Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcuts?

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bayswater
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Re: Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcut

Post by bayswater »

Tripi wrote:FWIW, I think the guide for KeyPad forgot to mention you can copy and paste buttons when you're setting up a screen. It would take forever to do everything over for one button at a time. If you're in edit mode, and you hold down a button for a few seconds, the COPY command comes up and you can select and then press again to paste. Saves a lot of time and energy.
Yes, I did notice the copy paste function, and used that to create a load of generic buttons. Still, to fine tune you still have to do every parameter of every button individually. And if you decide to change a lot of stuff after that, it takes forever, hence the need for a clear fixed plan. A simple table of buttons and their parameter values on a single edit screen would make sense.
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Shooshie
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Re: Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcut

Post by Shooshie »

This isn't exactly what was asked, or what is being discussed, but it's relevant in that it's an auxiliary keyboard, and it's being used for shortcuts as well as for continuous controllers.

UMA25S by Behringer
Image

This is by Behringer, and it costs about $150. Sweetwater has it for $99 on sale right now.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UMA25S

So what's the point? Why put this out there when you've got all those fantastic devices available? Because this is an interesting controller. Let me list at least some of what I can remember about it.
  • • 11 continuous MIDI Controllers, programmable in sets which can be recalled with a few button presses.
    • 8 transport buttons
    • 25 keys which can be programmed as commands or controllers in DP if desired.
    • Jacks for expression pedal and switch pedal
    • Can be used for note, pitch, and mod-wheel input.
    • Easy programming with labeling over the keys to help you remember to get it right.
    • Wear it on a guitar strap if you wish, to keep it convenient but out of the way when you don't want it out front.
    • Very small footprint if you prefer to put it on top of something else.
    • USB or MIDI. Apple's Audio MIDI Setup recognizes it instantly.
    • DC adapter or 3 AA batteries, your choice.
    • Mic and Headset jacks (mini) which could be used for talkback or something, I suppose. (never used those) It comes with a headset with built-in mic.
I'm not saying it's for everyone, but those who might find it useful will immediately recognize who they are. I keep mine hanging on a hook beside my chair, via its shoulder strap. (I'm using an old guitar strap; I don't remember if they provide anything, but it's got standard guitar strap knobs)

Those continuous controller knobs can be operated easily by dragging the sides of your fingers along the sides of the buttons, as the device hangs at your side from a strap. They are contoured for that purpose. This makes it easy to record sensitive and expressive continuous data, and you can do so with at least 4 controllers simultaneously. Very interesting, efficient design.

Go ahead and get the higher-tech solutions, but don't forget that there are still some VERY nicely designed old-school solutions, too.

Shooshie
|l| OS X 10.12.6 |l| DP 10.0 |l| 2.4 GHz 12-Core MacPro Mid-2012 |l| 40GB RAM |l| Mach5.3 |l| Waves 9.x |l| Altiverb |l| Ivory 2 New York Steinway |l| Wallander WIVI 2.30 Winds, Brass, Saxes |l| Garritan Aria |l| VSL 5.3.1 and VSL Pro 2.3.1 |l| Yamaha WX-5 MIDI Wind Controller |l| Roland FC-300 |l|
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bayswater
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Re: Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcut

Post by bayswater »

Putting together a template for custom Keypad, I see a few things that go beyond a replacement for a keypad. There is mouse control, touch pads, joy sticks etc. I've used a joystick pattern for zoom and touchpads to create and move locators. You can put a series of commands on a single tap, and end up with macros. It looks like if you use a channel strip window you can set up a touch pad to move a single fader but I don't see a way to control multiple fader Ina mixer. With all these techniques, you can put a lot of commands on a iPad and do most of the things that the tranzport and similar devices do.
2018 Mini i7 32G 10.14.6, DP 11.3, Mixbus 9, Logic 10.5, Scarlett 18i8
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bayswater
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Re: Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcut

Post by bayswater »

Custom Keypad has worked out well. I have a screen that I can use for tracking. It controls the transport, markers, cursor positions, creates and set locators, zoom, screen scrolls, and selects tracks and takes and creates takes for recording. I added a few basic commands like Save, and Esc to deal with unexpected dialogs, a few useful screensets, and a command that will Undo a recording and start the next one in a single step without inadvertently undoing any prior edits.

With a few simple edits I expect to be able to make a Logic and DSP-Q template.

The downside of this is the connection. You have to be logged out when you establish the VNC connection, and if the connection drops you have to log out again, making it necessary to disable autolock on your iDevice. I did manage to get it working with the build in OS X VNC, so another VNC server is not required.

And, as noted, the developer is very quick and very helpful when problems come up.

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Tripi
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Re: Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcut

Post by Tripi »

There is an option for disabling sleep mode while using KeyPad. It's on the first set up screen, which is a little clunky to get to. I use the VNC program the developer recommended so I would not have to log in and out. It's very stable and makes connecting the iPad easy. Great looking template btw.
12-Core Mac Pro, OS: Sierra w/ DP9 - always the latest version. Love of film music.
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bayswater
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Re: Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcut

Post by bayswater »

Tripi wrote:There is an option for disabling sleep mode while using KeyPad. It's on the first set up screen, which is a little clunky to get to. I use the VNC program the developer recommended so I would not have to log in and out. It's very stable and makes connecting the iPad easy. Great looking template btw.
Yes, it's not easy to remember where to find the various screens in Keypad. I turned autolock off on the iPad. I always found it annoying anyway, and closing the cover will do the same thing, when I want it rather than after a fixed interval.

Are you saying using RealVNC removes the need to log out to connect? I tried RealVNC but couldn't get it to connect, so I assumed it also requires logging out. Keypad reports its is connected but RealVNC reports no connections, which is what happens with OS X VNC if you don't log out. Also, when RealVNC is active, with or without a connection, my mouse & trackpad change so nothing works except a right click. I have to go into preferences, turn everything off and on again.
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Tripi
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Re: Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcut

Post by Tripi »

Yes, Real VNC lets you connect anytime without logging in/out. Just follow the instructions on the KeyPad website. One small issue though: it won't recognize a key command using the SHIFT keys. Shift+CMD+a goes through as CMD+A (capital A). It's a function of the VNC.
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bayswater
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Re: Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcut

Post by bayswater »

Tripi wrote:Yes, Real VNC lets you connect anytime without logging in/out. Just follow the instructions on the KeyPad website. One small issue though: it won't recognize a key command using the SHIFT keys. Shift+CMD+a goes through as CMD+A (capital A). It's a function of the VNC.
Just to be sure I understand, if I have a key command in DP that uses Shift, I'd have to change it to one that doesn't use Shift for it to work using Keypad over RealVNC? I think that would be a non starter for me.
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Tripi
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Re: Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcut

Post by Tripi »

Well, yes. Of course you can still manually do the key command on your keyboard. I had some with SHIFT, so I made an alternate that does the same thing without SHIFT in it. DP lets you assign two key commands for every shortcut.
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bayswater
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Re: Anyone using auxiliary keyboard controllers for shortcut

Post by bayswater »

Tripi wrote:Well, yes. Of course you can still manually do the key command on your keyboard. I had some with SHIFT, so I made an alternate that does the same thing without SHIFT in it. DP lets you assign two key commands for every shortcut.
OK thanks.
2018 Mini i7 32G 10.14.6, DP 11.3, Mixbus 9, Logic 10.5, Scarlett 18i8
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