SF Studio 6 Documentation Weaknesses -Sound Forge - PC

Subject:SF Studio 6 Documentation Weaknesses Posted by: davidinlv Date:10/11/2003 12:32:57 PM As a new SF Studio 6.0e owner and a complete neophyte to digital music editing, I am impressed with the program's capabilities. But as a semi-experienced documentation writer, I am also disappointed that the Help System built into the software falls into a common trap when discussing terms and procedures: It fails to DEFINE key terms and concepts. Two major example are REGIONS and PLAYLISTS. The documentation contains many help screens dealing with the manipulation and usage of REGIONS and PLAYLISTS, but nowhere does it define what these two things are and the general purposes they serve. So, as I delight in copying music files from my CDs into the software and then using the marvelous clipping feature to save just those portions I want, I sense that regions and playlists will allow me to rearrange my clips before burning them to a CD, but it really doesn't lead me through it. Yes, I know REGION and PLAYLIST are briefly defined in the Help System's glossary, but that isn't enough. The one thing competitive product Acoustica MP3 Mixer has that SF 6.0 does not have is an excellent set of graphical tutorials that lead the user through most of the basic steps and procedures. This is something that SF 6.0 sorely needs, either in the software or at the Web site. Thanks for reading my rant. Meanwhile, I'll muddle through.
Subject:RE: SF Studio 6 Documentation Weaknesses Reply by: keether Date:10/17/2003 12:06:54 PM I'm entirely in agreement! Sound Forge isn't the only sophisticated software program to lack items in the instructional help. On more than one occasion, the free visual tutorials online have convinced me to buy one product over a different one that seemed the same except...no tutorials! Just thinking about why this seems to be, I believe the people who write help files are overly familiar with the programs. It's a gifted person who can retain the ability to see the program like a newbie---without, of course, losing all other perspectives! Good example: I'm using a video editing program that never uses the word "cut." In word processing, we all "cut" and "paste" and are used to those terms. But...this video program doesn't use that language. I can't for the life of me find the language they DO use! So I cannot cut!

Subject:SF Studio 6 Documentation Weaknesses

Posted by: davidinlv

Date:10/11/2003 12:32:57 PM

As a new SF Studio 6.0e owner and a complete neophyte to digital music editing, I am impressed with the program's capabilities.

But as a semi-experienced documentation writer, I am also disappointed that the Help System built into the software falls into a common trap when discussing terms and procedures: It fails to DEFINE key terms and concepts.

Two major example are REGIONS and PLAYLISTS.

The documentation contains many help screens dealing with the manipulation and usage of REGIONS and PLAYLISTS, but nowhere does it define what these two things are and the general purposes they serve. So, as I delight in copying music files from my CDs into the software and then using the marvelous clipping feature to save just those portions I want, I sense that regions and playlists will allow me to rearrange my clips before burning them to a CD, but it really doesn't lead me through it.

Yes, I know REGION and PLAYLIST are briefly defined in the Help System's glossary, but that isn't enough. The one thing competitive product Acoustica MP3 Mixer has that SF 6.0 does not have is an excellent set of graphical tutorials that lead the user through most of the basic steps and procedures. This is something that SF 6.0 sorely needs, either in the software or at the Web site.

Thanks for reading my rant. Meanwhile, I'll muddle through.

Subject:RE: SF Studio 6 Documentation Weaknesses

Reply by: keether

Date:10/17/2003 12:06:54 PM

I'm entirely in agreement! Sound Forge isn't the only sophisticated software program to lack items in the instructional help. On more than one occasion, the free visual tutorials online have convinced me to buy one product over a different one that seemed the same except...no tutorials!

Just thinking about why this seems to be, I believe the people who write help files are overly familiar with the programs. It's a gifted person who can retain the ability to see the program like a newbie---without, of course, losing all other perspectives!

Good example: I'm using a video editing program that never uses the word "cut." In word processing, we all "cut" and "paste" and are used to those terms. But...this video program doesn't use that language. I can't for the life of me find the language they DO use! So I cannot cut!