Video tutorials for Metro

[al]

I was thinking that metro could benefit from Video tutorials to highlight its more important features or advantages over other apps. Or just to maybe - down the line- replace that outdated online manual you have going right now.

There's freeware that screen captures to video in quicktime, with all quicktime codecs fully supported. That means you could get away with using H264 (very high compression at great looking quality), which yields in smaller file sizes than previous older codecs, but with high screen resolution. This is completely do-able nowadays that hosting is getting cheaper each year. I calculate that a complete program tutorial wouldn't take less than a CD in size.

Often times I've seen jpeg screenshots of apps on versiontracker.com that really don't do any justice on how they behave.
Having a video guide you through the features of the program gives you an edge over other apps hosted on versiontracker.com
Having a video, for each most important feature that could set metro apart from the competition, would be even better.

For example, right below "metro at a glance" (on sagan's front page) there's a list of features.
Each feature could be linked to a 1mb video file showcasing the feature in detail.

I mention this because a lot of people rarely bother with manual-reading. Specially the creative types, since they aren't the linear thinking type of people that programmers are. Sites like lynda.com, the gnomon workshop, or the other myriad of online training outlets out there fill this huge gap for the need of video tutorials.

Wadda ya think?

Al

[Scoot]

Lynda.com makes their money out of videos so of course that's why they make them. I could see benefit in what you say but a lot of time and energy involved.

As far as metro goes I would think rather than every new feature or what
not, more likely something along the lines of how to start creating midi/audio or setting up the mac and installing program names etc would be the most useful to start off with.

You don't have to convert the converted - they're already here - and surely if they have difficulty they only have to ask a question.


The important feature vs other apps sounds like the steps to start a mac out of the box vs a PC out of a box.

Maybe Metro vs Logic or even funnier Metro vs Cakewalk Sonar.
Quick videos on getting started and setup would be good.


Some of the products at http://www.motu.com have interactive tours when you view a picture and mouse overing tells you what the button or switch does. http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/828/overview.html

[al]

As far as metro goes I would think rather than every new feature or what
not, more likely something along the lines of how to start creating midi/audio or setting up the mac and installing program names etc would be the most useful to start off with.

Showing an initial setup video would definitely help. But I would think operations made in the graphic editor would sell metro. That's where most of the music happens, it's where you'd spend most of your time on. It would help to show what the rhythm explorer could do.
The initial setup on the other hand, is something you'd go through maybe once or twice.

You don't have to convert the converted - they're already here - and surely if they have difficulty they only have to ask a question.

Well, I don't think that mindset would bring you in new clients. And I would think the already converted would also appreciate video tutorials.

Besides, you'd want to convert those who wonder why they bought logic to begin with, when all they wanted to do was to start making music out of the box. I know a lot of musicians who've bought logic only to ditch it months down the road due to its steep learning curve. I've yet to find one studio who uses it. On the other hand you have ProTools users, who need proprietary software to run the damn thing, and protools btw, still sucks at midi.

The important feature vs other apps sounds like the steps to start a mac out of the box vs a PC out of a box.

Maybe Metro vs Logic or even funnier Metro vs Cakewalk Sonar. Laughing
Quick videos on getting started and setup would be good.

That's the gist of it. Although the only way to show its advantage, is to show its simplicity. I don't feel there's need to address the competition head on. People who either run these apps, or have evaluated them, will get it. Don't get me wrong. I think most of these other apps are powerful. But few people want to spend a year learning a software package to become efficient at using it. Most sane people would rather make music.

Some of the products at www.motu.com have interactive tours when you view a picture and mouse overing tells you what the button or switch does. http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/ ... rview.html

Interactive slideshows require more involvement, and they're far too static for my taste. capturing a video is far easier, slapping it on an html is easy as well. You're showing the actual interface in action too.

I definitely think videos would sway potential users into giving metro a try.