Final 12 months, Logitech entered the content material creator market by buying Loupedeck, which gives management interfaces for functions akin to Adobe Lightroom. Now, the corporate has launched its first Logitech-branded management panel, the MX Inventive Console, a $200 system that features a keyboard, dial pad, and plug-ins for fashionable Adobe apps like Premiere Professional.
Logitech is competing towards rivals just like the TourBox Elite controller and even its personal Loupedeck CT, however its new product is cheaper than the latter and extra trendy than the previous. MX Inventive Console incorporates a trendy design with a pair of modern management dials and dynamic show keys that change relying on the app and web page you are viewing.
Logitech
Logitech MX Inventive Console is a thoughtfully crafted console constructed for creators, with clean controls and simple customization.
- good high quality and design
- Clean operation
- Simple customization
- Some apps haven’t got sufficient controls
Amazon $200
I’ve examined many management panels going again to the unique Loupedeck in 2017. After utilizing the MX Inventive Console for greater than per week, I’ve discovered that it is highly effective in some conditions, however too restricted in others.
{hardware}
The console is available in mild grey or darkish graphite and takes up little or no area in your desk (3.8 by 3.1 inches for the keyboard and three.6 by 3.7 inches for the dial). Additionally included is a stand that tilts the keyboard or dial towards you roughly 45 levels. I favor laying it flat on a desk for velocity, however a stand makes it simpler to see the controls. The keyboard has 9 show keys, the contents of which change relying on the web page and utility you’re utilizing. There are two common buttons beneath for altering pages, and there is a USB-C port on the backside.
On the coronary heart of the dial, in the meantime, is a giant “contextual dial,” as its performance modifications primarily based on the chosen motion. Moreover, there’s a scroll wheel within the higher proper nook, two buttons within the higher left nook, and two buttons on the backside of every nook. The lower-right button launches the dial’s “motion ring,” a round show on the display screen that provides you one other solution to alter issues like shade and textual content.
The keys require a light-weight contact and a clean, click-free really feel. The scroll wheel on the dial has good friction and works exactly, permitting you to simply transfer body by body in Premiere Professional or rapidly shuttle by means of the timeline. Nonetheless, it would not have any tactile suggestions just like the TourBox Elite. There’s a Bluetooth pairing change on the underside and an influence change on the again. It connects to your laptop by way of LT Bluetooth or Logitech’s Bolt adapter (additionally used with its mouse and keyboard (not included)).
Logitech says the merchandise are constituted of 72% post-consumer recycled plastic, low-carbon aluminum, micro-textured as an alternative of paint, and are available FSC-certified accountable packaging. Nonetheless, the dial makes use of AAA batteries, both disposable or rechargeable. Based on Logitech, they will final a couple of months, however that is an odd selection for a product designed to be environmentally pleasant.
settings
MX Inventive Console is plug-and-play for Adobe functions, so you should utilize it proper out of the field. It is also customizable, permitting you to regulate in-app settings, create customized profiles, and extra. To set it up, I put in the Logi Choices+ app on my PC (and Mac, I examined each) and related the keyboard by way of USB-C. I put in the dialpad individually by connecting it to my laptop by way of Bluetooth.
As soon as the system is acknowledged, click on All Actions to put in the Adobe plug-in. It additionally straight helps functions akin to VLC media participant, Spotify Premium, Seize One and Ableton. You’ll be able to even use it to regulate plug-in-free apps like your browser’s system quantity, YouTube movies, emojis, screenshots, and extra. I’ve discovered this solely helpful for system quantity (good day, crappy Home windows 11 audio controls).
Altering the default settings is simple. Once you open the customization web page, it shows the gadgets (dial, keypad, and ring) on the left, and all doable settings on the precise. To alter or add a brand new setting, simply seize the one you need from the checklist and drag it to the digital keyboard on the left. The keys will be rearranged on the identical web page, however shifting settings from one web page to a different is not simple.
As a Premiere Professional person, the very first thing I did was create a brand new keyboard web page and add buttons to modify between sources, applications, and the timeline to keep away from clicking the mouse to carry out these actions. That is comparatively simple to do because of the search performance and intuitive drag-and-drop interface. In the event you do not need to customise it, Logitech provides a plug-in market within the Logi Choices+ app. I wasn’t in a position to make use of it earlier than launch, however it ought to permit customers to buy or share plugins, profiles, and icon packs.
