I just read the great Merlin’s guide (new edit) that was optimized for kindle. But I could not find a kindle version for the Octatrack (mk1 is the one I would like most) or the Digitone. I mailed myself a pdf. version of the Octatrack manual, but it’s really a hassle to read the pdf on a small kindle screen, especially after just having read Merlin’s new version that was so smooth.
Anyone know it there are kindle versions a round of the manuals? Anyone else interested in this btw, or is it just me being a font snob here😬?
Have you ever used Calibre? It has some good tools to convert PDF to MOBI based on text recognition, might look a bit messy and lacking in images but it will be readable and respond to text size options on your kindle.
It also has an option for trimming away the edges of a PDF so it fits a kindle screen better. When reading PDFs I always like to rotate the screen to landscape so it’s easier to read.
Make sure you keep track of how much time you spend getting the manual properly formatted for your kindle versus how much time you spend actually reading it. It is so easy to spend time doing everything except the one thing you should be doing.
I find the easiest way to RTFM is, by far, printing it out and binding it. Then as you read through it use a highlighter to highlight relevant passages. Highlighting the material as you go will help you process the important bits and will make it easier later when referencing back.
@spinposium
I´m trying to cut back on printing and paper as much as possible, hence the Kindle. My thought was that a well made kindl-version might do the same for others. And also hoping someone else had done this already, since this is not something I actually know how to do.
I see the advantage of highlighting etc thought. And fair point about procrastinating to a point where you´re a kindle-manual-designer, rather than an actual octatrack user.
But I do like to read a little here and a little there on the bus etc. Ideally I would just sit down an hour a day with the manual and the Octa and just go through bit by bit. But this usually is not an option sadly. And having to drag along a 160 page a4 manual at all times is not very convenient.
But maybe I should just prioritize and RTFM. In short, I hear you.
I highly recommend reading straight through the first time and then after you finish this, start working on trying out various features and workflows and go back and re-reference the parts needed.
But definitely try reading it straight through cover to cover the first time, even if it means powering through sections that you do not understand. These strange words will trigger you later and you will recall them even if they don’t make sense at the time.
I ended up reading it as a pdf on kindle. Quite a lot of zooming at times, but not too bad.
I have done a mixture of merlin, the manual, cuckoo, Thavius Beck and misc youtube.
It´s starting to make sense.
The digitone was breeze in comparison, but I´m starting to see the possibilities of this thing, and it seems worth it
Experimenting is the most powerful learning tool. When you read/watch these concepts, be sure to actually do them yourself.
I read merlin’s guide, (most) of the manual, and would constantly go back and forth between those when sitting with the Octa. These forums are also super helpful, like the noob questions thread. After a week or so I’d have a series of questions I would offload to this forum and everyone was always responsive. Keep track of your questions. If it’s something that can be answered by the manual then find it there
