Creative professionals operate in today’s fast-paced environment where even a single minute lost in such work processes can make a whole lot of difference cumulatively. Those tools that assist to work more efficiently, automating recurring tasks and providing a better user interface are in high demand these days. Making way for the Loupedeck CT, a highly customized creative console is very perfect for photographers, videographers, musicians, and digital artists. However, that comes for a hefty price of about $549, therefore, raising the most basic question, is it worth it? This article would take a closer look at the Loupedeck CT, analysing different aspects of its functionality, usefulness and drawbacks as well as in the final decision on whether this accessory is truly the next big thing.
What is Loupedeck CT?
The Loupedeck CT (Creative Tool) is a multi-functional tactile input device designed to optimise the efficiency of creative industries. It has physical knobs and key knobs as well as a touchpad on the bottom for touching to smoothly connect with a number of creative software programs. Consider it as a cockpit that has been specifically tailored to address effectiveness during operations involving other interfaces such as Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Pro or Ableton Live among others.
Loupedeck CT give the user an opportunity to organize the workspace in a specific way by attributing the certain task to each of the dials, buttons, and even the touch screen. For instance, a video editor can map a dial to control the volume levels, and any photographer may map a dial to change exposure or contrast levels. The sharp and tangible controls create an organic like feel that I have not encountered in other games where I use a keyboard and mouse or a controller, or a tablet basically anything that is not a physical representation of an analog stick, a slider, a dial or any other type of control.
The goal of the Loupedeck CT is simple: free up a good amount of time spent on routine tasks, so the user will be able to be more creative. Whether you are using it for your production editing, audio mixing, or whenever you come across one of the most intricate animation projects, always know that Loupedeck CT is an all-rounder productivity tool.
Design and Build Quality
The first thing which will be noticed by anyone when using the Loupedeck CT is a — it has a rather small but sleek and sophisticated overall look. It has dimensions of 1. 2 x 5. 9 x 6. 3 inches and weighs 12. 9 ounces, thus it does not occupy much desk space and this is an added advantage to anyone with limited space to work with. It is compact and thus does not take up a lot of space on your work environment, and one can place it side by side with a mouse or keyboard.
I get a sense that the product’s general construction is rather well put together. The body of the device is made of plastic and metals; therefore, it has an appealing and a well-built appearance. The dials and buttons all offer just enough haptic feedback – it’s easy to know that you have triggered a function. Each of the dials provides rather tactile experience to the rider and the gold(anodized) wheel is much firmer and provides some feedback when the rider adjusts the setting. This haptic feedback enables us to limit the user’s cognitive load and get back to working on valuable initiatives instead of a tool.
At the center of the device, there is a touchscreen which has 12 buttons with touchpad that can be programmed to act on different pages, thus allowing the users to access a large number of commands at almost their finger tips. Perhaps the buttons may be small to some users, they are responsive and programmable thus contributing to the general flexibility of the device.
It integrates with your PC via a braided USB-C cable, which is rather inconspicuous at the first sight. All the existing ports and interfaces are compatible with Bluetooth, but the device is still designed to work wired only at the moment, which may serve as a shortcoming for users who use wireless connections regarding their devices. Nevertheless, the cable is rather thick and allows creating a rather sturdy connection.
Customization and Setup
Also, the Loupedeck CT’s flexibility is one of the area that I find quite impressive in the device. Unlike standard keyboards or controllers, Loupedeck CT can be programmed to create various profiles of different applications and of the way in which the user works with the application, which makes it an essential tool for numerous creative occupation.
Connecting the Loupedeck CT is quite easy and straight forward since it comes with an installation manual. It has which predefined modes suitable for creative softwares such as Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Ableton live etc. This is the case with these profiles which upon installation come with an initial set of commands and controls. But it is crucial to stress that the real hidden strength of the Loupedeck CT is in how customizable it is.
In order to configure the Loupedeck device, a user needs to install the Loupedeck software that allows to assign particular functions to each of the dials, buttons or touch-sensitive keys. For instance, a video editor may set the big central jog wheel to read through a timeline, the small wheels to control volume, contrast or even saturation level.
Although, it provides an almost infinite amount of options to adjust the players’ and spectators’ experience, the amount of choices for newcomers can be discouraging. The interface of the software appears to be a bit difficult, hence, one needs to spend several moments learning its capabilities. For instance, setting favorite functions to the buttons or dials could at times take some trying before you do it perfectly. Although at first the software makes it difficult to navigate, it is once you really start understanding the software, a world of possibilities opens up to you.
Contextual workspaces are also an option, which means buttons and dials will act as something different depending on what tool or panel you’re using within the application. Due to this dynamic workflow setup, it is ideal for complex tasks such as switching from photo editing to color grading where no need to switch profile or snapshotting controls again.
Supported Applications
The Loupedeck CT is compatible with a wide range of applications, particularly in the Adobe suite, including:
• Adobe Lightroom Classic
• Photoshop
• Premiere Pro
• After Effects
• Illustrator
• Audition
Beyond Adobe software, it also supports popular creative apps like:
• Final Cut Pro
• DaVinci Resolve
• Ableton Live
• Capture One Pro
All of these applications include a default profile which contains enough functionality to get the application started. But the best of them is the fact that Loupedeck CT can be programmed for almost any application that uses keyboard shortcuts. In other words, any time you’re using a not-so-popular piece of software, you can program the Loupedeck CT to work well for your needs.
