Logic Pro 9 Useful Thing in Logic - Apple's New Trackpad

LSchefman

Logician
I've tried all kinds of mouse alternatives over the years, and none has been entirely satisfactory. But I'm liking Apple's new Trackpad device better than the trackballs, pen-based devices, etc.

For Logic, the best part is that it's large enough to "tap-and-hold drag" a fader like a physical long throw fader, this is MUCH more like operating a fader than using a mouse, because you'd ordinarily just glide a fader with a single finger in the real world.

Bonus: Enabling the drag and secondary function options means that I can avoid the sore hand muscles I get holding down the click function on a mouse, trackpad or trackball, as this is the thing that usually bothers me most (this may be due to arthritic changes in my hand, but I've been having sore hand and fingers over the course of a long day in the studio for years).

The mouse may or may not still be useful for detail work, but so far I haven't needed it since learning how to use the trackpad's features. Since I've enabled the options that let me avoid physically pressing and clicking with my fingers, my hands aren't sore at the end of a session.

This is a useful tool worth trying, and I'm saying this as someone who doesn't like the trackpads on laptops due to their size.

It's also cool not to have cables as it's bluetooth, and it's small enough to sit on top of a keyboard controller, etc.

Good product. It works.
 
Cool! Thanks for the review. I'll have to look into it having recently retired a 9 year old trackball i liked and not Wally digging the options available.

Cheers!
 
Upvote 0
I've started using Apple's Magic Trackpad too, and I agree with every word of Les's review. It's really been a fantastic tool, far better than the mice and trackballs I've used in the past. I would only add two things:

•Â I enjoy the "drag lock" functionality, as I have two monitors. So can I drag things between monitors, lifting my fingers to reposition them without worrying about the drag being ended before I want it to be.

• I have the trackpad set so that a one-fingered tap is a click, and a two-fingered tap is a right-click. This means that I never have to exert any pressure at all, no muscle strain at all.

Orren
 
Upvote 0
>>I have the trackpad set so that a one-fingered tap is a click, and a two-fingered tap is a right-click. This means that I never have to exert any pressure at all, no muscle strain at all.<<

Yup, +1.
 
Upvote 0
the function I particularly like is holding down option and with two fingers you can resize in all directions within a logic window. Worth it just for that.
 
Upvote 0
I can only get it to zoom in the horizontal direction. Works when pinch 2 fingers open or closed. With or with out modifier keys. But only left to right and not up and down.
Am I doing something wrong?
 
Upvote 0
Really liking the trackpad too. But I can't get the resizing in all directions.
Only from left to right. Not up and down. Am I missing something?
 
Upvote 0
I wanted to get the trackpad but I'm still running Logic 8 and Leopard. Trackpad wants Snow Leopard and Sonw Leopard wants Logic 9. I'm hesitant because everything is working ok. Except my mouse.
 
Upvote 0
I have not tried the track pad but my experience with most pads that come with most computers (including the Mac Book Pro), the cursor jumps around in a flickery, skittish manner and it misinterprets actions easily. Does this device somehow avoid those sorts of problems?

Bob Vandiver
 
Upvote 0
>>I have not tried the track pad but my experience with most pads that come with most computers (including the Mac Book Pro), the cursor jumps around in a flickery, skittish manner and it misinterprets actions easily. Does this device somehow avoid those sorts of problems?<<

I don't care for my MB Pro's pad either, it's too small for me.

I set it up to my needs in my system prefs, and it's not been flickery at all. It only misinterprets actions when I'm a bit careless, as in accidentally tapping too many times, etc.

I'm doing detailed work with it; I have a mouse on hand and haven't touched it since getting this thing, but for some folks a mouse is easier to deal with most likely. It takes a little practice.

Remember, my main objective was to reduce repetitive stress pain in my hands. And it's night and day better for that, also fader moves are MUCH smoother.
 
Upvote 0
Check out the jitouch app, www.jitouch.com
It allows you to assign a ton of custom gestures to the magic trackpad making it a very versatile device! For example, I have it so if I touch the pad with 3 fingers it opens or closes my mixer and a small swipe up with 3 fingers opens and closes the midi editor. There a ton of these customizeable gestures. I even have one triggering F8 which in my setup triggers a quickkeys script that selects all and zooms to fit. At this point I've replaced all the custom buttons on my Logitech mx100 and then some. You can try it for free but it's only $7.
 
