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Midiboy
Mr. Manual.

Now that's original!

And a bit juvenile.  It's silly to me that anyone is actually dismissing or ridiculing the value of reading a manual. 
 
Jeff said it well enough:  For many modern devices there are hidden functions that you simply will not know unless you read the manual or spend days going through each controller, trial and error, until you figure out what exactly it does (and even then you likely will not figure it out).
 
Bottom line, we get that there are users who don't like to read the manual.  But let's not pretend that this should be the default position for anyone who wants to make the most of their time/device.  There's a reason that "RTFM" is an acronym we all know....

And a bit juvenile.  It's silly to me that anyone is actually dismissing or ridiculing the value of reading a manual.

And a bit strange that you have no sense of humor. Come on, this is not matters of National Security.

Cheer up.

Audioicon

And a bit juvenile.  It's silly to me that anyone is actually dismissing or ridiculing the value of reading a manual.

And a bit strange that you have no sense of humor. Come on, this is not matters of National Security.

Cheer up.

What's strange about it?   I didn't find it funny.  Jeff made a very valid point (as he usually does) and it's fine if you disagree with him, but mocking him with a name is, again, just juvenile.
 
Read the manual, don't read the manual, I don't care.  But it's not "strange" that I don't join in mocking a fellow forum member, especially when he's actually trying to help you (Whether you see it or not).

People do learn in three primary ways. The visual and manuals are good for these. The auditory, good for listening and the physical experience.  Actually doing the stuff and having someone sitting next to them being shown and then they do it etc.. I have had a few private students that preferred the visual.  Although they had access to all the manuals, they needed to be shown etc.. So I guess the manual readers are only going to fall into one third of everyone which is understandable.  Some can learn with more than one approach as well.
 
I had to do an Avid training course once and that was a physical experience.  We all sat in front of a Pro Tools session and the instructor showed us how to do stuff. Then we had to do it etc... It was good but it was also backed up with written material.  If there ever was something that really uses the manual it is Pro Tools. The manual is huge.
 
But yes, a manual can unlock something indeed. Watching a video though is more a visual as well.  It's good to run a visual, say a video on one machine (laptop or iPad) while using your main machine next to the visual teaching machine e.g. combine visual with physical. You get a double pronged approach.
 
There is so much to learn now.  I could spend a year learning about Yamaha Montage for example or my Kurzweil workstation. 
 
I don't think you can fumble around so much these days though and discover things. In the old days there was much less to discover. Now the amount of stuff something can do is almost limitless.  I don't mind Mr Manual. It's late night reading for me.

Jeff Evans
 
There are a couple of fancy features it also does in Studio One.  Its not until you read the manual though you find them out. 

 
And I still haven't read it, and I use those fancy features in SO3.  It's why I bought the FaderPort.
 
 

And a bit juvenile.  It's silly to me that anyone is actually dismissing or ridiculing the value of reading a manual.

 
Not dismissing or ridiculing.  I just personally don't typically read a manual.  I can usually figure the stuff our on my own.  If someone needs to read one, no problem.  

It may seem juvenile to you, and I'm sorry if you feel that way, but nobody said anything about him saying the following:
 

Not reading the manual is not something to be proud of.  In fact it is a bit dumb.  Faderport 8/16 are complex devices and unless you read the manual you will never get to know what they can fully do.

 
It's not "dumb" and I'm sorry, I feel it is something to be proud of if you can figure a device out withOUT reading a manual.  The 2nd part of the statement is simply not true.  I learned most of what I needed to know about it before I even bought it by watching YouTube videos, which in my opinion, are WAY better than reading a manual.  

I guess that makes me a bit dumb.
 

Well watching videos is a visual and audio experience at the same time so its powerful.  I was referring more to those who only work their way around working things out as they go and don't actually take in any other information from any other source and there are those types as well.  You are not dumb, but smart in that it is great you have figured out mostly what it does.  I bet though if I read the manual I could find something you did not know.    And you will find those little things out in time too.  Mainly when you find you need to do something.  Then you might not get the answers in any video, but the answer may be in the manual.  That situation crops up too, so don't write the manual off either.  And as I said this applies to very well written manuals and they are not always as we know.
 
For example I have got a Boss ME 25 effects guitar processor and it is way powerful and all they have supplied is one of those horrible single page cards!  So they have gone from the inch thick Kurzweil manual to the other extreme which is nothing!  It is not all covered on that card I am sure of it!  They are getting a bit sparse these days and it is becoming more common.  A lot of Roland synths are doing it now too.  I know I am going to have to hunt more info on it for sure.  Playing around with it will get mostly there I know, but at some point I will have to find out more. 
 
Learning is pretty exciting and very good for our brains too.  There is almost too much to keep up with.  I  have invested in something like 23 Waves plug-ins for example and some of the manuals are over 100 pages.  

JonD
What's strange about it?   I didn't find it funny.  Jeff made a very valid point (as he usually does) and it's fine if you disagree with him, but mocking him with a name is, again, just juvenile.
 
Read the manual, don't read the manual, I don't care.  But it's not "strange" that I don't join in mocking a fellow forum member, especially when he's actually trying to help you (Whether you see it or not).

Well, maybe I watch too much Family Guy.
I don't take anything too seriously.

Thanks for the contribution.

Learning is pretty exciting and very good for our brains too.  There is almost too much to keep up with.  I  have invested in something like 23 Waves plug-ins for example and some of the manuals are over 100 pages.  

 
I have Waves Mercury, so, that includes pretty much all Waves Plugins.  Who has time to read 1000's of pages of manuals.  lol.
 
Learning is good, I agree.  Just be careful you don't insult people that would rather spend time "hands on" or looking online for tips when needed.  

Besides, this whole discussion is rather silly, don't you think?  
 
WHO CARES if people read the manual or not.  IF you need to, by all means, do so.  

I don't need to, and I make my way  just fine. :)

Audioicon
Regarding manuals, I do not think we have a disagreement, I have been a MIDI engineer for over 20 years. And I always say, if you have to read a manual to perform basic operation of a device then either the device is too complex or you are a novice to the core concept.

Was you developing MIDI devices or using them?
I mean without (my own) manual, I will never remember what I have implemented in my own preset for FaderPort
BTW if you do not like original plug-in or want to be "an engineer" for it, you can give my preset a try.
NOTE. I have never seen the device other then on pictures...

azslow3

Was you developing MIDI devices or using them?
I mean without (my own) manual, I will never remember what I have implemented in my own preset for FaderPort
BTW if you do not like original plug-in or want to be "an engineer" for it, you can give my preset a try.
NOTE. I have never seen the device other then on pictures...

I am afraid I am not following what you are saying.