positive sense:
I advise everybody new to cubase to browse the Manual. I mean, there is no way to learn the Manual by heart, of course not. But what you will find is that crossreading the Manual helps you to build a Kind of “internal index” of functionality and ideas that cubase builds or builds upon. The latest Version of the Manuals is excellent and to get a rough idea of how things work or at least of what is possible is really, really both easy and helpful for whatever you/we are doing with cubase.
Please dont take this as “dont post questions, read the f*** Manual!” It is really meant as good advise - maybe to a Generation that somehow has lost to see the potential of reading or cross reading ;o)
It is obvious that a manual is there for people who need to have a comprehensive insight in the program. And it is a good read. (for me some more practical examples would be nice though on “why” instead of “where to click” would be nice, but fwiw)
On the other hand: a beast of more then 1.000 pages is not very encouraging for a new user to get started with. Questions that rise are most of the time obvious and need a quick answer. I think a forum, besides the youtube forest, is a usefull place to drop those. There are always guys who love to give those quick answers, and for my part, this is the most rewarding component of the forum too. I like it when you see people say “ok tx” and “hey that helped”. It is positive, it is helpfull, and it’s thus a quick win.
The idea of dividing the general section in to a newbie and more general section is a good idea imho. You see that on other forums too. But it’s not absolutely necessary. When logged in, you can choose between several options like “unanswered”, “most viewed”, “not read” and so on. So that’s fine imho.
But all in all: the topic’s title is correct and is a good general hint.
I definitely do not want to discourage People to post the - maybe even “trivial” questions. I really wanted to share my experience that at least cross-reading the Manual (i.e. trying to get an overview even if some things are not yet understood) is really beneficial. Sometimes I stumble over a question (in my own work with cubase) and then something Pops up in my brain like “there was something, I remember roughly”… this is the “mental index entry” and it really helps finding my way through. Sometimes it helps to put a question in a meaningful way - just because I am at least a Little familiar with concepts and the “local languate” (cubase terminology).
I appreciate the point of view. Alas, however, the table of contents and the index are woefully incomplete. And when the manual is a pdf document a search either gives zero results (nothing matches exactly what i was trying to say to express the problem) or too many results (the word is used countless times).
For instance, right now, i have a midi track imported. I can’t imagine why, but a portion of it shows up with cross-hatch markings. I’m trying to do a simple thing: select the whole midi import and not just the cross-hatch section. Does the manual help? It does not. Search for 'crosshatch" nothing. Look in table of contents? Nothing. Look in index? Nothing jumps out, though it’s possible it is there somewhere. Read the whole manual AGAIN??? I’m doing it. But believe me if people like you would help rather than criticize a new user would get better faster. Oh and search the forum? A three letter word gets ‘ignored’: VST anyone?
Have to agree with william98… especially irritating is the forum search thing… not just 3 letter words but any word that is ‘too common’!! like ‘midi’, ‘audio’, ‘project’, ‘control’… words that would help in a basic narrowing of a search… makes it very difficult sometimes. It would be funny if google started excluding ‘too common’ words.
I agree.
I am a perpetrator of this crime in the past but I hold no shame as I do search google before hand.
I think the problem is that people generally know what they want to do but never know what the terminology is.
Turn a midi track into a sound ,audio, music, track thingy?
Oh you mean Bounce/Render In Place/Mixdown
…that sort of thing.
Maybe they should add a feature into Cubase where you ask multiple choice questions to get the answer to what you want to do?
What I really hate is the sarcastic moaning at Steinberg.
Its absolutely fine to be annoyed,angry and displeased but when your throwing a tantrum and threatening to take your music creation prodigy skills to another platform, no one cares!
The most important Thing when learning something new (in our case sometimes “Cubas”) is to become familiar with the “local language”, i.e. “terminology”.
It is a prerequisite for communication and understanding.
Roughly reading the Manual in advance helps a lot in achieving this and generates a mental index of Topics that is very helpful when searching for Solutions.
mpayne, you may see a “google mentality” everywhere. But on forums like these what I see is 10% great souls helping others, 25% mistaking their problems for your problems, and 60% snarking about how lame other posters may be.
