bum wrote:basically itl shrink the hell out your pc, and make it look a lot cooler....
He's not talking about Shuttle PCs. It's the
ShuttlePRO media controller. Same name, different things.
Zarxrax wrote:Does anyone know if its mainly just useful for video editing applications, or is it also helpfull for After Effects?
The Contour Web site lists the
supported applications. I know that Sony Vegas 4 comes with built-in support for the ShuttlePRO. Maybe Premiere does, too.
Like you, I was unwilling to pay the $100 price tag for this pad. I came across this new game controller instead -
the Belkin n52 - reviewed
here, more reviews at Amazon.com. Street price is about $35. The older model n50 has fewer keys; I've seen it going for as little as $16.
I've used the n52 for several hours while separating clips and I'll give it a qualified thumbs up. Good things are easy programming, form/fit and key layout. Negatives would be mixed construction quality and stiff keys. The thing is built to take a lot of abuse which is good for gamers, but for editors, it's bulky and the key pressure takes some getting used to. It also looks kind of tacky, IMO.
If you're in the habit of using hot keys, then a device like this or the ShuttlePRO could be useful. I found it good for navigating the timeline, using the n52 d-pad for multi-frame steps and a couple of forefinger keys for frame-by-frame. The wheel was good for changing magnification and track scrolling.
I don't know if this issue concerns you, but I looked at these things from an ergonomics angle. I was getting some elbow pain from working the mouse off to the right side. The solution was to move mouse to the front, except that the keyboard was in the way. A Shuttle or n52 allows me to push the keyboard back and have both controllers directly in front.
After all that, I have to say that I'm not using the n52 now. I'm experimenting with a mini-keyboard & mouse combination instead. Haven't decided which I prefer to use.
There are other game controllers you might want to look at. The main things are programmable keys and some kind of directional controller.