Analog Gear Manuals

  • Thread starter Thread starter maalsa
  • Start date Start date
cjacek said:
I personally feel we should either make the manuals as good as possible [meaning high resolution] and make them available for download [with some type of "watermark"] or drop the idea all together.
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Come now, there has to be some sort of happy medium. The solution I provided is not just to thwart resellers, but is also for the sake of the manufacturers that still sell the manuals. We don't want to take any potential manual sales away from them, right?

By having it a lower resolution, it is still available to use for those who truly want to use it, and we don't have to worry about anybody stealing and reselling.

I think everybody wins with lower resolution manuals. The whole goal really is to get the manuals out there to people who need them. Being able to print them off is a luxury.
 
maalsa said:
We don't want to take any potential manual sales away from them, right?
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Well, see, that's another one of the issues where I'm on the fence about still.. On one hand you're right but on the other, I think TEAC really couldn't care less about losing business on these manuals for their long discontinued gear. It's less than a drop in the bucket, for them, vs what they're making off of current product. That's just my take on it.

By having it a lower resolution, it is still available to use for those who truly want to use it, and we don't have to worry about anybody stealing and reselling.
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IMHO, you won't stop anyone reselling a low resolution manual.

Again, the best way is to provide the manuals for free if ya want to dissuade unscrupulous sales. As an example, I can guarantee you that since posting my M-30 and 244 manuals, in pdf, with almost 4000 views to date, combined, that there isn't a re-seller who would be interested in touching those with ten foot pole.

I also think people should be motivated to scan their own manuals and upload it to some agreed to place or one of their own choosing. Then, someone can download it and then upload it to a main site.

On the other hand, if someone still wants a nice, quality paper copy of a said manual, then they can still order direct from TEAC / TASCAM. Kinda like you get the album with the nice cover art 'cause you like the mp3's.

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Another point that I wish to make with regard to low res copies is why even bother? The point is to make a legible copy available to owners of this gear and not one where you spend time downloading, can't fully decipher the contents and ending up ordering one from an outside source. Again, it won't dissuade any re-seller, that he has a low res copy to work with and I would much rather see some type of watermark on the pages than anything. That and distributing as many copies so that re-sellers are a non-issue. We are out to help and anything else, why even bother?
 
cjacek said:
Not that it's necessarily needed but here's a couple more from earlier posts:

TASCAM M-30 M30 MANUAL:
http://rs224.rapidshare.com/files/62886880/Tascam_m-30_manual.pdf

TASCAM 244 MANUAL:
http://rs246.rapidshare.com/files/97650519/tascam-244-150-dpi.pdf

I've checked and the links do work.:)
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I suppose it also depends on the quality of the scanned manual... The ones you posted here, are obviously scanned in with no real regard to quality. You would THINK that lurkers who are looking for manuals to rip-off and sell on eBay would also take quality into consideration. I've never bought a manual off eBay so I have no idea what kind of quality issue there is (can anybody here attest to that?), but unfortunately with any manual I scan in, it's going to be pretty close to perfect (an ideal example for a lurker to steal and resell), which is why I suggested the lower resolution idea.

What about PDF security options? Aren't there options available so that a PDF cannot be altered, cannot be printed, etc.? Maybe that is a route we should go?

Or maybe this is one of those ideas that sounds good in your head, but when put into action, doesn't really work out...

I'd really like to hear some other people chime in with their opinions/suggestions!
 
OK, first of all, while I did not scan the 244 manual, I did the M-30 and, forgive me, but I didn't feel like ripping out each page just to satisfy my perfectionist nature. It's good as is and legible, good enough that people get some benefit off it.

Now, while I pat you on the back for a really well made copy of your 246 manual, unfortunately you're not going to get people to send you their manuals, so that you could "properly" scan them, nor should you expect people to recreate the type of quality you're seeking. Now, what are we actually discussing here?

What is more realistic, IMHO, is actually have people do their own "bread & butter" scanning, however they see fit, upload it somewhere and let others download it, under one thread, ideally. We can take some lessons from other sites like AudioKarma's cassette pages. Other than that, let it just be. Let's not get into complex stuff and issues here. Let it flow.

What's more important is to help as many people out than anything else.

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So why don't we just ignore any and all legality issues and do whatever we feel like since, in the end, we're just "helping people out," right? Take from the rich, give to the poor sort of thing...

Unfortunately, I now agree with sweetbeats on this, in that we shouldn't be distributing manuals that are still sold through the manufacturer. Be it outdated, discontinued equipment or not. Which is why I proposed low res, read it only on your computer PDFs, so at least we're not taking away the physical, paper aspect of it from the manufacturers, while still helping out people who are truly seeking out a manual to learn how to use whatever old equipment they've come across.

