Editors Keys keyboard labels

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Customize your keyboard for maximum productivity.

One really cool advantage of running a web site like HRC is that I often hear from companies that I otherwise may have never known existed. Editors Keys would fall into that category. Editors Keys has a unique and very interesting product line; they make sticker sets for your computer keyboard that indicates what common shortcuts and functions keys and key combinations have for a given application. After talking to them for a bit about their product and company, we arranged for a a review. I received a set for my tracking application of choice, Sonar, and HRC co-administrator, "flame" received a set for his, Cubase SE.

The Editors Keys package comes with the sheet of stickers and an alcohol-free wipe to clean the keyboard keys with before putting the stickers on to help them stick better. Getting rid of all the pre-existing finger grease and grime, as well as all the other junk keyboards collect over time (come on now, be honest, drops of soda, grease from your chips and other munchies) is a good thing. The results of applying the stickers to your keyboard can be seen in the picture below. The exact appearance of your keyboard, of course, depends on which program you are using, as each one has different shortcuts.

Editors Keys has sets for a large selection of programs across a few different types of applications, those being audio production, video production and graphic design. The applications currently available are:

  • Avid
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Adobe Premiere
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Final Cut
  • Pro Tools
  • Cubase
  • Reason
  • Sonar

And just for fun they have a set for the game "Quake" as well...something tells me somebody at Editors Keys is a Quake player. :-)

Applying the Labels

It took 10 minutes to find all the keys and get the appropriate stickers on them, get them positioned properly so they look square and even. When I was done the keyboard did look and feel different. I don't know if I would recommend them to people whose studio computer doubles as an office computer because it does make the keys feel different. I am no power-typer, but I would lay good odds my wife wouldn't like having them on her keys, but, that's a non-musician for ya!

One thing that crossed my mind is possibly making a full set of key stickers for each set to eliminate the different feel of labelled keys and non-labelled keys, the empty keys just have the letters or numbers on them. This would make all the keys feel the same and give the entire keyboard the same look. My keyboard, for example, is black and gray, so bright shiny keys on half the keys looks sort of out of place...whereas a full set of keymarkers would make a consistent look and feel across the entire keyboard...I dunno, just an idea.

Final Thoughts

To be fair, "flame" noted to me that he didn't mind the difference in the feel of the keys and that it didn't affect his office type duties at all and said he barely noticed them, so it's up to the individual. Add to that they are being used by some of the biggest media production facilities in the world, such as Universal Studios, MTV, Fox Network and the BBC for example, the "feel" issue is obviously not a big one to many people.

I personally found them quite interesting, and I learned many keyboard shortcuts that I was not aware that Sonar had available. There were a couple marked that are for this version only or that version only, so there is no confusion from version to version of software. Thus far in my using this product I have found them very helpful and I do seem to get work done in my DAW much quicker thanks to shortcuts I wasn't even aware I had. I know, I know, they are all in the manual, but who reads those things...

After getting used to the feel of some keys being smooth and slick while other keys are rougher (my keyboard has a "matte" type of finish) there was little issue even when typing up this review, which I did much of from my studio.

All in all I find Editors Keys to be a worthy and very cost effective addition to my DAW. The set only costs £8.99 ($15.99 USD), which is a bargain compared to the custom made keyboards one can buy for substantially more money. Depending on how well you use your keyboard shortcuts already, for the little money these things cost, they could well be the best productivity investment you could make per dollar spent...and not many of those dollars.

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