DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I look at DPreview occasionally. I recently saw a thread on postprocessing using a midi controller. This is not something that has occurred to me and probably not something I'm interested in, but thought someone might find it interesting.

As I understand it, the midi controller is something used for editing music, maybe mixing different tracks. The controller is a board with a bunch of knobs and sliders. It appears to me that the controls can be used to adjust things in an editing program. The knobs and sliders are physical devices, not software controls so you move them with your fingers, not with your mouse/trackball/trackpad/pen. There's an app you download that connects the midi controller to Lightroom. Don't know if it is available for other editing programs.

Here's a video showing an example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PwhfMUDNX4

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Interesting find.

If anyone tries it (and spend the $$$) let us know your thoughts...

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

I do not have Ltrm but it was an interesting SiFi thought.
Here is a MIDI2LR set up tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSQl1txZOmc
another
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5pwbY3_-Ek

When I ask Mr Google Why?? I found this: "once you get accustomed to using physical controls to directly control an image’s parameters instead of fiddling with these virtual slides in Lightroom you’ll never want to go back."
https://petapixel.com/2019/01/26/using-a-midi-controller-with-lightroom-for-a-more-efficient-workflow/

To me this does not speak well of LtRoom as-is-controls. This reinforces my thought that Adobe addicts enjoy doing things the hard way... me... I use Paintshop Pro Ultra and my coral of Topaz plugins.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I use LR a lot and I use a trackball. Although the sliders are generally dragged by the mouse, some of them can be moved by the scroll wheel on my trackball when the control is selected. So without resorting to a midi controller I have a physical control I can use.

My trackball (Logitech ERGO) has a speed control that allows me to use finer movements of the trackball, making it easier to drag sliders more precisely.

Steve DeMott Loc: St. Louis, Missouri (Oakville area)

My Opinion, It's just another useless toy to plug in and screww things up.
I use Ligthroom, Photoshop, and Illustrator with a keyboard, mouse & Wacom tablet. With my left hand on the keyboard and right on the tablet or mouse I have become an expert at screwing things up. I don't need any more help.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Everyone has their own druthers. Personally, I really don't care for mice or trackpads, preferring my trackball which I have used since ancient days.

In fact I have a problem with my MacBook. The trackpad is right under the keyboard and I use the keyboard a lot. Every so often my palm touches the trackpad and the cursor jumps to a random position, which really screws up my input. I need a way to disable the trackpad, which only gets used when the trackball is out of reach.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Check under mouse options...
Usually, you can have it disabled/enabled automatically when using a mouse/trackball. The setting exists in windows, so on your Mac? I do not see why not.

I also prefer a trackball since the first Logitech marble trackball came out. It was bulky, boxy even clunky, but it did the job much better than a regular mouse that always run short of space... (I have a few new one sitting on a shelve, just in case... I would hate not having one or having to pay an arm and a leg... No firstborn)

Steve DeMott Loc: St. Louis, Missouri (Oakville area)

I tried a trackball many thousand moons ago and never could get the feel. The tablet is only a couple years old and I'm still on the fence on using this.