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Shooshie wrote:

• • • Space Pilot Pro

In the demo, the knob moves along several axes to provide 3-D rotation, zoom, and camera angles. I don't know if those things would translate to some sort of soundbite/MIDI editing or selection techniques or not. It gives me ideas, though, for the perfect DAW tool. That might require cooperation with MOTU, though.

Well, it's all interesting stuff.

Shoosh

I've thought of getting one of these - more for my 3d animation work than DP. But like you, I think it's a bit too expensive to get without being able to test it first. Unfortunately, none of the local suppliers around me have one for me to try. You buy one and I will stop by your place and check it out.

Thanks Shooshie for all your ideas! I'm going to look into the 2 speed mouse idea and also a taller wrist rest on my mouse pad, although I do have one with a gel wrist rest I use. The trackpad I just can't adjust to. I'm just not a multi-gesture kind of guy. The trackball that looks like a mouse posted earlier- I'd like to give one of those a spin sometime

BKK-OZ wrote: Years ago a friend/colleague of mine almost lost his career and ability to work through a similar situation. He had worked endless hours to meet a deadline for some GIS (mapping) work he was involved in. He ended up becoming an expert in the Alexander Technique after going through a lot of different therapies and rehab. I think he is now a AT therapist.

One of the simplest but most important things he did was to get two mice (mouses?). He said it took him a week or so to adjust, but by splitting his work, mousing 1/2 the day with one hand, the other 1/2 with the other, he found he was able to work again for extended periods.

I had a similar, much less severe problem. I adopted the trackball mouse and an ergonomic (MS) keyboard and I find that works for me. Stretching every hour, getting up and walking around are good ideas too.

Those are great ideas BKK-OZ. I was looking yesterday to see if the Performance MX mouse was made in left hand for that very reason: nope. Lefties have it rough. I'm a total klutz with my left hand but surely could train myself. I use one of my thumb buttons as a Snip and use that hundreds of times today, so since my mouse isn't made lefty, that kind of complicates that idea (I'd have to switch to something else and buy both versions).

As far as changing positions, stretching, etc that definitely helps. Also just acquired a padded tray thing you can set on a your lap. It's kind of big for a mouse pad but I can rest my hand more in my lap, at least once in a while and go back and forth just to change up elbow and shoulder angles, etc. I'm also going to adjust my chair up and down a bit during an editing session. Basically anything to change things up a bit instead of locking the joints in one position.

Thanks all!

Has anyone tried the Dell Touch Screen with DP? I've seen a youtube of it with Cubase 7. The idea of mixing and QuickScribing without "mousing around" is interesting indeed.

PMortise wrote:Has anyone tried the Dell Touch Screen with DP? I've seen a youtube of it with Cubase 7. The idea of mixing and QuickScribing without "mousing around" is interesting indeed.

Haven't tried it, but I've tried some DAWs on the iPad, and from using them I can tell you that some parts of DP would have to be redesigned for touch-screen control, and that redesign would create a coarser interface, necessitating a reduction in effective editing screen real-estate.

For example, most functions of DP's mixing board would be fine without a redesign. They fit the fingers pretty well. But selecting and editing strings of continuous MIDI controllers? Not gonna happen as things are. I don't want to see those controllers icons increase in size. That would be a disaster for editing in the way we are accustomed to, so this whole touch-screen idea is going to either require a separate set of edit windows, a new DAW, giving up the DAW we love, or forgetting about the whole idea. I favor a new set of edit windows for those who want to use touch screens, or else forgetting about it. I'm not too fond of the idea of giving up the edit windows we have.

Maybe a next-generation touch-screen might allow selecting the tiniest of objects out of a pile of such objects. THEN we might see it work without changing DP.

[edit] I just reconsidered the previous paragraph. When editing text on the iPad or iPhone, Apple places the text you are selecting in a pop-up bubble to facilitate the finger actually covering the very thing it's trying to select. It's not a matter of resolution, so much as the fact that your selection tool (finger) is between your eye and the display. You literally cannot see what you're selecting, or how you are moving the tool.

If MOTU wants to make DP touch-screen friendly, they'll have to add such a pop-up selection bubble for the touch screens. It's as simple (and as complicated) as that. [/edit]

Shooshie

As always, thanks for your insights Shooshie.

