I do realize I’m a bit behind in posting about the new Final Cut Pro X (and Adobe Audition) integration with the Loupedeck+ console but since we covered the news here on PVC I’ve been waiting until I could actually try it out to see how it works. If you haven’t read my extensive review of the Loupedeck+ and it’s Adobe Premiere Pro support then you may want to give it a peruse because what I said about that PPro integration remains largely in effect for FCPX as well.
Loupedeck has officially unveiled its highly anticipated integration with @Apple-Developed Final Cut Pro X & @Adobe Audition in latest release v2.6.
For more info visit: https://t.co/NBzunYSHD4
Please see release notes for a full list of updates: https://t.co/rgGYoIRv9U pic.twitter.com/F1hzSIDi9K
— Loupedeck (@Loupedeck) March 14, 2019
Updating
To the Loupedeck support site for answers and it seems you must just download the newest version from the Loupedeck support and install that without the hardware being connected. So an unhook of the console (I do wish iMacs has USB ports on the front, aesthetics be dammed) and an install of the newest version and we’re good to go. It would be nice to be able to just update to a new version from within the Loupedeck software. Perhaps if/when Resolve support rolls around assuming that happens but surely it will since it seems like a natural if possible.
As much as I’ve talked against these types of hardware control surfaces and how they can sometimes be like putting a square peg into a squircle hole it’s nice that via software updates a hardware tool like the Loupedeck+ can have a lot of different uses in a lot of different applications all because of the software that runs it. That can be a great value for those willing to learn the hardware. If you’re going to invest a couple/few hundred dollars in a piece of hardware it will add a lot more value to the purchase if you can and will use it with different software applications.
Just look at what all the Loupedeck+ is now supporting. They keep adding more applications to the menu and I can only guess they will be adding more. It costs money to add software support but it also adds value. Kudos to the Loupedeck team for continuing to add this value as we’ve seen products in the past that are (often expensive) one trick ponies. We can’t include the Resolve Editor Keyboard here as an expensive one-trick-pony as it hasn’t even shipped yet.
Usage
As with Adobe Premiere Pro, the Final Cut Pro X implementation tries to add a lot of editing stuff to a lot of knobs and buttons that weren’t exactly designed for that purpose. There are some things that make sense and it’s nice to have dedicated Undo/Redo and Copy/Paste buttons. I wonder why no one has ever made a keyboard with dedicated system buttons like that? I’m sure they have.
Installing the Loupedeck software gets you a dedicated Loupedeck keyboard command set. I didn’t dig through a bunch of the keyboard shortcuts but I’m guessing this is more about some hooks into the console rather than new keyboard shortcuts. The Loupedeck+ works well with FCPX and all the controls are very functional. Like the PPro support, some things seem natural while other things do not.
Above is the basic layer functionality without any modifiers. Some things don’t match, for example, it says D1 should be “rotate zoom” but on my install D1 zooms the timeline … which I like! C5 doesn’t Blade. It just beeps at me.
Never fear as all this is customizable in the Loupedeck software.
When I check C5 in the software above it shows “Insert Media” for the C5 button, not Blade. Sigh. This thing is a lot of work. Are my settings wrong? Why does the printed manual not match what happens by default? And I don’t see a manual on the Loupedeck site for Adobe Audition.
But rewarding the Loupedeck could be if you take the time to set it up and learn it. It’ll be most useful if you’re a heavy Lightroom user as that is what it was designed for and the Loupedeck+ is a pleasure to use there. If you are a big Lightroom user and you spend the money then just consider it a value that you can use it with all these other programs if you dig in.
If you’re considering buying a Loupedeck+ for use with Final Cut Pro X I’ll give the potential buyer the same advice I did for consideration with Adobe Premiere Pro. Hit the Loupedeck support and study, study, study the Final Cut Pro X Loupedeck guide (here’s a direct PDF link). The integration is deep, learning all the functions and how to use it to its fullest extent without repeatedly referencing the guide will take time and dedication. Best case, reprogram it to what might make the most sense for you.