Leaderboard

Addendum, I got my keypad working with some custom software to enable macros and it's a great compliment to the Speed Editor.. Post here:

WINNING! TLDR; The combo of a eBay keypad and the USB Overdrive utility (for Mac) is a winner with Resolve, and likely other NLEs too. Longer version.... My portable editing setup now includes the BM Speed Editor, the Beatstep controller and Beatstep Resolve Edition software, and now this little custom keypad. The keypad and USBOverdrive allows macros, so you hit one key and it sends the computer a string of keyboard commands. In combination with the keyboard shortcuts in your NLE, you can make it do pretty cool stuff. In the Cut page, the Speed Editor works in a certain way which creates limitations, and Resolve has a few bugs (in my version at least) that also limit things. I have set keys that highlight the current clip, trim start/end to playhead, then unselect all clips. Or similar but splitting the clip. Or similar but ripple deleting the clip. These are mostly workarounds to the peculiarities of Resolve and the Cut page and Speed Editor, but I think it's an excellent addition to using it. I can navigate using the wheel on the Speed Editor, hit a key and trigger a macro, and then fine-tune on the Speed Editor if further refinement is required, and then keep going. I had some, let's say, distracting, workarounds that I had to do in order to perform these functions involving not only having to take my hands off the controller, but also triggering my frustration with BM at not building things in more flexible ways, which really took me out of the zone!

I'd suggest that you investigate controller options for FCPX. I say this because: You tried Resolve before and it didn't take The Speed Editor is designed for the Cut page, and while certain things work in the Edit page a lot (most?) functions don't work there, or don't work in the way you'd predict / want The Cut page seems to do rather odd things sometimes (maybe this will be fixed in future versions, but I'll believe it when I see it) I have a love/annoyance relationship with Resolve and with BM. On the one hand, the power of the colour page is unquestionable and the sheer quantity of features in the other pages is undeniable. On the other hand, BM are a very take-it-or-leave-it company: they have a way they expect you to work and even though they could alter features to let you work a different way they keep the features so they work their way and make zero sense any other way they are a hardware company first and "cripple" Resolve to push you down the path of buying their hardware they are focused on the big studios and the "little guys" are the poor cousin who isn't well catered for I'm starting to really get acquainted with the controller and my work workflows and editing style now and I'm actually contemplating starting to hack together a controller setup of my own to "bypass" some of the Resolve restrictions. Specifically, Resolve has a number of UI features that can't be assigned to Keyboard Shortcuts, or are usable in one page but not the other (eg, Cut page vs Edit page). I'm pondering if it's worth my time to look into developing custom macros or whatever to get around these.

Sony shooter checking in - and I love zooms. I shoot the a7sIII, a7III (though that will the the IV soon, hopefully LOL!) and the a6300 for a small/light/cheap backup or tiny walkabout cam. Though I love fast, sharp primes and I'm a shallow DOF/creamy bokeh junkie, most of my work is with the zoom trinity for its versatility, and most of that is the 24-70. I can't imaging being an all prime shooter and all the lens changes LOL! But I've always tried to keep my kit mobile in one medium size backpack - so I can carry 2 or 3 bodies with lenses and a prime or two, plus my drone in something like a Lowepro 450 size bag. I've always worked best with the holy trinity - that's been a UWA somewhere in the 16-35 range (most recently the 12-24/4) and the standard which is the Sigma 24-70/2.8 right now. For the last year the long end of that trifecta has been the Tamron 70-180, which replaced the Sony GM and has been brilliant thanks to its size and great IQ. I use it a lot more than the GM since it's pretty much always in my bag. But Tamron has thrown a major wrench in the works with the new 35-150/f2-2.8 that has me seriously thinking about running a mostly 2-lens kit of the 16-35 GM/35-150 with 2-3 fast primes sprinkled in for smaller/faster stuff indoors or just for bokeh fun. The Tammy is faster than my 2.8 zoom through 60mm, but I'd lose a lot on the wide end and would need to carry a UWA - but realistically this could replace my 35/85 f/1.8's and the 24-70/70-180 with another lens on the wide end. I think LOL! There's definitely a mental barrier consolidating four lenses into one and workflow changes since I use the 24-70 on the wide end a lot. And with my first baby on the way, I want a fast prime or two for indoor low light shooting and some super bokeh shots of her little hands and feet and such. I've always been a 24/35/85 shooter, but there are just too many options to fill in primes around that 35-150 that I can decide, plus change is hard since I've had the trinity for more than a decade. One E-mount outlier is the tiny a7c 28-60 kit lens. Its ridiculously small, really sharp and makes for a great gimbal lens or just a fun, small walkabout lens. For a $250 lens used, its amazing. Cheers Chris