That’s where a tool like Loupedeck Live could bring much-needed relief to a workflow. Loupedeck Live is a custom console for live streaming and photo and video editing that adds customizable buttons, dials, and an LED touchscreen to help ease your creative workflow. This small console gives you control over so many features found in just about any type of media application, such as Final Cut Pro, your web browser of choice, and much more. With Loupedeck you can group tools, functions, apps, and macros into dedicated workspaces to make for an efficient workflow. And Loupedeck includes deep integrations and native compatibility with a number of applications. Take, for instance, Final Cut Pro X. Once you connect Loupedeck to your Apple hardware, open Final Cut Pro X and Loupedeck will automatically recognize it and offer a number of workspaces, each of which contains shortcuts for actions like color boards, color wheels, enter full screen, saturation, exposure, FX, select, start, end, copy attributes, paste attributes, and so on. Also: Razer Stream Controller review: Be a better streamer For example, say you have a clip in Final Cut Pro X and you’ve edited the color, the sound, added effects, and more. You then have a second clip that needs to have the same attributes applied. Instead of going through the cumbersome process of recreating the same look and feel for the clip, you could simply click the source clip, tap Copy Attributes on Loupedeck, then click the destination clip, and tap Paste All Attributes on Loupedeck. Want to change the tint, temperature, or mix grade on a clip? Select it, tap button #3, and then turn the associated dials to make very granular adjustments for those attributes. That feature alone is worth the price of admission for the Loupedeck (which sells for $269.00). Getting such fine-tuning with a mouse and keyboard isn’t nearly as easy or intuitive as you’ll find with Loupedeck. So if you constantly find yourself making very minor adjustments to attributes like color, FX, and sound, Loupedeck will be a godsend. Also: Loupedeck CT vs. Stream Deck: For upping Final Cut Pro X productivity, both save time Loupedeck Live also makes it really easy to add keyframes into Final Cut Pro clips. So, instead of having to remember the Option-K shortcut, you simply tap button #4 and then tap Add KF. If you need to spot that keyframe at a very specific point, use the bottom right dial to move one frame at a time either forward or backward, and then, once you’re on the precise spot, tap Add KF. If you’re a creator, Loupedeck Live should definitely be on your radar. Anyone who works with music, photos, or videos would find this handy piece of kit absolutely indispensable in making for a much more efficient workflow. Out of the box, Loupedeck Live includes built-in profiles for apps like Final Cut Pro, Aurora HDR, Capture One, macOS, Spotify Premium, Adobe CC applications, and more. And with the help of a desktop application, you can even edit those profiles to perfectly fit your workflow.
The caveat
Although Loupedeck Live goes a long way to helping you be even more productive, it’s not all rainbows and kittens. This tool has a somewhat steep learning curve (and very poor documentation). I’ve worked with Loupedeck Live for some time now and still have barely scratched the surface of what it can do.
However, with each step forward I take with Loupedeck Live, I feel as if my workflow is greatly improved. After a few months with the Loudedeck Live I can say there are some features I now can’t imagine working without.
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So, yeah, when you first connect Loupedeck Live to either your macOS or Windows machine, you’re going to be intimidated. And it’s going to take a considerable effort on your part to get up to speed on its usage. However, in the end, the time spent getting over the learning curve will be worth it. Eventually, you’ll be creating your own shortcuts for repetitive tasks to make your workflow even easier.
Prior to using Loupedeck Live, I’d resigned myself to the fact that Final Cut Pro X was a necessity for me, but wasn’t exactly the most efficient tool to use. With Loupedeck Live I realize that I can actually enjoy an efficient workflow with Final Cut Pro X. If that sounds like something you might need in your life, I highly recommend this tool. Just know that you’ll probably struggle a bit at the beginning. But once you get the hang of Loupedeck Live, you’ll wonder how you ever created without it.