I was just scribbling in notes in QuckScribe and thought about that cool app "NotateMe" and said to myself how great it would be if there was something like that for a desktop. I would imagine something similar exists as a stand alone item.

I'm vacillating between two Logitech mice: the Performance MX (praised in this thread) and the MX Master. The only reason I might go with the Master is the side-scrolling thumb wheel, which would be a great feature IF it worked at scrolling DP editing windows side-to-side.

Does anyone know if it does? I think I'd rather have the side-scrolling than extra buttons.

EDIT: Never mind. I see the Performance MX does side scrolling, but in a less elegant or controllable way (by tilting the scroll wheel). So maybe having some extra programmable buttons would be alright...

So I ordered the Performance MX. I've already had one in my hand and know it feels good (my primary reason for doing this is to correct the wrist trouble I'm beginning to experience using my Apple Mighty Mouse). 30 bucks off and free overnight shipping from Staples.

FWIW, the MX isn't working that great for me. I'd really like something that I can program a single button to do option- control-, command-clicks. I find it very awkward to try to press some of the buttons at the same time as the click button...

..but maybe if I spent a little more time customizing I could improve it...

SMS wrote:FWIW, the MX isn't working that great for me. I'd really like something that I can program a single button to do option- control-, command-clicks. I find it very awkward to try to press some of the buttons at the same time as the click button...

..but maybe if I spent a little more time customizing I could improve it...

You can do multiple modifiers with the MX- I just checked mine.
What is it not doing that you want to do, and what have you tried?

I'd like a single button to do (for example) Control-click.


,,, wait- I just discovered the 'advanced click' options- will test and get back- that should help

Gravity Jim wrote:I'm vacillating between two Logitech mice: the Performance MX (praised in this thread) and the MX Master. The only reason I might go with the Master is the side-scrolling thumb wheel, which would be a great feature IF it worked at scrolling DP editing windows side-to-side.

Does anyone know if it does? I think I'd rather have the side-scrolling than extra buttons.

EDIT: Never mind. I see the Performance MX does side scrolling, but in a less elegant or controllable way (by tilting the scroll wheel). So maybe having some extra programmable buttons would be alright...

So I ordered the Performance MX. I've already had one in my hand and know it feels good (my primary reason for doing this is to correct the wrist trouble I'm beginning to experience using my Apple Mighty Mouse). 30 bucks off and free overnight shipping from Staples.

Wishing you luck with the Performance MX. I had one a couple of years ago and wore out the left and right click switches in less than 6 months. Was a pretty good mouse as long as I kept it in range (12 inches or less) of it's receiver and remembered to put it in it's charging cradle when done.

Well, it certainly gets a lot of praise here and elsewhere. My Mighty Mouse has lasted for many, many years... and it certainly doesn't seem to be fantastically well-made.

They must have upgraded the Performance MX since you had it, Jack. Mine doesn't have a charge cradle. I has a USB cable, but the battery seems to last forever. I've had it for quite a while, and I've only charged it once. (It came charged; so I've REcharged it once.) That's been at least 6 months.

It also reaches quite a distance; I just tested it from 20 feet away, and it worked like it was plugged in!

Shooshie

Shooshie wrote:They must have upgraded the Performance MX since you had it, Jack. Mine doesn't have a charge cradle. I has a USB cable, but the battery seems to last forever. I've had it for quite a while, and I've only charged it once. (It came charged; so I've REcharged it once.) That's been at least 6 months.

It also reaches quite a distance; I just tested it from 20 feet away, and it worked like it was plugged in!

Shooshie

My apologies; I had the immediate predecessor to the Performance MX which was the Revolution MX so the Performance would be an upgrade then with a different name. Apparently Logitech took care of the issue with the left/right click buttons and the charging which is good. And they ditched the thumb scroll wheel as well (no big loss).

Well, that's a good report! Mine will be here shortly, and I'm really looking forward. I have always admired and enjoyed the design of the Mighty Mouse, especially the multidirectional scroll button... but using such a small device is really starting to screw up my right wrist, and I've never found the "squeeze" control to worth a rat's.

I'm interested to hear how well it works. Mine is fine with evrrything else but with DP I can't find settings that work. Way too erratic. The slightest finger motion on the surface and the DP screen goes berserk.