What are your favorite key binds to use?

[Mike Fournier]

Hi Lachlan,

I would say it depends on the job; I have two similar keyboard shortcut layouts I swap between, depending on whether I am doing VFX or AE work.

You definitely want to become familiar with the alternate functions for marking/navigation when holding down ALT, which can save some headaches while you are getting used to the way patching works.

I also have Add Edit, gang source/record, and Extend edit mapped in, since I use those a lot. And if you’re doing a lot of string outs or bulk edits, turn on edit from bin (which isn’t a keyboard shortcut and you didn’t ask for advice, sorry).

[Glenn Sakatch]

I’ve been on Avid since 1995, and have had many practicum students come through my facilities.

My number one rule to all of them is “learn how to map your keyboard” and “store your keyboard mapping in the cloud, so it is easy to transfer around.”

My most frequently used buttons are F8 (add edit), F7 (match frame) and F6 (Find bin). These 3 get used constantly. My “magic” button is the esc button, which I have mapped to the Overwrite command. My rational has always been, it is arguably the easiest button to find on the keyboard, and can be pressed without ever looking down at the keyboard, so you can perform an edit without taking your eyes off the screen. I’ve had that mapped for at least 20 years, and will never go back.

Other than that, i have 3 stream decks wired up with pretty much every function i could ever need on them. My stream decks travel with me, and i’m lost without them.