Upvote 0
Thanks for all the tips above, I used them to set up my trackpad when it was delivered today and have just about abandoned the mouse already. Another thing I like is being able to do fine adjustments to faders, etc., by rolling my finger.

A great device.
 
Upvote 0
I have incorporated the trackpad into my workflow instead of replacing the mouse. I initially thought it might be a replacement but have found the mouse easily outranks it for fine detail work. So I now use the trackpad left handed and the mouse right handed with the keyboard in the middle and have found it to be a revelation. It has significantly reduced workload on the mouse. I now do a lot of things left handed with the trackpad that I used to use the mouse for. Also using them both at the same time is great, zooming in with the trackpad and using the mouse to select something and adjust. The other thing I did was disable right click for the mouse and I rely on the two finger tap on the trackpad for right click functionality. This has also reduced tension in my mouse hand as I can now rest my middle finger on the mouse without it triggering something...
 
Upvote 0
I am following your comments on the trackpad with a lot of interest. I briefly got to try one, albeit on an iMac at my Apple dealers and I was not at all impressed, I found it clumsy, innacurate, very slow, required to much force when clicking (to me it was more like pounding!)

To summarize - it felt clunky.

Reading the very many positive comments here about it, perhaps there are some ways to adjust its response, or it is an acquired taste?

Michael, we are both using similar Macs. How do you have yours connected? AFAIU the track pad requires Bluetooth, which in turn takes up a PCIe slot, or is there some other device available(I am thinking of a USB dongle such as many wireless Keyboard/mouse sets use). All the PCIe slots in my Mac Pro are full ...

kind regards

Mark
 
Upvote 0
I am following your comments on the trackpad with a lot of interest. I briefly got to try one, albeit on an iMac at my Apple dealers and I was not at all impressed, I found it clumsy, innacurate, very slow, required to much force when clicking (to me it was more like pounding!)

To summarize - it felt clunky.
I almost never use the actual click. I set it to tap click - much more useful.
I
Reading the very many positive comments here about it, perhaps there are some ways to adjust its response, or it is an acquired taste?
Maybe it's an acquired taste like sauerkraut or tripe. I remember disliking using my laptop trackpad for a long time. I thought it was slow and clunky and bought a mouse to use with it. Later I decided to persevere and found it had its advantages...
Michael, we are both using similar Macs. How do you have yours connected? AFAIU the track pad requires Bluetooth, which in turn takes up a PCIe slot, or is there some other device available(I am thinking of a USB dongle such as many wireless Keyboard/mouse sets use). All the PCIe slots in my Mac Pro are full ...
Mark, yes, I think our machines are the same.Everything I'm using is bluetooth. Does your MacPro not have bluetooth fitted? It was standard on machines after 2008. In any event, afaik the bluetooth card is mounted onto the motherboard not in a PCIe slot although its probably a bugger to retrofit...

Regards
Michael
 
Upvote 0
I have incorporated the trackpad into my workflow instead of replacing the mouse. I initially thought it might be a replacement but have found the mouse easily outranks it for fine detail work. So I now use the trackpad left handed and the mouse right handed with the keyboard in the middle and have found it to be a revelation. It has significantly reduced workload on the mouse. I now do a lot of things left handed with the trackpad that I used to use the mouse for. Also using them both at the same time is great, zooming in with the trackpad and using the mouse to select something and adjust. The other thing I did was disable right click for the mouse and I rely on the two finger tap on the trackpad for right click functionality. This has also reduced tension in my mouse hand as I can now rest my middle finger on the mouse without it triggering something...

I think the way of the oliphant is the right approach to it. As a keyboard player, it's best to use both hands. The clicking is to be avoided and just use tapping/moving with the left hand and precise work the mouse. Constantly altering between both hands is ergonomically best. I bought a PC-mouse for my laptop with a special button for double-clicking but it doesn't work on my Mac. Does the track-pad do it? Is there a script or software that can handle it?
 
Upvote 0
Back
Top