I do a lot of video editing in Final Cut Pro X and some of the steps in my workflow can be a little cumbersome. I also prefer to work as efficiently as possible, which isn’t always possible on devices like Final Cut Pro, where you have to constantly point and click to move through the process.
That’s where a tool like Loupedeck Live could bring urgently needed simplifications in a workflow. Loupedeck Live is a custom live streaming, photo and video editing console that adds customizable buttons, controls, and an LED touchscreen to ease your creative workflow.
This little console puts you in control of so many features found in almost every type of media application, like Final Cut Pro, your web browser of choice, and more. Loupedeck allows you to group tools, functions, apps and macros in dedicated workspaces for an efficient workflow.
And Loupedeck includes deep integrations and native compatibility with a range of applications. Take Final Cut Pro X for example. Once you connect Loupedeck to your Apple hardware, open Final Cut Pro X and Loupedeck will automatically detect it and offer a series of workspaces, each containing shortcuts for actions such as color boards and color wheels, enter full screen, saturation, exposure, fx, select, start, stop, copy attributes, paste attributes and so on.
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Let’s say you have a clip in Final Cut Pro X and you’ve edited the color, tone, added effects, and more. You then have a second clip that needs the same attributes applied to it. Instead of going through the cumbersome process of restoring the clip to the same look and feel, you could just click the source clip, tap Copy Attributes to Loupedeck, then click the target clip and tap Paste All Attributes to Loupedeck.
The Loupedeck interface is a very efficient way to handle repetitive tasks.
Want to change a clip’s hue, temperature, or blend level? Select it, tap the #3 button, then turn the associated knobs to make very detailed adjustments for those attributes. That alone is worth the entry to the Loupedeck (which sells for $269.00). Such fine-tuning with a mouse and keyboard isn’t nearly as easy or intuitive as with Loupedeck. So if you’re constantly making minor adjustments to attributes like color, FX, and sound, Loupedeck is a godsend.
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Loupedeck Live also makes it really easy to add keyframes to Final Cut Pro clips. So instead of having to remember the Option-K shortcut, just tap the #4 button and then Add KF. If you need to find that keyframe at a very specific point, use the bottom right dial to move forward or backward one frame at a time, then once you’re at the exact spot, tap Add KF.
If you’re a creator, Loupedeck Live should definitely be on your radar. Anyone working with music, photos or videos would find this handy device absolutely essential for a much more efficient workflow. Loupedeck Live comes standard with built-in profiles for apps like Final Cut Pro, Aurora HDR, Capture One, macOS, Spotify Premium, Adobe CC apps, and more. And with a desktop application, you can even edit these profiles to perfectly fit your workflow.
The Loupedeck Live application running on macOS Monterey.
The restriction
While Loupedeck Live does a lot to help you be even more productive, it’s not just rainbows and kittens. This tool has a somewhat steep learning curve (and very poor documentation). I’ve been using Loupedeck Live for a while now and I’ve still barely scratched the surface of what it can do.
However, with every step forward I take with Loupedeck Live, I feel like my workflow improves greatly. After a few months using the Loudedeck Live I can say that there are some features I can’t imagine being without.
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So, yes, when you first connect Loupedeck Live to your macOS or Windows computer, you will be intimidated. And it will take considerable effort on your part to become familiar with using it. In the end, however, the time you spend trying to overcome the learning curve is well worth it. Finally, you’ll create your own shortcuts for repetitive tasks to make your workflow even easier.
Before using Loupedeck Live, I was resigned to the fact that Final Cut Pro X was a necessity for me, but not exactly the most efficient tool to use. With Loupedeck Live I find that I can actually enjoy an efficient workflow with Final Cut Pro X. If that sounds like something you could use in your life, I highly recommend this tool. Just be aware that you will probably struggle a bit at first. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever created Live without Loupedeck.