To 64Guitars.

[boldward]

Sir, a few days back I posted a message and a song that didn't make it. Operator error no doubt. The message contained some cringing thanks for remarks about my songs(?!) and assurances that the things the guys had liked were probably accidental.
I also replied to your query 'did I like the ProAudiodvd for the BR-532?'
I had found the Boss manual about as friendly and confusing as a tax-demand, I said. I had considered giving up.. 'I'm too thick for this caper!' But when I obtained the DVD I changed my mind. 'Young' David Wills (you have indicated that the 532 was a long time ago) was so affable and succinct that I changed my mind at once. 'Come on in! This is easy! This is fun!' he said without saying it. My gain; Your loss!! Thanks again!

[64Guitars]

Hi boldward. I'm glad you found the proaudiodvds tutorial video for the BR-532 helpful. David Wills really does a great job of explaining how to use the BR in a friendly, non-intimidating way in all of his videos. I recommend them to any BR user who's having trouble understanding the manual. They're available for every BR model except the BR-864 and BR-800. Although, I suspect that he's probably already working on a video for the BR-800.

http://www.proaudiodvds.com/Multi-Track-Recorders-s/5.htm?Click=2040

They're also available for some Roland VS series recorders, as well as a few recorders from Zoom, Tascam, and Korg. There's even one for the Reason 4.0 software DAW, and he'll soon be releasing video tutorials on Propellerhead Record, Pro-Tools, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, and Cubase.

I think Roland's owner's manuals are actually quite good compared to those from other manufacturers. They're fairly complete and accurate. But beginners find them difficult to understand because they contain a lot of unfamiliar concepts. And, while the manual does a good job of explaining how to do something, it often fails to adequately explain why you'd want to do it. That's why David's video tutorials are so beneficial to beginners. He makes it easy to understand the basic concepts by guiding you through an example of making an actual multitrack recording.

Now that you've learned the basics from the proaudiodvds video, I'd recommend reading the BR-532 Owner's Manual again, cover-to-cover. I think you'll discover many things that went over your head the first time you read the manual but are now much clearer, thanks to the basics you learned from David's video.

And, if you have any questions about the BR-532, don't hesitate to post them in the Home Recording/Multitrack Recorders board.