Operation
I primarily use Lightroom Traditional and Premiere Professional, with occasional Photoshop and After Results. All of those functions are supported natively in MX Inventive Console on Mac and PC.
I began with Premiere Professional, testing on Home windows and Mac. After some considering, I positioned the keypad on the left aspect of the keyboard and the dial pad on the precise aspect between the keyboard and mouse. This works properly visually and permits me to fine-tune edits and changes with my proper hand and press buttons with my left hand – identical to I already do with a keyboard and mouse.
At first, I did not suppose the console would velocity up my workflow in edit mode, since I have already got most of Premiere’s keyboard shortcuts memorized. I am additionally anxious that I will be always leaping between the watch face and the mouse. Nonetheless, after taking part in round a bit, I observed that utilizing the dial to clean the timeline gives finer and sooner management than the keyboard and mouse, particularly when utilizing the scroll wheel to zoom the timeline (I might prefer to see sooner scrubbing speeds ) Logitech has shrunk it, although).
From there, I added break up performance and different click-free mouse instruments that I have not touched shortly. With this, I can work nearly as quick as utilizing a keyboard and mouse, relying on the duty, regardless of my earlier considerations. Though I am hesitant to make use of it for enhancing myself, I believe it is an important workflow for brand spanking new Premiere Professional customers as a result of it shows actions visually so newbies needn’t bear in mind shortcuts.
The MX console is especially helpful for shade correction in Premiere. After choosing a clip, you possibly can click on the dial button within the decrease proper nook to launch the motion ring, transfer your mouse to one of many actions (publicity, distinction, white, saturation, and so forth.), then flip the dial to regulate that setting. To keep away from utilizing a mouse, you may also program major shade changes into the keyboard. Then, simply maintain down the button on that setting whereas turning the dial.
Then there’s Lightroom Traditional. This utility makes probably the most sense for a console, because you’re largely performing operations on a single picture (shade correction, cropping, and so forth.). Shortcut keys embrace develop mode, white steadiness selector, auto white steadiness, auto upright, and ranking instruments. As soon as you’ve got imported your photographs into the library, you possibly can bounce to Develop, use the dial to modify between photographs, and use the motion ring to regulate shade, identical to in Premiere. Likewise, in the event you favor to maintain your arms on the MX Console, you possibly can program continuously used features (temperature, saturation, highlights, and so forth.) into the keyboard.
The MX console additionally has buttons for copying and pasting growth settings, back and front views, and cropping and opening photographs in Photoshop. Lightroom superior customers can add extra shortcuts to additional enhance effectivity. This makes it nearly as quick as the favored Loupedeck+ panel, however leaping between pages within the keyboard might gradual you down.
Sadly, I discover the MX Inventive Console to be the least helpful for Photoshop. Management Panel is finest for single-purpose duties akin to shade correction and audio changes, however Photoshop is designed for extra advanced operations. This implies I am completely taking my arms off the keyboard and dial and onto the mouse and keyboard, making me much less environment friendly (if in any respect). It will have been helpful in Photoshop’s Digital camera RAW utility (which has Lightroom-like controls), however Logitech says that instrument has no API and would not help plug-ins.
wrap up
The MX Inventive console’s major competitor is the $268 TourBox Elite, which has three dials and ten buttons. Designed to be used with a keyboard and mouse, it is highly effective for knowledgeable editors however seems a bit low cost. Compared, Logitech’s MX Inventive Console is extra refined, and the visible interface offered by its keyboard is extra appropriate for novices. It is also price noting that Elgato’s equally priced Stream Deck+ lately added an Adobe Photoshop plug-in, though it is primarily designed for dwell streaming. It gives quick access to Photoshop instruments and changes by way of 4 dials and eight show keys.
Different choices are dearer, such because the $529 Loupedeck CT, the $395 DaVinci Resolve Velocity Editor, the $499 DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel, and the $595 Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Editor Keyboard. These are extra highly effective and look extra skilled, however will clearly value extra.
Logitech’s MX Inventive Console is a high-quality system with appreciable utility for functions like Premiere Professional and Lightroom Traditional. As Adobe provides extra supported functions and the Logi Market grows, its usefulness will undoubtedly improve. Nonetheless, it merely would not have sufficient buttons and dials to carry out duties discovered in lots of Adobe apps with out having to resort to a keyboard and mouse. In the event you do use a handsome app like Lightroom, it may well make you extra productive and look cool. It ships subsequent month for $200, and Logitech can be providing a free three-month subscription to Adobe Inventive Cloud.
