A Set of Shortcuts Designed Only For Use By Robots

OK, here’s an interesting group of shortcuts that allows you to play clips forward or backward in various speeds. If you hit CTRL F7, your clip plays normally. Hit CTRL F8 through CTRL F12 and your clip plays faster and faster with each successive CTRL F-key. That’s 6 forward speeds. Hit CTRL F6 and you go backwards at normal speed and similarly, you can go faster and faster backwards by using the lower CTRL F-key down through CTRL F2 (note that’s only 5 backwards speeds):

Now why on earth would anyone use these obscure and awkward shortcuts? Especially given the much easier functionality of the wondrous JK and L shortcuts (and the way that, if you tap J or L successively, you step through all available playback speeds). Who cares about these seemingly useless CTRL F shortcuts?

Well, robots do. That is to say, 3rd party devices like the Contour Shuttle Pro or other similar alternate input or control devices. These shortcuts are not really meant to be used by humans, but they provide a great way to program keys on such devices and, since these are standardized shortcuts that come stock with FCP, you can count on them to be present on any system into which you plug your 3rd party device (although you may need to download a driver for some of these helpers).

Now if you’ve read my general shortcuts rant, you know that I am generally not into the use of these devices, but I suppose there are always exceptions (like highly specialized dedicated workflow scenarios or for folks who might have some kind of difficulty accessing the JK and L keys comfortably). I generally oppose dependency on these kinds of devices because you will need to tote them around with you all the time and I submit that, once you get used to JK and L, these devices aren’t any better. The choice is yours but, if you do elect to use these devices, note that this set of shortcuts provide a great way to program the device easily.

NOTE: there is a similar set of “device oriented” shortcuts available for use with the 3-way color corrector and you can read all about it here.