If you are someone who records music using a daw (Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, etc.), how well do you know your keyboard shortcuts? And how often do you use them? Keyboard shortcuts are an amazing, and often overlooked way to increase your efficiency in the studio.

I remember years back when I was first starting to record, I primarily used my mouse to find my way around and perform operations. I knew a small handful of basic shortcuts, and I thought I was doing a pretty good job, or at least as good as anyone else. And then I got a chance to visit an established studio and quickly realized how wrong I was...

The engineer at this studio seemed like he was moving at about 500 miles an hour. He was making all kinds of changes and getting things done left and right before I could even figure out what was going on. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t keep up with him. It left a huge impression on me and changed the way I approached recording.

The best way to learn the keyboard shortcuts for your programs is to go a little at a time. Maybe even just try learning 1 a day. In a month you’ll know 30. In 3 months, you’ll know almost 100. Learning these at a slow pace will also give you time to integrate using them in your recording sessions.

You can find keyboard shortcuts for your daw by searching for them in google. (ex. “pro tools keyboard shortcuts”). Also, please remember that your daw’s shortcuts may be different, depending on if you are using a mac or a pc.

Written by: Christopher Bright

Tags: daw, speed, christopher bright