Editors Keys DaVinci Resolve Keyboard Thoughts

Written By Chadwick Shoults

How to get to Carnegie Hall

Avid Agility is one of my favorite books on video editing. Years ago, I studied it, practiced it, and studied it again, and THEN… I could comfortably cut with a dozen creatives in the room behind my back. This book helped me learn to navigate the editing software like a virtuoso playing an instrument in a symphony orchestra. Once you no longer need to think at all about where to press, and you can feel it, video editing becomes super fun and not a technical task. But how can we get that muscle memory in DaVinci Resolve?

Well… practice. But it has to be intentional practice. This new Editors Keys keyboard is a good cheat sheet for clicking less and cutting more without studying a book. These shortcut-labeled keys even helped me discover a feature I had forgotten about called quick trim, which lets you trim and move shots with command/ctrl J or L.

Full disclosure. Editors Keys sent me this for free. This is not an ad. They didn’t pay me. It’s just my thoughts as a fan of editing input devices.

In the last few years, I’ve used the Keychron C2 mechanical keyboard, the Apple Magic keyboard with touch ID, and the DaVinci Resolve speed editor. Oh, and the keyboard skins from Editors keys that sit on top of my MacBook and Apple keyboard protect it from crumbs and drink spills.

Features

  • Full keyboard - a requirement for serious editing - the number pad allows for timecode entry - this one has printer lights too.

  • Solid metal feel.

  • Backlit - for dark rooms, 3 brightness levels, and off

  • 150 shortcut hotkeys grouped by color

  • Search Button for a single click to spotlight search, instead of command space

  • Play Pause button for podcasts with I’m compositing

  • Bluetooth, wireless charge with USB-C (the apple keyboard still needs a lightning cable to charge, ugh)

  • Multi-Device (3 devices, 1 - Mac Studio, Macbook Pro, and 6th GEN iPad) - fast switching and copy/paste works

  • It works as a normal keyboard as well and has little nubs to find the F and J keys with index finger

  • Mac and Windows versions (alt/option and windows/command buttons flopped)

  • The price is usually just a little less than the Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Prices fluctuate.

Opportunities to explore unmet potential

  • Crammed fn button location - 4 buttons where I’m use to 3. I have missed quite a few times not having that muscle memory or the need for an extra modifier in that lower left location.

  • Longer Battery life with the light turned on - they claim 3 months on a single charge without the light which is fine and seems similar to my apple keyboard with the touch ID. Low battery warning ending after 1 day with lights on full blast.

  • No Fusion or Fairlight shortcuts

  • Slippery texture - fingers feel like they are not as grounded as other keyboards - might change as I put more hours on it. The covers have more grip.

Wrap-Up

  • I love the keychron for the sound, feel, and price, but I get complaints about the sound on long Zoom calls.

  • I love the apple magic keyboard for the touch ID - because it helps me not need to enter my password as often, but its mac only and has that apple tax.

  • I love the speed editor because of the dial, and that it came with a license of Resolve Studio, but I still need a keyboard next to it, and it doesn’t work over Jump Desktop to remote computers which is something I do a lot.

  • And I love the new editors Keys backlit wireless resolve keyboard because I can hop between devices and have a bit more light on my desk when I’m editing in a dark room.

    Which one do I use the most? That's like asking which kid is my favorite. They’re just different. Please let me know in the comments section what keyboard you are using that I’ve overlooked.

Chadwick Shoults https://creativevideotips.com
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