Lightroom keyboards and other gadgets

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Victoria Bampton

Victoria Bampton

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I'm writing a series of blog posts on some of the Lightroom 'gadgets' that are available.

They include things like custom keyboards (Motibodo, RPG Keys, VSCO Keys, Palette), midi controllers (PFixer, Knobroom, Midi2LR), other programmable gadgets (Contour Shuttle Pro, AutoHotKey, Paddy) and iPad apps used to control sliders in Lightroom (Ctrl+Console, Padroom).

I'm still a big Shuttle Pro fan, but I'd love to get your feedback... have you tried any of these gadgets? If so, what did you think? Your pros and cons? Are they worth the money?
 
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I maintain MIDI2LR, the app mentioned earlier. It maps any MIDI controller to Lightroom actions and works for Mac/Windows. I use a BCF2000, which seems to be pretty popular for this use. The project page is MIDI2LR by rsjaffe , and it's free/donationware. Still under active development.
 
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Rory Jaffe said:
I maintain MIDI2LR, the app mentioned earlier. It maps any MIDI controller to Lightroom actions and works for Mac/Windows. I use a BCF2000, which seems to be pretty popular for this use. The project page is MIDI2LR by rsjaffe , and it's free/donationware. Still under active development.
Click to expand...

MIDI2LR sounds like a very nice option, does it also support the Korg NanoKontrol 2? It's a cheap controller to start with
 
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Not exactly a gadget but a useful (free!) tool for windows users who would like to create their own keyboard shortcuts for any tasks is AutoHotKey - a powerful utility for automating actions in Windows. I believe there is a similar feature for Macs. You need a little bit of techie understanding to drive it but simple actions are easy to automate and there are many powerful features to automate more advanced actions if you want to explore them (e.g. automating mouse movements is pretty straightforward). I used it to set up 'one shot' shortcuts to some of the plugins.

The main difficulty is identifying a shortcut key combination that LR hasn't already used!
 
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Thanks for sharing that Rory, and welcome to the forum!
 
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I would just like to add some more options. As a software developer, I just finished another plug-in that lets you use a midi-controller with Lightroom. I have named it LrControl and I chose some controllers that I really like to start off with. I am planning to add support for more.
The plug-in is for both Windows and Mac. And you can find it on my peltmade.com website.
peltmade
 
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Thanks for sharing Boudewijn.
 
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Boudewijn Pelt said:
I would just like to add some more options. As a software developer, I just finished another plug-in that lets you use a midi-controller with Lightroom. I have named it LrControl and I chose some controllers that I really like to start off with. I am planning to add support for more.
The plug-in is for both Windows and Mac. And you can find it on my peltmade.com website.
peltmade
Click to expand...
version 1.1 of LrControl is now available. It now supports two additional controllers from Behringer.
The supported controllers are now: Korg nanoKONTROL 2, AKAI MidiMix, Behringer X-TOUCH MINI, Behringer BCF2000 and the iCON iControls Pro.
 
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Great thread- I've been wondering about a midi controller to try to speed things up. As usual there's a price vs performance questions there - just how many knobs do you need, or do you need more buttons? The midi fighter controllable LED's as a reminder which function you've programmed each knob for is also a interesting feature. I like the look of the Akai MIDI MIX as well - anyone used that one?

I'd like to see if there's any way of using these in Premiere/audition as well....

For keyboard shortcuts on my Mac I use keyboard maestro - it's taking my key-wording workflow in photomechanic down to three keystrokes - assuming that my Code replacements are set up correctly. I must admit I've not used it in Lightroom - there are shortcuts for most things, and as someone said earlier you're in danger of overwriting existing shortcuts.

Best gadget for me would be dockable windows - but that's another thread......
 
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Roelof Moorlag said:
Today i discoverd this device, 'BrushKnob'. It's aimed at speeding up workflow in Photoshop but because it uses standard keyboard signals it must be usable in Lightroom also.
Click to expand...

Google for the Griffin Powermate for a slightly cooler looking version of the same idea.
 
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I was a big fan of Paddy for Lightroom. I bought a little wireless 18 key keypad that was programmable. Brilliant because you can use it without taking your eyes off the screen. Physical keys rather than touch screen on an eyepad much better. it is also very small and becuase you could program the key to move up in increments set how you wish you just tapped the keys several times. Repeatable changes. Unlike dials which I would have thought are far more fiddly and need to take eyes off screen.
I'd dearly like Paddy to get going again as it's been dumped by the developer a couple of years ago due to family ties.
IS there a product for PC owners out there that uses a small keypad?
 
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Not for mini keyboards now quantum, since RPGKeys died. On Windows, Motibodo's as close as you'll get, if you prefer key presses.

I heard the other day that RPG Keys is being taken over, so there may be some hope of its resurrection.
 
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Victoria Bampton said:
Not for mini keyboards now quantum, since RPGKeys died. On Windows, Motibodo's as close as you'll get, if you prefer key presses.

I heard the other day that RPG Keys is being taken over, so there may be some hope of its resurrection.
Click to expand...
I actually used the RPG keypad with Paddy successfully for a couple of years till the developer stopped updating it. Now it's totally useless. RPG became very unreasonable withtheir update policy with so many releases of LR.
With the shuttle pro you find it quicker to make adjustments? I understand you hover over the settings and turn the knob? Does it go up and down increments?
I'm on LR5.7 and happy not to go to CC. Don't know if that makes a difference?
 
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Yes, I really like the Shuttle, and having tested a load of gadgets for my blog post series, I still keep coming back to the shuttle. You hover over the slider with the mouse/pen and turn the inside knob left or right for small adjustments, or the outside one for larger adjustments. Works great!
 
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I do find keypads god. I also used the logitech G13 with Paddy. Has anyone managed to get the G13 working without Paddy. If so how do you map it? Are you willing to share?
 
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Victoria I find if I hover over a slider it works, but then hover over another and although it lightens the word it won;t actually move to that slider.
I am on PC maybe that's different on MAC? I actually have to click on the slider.
I do find keypads good. I also used the logitech G13 with Paddy. Has anyone managed to get the G13 working without Paddy. If so how do you map it? Are you willing to share?
 
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quantum said:
Victoria I find if I hover over a slider it works, but then hover over another and although it lightens the word it won;t actually move to that slider.
Click to expand...

What won't actually move to that slider? If you're pressing the up/down keys on the keyboard (or turning a dial set to send the same commands) while you're hovering over a slider, that slider should move.
 
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Well, if I hover over a slider then the word "highlight/ exposure" etc turns lighter indicating that you'd think the shortcuts like the -/ = keys word actually control them. It doesn't, until you actually click onto them. I'm presuming the same will happen with the wacom and the shuttle, i.e. you'd have actually click with the wacom.
 
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Correct, the -/= keys won't work just by hovering - but the up/down keys (and Shift/up/down) do.
 
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Victoria Bampton said:
Correct, the -/= keys won't work just by hovering - but the up/down keys (and Shift/up/down) do.
Click to expand...

Is there a way to hover and get smaller increments? E.g. with Contrast slider up and down keys give +/- 5 increments whilst shift + up/down gives +/- 20 increments. Is it possible to get +/- 1 increments?
 
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Try the Alt key Ad. Opt works on Mac, but I have a feeling Alt didn't work on Windows.

Alternatively, click in the text field at the end of the slider, use the up/down keys, then hit Enter.
 
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Thanks Victoria

I just checked and can confirm the Alt Key does work on Windows.

(been away a few days hence the delay in replying).
 
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