I dunno, maybe this was a bad idea and we should just go back to the way it was before of letting people seek and find whatever it is they're looking for.

If you can't type in "M-30 Manual" into Google and come across your manual here on the forum, maybe you shouldn't be looking for the manual in the first place, eh?
 
1. if you put up low res versions they will still be ripped off and sold...resellers have no scruples who do that sort of thing. I've been a victim myself which is why I (if necessry) get originals or reprints from Tascam...they're cheaper there anyway and gauranteed legal and best quality.

2. If we do go with soemthing, don't forget about the Reel 2 Reel Wiki that ethyrvalve started (can somebody find and link that thread? I'm out and about right now...) That would be a great place for a photo database, manual links to and ftp server and it keeps it community based and not associated with this forum...

3. Don't worry Daniel...I'll speak anonymously and hypothetically to Tascam. :D

4. I also don't think Tascam will care, and I like the idea...just trying to keep it from actually becoming a disservice in some way y'know?
 
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Bootleggers have no scruples, by definition.

If Tascam ever voiced the opinion that bootlegging Tascam manuals is wrong and they're against it, it was just possibly an employee's honest opinion but is little more than lip service. Tascam's never officially addressed the issue or tried to control or stop it, which by now has literally run rampant.

I can't recall if I knowingly bought any bootleg Tascam manuals, tho' I've DL'd a few. Usually it was just a copy of something I already had a genuine print copy of. I've also passed on a DL'd bootleg manual, just once as a favor, but never for pay (which to me is crossing the line of ethics). I typically buy official reprint copies, when necessary. I have a TON of Tascam manuals, BTW. Operation and Service manuals. I'm hardcore like that, tho' my fixit efforts are few and far between.:eek:;)

When the dollars are mainly in DP-004's, DP-02's, 2488's, 1641's and all the rest, I honestly don't think Tascam even cares about bootleg manuals in anything other than a passing notion.:eek:;)
 
maalsa said:
So why don't we just ignore any and all legality issues and do whatever we feel like since, in the end, we're just "helping people out," right? Take from the rich, give to the poor sort of thing...

Unfortunately, I now agree with sweetbeats on this, in that we shouldn't be distributing manuals that are still sold through the manufacturer. Be it outdated, discontinued equipment or not. Which is why I proposed low res, read it only on your computer PDFs, so at least we're not taking away the physical, paper aspect of it from the manufacturers, while still helping out people who are truly seeking out a manual to learn how to use whatever old equipment they've come across.

I dunno, maybe this was a bad idea and we should just go back to the way it was before of letting people seek and find whatever it is they're looking for.

If you can't type in "M-30 Manual" into Google and come across your manual here on the forum, maybe you shouldn't be looking for the manual in the first place, eh?
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I'm having a terrible time understanding your position on this issue. In the span of a day you went from uploading a nice manual, with further ideas on how we'd do more to serve the community, to being completely against doing anything related but then you contradict yourself in a number of places, not to mention sounding a bit sarcastic. People have responded, took you seriously, offered help and now what? OK, that's great, lets talk but this discussion doesn't seem to be about manuals anymore. That's how I read it anyway.

If you have a manual and wanna help, scan it, post it, let others enjoy it. If you don't wanna then don't do it. That's the way I look at it. Simple.

BTW, +1 to everything sweetbeats and A Reel Person said.

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I'll just add,...

copyrights do apply and are being violated, by definition.

With that being said, I'm not categorically against it if users and members want to share this info for free and in good will. I may partake as a casual interest, but believe me, I'm full up on manuals and I probably already have what most people are posting. Personally, I'm indifferent to it and I'm in favor of the good it provides others.

I'm also in favor of watermarking the copies so that unscrupulous lurkers will not have easy pickings of something they'd just turn around and sell on eBay, which I am categorically against.

I don't recall ever buying a bootleg manual knowingly, or at all for that matter.

It's not a huge issue to me at all, and Tascam clearly doesn't care, 'cept the occasional lip service.

I'm not for literally stabbing Tascam in the back, but I am in favor of sharing information freely and in good will.

When asked outright, I'll typically recommend buying reprints from Tascam, Inc., as sweetbeats, cjacek and others have so often echoed.

Maalsa, don't get ur undies in a bunch. Nobody's slamming you or your efforts, nor am I. In general I think yours is a good and honorable effort. I own the 246 User and Service manuals, but I attempted to DL your pdf. The DL page got funky with a big popup I couldn't cancel, so I bailed on it for the time being. Pulling stuff up on the ol'puter is sometimes easier than digging thru bins and shelves full of manuals. I'll concede that point. I spend as much (or more) time on my ol'puter as the average person, and I see it as a convenience factor. No big deal to me. Do it and feel good about it. I feel your enthusiasm. I hope your 246 gets up and running soon, too.

'Night!:eek:;)
 
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