Believe me, I am a manual reader. But I don’t have a photographic memory, and I do go brain-dead reading manuals that follow the layout of menu items, so it is quite possible I missed something. The ‘crosshatch’ question, ref Japan forum, made interesting reading, and more or less led me to an understanding I couldn’t find here or in the manual.
More heat less fire? Is that how you say it? More help less carp? How do you search for those terms…
I’ve learnt so much from this Forum and most of its been from the questions I haven’t asked. Combined with relentless trawling of Gearslutz (rather exhausting tail chasing) and numerous other sites, I have no problem asking questions on here when I want and need to and nor do I have a problem with anyone else doing the same. I’ve just got NI Komplete 10 U. Talk about a few manuals to read! Haha!
" I do go brain-dead reading manuals that follow the layout of menu items"
Exactly. It’s mostly paper filling when a manual mostly consist of things like: “if you want to power up the compressor, push the on/off button”… Jeez… we can read and write, no ? It’s ok to have a general section where the common user interface workflow is described, and specifics still need to be covered at the right place, but if i would be new to cubase, and i read the manual, i want to know why there is a compressor available in cubase, what is it, and a basic example of how it works. Ok, you can’t cover everybodies needs, but at least it is a more sensible and practical read then “click the button”, and it avoids brain illnesses.
But ok, that’s why and where the different possibilities to follow master classes probably are made for.
Successful “googling” requires a profound language knowledge in the respective Domain. If you searched “part” a decade ago, the Primary findings were pornographical.
And the Number ONE reason to read the manual (especially if you’re new at Cubase) is:
Learning of things Cubase can do that you didn’t even know to ask about!
A thorough read of the manual is a chance to self educate about the myriad of things any DAW, but specifically Cubase, can do. It’s the best education about making music with a DAW you can get. Tons of functions you might not ever know existed otherwise.
Far beyond just asking specifically how to do something you already know you can do, the manual will clue you in to the things you can do that you did not know existed. THAT is how you get great at this.
Yeah the manual is a huge reference, that doesn’t provide much how to get started info - such is the nature of reference books. But it is a well put together reference (although the index needs improvement). And it seems like Steinberg targets their videos to explaine the getting started stuff. And while the videos are decent a manual is is easier to skim, locate some specific details you need and then later finding that section again for a refresh or clarification. Plus the videos serve a dual role of explaining stuff and and as marketing material.
I think one of the best things someone who is just starting using Cubase (and/or DAWs) could do is to find a third party book that covers the basics. Could even be a few versions old, since the basics stay pretty constant. Even just getting a different perspective than Steinberg’s can be informative (which also happens in the forums although somewhat disjointed).
And if you want to feel better about the manual, take a look at Native Instruments docs (as jono points out). They are not only massive but often oddly structured and missing key info.
true story, my Cubase manual has 22 pages in English. so I hate to say it but maybe you should think before you post? “hi, I’ve used Cubase for ____ years and thus I don’t have basic questions” cool story… I’ve had it for like 3 days and there is basically 0 documentation that comes with it physically, and the “quick start” videos are terrible… they make for a nice product showcase for people who were already familiar with Cubase and nothing for people starting from scratch… I’m starting to realize theres a good chance they simply use different terminology for things and that’s why this is so frustrating… but yeah basically coming from someone who’s new to the program why don’t you ask yourself how much documentation existed when you first used Cubase… someone said “read the manual” well I don’t know what manual you’re talking about - but if I have to look around for some pdf’s stashed away or something then that’s incredibly stupid on their part… documentation should be presented to you, not cheesed out product plugs. or bragging about new features when a new person doesn’t even know how to add a tempo change.
what is the difference between a vst instrument track, and a rack vst instrument? I have no idea! but I know all about halion, halion sonic, and groove agent!
True story, open Cubase, go to Help/Documents. You now have 8 manuals with over 1800 pages in English. I hate to say it but maybe you should look before you post.
After an 8-hour work day, I have about three hours of DAW working time before my brain turns to mush.
Was trying to work with the program a few days ago and found a simple icon I didn’t recognize. Spent well over an hour searching the manual pdf. Searching on “icon” is a waste. Don’t know what the icon does, don’t know what to search.
Kind of interrupts your workflow, hey?
Thinking of having a manual printed so I can flip through it like, you know, humans have done for the past 2500 years.
Kudos for a making a killer program, now make the manual more usable for the beginners.
