left hand controller for DP

[philbrown]

I'm right handed using a mouse and have taken on a new job doing many hours of tedious editing a week. I've got a nice Logitech mouse with extra buttons, but I really would like to have a left hand controller for the repetitive functions I'm doing. Specifically I'd like the left hand controller set up for single button commands for: left and right scroll, in and out zoom, Command-J (snip) and Undo. That's about it. The logical choice would be an extra numeric keypad on my left side and Quickeys (would I need that?) but if the numeric keypad couldn't be divorced from the normal one, IOW if it will only do the normal DP commands- then that won't work. I need independent control. Any suggestions?

PS I know there are workarounds but I have never wanted a key combo for "Set to selection bounds" as much as I do now! C'mon MOTU!

[stoecklem]

I have a logitech gaming keyboard at work I use for 3-D/graphics apps and it's very nice. I will definitely be getting one for home for music software,etc as well soon. It's completely customizable with their software. You can have different keysets for different software and it will switch automatically. They make a smaller version as well that could work for you.

http://gaming.logitech.com/en-us/produc ... -gameboard

[philbrown]

Thanks stoecklem! That's pretty slick and even looks ergonomic which is not a bad thing in this case!

[bayswater]

I have a lot of room on my desk so I have a regular Apple wireless keyboard in the middle, and a full Apple keyboard to the left. (A touch pad and mouse to the right). I only use the numeric keypad and arrow keys on the full keyboard most of the time, but sometimes use other keys when I have (as you suggest) a series of repetitive key presses that have to be done between mouse clicks. If I didn't have the room on the desk, I'd get the wireless numeric keypad, but this arrangement seems very flexible to me as it is. I also have a Wacom, upper left, if there is a lot of ramp drawing to do.

[bolla]

Have a look at the Contour shuttle 2.

You get 15 assignable buttons and a jog/shuttle wheel that you can also assign.
It sits nicely to the left of my keyboard. It helps the ergonomic balance.

I have three of the keys assigned to zoom levels 1,2,3 and then the jog and shuttle wheels to vertical and horizontal zoom for when I need to really get down to detail.
Other keys are assigned to quantise, duration, velocity, transpose, go to next soundbite and set memory from selection.

A bonus is that you can use it for many other programs.
Cheers, AB

[philbrown]

Thanks all! @bolla I'm kind of chuckling about the Contour controller as I had an early version of that same thing many years ago. Probably plugged into an ADB port or something. I don't know what happened to it. I have very little desk room so that might be my first choice actually.

[bolla]

Thanks all! @bolla I'm kind of chuckling about the Contour controller as I had an early version of that same thing many years ago. Probably plugged into an ADB port or something. I don't know what happened to it. I have very little desk room so that might be my first choice actually.

Well I got my contour because I really wanted to have two mice.
One for the left hand and one for the right.
Most of us have pretty good independent control of our limbs after years of practice. Computer interface design seems to want us to be either left or right handed.
Initially I was using the Contour to mimic scrubbing on a VHS or Betacam.
So last year.....
Cheers, Adrian.

[ramadev]

I have both of Contour's controllers, the ShuttlePRO v2 ("street price" around $80)

http://retail.contourdesign.com/?/products/23

and the ShuttleXpress (street around $40)

http://retail.contourdesign.com/?/products/22

The both work well (when I remember to use them).

[philbrown]

Thanks a bunch ramadev for the links. Decisions, decisions...

[philbrown]

I got the Contour Shuttle Pro V2. It's nice! I really like the feel of it. I haven't quite decided how to configure all the buttons and wheels yet but they do provide a profile for DP which is nice as a start (it didn't look like they had a DP profile when I looked at their site). When I get it configured for my needs and train my left hand/brain this will definitely shave off some time of this tedious editing work I'm doing.

If anyone wants to chime in with tips about configuring it for DP I'm open for suggestions, especially the shuttle and jog wheels. They're not quite happening for my needs yet with the stock DP profile. I've barely messed with the software but it looks good so far.

[Shooshie]

I've said it over and over, but I'll say it once more: if you would give the Apple Magic Trackpad a chance, setting it up with JiTouch for custom gestures per application, I think you'd simply be amazed. Needless to say, with no physical features on it except for a flat surface, it's handedness is agnostic. There are some methods to making it really work fast and well, without any wrist strain. I made a post around here somewhere just a week ago or less that listed those. I'll find the link if you're interested.

When I see trackballs with all their buttons, wheels, and rings, I feel like I'm looking at ancient technology. Cave stuff. I could never go back to those things. Never! It just takes a month of commitment to get over the hump, most of which occurs in the first few days. You learn to rock your finger rather than drag it for detail work. And with endless gestures possible for each app, your hands learn a sort of sign language that your computer instantly responds to. A wrist rest keeps your hand elevated so that you don't have to hold it up or bend it back to do gestures. And for goodness sake! We're musicians! We already can do things with our hands that the average mortal can't understand. This is just another.

Shooshie

[philbrown]

I generally dislike trackpads. I don't jive with them at all and never have. That's my least favorite thing about my laptop.

[Shooshie]

I generally dislike trackpads. I don't jive with them at all and never have. That's my least favorite thing about my laptop.

I predict someday you will change your opinion about that. I would never have used a laptop trackpad to run DP. When I carried my laptop, I always carried along a Kensington wireless TurboMouse Pro trackball. I mean… how could you work on that little pad? A Magic Trackpad is NOT a laptop trackpad. And don't expect the Magic Mouse to be like a Magic Trackpad, either. (a common mistake is to think it'll be the best of both worlds. It's not.)

I had low expectations for the Magic Trackpad based on my laptop experience, and put off buying one for a while. Then when my Kensington kept going out, and I found myself buying old ones to cannibalize for parts (they no longer made my favorite trackball), one day I just bought the Magic Trackpad on a whim, because I saw a video of it responding to gestures. I tried it, and it was a little awkward at first. In a few days I was mastering the moves, but it felt limited. Then I learned about JiTouch.

Well, let's just say that I had an epiphany. The truth has set me free!

Shooshie

PS: I'd wager that I have more custom commands on that trackpad than you do on any of your input devices, and I easily remember them. It's like a language your hand speaks.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I generally dislike trackpads. I don't jive with them at all and never have. That's my least favorite thing about my laptop.

I predict someday you will change your opinion about that.

I have to disagree, Shoosh. Some people like holding a sax while others prefer leaning on a bass and still others prefer banging with sticks or just sitting there moving their fingers.

There's a MTPad sitting next to me for years. I've tried and tried it and still prefer my MX Revolution mouse, hands down (pun intended). Maybe I just like keeping my wrist in motion. That would make sense. Wind players don't move their wrists or hands quite as far as pianists or drummers so (I play piano & drums, Shoosh plays winds).

[Dan Worley]

To each their own, but I think Magic Trackpads are wonderful!!! I would hate to be without mine. What's surprising to me is how easy they are to use with the non-dominant hand. I'm a total klutz with my left hand, but for some reason I can use the Magic Trackpad just fine with it.

What I'd like to see in the future is for the touch technology to advance to the point where we could do combined gestures on two trackpads, so just adding one finger on the second trackpad gives us twice as many gestures and opens up many more comfortable possibilities of gestures. Maybe they already have that and I don't know about it. I'm usually five to ten years behind.