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For this review I was asked to try out the Pro Tools quick key sticker set by Editors Keys. They're a company that makes keyboard solutions for Mac and PC keyboards to help remind you the quick keys for numerous programs. Some software programs they support include Adobe After Affects, Avid, Final Cut, Cubase and of course Pro Tools. They even have quick keys for the PC game "Quake"!!
Editors Keys boasts that their keyboard stickers are 100% fade resistant and waterproof. The UK based company offers the Pro Tools version for $16USD.
Digidesign does actually offer their own version of the sticker set for $15USD. They also offer both physical PC and Mac hardware keyboards, but for the price of $105-120USD each, many of us may opt for the much cheaper stickers that do pretty much the same thing. I owned the Digidesign version of these stickers back when I used an old G3 Macintosh with Pro Tools. The downside I found to these stickers were they started to peel off and tear. This is a problem I find with using stickers that get a lot of use and are made of a thin material. However, the Editors Keys I received in the mail seem to adhere to the keys very well and are supposed to obtain a permanant hold after an hour. They resemble the same colors as the Digi version does in accenting important keys that we use all the time (ie. Record, Insertion Follows Playback, etc).
The stickers are compatible with both Mac and PC including Windows laptops, iBooks and PowerBooks. They work with all recent versions of Pro Tools including version 7. Included with the package is a keyboard cleaning wipe (which mine needed) and a handy applicator. The stickers were pretty simple to attach and I'd strongly suggest using that included applicator, otherwise you'll be struggling trying to get the stickers to stick at the right angle.
If you don't stick it right the first time, they still retain their stickiness for a little bit for you to reattach them if needed. However, once you get them stuck all the way down they do become a little hard to remove, so don't firmly press it down until you are sure that's the place you want to leave it. Also, the keys arrive on the sticker board pretty much in order so be sure you pay attention to which stickers you're putting on which keys.
The stickers pretty much follow exactly what the Digidesign keyboards look like, however I find that both Digi and Editors Keys should have added a few more important stickers that I use all the time. Those include: the tilde key (~) for toggle control between the four different modes, the Tab key for tab to transient or tab to nearest region command, the QWERTY Enter key to return to the beginning of the timeline, the period key on the numeric pad for memory recall, and the space bar for transport play. Of course, I'm assuming none of these are considered true quick keys which is why they weren't added, but some people might like them. Also note that the quick keys don't really fuction properly unless you have Command Focus for the Edit Window turned on in Pro Tools.
Overall these stickers look rather professional and hopefully they hold to their claim of keeping a permanant bond to my keyboard. I know they'll at least teach me some old quick key tricks I had once known but have since forgotten.
You can order a set from http://www.editorskeys.com
Questions or comments, please e-mail me.
-B
Editors Keys for Pro Tools