Of the features available, the dynamic profile switching is especially helpful to creatives that may be working between different applications. One should note that the Loupedeck CT can recognize which software program you are operating in, and then change the different profiles on the fly, meaning that the controls will always pertain to the application you are using.
Turning Knobs, Buttons, and Touch Pads
The first aspect of the Loupedeck CT’s design is the physical controls which, as we’ve already mentioned, provide a feel for editing that is impossible with mouse or keyboard. Let’s break down each of the key input methods:
- Dials: The six reprogrammable knobs are there to control several parameters in an application for instance in Lightroom, the knobs can be used to adjust exposure or contrast while in Ableton Live the knobs are used to adjust levels of volumes. The dials incorporate a tactile indication that the user benefits from when making micro adjustments. For example, it is possible to have the sensation of the turn of the dial in every step, which will be helpful in, for instance, color grading or audio mixing.
- Touchscreen Buttons: The Loupedeck CT comprises of a small touchpad in the center of the unit. This keyboard has twelve programmable buttons the are located on the left side of the display. The touchscreen also has a feature that provides multiple page options for buttons to enable one to switch between them depending on the given task.
- Jog Wheel: Another thing that will hardly be missed is the central large jog wheel present on the Loupedeck CT. The wheel is very useful for video editing, since it makes it possible to ‘slow down’ along the timeline or ‘zoom-in/out’ on the timeline where it possible to trim the clips. It provides a resolution that cannot be attained using the standard mouse or keyboard even the touch screen.
These controls in conjunction make for an interactive edit control thus accelerating work flow especially on projects which heavily require time such as a day editorial newscasts.
How the Loupedeck CT Optimizes Work
The Loupedeck CT is thus made in a way that it will minimize the time you spend doing repetitive things and especially when you are trying to handle with many operations within software. Here’s how it can make a difference in various fields:
- Photography: Loupedeck CT designed for Adobe Lightroom enables photographers to change the exposure, contrast and saturation and other values with just one twist of the knob. This saves the trouble of moving the mouse back and forth adjusting sliders as is the case with conventional beat makers making it easier to edit.
- Video Editing: It is especially valuable for video editing in the applications like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro as an adjusting tool. It let the editors to skim along the timeline with relative agility, to fine tune a scene by cutting it where they want, to control the audio levels independently. Each dial and button can be assigned a different function, and thus everything can be done with the help of keyboard and mouse is never needed by the editor.
- Music Production: For musicians and producers it’s a superior physical way of controlling level volumes, effects and tracks in Ableton Live or Logic Pro. The dials can be used for varying the level of +/- individual track or panning and the touch buttons – triggering loops, samples, or effects.
Minimizing the time spent with the mouse clickers and sliders, the Loupedeck CT directs the users to the creative side. Actions which would require a few clicks are performed within a turn of a dial, or a push of a button, which saves ample time for editing.
Challenges with Customization
On a positive note, Loupedeck CT permits a lot of modification and adjusting its functionality to one’s desire – however, doing this takes a lot of time. While the software can be very advantageous, the user interface is rather complex especially to those who are new to the software. If you want to create new profiles from scratch or if you want to customise any of the existing profiles then you have to have a fair amount of understanding of how this software works and how to assign Loupedeck buttons and dial functions.
For instance, while configuring the custom profile Lightroom, some challenges were experienced while mapping the jog wheel to rotate the images on default. Thankfully, there was some support through the software which was not very helpful but it did take more time than planned.
Furthermore, although Loupedeck CT plays nicely with a plethora of essential creative programs, not all such programs are created equal in Loupedeck CT’s opinion. Namely, there can be limited customization particularly if the software in question is not very commonly used or is used for particular kinds of tasks, and the software does not have great and intricate keyboard shortcuts.
Price and Competitors
Priced at approximately $549, the Loupedeck CT is rather an expensive accessory, which might be too precious for casual users, but indispensable for active photographers and designers or any workers whose primary duty is color correction. On the other hand, a student who uses majority of his or her time on creative software will find that the amount of time saved can easily offset the price of the software.
As much as that is the case, there is competition that the Loupedeck CT will have to contend with. It should also be noted that there are other devices available for cheaper on the market such as the Elgato Stream Deck XL and the TourBox. Of course they do not have the same touch and interactive feel as the Loupedeck CT knobs and buttons but for budget constrained users they also still enhance the workflow.
For those who require a bit of both, there is the Loupedeck+ which is available at around $249 and although many of the dials and buttons are similar to those found in the Loupedeck CT the former lacks in the number of dials and buttons.
Final Verdict: Is the Loupedeck CT Worth It?
The Loupedeck CT is an undoubtedly great tool and it was specifically created for illustrators and designers. This is one of the best set-ups I’ve used where there are physical knobs and buttons coupled with a touch screen thus achieving a good balance of tactile and control. If you are a photographer, videographer, musician, or designer, that spends a large part of your working day in front of creative software, the Loupedeck CT may well provide a measurable improvement in your efficiency.
However, there are numerous disadvantages with this device; first, the device is relatively hard to master and is pricey for ordinary users. Furthermore, Even though Loupedeck CT supports a variety of applications, not all the applications are supported in the same manner With time, customizing the functionalities of the Loupedeck CT can be tiresome.
If you spend your working day in Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro, or Ableton Live and you’re searching for a way to save time, then the Loupedeck CT must be on your wish list. But if you are simple user, or if you have limited amount of money to spend, then there are options, which are more to your taste.
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