DAW keystroke short cuts and/or Macros

[Keyplayer]

I remember reading an article by Mr. Anderton about using Macros effectively to help in production work. I can't find the article now, but I was wondering if It's possible to just write pseudo macro functions via the key shortcuts? I'm using Nuendo. I would like to write a track arming macro for scenarios that I typically repeat a lot. For example: If I wanted to arm tracks 1-8 to record a drum kit. Is it possible to write a shortcut that would do that from one key stroke?

[Anoplura]

I use one of [url=http://www.piengineering.com/product/pxkpro.htm]these[/url] with Nuendo. You can progam each key to be a (simultaneous) key combo or a sequence of keystrokes (macro). I absolutely love it. I'm not aware of any way to do macros within Nuendo itself.

[Keyplayer]

That's interesting. I was talking to some other engineers who made the exact same recommendation you did, but none of them were owners of that keypad. Could you give me a couple of examples of how you're using it with your Nuendo rigg? How do you program it to do the track arming or soloing functions? How many tracks can you control with the device? The keypad I saw only had 46 keys (2 short of a typical tracking configuration). But I guess I could program it for 2 banks of 32 tracks, right. Could you tell me more about working with it? Thanks in advance.

[Anoplura]

The version I use is the X-Keys Pro, which has 58 keys. My motivation for getting it was to replace the QWERTY keyboard completely. I wanted transport controls that felt more like an auto locator for a tape deck (they do), and I really hate 2 and 3 button key combos. This is how I primarily use it. I think I only have a couple of macros (sequential keystokes) programmed in, for adding new audio and MIDI tracks, and for deleting tracks. I've been programming the X-keys very slowly and deliberately. I want to make sure the layout is logical and ergonomic and actually increases my productivity. To this end, I still have 22 keys unprogrammed. What I have programmed so far are the transport keys, loop markers, Zoom In and Out (vert and horz), Cut, Copy, Paste and Duplicate, the various tools, and the various panels (mixer, plug-ins, etc.). I don't use the keypad for arming tracks, soloing, calling up plug-ins or EQ, etc. I may decide to add these in the future. I'm doing a lot mixing right now and not a lot of recording, so this probably reflects that. Other notes about the X-Keys: The key tops are clear and hold labels, which in my case are all color coded. Programming it is very easy. You simply flip the programming switch, tap the key you want to program, and type on the QWERTY keyboard. It stores the data in flash memory, so you can use it on someone else's computer without reprogramming. Another cool feature is that the keypad actually has two "layers", or key maps, denoted by red and green LEDs. You can assign one of the programmable buttons to switch layers. This is potentially very useful if you switch between two similar programs - such as Nuendo and ProTools - which use different key commands. I should also note that I use the PS/2 version. USB mice and keyboards are scanned at a much higher rate than PS/2. This makes for very snappy mouse response, but uses up CPU cycles I prefer to devote to audio. Hope this is helpful.

[Keyplayer]

This is [b]very helpful![/b] Thank you. Just a couple of more questions. 1) Are you running a Mac or PC? If it's a Mac, can I get the 58 key model for PC? 2.) How much was it and do I have to order it online? :idea: If I could just buy it locally in a store, I'd rather do it that way. But if not, so be it. 3.) I don't want to replace my QWERTY keyboard. I can use this with the QWERTY, right?

[Anoplura]

I'm running it on a PC. The PS/2 version is PC only. The USB version is cross-platform. I bought mine direct at their website: http://www.piengineering.com. It was $150. The PS/2 and USB versions are the same price. They have a list of dealers at their site. I found it at an online store for 15 bucks cheaper, but I decided to buy it direct anyway. I met the guys who run the company at COMDEX and they were very nice. I talked to them for several minutes, and I would have felt guilty buying somewhere else. :rolleyes: The X-Keys goes in between your QWERTY keyboard and PC. You can use them both simultaneously (as is necessary for programming) or you can unplug your QWERTY keyboard as soon as you are done programming. I leave them both plugged in, with the QWERTY keyboard pushed out of the way. (I still need it for naming tracks and save files.)