MANUFACTURER: Editors Keys
PRODUCT: Avid Media Composer Dedicated PC Keyboard
PRICE: $129.99
WEBSITE: www.editorskeys.com
I first heard about this keyboard as a Kickstarter-funded venture and it seemed pretty cool. Editors Keys is a company dedicated to providing quality keyboards for a lot of different editing platforms, but their claim is that this is the first backlit keyboard for Avid.
If you're like me, you keep your edit room dark, but not black, and having a lit keyboard in that environment not only makes sense but can increase productivity. Not to mention, it adds to the sexiness of a most otherwise bland edit room.
The first thing I noticed was the cool packaging it came in — a black, magnetically-latched box with foam inserts for the keyboard. Very slick! (There a movie from the '60's — The Hustler — with Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason as pool sharks. Gleason, as Minnesota Fats, would come into the pool hall with his cue in a slick box, sort of like this.) I can see coming into the edit facility with my black box and sexy keyboard — yowza! All I ask is that they might add a more secure locking mechanism on the case (Velcro would do) and possibly a small handle for those who want to take it with them.
The keyboard itself is pretty slick too — shiny black with color-coded keys. Not quite as hefty as I'd like, but fine and solid. (I understand future iterations of this will have more weight.) It has Chicklet-style keys. They have a solid, tactile feel with extrusions on the F, J and 5 keys for touch positioning.
The backlight is turned on with a push of the scroll lock key. A cool light-blue light evenly permeates through the keys. Personally, I'd like to see a bit less light bleed-through along the edge of the keys, but that’s a very minor consideration and it has more to do with my positioning. That goes away the closer you are to being above the keyboard. While not implemented on my version, I am told that future versions will have adjustable light brightness via the keyboard.
Typing action is solid and definite. It's not loud and is very responsive. There are pull-out levelers on the bottom of the keyboard that allow some tilt. I'd also like to see USB ports, but I know not everybody agrees. All that aside, I quickly became comfortable with the feel of this keyboard and can see using it on the long haul.
Editors Keys claims you can edit faster on this keyboard? I’m not sure about that, but you sure can edit cooler. Turn down the lights and put on the disco music — you have your own light show. It’s absolutely worth a look.