When i make a key for "Rewind" for Avid ProTools, which is the "numeric ", it works, but rewinding is much slower compared to the real key.
When i make the same assignment on my Wacom tablet, that has also buttons that i can freely assign, it works as should.
Why is KM slower? I tried all option like: "is down" and Press and hold.
If i use a mouse click instead on the rewind buttons instead of the nummeric key, i have the same result.
This is the action:
If memory serves me well there are three modes the numeric keypad can serve. If I understand you correctly, you want fast rewind or return to zero am I correct? There are several speeds that you can access to rewind. Seems like it's choosing the slowest speed. Not sure if you'd need to change the mode on the numeric keypad before running the macro. You didn't state if you have HD or not but if you did you'd need to be in "Shuttle Mode" to access fast rewind using the "7" key.
I must admit though it's been a while since I been deep into Pro Tools seeing as I have switched to Studio One Pro v.3. In any event, see if you can access the command you want from the menus, (I can't recall if there is a menu commend for rewind). If you can then you could certainly use Keyboard Maestro to select a menu item. (You could also create the keyboard shortcut directly using /Sys Prefs/Keyboard/<shortcuts\> and adding a key combo or computer control from Dictation.
Under this cute homemade wooden keyboard stand is a Contour Design Shuttle Pro. The push buttons are connected to that. It serves thus as a 'USB DEVICE KEY" trigger.
What i want to achieve, is the same behaviour as my numeric 1 key on the keyboard itself. When triggered, while ProTools is in stop mode, it rewinds fast. When engaged from play mode, it rewinds fast and when the key is released it starts playing from that point on.
This last behaviour is where it gets difficult.
I made a workaround that only works from when ProTools is in the STOP state.
Instead of rewind (numeric1), that is acting too slow, i used rewind control a remote deck: "<"
But when the key is released it will continue to rewind so it has to be stopped. Therefore i made a second trigger for when the key is released.
But as said, this will stop ProTools after the rewind. When ProTools is playing, and i press my custom made rewind trigger, i don't see a way to make it play after the rewind, only if ProTools was playing when the macro was executed.
I investigated an IfThenElse routine, but i yet have to find a way to find a way to tell KM that ProTools is playing. A screen grab for color (the PLAY button in the transport is green when in play) won't help here because the button can be moving and the color picker is not relative to the front window, and even then i was not able to get a correct reading.
That's a picture of the loop playback/loop record button.
To clarify what I was attempting to convey, Keyboard Maestro can do sequences of keystrokes. Setup your macro to do the sequence that puts you into 'shuttle mode', then, continuing your macro steps, it types the key that sends the command to rewind. Only in this one macro instance it's the faster rewind that's offered in 'shuttle mode' as there are slower faster speeds offered. To change the direction to faster forward you'd merely need to add the numeric 'plus' key. "+"
While we wouldn't normally enter a string of keys since it's more complicated and more to think about, Keyboard Maestro can make extremely short work of this. So firing off the sequence of keys needed would be very easy for Keyboard Maestro. I think you understand that though. I am just stating it because using the harder way to get to where you want to go is not hard for Keyboard Maestro and if the task can be handed of to Keyboard Maestro it's no longer hard for the user.
I know that is the picture of the play-button. I use that to tell KM that protools is playing. "IF the screen contains that image THEN put variable “PLAY” in the state of PLAY.
In shuttle mode protools starts scrubbing the video too and it’s window will appear while scrubbing. And you cannot go directly into play after i release the rewind button. Ofcourse i can add a separate play command after. But what i have now is more or less the same.
I know i can add a series of sequences in KM, that’s what i did above didn’t i?
But i understand your point; what can be illogical for users to do, can be simple for a script. I have to think differently. But, it works now! It might be that there are better ways to achieve this, as i am new to programming and scripting. But for now, i am happy. How i love KM!
Like i said, i used an old Contourdesign Shuttle Pro that i took apart. I connected my own pushbuttons to the ones on that board. In KM there is ‘this device key’, an external usb key that can be used as a trigger.
There is also a jog/shuttle on that thing but that is not seen by KM. But the buttons are.
It’s ugly and not for on the road. But it works!
I changed my 'play' and 'rewind' commands by substituting key press actions for MIDI commands. The big advantage is that PT can be in the background and still receive a PLAY command over midi and starts playing. Same for REWIND, STOP etc. This is handy when i am auditioning sound effects in Soundminer while protools plays in the background.
Make sure you select M-AUDIO Keyboard in Peripherals Midi controllers.
Like this:
