Download keyboard shortcuts to a programmable macro keyboard is the best productivity trick I’ve ever done.
Down the keyboard shortcut rabbit hole
I first got into keyboard shortcuts with simple macOS triggersas @@ for my primary email address and similar ones for my full name, home address, phone number, zip code, etc.
So, I decided to take things up a notch with keyboard master and I started setting up keyboard shortcuts to open some of the folders and programs I used most frequently.
From Desktop to Downloads to work-related folders, pressing became pure muscle memory Fn+F1 all the way to Fn+F6to land instantly where it previously took me a few clicks. The other function buttons were dedicated to opening frequent programs and websites, as well as accessing Keyboard Maestro. Clipboard History Switcher.
That evolved into automating some of my workflow, including opening QuickTime and starting a new audio recording, as well as opening Shure PlusMOTIV whenever I plugged in a dedicated USB-C microphone.
Soon, I was also setting up custom shortcuts for tools, settings, and panels in Adobe Audition, some of which I quickly moved to my Logitech MX Master for even faster editing.
Taking things to a higher level
This setup served me well for quite some time, until one day, 9to5MacGui Rambo himself told me about a Small 12-key 3-knob macro keyboard had bought. I was sold and did exactly the same thing.
When it arrived, I quickly learned that setting it up to work properly on macOS required some additional work. Thankfully, this GitHub project It did all the heavy lifting and ChatGPT did the rest to help me set it up correctly.
A big advantage of this setup is that having a custom keyboard invoke keyboard master Shortcuts mean not having to memorize them or keep them ergonomically friendly.
And thanks to that this specific keyboard allows you to have up to 3 layers of 12 keyboard shortcuts, plus the knobs, which can also act as buttons, means I can make it behave one way when using Adobe Audition and a completely different way when interacting with the system.
When using Adobe Audition, use this macro keyboard combined with the MX Master makes switching between tools, exporting files (or just specific segments), applying effects like normalization, compression, deReverb, deEsser, ripple removal and much more, much faster and more streamlined than with normal keyboard shortcuts or, God forbid, no shortcut at all.
When I use the system, I can use the same keyboard on a different layer to change the audio input, adjust the volume, adjust the screen brightness, mute/unmute the microphone, and access commonly used folders with equal ease.
Of course, it took me a little while to memorize all of these commands, but that becomes second nature faster than you think. More than that, I honestly feel like the Mac is broken when I have to work without it.
Additionally, there are countless configurations and options to macro keyboardswith different shapes, sizes, keys, knobs, light colors and much more. This is a rabbit hole that truly seems endless, and if your job involves any kind of repetitive actions (and who doesn’t?), I sincerely suggest you take a look inside.
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