SoundFlow vs. Keyboard Maestro for Pro Tools
Hi there,
I'm completely new to SoundFlow but I'm interested in using it to replace all the custom key commands and macros I've built in keyboard maestro for Pro Tools. Is anyone here in the forum in a similar situation? Is there anyone that used to use KM and now uses SoundFlow instead? Can you outline the key advantages of SoundFlow over KM for me please? I'd be looking to use this in a music (non-post) based context.
As an aside, has anyone built a session organiser using SoundFlow? As in something that will auto colour and vertically organise tracks based on key words in the track names?
I'm very interested in SoundFlow but just very new! I've downloaded the demo and I'm about to get stuck in but wanted to hear from anyone that's a bit further down the road than me and is having success!
Thanks in advance!
Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2019-09-05 16:43:33.382ZHi @Graham_Archer!
I think you're in a very common situation, we have lots of users who have migrated either completely or partially from KM or are in the process of doing so.
A session organizer sounds like a great idea, I don't think that one has been built yet though.
I'd be happy to list you some reasons or scenarios where SF outperforms KM - but today is launch day so we're busy with our event in Hollywood. Feel free to ping me in this thread in a couple of days if I haven't answered by then.
If you get stuck please ask a question in here for every time you have a concrete thing you don't know what to do - we're here to help :)- GGraham Archer @Graham_Archer
Hey Christian,
That sounds great - I'd love to hear your list when you have a moment please!
Many thanks,
Graham
Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2019-09-10 21:46:11.441ZHi @Graham_Archer.
In short KM and SF have some overlapping features, so lets start there. KM has a long history of allowing people to develop macros via a drag and drop editor. SoundFlow just recently added this. This means KM has some advantages in making scripting-like things in visual macros, where in SF you can do more simple logic inside of macros, but the actions themselves are much more deeply integrated in Pro Tools. In SF you also have the ability to use Javascript, which adds the ability to develop very complex scripts.
In KM if you want to automate Pro Tools, you'd have to develop the combination of mouse clicks and keyboard actions themselves, in SF you get several hundred built in actions that deeply integrate with Pro Tools, which means we took care of all that for you.This was if you look purely at simple automation.
What SoundFlow offers on top of this is - among other things:
- The SoundFlow store. Add packages of commands/macros/decks/surfaces that other users built directly inside the app, or publish your own.
- Stream Deck integration - use our Deck designer to design your own decks for Stream Deck
- All your settings are synced with the cloud so you have access to them at any time from any computer running SoundFlow
- A surface designer - build your own touchable surfaces inside SoundFlow, or develop entire apps
- A bunch of apps that we already built for you (check out the Store)
...and so many other things.
But really as you start using it, you'll notice they are very different apps and that the overlap is relatively minor. SoundFlow is an entire workflow platform, so our automation part is just a piece of the puzzle.
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2019-09-10 21:47:15.482Z
I know @dramaticaudio is in the process of converting his KM macros.
Ron Aston @Ron_AstonI’m very committed to SoundFlow3 now and I’ve just picked up 2 StreamDeck XLs. I’ve converted 99% of my KM macros into SF3 and I’m loving how this is working so far. My plan is to replace my HotKey Matrix with the 2 new SD XLs. So far this is working out great!
SF3 really changed everything for me compared to previous SF releases. You’ve created a brilliant monster, Christian! I personally like working with SF3 for creating most Pro Tools related macros much more now than KM now.
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2019-09-14 21:44:14.508Z
You're too sweet @Ron_Aston! Haha loving this :)
- Ron Aston @Ron_Aston
Me too! SF3 is a whole new ballgame for us 'less geeky' types. The more I discover, the more I'm blown away with how well laid out and intuitive SF3 is.
- MIn reply toGraham_Archer⬆:Martin Pavey @Martin_Pavey
I've been using SoundFlow for only a few days now and have already managed to transfer most of my KM shortcuts and macros, with some help from Christian of course.
It seems to me that SoundFlow can do things that are not possible to easily program in KM, if at all and because Christian is so brilliant with support, I've managed to build 2 macros I've been unable to get working for years.
I'd say 'Notes' is worth the price of admission on its own, allowing you to create and use multiple marker sets in Pro Tools.
But the biggest plus is that Christian is a Pro Tools user,Composer, Sound Designer and Mixer and understands what is we are hoping to get the program to do.
Having said all that, I found the method of creating shortcuts and transferring them to scripts can be slightly clunky when compared to KM and learning to write shortcuts directly in scripts is a bit daunting.
However the integration with StreamDeck is way better than KM, so if you have one of those baby's its a no brainer!
I hope this helps you to decide. Its quite a lot of work to transfer all your shortcuts, but personally I feel its the way to go for me.- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2019-09-10 21:56:58.278Z
Thank you @Martin_Pavey! Appreciate it.
