Contour Design ShuttlePRO Multimedia Controller
Reviewed by Paulo de Andrade
The computer mouse
is certainly one of the most versatile human interface devices ever
created. Like other multipurpose devices, it does most jobs well but
is not necessarily the best tool for every single situation. Video editing
is a good example of how inadequate a mouse can be. Sure, it can get
the job done. But the process can be very cumbersome.
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ShuttlePro:
Looks good and works well.
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Video editors have
been using jog-shuttle wheels for years, either as part of dedicated
edit controllers or just VTR remotes. The beauty of such devices is
that they are ideal for quickly moving around footage as well as giving
you very precise control at the frame level. You can perform the most
common editing or tape transport operations, virtually without lifting
your hand. The mouse, on the other hand, forces you to constantly move
you hand around, requires precise positioning of the cursor just to
start simple operations and is not that great at precise frame control.
No wonder many veteran editors hate mice.
Until recently, jog/shuttle-type controllers for nonlinear editing applications
have been expensive and often cumbersome to set up. But Contour Design,
known for their ergonomic products, have released ShuttlePro—a multimedia
controller that plugs into a Mac USB port and has a MSRP of just $99.95.
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Ergonomic
design and programmable keys that can also be labeled.
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ShuttlePro is extremely
well designed. It is very slim, ergonomic and feels very solid. I was
actually very surprised by the feel of the jog/shuttle wheels themselves
as they felt almost as good as those on a $7,500 dedicated edit controller.
A rubber ring outside the shuttle wheel adds to the professional touch.
In addition to the jog/Shuttle wheels, ShuttlePro has 13 programmable
buttons that give you direct access to the most common editing functions
in your favorite editing application.
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The
ShuttlePro configuration interface.
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I initially reviewed
ShuttlePro with Final Cut Pro on a G4 Mac. My controller came with a
preset for this program and, once I loaded it, felt like it had always
been part of Final Cut. Most of the editing operations become much easier
and faster, giving Final Cut Pro a very professional feel. It's amazing
how much difference the right device makes when editing. The presets
for the 13 buttons include some of the most used commands in the editing
application such as In and Out points input, Render, GoTo, Zoom, etc.
Instead of having to go from one menu to another with a mouse or rely
on keyboard shortcuts, ShuttlePro lets you quickly perform the most
common operations. Best of all, the jog/shuttle wheels make it a snap
to quickly move to the desired frames in an edit session.
Shuttle Pro can
bring a considerable increase in productivity during any edit session.
Due to the complexity of an application like Final Cut Pro, you'll still
be forced to use the mouse. But both devices co-exist very well and
you'll find yourself using the mouse only when strictly necessary.
If ShuttlePro
could only be used with Final Cup Pro, it would be well worth the $99.95
asking price. But this versatile controller is fully
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Each
increment on the wheels can be assigned a different command.
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programmable and
can be used with virtually any program that has keyboard shortcuts.
By utilizing the simple programming interface you can set it up to work
with iMovie, Adobe After Effects, Premiere, Photoshop, Macromedia Director,
etc. You can even use it as a game controller, if you so desire.
To set up ShuttlePro for use with an application, all you need to do
is assign keyboard keystrokes or keystroke combinations to each of the
programmable keys via the easy-to-use pull down menus. You can even
assign keystrokes to the jog and shuttle wheels in very interesting
combinations. For instance, you can assign a different keystroke to
each of the many fractions of a turn available on the shuttle wheel.
Once you have used all the available keys, you can save this preset
with an exclusive name and load it whenever you need it. You can even
create several presets to be used within a single application.
One thing that I
would like to see is presets for the most common applications being
shipped with ShuttlePro. My unit came with presets for just a fraction
of the compatible programs listed on the unit's box. Contour Design
is currently working on preferences for Premiere 6, After Effects, PhotoShop,
Illustrator, Media100, Boris (FX, RED, and Graffiti), Pro Tools, Director
8, Flash 5, Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Quicktime Player,
Cleaner 5, Commotion DV, UNREAL Tournament, Quake 3 Arena, and more.
Meanwhile, you must program your own presets, which is not that big
of a deal considering how quick and easy it is to do so.
I would also like to see a longer USB cable shipped with the unit. The
included cable is barely long enough to be plugged into the Pro keyboard
that came with my G4 and I would have preferred to have been able to
plug it into the USB hub. But this is nothing that a USB extension cable
can't fix.
At only $99.95 list, there's absolutely no excuse not to buy a ShuttlePro—specially
if you spend a considerable amount of time editing or compositing. Costing
just slightly more than a good mouse, this versatile multimedia controller
will not only increase your productivity but may possibly help you avoid
repetitive strain injuries.
I consider the ShuttlePro an essential addition to any nonlinear editing
or compositing workstation. Once you try it, you'll wonder how you have
managed to work without it.
