In this article, we look at the reasons why you might consider a Shortcut Keyboard Cover. Not all of them are about what is printed on them.
My keyboard of choice is a wired Apple Numeric Keyboard. I had the same one for years and I’m so used to it I find using other keyboards like wearing someone else’s shoes - just wrong! Like lots of us, I’m not as diligent as I might be about cleaning my keyboard. It all came to a head, a few months ago, when not even I was prepared to touch my own keyboard until I gave it a thorough clean. Unfortunately my damp sponge proved too damp and my arrow keys stopped working - permanently! I imagined that getting a new one would be easy but actually it’s more difficult than I’d thought.
I wasn’t clear whether a new Apple Magic Keyboard would have the same butterfly action as the newer MacBook Pros - I’ve tried these and strongly disliked them. I could have checked it out but the Magic Keyboard is a Bluetooth device. At this point, I was out as I’m really used to having USB ports on my keyboard. As a Pro Tools user, a numeric keyboard is non-negotiable for me and rather more significant to me was the price, the wrong side of £100. That’s more than I’m comfortable paying for a standard qwerty keyboard.
Why Didn’t I Get A Pro Tools Keyboard?
I’ve discussed at some length in the past why I don’t feel a Pro Tools keyboard is right for me. For people who are getting to know the Command Focus shortcuts, I’d absolutely recommend one but I’m pretty up to speed on my shortcuts but as someone who still can’t reliably touch-type, what I need is a clear qwerty keyboard and nothing else - most of the time.
Why Did I Get A Keyboard Cover?
The logic behind this was that occasionally I would like a Pro Tools keyboard. Particularly when demonstrating Pro Tools. However swapping between keyboards, while simple enough is one of those things which ends up not happening so a keyboard cover seemed the natural solution. As it turned out it was better than I could have imagined.
Here are 5 reasons you might consider one.
Easy On, Easy Off
It’s really, really easy to fit one of these. To prove the point I tried to fit mine with one hand. Not a problem. It sounds like a trivial thing but if part of your motivation for trying one of these is that you think you’ll only be using this part of the time if it’s anything other than really easy you’re probably not going to bother.
Work With Multiple Machines
If you move from workstation to workstation or work in more than one location this cover, being lightweight, flexible, and foldable fits in a bag way easier than a full keyboard. Provided it’s the same model of the keyboard in both locations!
Protects The Keyboard
This is actually what prompted me to write this article. Absent-mindedly drinking a cup of tea while reading off my screen I managed to “mis-drink” and what would have been a sweary, frantic mopping and inverting of my keyboard to get the tea out of the keyboard before too much harm was done became an only moderately sweary trip to get something to mop up with. You can then just take the cover and wash it under a tap, no drama.
Work with multiple DAWS
As they are reasonably priced at under £30 you can get 3 covers for the cost of a shortcut keyboard, if you’re using these as the learning tools they are then this is worth keeping in mind. After all, when you know the Pro Tools shortcuts properly you’re unlikely to still need it but what about that Premiere cover you bought and still spent less than you would have got one shortcuts keyboard?
Hygenic
This is very 2020 but even before COVID shared keyboards, as you find in offices and classrooms, are pretty filthy things. If you need convincing and you’re using a separate keyboard rather than a laptop, pick it up and turn it upside down. Tap the front edge against the table a few times and see what falls out! Ewww!
Don’t They Feel Weird?
Actually, not as weird as you might think, I’d imagined that I’d take it off before undertaking any extended typing task but in practice I leave it on 90% of the time. As I type this I’ve just taken it off my keyboard and while the keyboard feels looser and easier it’s only marginal. Of course these things are down to personal taste but at least you get the choice, not like if you don’t like the keyboard on your new laptop!
If you’ve never tried one, I suggest you do. Find out more about Editors Keys keyboard covers.