- In reply toMartin_Pavey⬆:DJamey Scott @dramaticaudio
I'll add that if you're the type of person that needs to jump on different systems, it's great having all of your macros and triggers set up in the cloud so that you can just log into Soundflow and everything is right there, as it was on your primary system. I work at various stages around hollywood and take around a boot drive with me so that I can just boot up off of my system so that I don't have to spend an hour setting up all of my stuff, but that's definitely changing with soundflow. I've converted most of my KM scripts to SF now. It took a day and there are still some stragglers that I haven't quite figured out how to convert, but it'll happen. I also used to set up the MacOS Keyboard shortcuts for accessing menu items and audiosuites but those are all converted to SF/Streamdeck. I just love it.
- MMartin Pavey @Martin_Pavey
Hi Jamey,
I move around to different theatres a lot too over in the UK.
How do you get around having to have internet access to run Soundflow?
That's the one thing that worries me.
In all other respects Soundflow with Streamdeck is far better than my KM setup.
Personally, I'll still keep my KM shortcuts handy for a situation where I wasn't allowed access to the internet.
Thoughts?- DJamey Scott @dramaticaudio
Martin- I haven't run into that where I haven't had internet access on my stage machine because I work with a supervisor that brings his rig to the stages for me to work on and it's somehow always magically had access. My initial thing that I would try though is tethering the system to my phone and grabbing everything, then disconnecting. Though if it has to be a continual connection, that wouldn't work. I don't know if it has to or not.
- GGraham Archer @Graham_Archer
Hey,
This worries me too! @chrscheuer is there a way to enable SF commands to work whilst offline? I understand that you wouldn't be able to edit them as everything is stored in the cloud but would it be possible to have the last used profile available offline or something similar? I"m just thinking to working on planes and in areas with limited / no wifi.
I just did a test and once I had connected to the internet and connected to the SF cloud, I then disconnected from the internet and the commands did still work. I also tried restarting Pro Tools and the commands still worked as well. But I did however need to connect to the internet in the first instance.- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2019-09-17 14:37:11.093Z
I just did a test and once I had connected to the internet and connected to the SF cloud, I then disconnected from the internet and the commands did still work. I also tried restarting Pro Tools and the commands still worked as well. But I did however need to connect to the internet in the first instance.
@Graham_Archer, this is the one supported scenario for offline right now. To log in while online, and then go offline. You could make this work in remote areas by sharing the cellular connection from your phone for example and then go offline.
For planes, you could just make sure to log in to your laptop while still on a connection that works and then just not do a reboot, but simply open up the lid when in mid-air, and it would still work.
For facilities where you need to work entirely offline, for example due to MPAA requirements we support that via the Facility edition, which is an enterprise grade solution that works entirely without internet connection.- GGraham Archer @Graham_Archer
Hey @chrscheuer is the Facility edition something a single user can pay for? I guess currently the onus is on me remembering to log in whilst online - with KM I didn't have to think about it. I just don't want to get caught out! Haha!
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2019-09-17 14:57:09.382Z
@Graham_Archer, no the Facility edition is likely out of the price range for individual users. I wish we could just offer a freelancer-mode offline version right now, but due to various strategic/business aspects it's not supported that way at the moment. We do however work with the workarounds as mentioned above, meaning it should cover almost all practical use cases.
Personally I don't find it to be any major issue in my own work, but I know that there are some corner areas that we simply don't support at the moment and that some may find it to be prohibitive.
- GIn reply toGraham_Archer⬆:Graham Archer @Graham_Archer
Hey,
I have a quick question as I'm trying to port my KM commands over. I see that the bundled SF Pro Tools commands for some of the menu shortcuts e.g. "Open I/O Setup" are written as scripts, but I've just made the same thing with the 'Click Menu Item' action and I just want to know, before I do loads of these, is there an advantage of doing this with a script over an action? Or is it exactly the same?
Thanks in advance!
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2019-09-12 01:34:35.721Z
The macro actions actually all translate to Javascript under the hood, so they have identical functionality in these simple cases.
I like to start with macro actions because they're easier to read and change, and then convert to scripts if I need complex logic. But yea, eventually they all end up as scripts, which then get executed by our automation engine. Performance is identical.
- GIn reply toGraham_Archer⬆:Graham Archer @Graham_Archer
Hey, I just wanted to check back in to say I'm really enjoying SF. I've got a lot to learn but I've got all my basic KM commands ported over and working. I'm going to need to delve into Javascript in order to get the more complex ones to work but all in all I can see it's going to be more powerful. Great job Christian!
- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2019-09-17 12:09:15.151Z
Thank you so much @Graham_Archer!
- LIn reply toGraham_Archer⬆:Luis Nill @Luis_Nill
Hi...I have used Quickeys in the past but have not upgraded for several years. Needless to say I am looking into a new Macro Program and could use some input on what you like or dislike about either program or if you use something else?
I know this is a matter of what you are used to and personal taste, but I am in the dark right now?- Christian Scheuer @chrscheuer2019-10-17 18:45:12.936Z
@Luis_Nill welcome to SoundFlow's forum and thank you for considering us. This thread was started by people coming from Keyboard Maestro (similar to Quickeys in some ways) who wanted to know what SoundFlow is like. I think most here agree it's a big step forward if you work with post production sound or film composition, or just generally in Pro Tools.
But why don't you try it out yourself? SoundFlow is free for the first 30 days - you can get a copy by going here: soundflow.org/download