Back in Logic version 2, you could enter your own key commands for nearly every function in the application. This led to a lot of confusion, but it was fun. Mac OS X allows users to add key commands to installed applications, but the process is a little inflexible, and system maintenance can easily erase your work. To address this problem, Keyboard Maestro has become a favorite tool of professional artists. Keyboard Maestro runs as a background process and takes almost no CPU power. I rely on it heavily while using Pro Tools. Here are some of my favorite custom commands:

command-r: Show/Hide Clip Name
option-d: Delete Fades
control-r: open Pitch 'n Time Pro

I’m in the middle of a project that has caused me to become an Izotope RX ninja. You can automate the process of getting from Pro Tools to RX and back:

shift-c (clicks on an open Audiosuite plug-in for RX Connect): RX Connect Send
shift-d (sends the audio back to Pro Tools, waits 0.5 seconds for the application switch, and then renders the audio by hitting the Audiosuite plug-in): RX Connect Render

This greatly speeds up insanely tedious tasks. Here’s a screenshot of my custom key commands. I regularly update these depending on what (tedious) task I’m doing:

All of this is no substitute for learning all the key commands that Pro Tools already has. So for a little bedtime reading, here’s the official shortcut guide. Be careful when adding commands, because if they overlap with existing commands, the computer might yell at you.