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Using a MIDI-controller and a graphic tablet with a pen together in Adobe Lightroom.

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gushome53

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latest version
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  1. Windows 10
First I will give you an introduction about these two devices (Midi-controller and a graphic tablet with a pen) in Adobe Lightroom and then I will ask you some questions.

Introduction
To start with, why should you use these two devices together in Adobe Lightroom? The most important answer to this question is to reduce RSI. What is RSI? A repetitive strain injury (RSI), sometimes referred to as repetitive stress injury, is a gradual build-up of damage to muscles, tendons, and nerves from repetitive motions. RSIs are common and may be caused by many different types of activities, like using a computer mouse and typing. A second reason to use these devices together in Adobe Lightroom is to enhance your image processing workflow. In other words, if you use these two devices together in Adobe Lightroom, you will be less using a computer mouse and typing, improve your performance and reducing in getting RSI.
If you do Internet-search, you will notice that these devices are discussed separately, but not discussed in working together in Adobe Lightroom. What advantage do these two devices have if you use them together in Adobe Lightroom. To start with, the graphic tablet with a pen, you can use the pen as a brush and with the MIDI-controller you can use it to change parameters like exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and so on for more than 90% of your work. These parameters are controlled using sliders that you have to drag with your mouse — sliders that emulate physical controls.
But here is the problem in using these two devices together in Adobe Lightroom: both have a lot of knobs, buttons and sliders (depends on which models you use in Adobe Lightroom). In other words, you have to make choices in which knob, button and slider is assign in Adobe Lightroom. Questions like: do I use all of the knobs, buttons and sliders of the two devices or do I make a small choice (example: pen for brushes and knobs for changing parameters like exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and so on in Adobe Lightroom).

My Questions are:
  • Has anyone use these two devices together in Adobe Lightroom?
  • If you use these two devices together in Adobe Lightroom or after reading the introduction want to use both devices in Adobe Lightroom, which layout (assigning knobs, buttons and sliders in Adobe Lightroom) would you choose?
 
I find your reasons on not using various Lightroom devices, not very convincing; there are a lot of different types of devices you can use with Lightroom with more capabilities and you can use templates (layouts) placed on a device (see example) to remember which are which. Further, you gave no comment on de reasons (reduce RSI, performance) to use these devices in Lightroom.
Note: instead of using Wacom tablet and Contour Shuttle, you could also use a Wacom tablet with a wireless Wacom ExpressKey Remote (see example).
 

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With respect to RSI i bought a vertical mouse and newly a ShuttlePro V2. My complain is, that the Jog/Dial is not working as described. I have to click on the text left of a slider in the Basic panel to move the slider. When i put only the mouse pointer over the slider, it is selected and by rotating the Jog/Dial highlights/selects one slider after the other. Stopping and reversing the rotation moves the last selected slider.
I have Win 10 and Lightroom 10.3. Is anybody so kind to export their working configuration and publish it in this forum?
 
I find your reasons on not using various Lightroom devices, not very convincing
I'm not here to convince you Gus, your question was whether anyone had tried both together. I said yes, but it wasn't a good solution for me. There are lots of different devices, and different people will find different benefits.
you can use templates (layouts) placed on a device (see example) to remember which are which.
Yes, however that then requires constantly looking down, which breaks editing rhythm.
Further, you gave no comment on de reasons (reduce RSI, performance) to use these devices in Lightroom.
My initial search for gadgets was indeed driven by RSI and performance. At the time, I was editing raw images for wedding photographers, so I was individually editing thousands of photos every week. I tried lots of different combinations of devices, and the Wacom/Shuttle combination came up best for my workflow. Because it uses built-in shortcuts, it doesn't break every time there's a Lightroom update, and because it's a single pair of dials, I never had to take my eyes off the screen.
 
I have Win 10 and Lightroom 10.3. Is anybody so kind to export their working configuration and publish it in this forum?

The settings that come with the Shuttle aren't great. I delete them then use these settings: Contour ShuttlePro Settings | The Lightroom Queen

I'm on Mac so my settings file won't help you, but if you add the settings listed in the screenshots, you should get the result you're looking for.
 
Thanks Victoria, my problem is using the Jog/dial. I have to click on the Text left of a slider instead of only putting the mousepointer on the slider. This happens equal with the original and your setting for the Jog/Dial.
Any advice is welcome
 
That sounds like the original settings are overriding. Float over the slider and use the up/down keys on the keyboard. If that works, then the Shuttle is sending +/- instead of up/down
 
Victoria you are right. Keybord up and down works. Perhaps the problems stems from the fact that i have a german keyboard and there is a difference in the codes a german and an english keyboard generates and the code fed from the ShuttlePro in the keyboard driver is the same code equal as the english keyboard generates. Have anyone an idea?
Are there code tables for german and english keybords?
I asked Contour but i did not get an answer up to date.
 
I'm not here to convince you Gus, your question was whether anyone had tried both together. I said yes, but it wasn't a good solution for me. There are lots of different devices, and different people will find different benefits.

Yes, however that then requires constantly looking down, which breaks editing rhythm.

My initial search for gadgets was indeed driven by RSI and performance. At the time, I was editing raw images for wedding photographers, so I was individually editing thousands of photos every week. I tried lots of different combinations of devices, and the Wacom/Shuttle combination came up best for my workflow. Because it uses built-in shortcuts, it doesn't break every time there's a Lightroom update, and because it's a single pair of dials, I never had to take my eyes off the screen.
Victoria, you wrote "Yes, however that then requires constantly looking down, which breaks editing rhythm", is nonsense. It depends on your "visual field" (able to see out of the corners of your eyes) and your "visual memory" (able to remember the assign button/knob in Lightroom). Compare it with driving a car. When your drive a car and change gears, you don't look at the gear stick and change gears; no, you look in front of you and change gear - it goes automatic. The same goes with using a device in Lightroom; the more experience you have with the device in Lightroom and your ability to see out of the corners of your eyes and the quality of your visual memory, you don't always have to look down to use the device. Further, I would advies all viewers of this forum to think about using a tablet with a pen in Lightroom or in Photoshop. Why? To reduce RSI and to improve performance.
 
Why don't you share your experience of how you use them together Gus, and what you've found that works and doesn't work well. Not the theory but your own real-world experience. How long have you been using them? How do you like to have the dials set up?
 
My Questions are:
  • Has anyone use these two devices together in Adobe Lightroom?
  • If you use these two devices together in Adobe Lightroom or after reading the introduction want to use both devices in Adobe Lightroom, which layout (assigning knobs, buttons and sliders in Adobe Lightroom) would you choose?
I generally use a minimal set of functions, but I want to pay for some additional functions
 
I designed my custom layout in accordance to my workflow. It was hard work not only because the documentation of the key shortcuts are outdated but also to determine what you really need. The configuration pref- file can be downloaded from
Box
Installation and use of the preinstalled configurationof the Shuttle Pro, even the customization of the latter is straightforeward, if you have the right documentation of the key shortcuts. I bought a Wacom years ago , but did not find the time to exercise the work with the pen. I think the wacom is extreme helpful in painting masks or with dodge and burn.
 

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I designed my custom layout in accordance to my workflow. It was hard work not only because the documentation of the key shortcuts are outdated but also to determine what you really need. The configuration pref- file can be downloaded from
Box
Installation and use of the preinstalled configurationof the Shuttle Pro, even the customization of the latter is straightforeward, if you have the right documentation of the key shortcuts. I bought a Wacom years ago , but did not find the time to exercise the work with the pen. I think the wacom is extreme helpful in painting masks or with dodge employee software and burn.
It's cool!
 
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