What Basic Input Device Do You Use For Your DAW?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brad
  • Start date Start date

What input device do you use for DAW?

  • Mouse (basic or feature ridden)

    Votes: 20 71.4%

  • Trackball

    Votes: 5 17.9%

  • Other (specify in post)

    Votes: 3 10.7%
  • Total voters
    28
Brad

Brad

New member
Just Curious. I just switched from your everyday, run of the mill mouse to some space-age optical cordless trackball thingie. It seems cool, but the editing and recording stuff is a little tricky - will I probably just need time to get use to it? Or did I make a mistake?

What are your experiences? Especailly interested in hearing what trackball users have to say.


Thanks,
Brad
 
I use an optical 5 button mouse with programmable buttons. (I can make the buttons do specific things just for certain programs... so in pro tools, the 5th button will, say, Cut and in another program it will hit Backspace ,or whatever).

Once I went optical, I could never go back to regular mice.

And I've tried trackballs, but as you say... couldn't get used to them. The slighest movement of just the tip of your finger will send your cursor off the mark, and my figgety nature just couldn't handle that. :p


WATYF
 
Optical Mouse. I liken the optical mouse to highspeed cable internet, and the old ball mouse to dialup internet :D.
 
I will be taking my new cordless, optical trackball back tonight. I think I will get the optical mouse with scroll. Possibly cordless.

The trackball was just too tricky - buttons in bad places for how I do things. Hmmm. Hope CompUSA doesn't give me any grief about returning it.

Now I am down. I pride myself on making the correct purchase the first time. I very rarely have to take things back. Now, my girlfriend on the other hand, she takes more things back than she actually buys!!

:eek:

Thanks for your input, guys.
 
Mackie Control Universal, I cant stand using any kind of mouse to control my software.

Oh you said basic.... optical scroll mouse, but I do not use it in Cubase.
 
Last edited:
Mackie Control Universal, Contour Shuttle Pro and footswitches...I like footswitches. A wireless mousie when I hafta
 
$30 Track Ball. I don't have to clear a relatively large space to use it where I would if I had to move a mouse all over the place.
 
You guys ARE aware that this thread died over 2 1/2 years ago right?

I KNOW that Brad isn't going to be checking in soon to see what y'all think. ;)
 
I can never understand how anyone besides a gamer would even consider using a traditional mouse that you have to move your wrist back and forth to use.

Absurd to me.

I can grab my trackball, and sit in any position, hold it in one hand and use with the left hand in the air. Lay back on my couch, with it on the shoulder of the couch, on my leg, on my stomach, and never have to do the wrist wiggle.
 
I use the Kensington Pro trackball. It's expensive, but since I do a lot of work with the computer, I decided £100 would be an investment (except I managed to knab a completely unused one, for £50, on daBay).

Trackball is the instant way to eliminate RSI if you do a lot of computing. Your right hand is more important to you and irreplacable than £100 quid, so I'd say it's a requisite for anyone spending a lot of time at the PC, doing fiddly edits.

Next up, I use a Wacom tablet (the same one I use for Photoshop) for painting in clips in a sequencer. It's a very nice way of doing things. It's fast and accurate. When it comes to mice, I believe the trackball (that's a proper one - not a little excuse for one) is the industry standard for pointing around in DAW software... Or any professional software, for that matter. It's far better for accuracy, precision editing and above all, comfort.

Plus, you can set up to hover over a record button, for instance and then click it, without having to check your pointer is still on the button.

With a decent one, such as the Kensington, you can customize the buttons. This means I can click once to drag and then move sliders up and down, with just one finger. Feels like you are moving a real slider. Lovely!

With a bit of practice, you soon get used to it. The minute you try someone else's pointing gear, you realise how crap the common mouse really is.

punkin said:
Mackie Control Universal, Contour Shuttle Pro and footswitches...I like footswitches. A wireless mousie when I hafta
Click to expand...

I reckon that's even better. £££ no grind, I'd love one.

Dr. V
 
Ford Van said:
You guys ARE aware that this thread died over 2 1/2 years ago right?

I KNOW that Brad isn't going to be checking in soon to see what y'all think. ;)
Click to expand...

Who cares, you're banned anyway and probably can't read this. Uh?! What am I saying...? :cool:
 
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