LX-Dave Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 [I wasn't sure which category this should go in, so mods please move if necessary.] Having been using MagicQ for a show last week, I started thinking about getting a custom labelled keyboard with legends for the playback and programming shortcuts on it. Does anyone know if such a thing exists / has done this already? Or does anyone have any suggestions for ways/places to get a one off keyboard such as this made up (for as little budget as possible)? I have considered using stickers but would probably like something a bit neater and more durable for using on gigs. My online searches so far have only turned up companies offering bulk orders for business rather than one offs. If there was a keyboard available with removeable transparent key-caps which could sit over home printed labels that would be an option. Any help appreciated! Many thanks, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mac.calder Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 X-Keys are pretty much the standard for custom keypads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Look for point-of-sale keyboards. They often have lots of double and quad size keys, and the keys are usually programmable. You can put your own legends on the keys as the have clip-on plastic tops. I'd would recommend the couple I've got, only Alphameric got bought a few years back and these ones are no longer available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 How about one of these? http://www.reghardware.com/2011/05/16/keyless_lifebook_keyboard_concept/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baldwin Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Yes, I've done it using an Alphameric POS keyboard very similar to this one (mine had a trackpad module installed). Worked fine, and although you can't fully replicate the functionality of a proper Chamsys wing, it's easier than trying to remember all the shortcuts.I'll try and sort out a picture tomorrow - I made up the legends using Corel, printed and cut them out, and it looks perfectly decent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henny Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 how about http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Yes, I've done it using an Alphameric POS keyboard very similar to this oneBlow me down that looks the exact same keyboard as I've got! Only it cant be, cos its a E128... and mines a E124... Funny thing is, in the context of this thread, anyway, is that mine are back to being POS keyboards for my home written theatre POS which I use with the non-profit of which I am a member... That Optimus fully lableable keyboard looks brill, but rather more expensive than its non-light-up-key bretheren. The used to be a thing called the Half Hog, which was Hog PC software running on a lappie, with a Peavey 16 slider box (PC something or other) providing faders and flash, and a POS keyboard configured to look like the Hog playbacks with other functions on keys above. I cant find it on the interweb, so I guess the outfit that did it have vanished. This was a few years back, mind... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxjones2000 Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 aha.. I was looking at doing something like this last year, and ended up (as a temporary measure) using my spare keyboard and sticking printed paper labels onto the relevant keys (although I ended up using sellotape as the original plan of sticky-back clear plastic wasnt strong enough... :( ) Yes, I've done it using an Alphameric POS keyboard very similar to this one (mine had a trackpad module installed). Worked fine, and although you can't fully replicate the functionality of a proper Chamsys wing, it's easier than trying to remember all the shortcuts.I'll try and sort out a picture tomorrow - I made up the legends using Corel, printed and cut them out, and it looks perfectly decent Just wondering, but with this type of thing (which seems perfect), what would you do with all of the spare keys above the standard QWERTY keyboard? I was under the impression that on MagicQ PC, you could only 'map' the "Thru", "@" and "FL" keys...? Or would you end up using a bit of software (or a feature within MagicQ that I havent found yet) to map the top 'bank' of keys (above the qwerty bit) to all of the functions (such as 'Record', 'Colour', 'FX' etc), and then use the bottom qwerty bit for naming etc? Sorry if this is a dim question - I've been revising maths and general studies(..) all day so my mind is dead!! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 whats wrong with painting the keys with tippex and remarking with a sharpie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LX-Dave Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 I feel I'm at risk as coming across rather negatively... but thanks for all the suggestions so far! I'm hoping to do this on a tiny budget, (say ~ £50) and am looking for a fairly neat solution. I'm guessing the kind of thing I'm envisaging just doesn't exist! X-Keys are pretty much the standard for custom keypads X-keys would be the perfect solution... although significantly out of my budget :(. Does anyone know of anything similar at a lower price point...? Yes, I've done it using an Alphameric POS keyboard very similar to this one I had seen these keyboards (after dbuckley's suggestion) but have similar concerns to maxjones, since only a few of the keys are used my MagicQ...? This seems a little overkill unless you're running something to make use of the additional keys. how about http://www.artlebede...ything/optimus/ Ahh what a dream that would be... presets for MagicQ, Qlab, and a multitude of other software. Shame about the price http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif. I may end up looking at a home-made solution if I can find some kind of durable printable label which I can stick to a standard keyboard... maybe Dymo labels? (any suggestions?) Thanks for all the input so far! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I have done something similar with dymo labels for my home media pc (mythtv). They last well, being thermal ink they don't rub off though after a while they can become loose at the edges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Baldwin Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 X-keys would be the perfect solution... although significantly out of my budget :(. Does anyone know of anything similar at a lower price point...?New? No. Second hand - yes, keep searching eBay for EPOS keyboards. Alphameric come up quite often; Access also appear sometimes. Both are made to withstand heavy use in retail, so are a sound second hand purchase. since only a few of the keys are used my MagicQ...? This seems a little overkillBy default, there aren't many keyboard shortcuts enabled. BUT... if you go to Setup, Keypad Encoders and change MagicQ PC keyboard mode from "Normal" to "Programming shortcuts" you can access the majority of the full console keys using (mostly) single button presses on an ordinary PC keyboard. What I did with my Alphameric keyboard was to program the re-legendable keys to send the appropriate keystrokes. They're documented in the manual.The only downside is that it's no longer possible to label things in MagicQ without bringing up the onscreen QWERTY keyboard, since ordinary letters are now interpreted as shortcuts (you can still type normally once the QWERTY keyboard's onscreen). And now, especially for dbuckley, here's some hot Alphameric action. Children, avert your eyes! (the last photo is particularly explicit): http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/8094/img2507ym.jpg http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3803/img2509w.jpg http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/2369/img2510u.jpg Hopefully this gives some idea the extent to which you can control MagicQ using this technique. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 These multi-key keyboards; the keys can be configued to output "strings" of keys, so, picking an easy windows example, you could have a key marked "print" which you program to do "Alt P". From memory, there can be 10 keystrokes transmitted per key, but using modifiers (shift, control or alt) takes up two strokes, one down, one up. So tdhe aforemenioned AltP is three keystrokes, AltDown, P, AltUp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin D Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 If its that sort of budget you have, and 21 keys will do, there is always the Cherry KeyPad (other suppliers are available). I've not used it for MagicQ but have for other business applications where you want effectively a one press keyboard macro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LX-Dave Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 Hopefully this gives some idea the extent to which you can control MagicQ using this technique. Wow that looks pretty perfect. I shall keep an eye on ebay. A couple of questions if that's ok... What software is used for mapping/programming the keys...? Is it possible to re-arrange the keys on the keyboard to more useful positions? (eg on one such as this)Should these old PS2 keyboards work on a vista pc with a PS2>USB adapter? Many thanks for all your help! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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