[ddots-l] Re: cake-talking and laptop
- From: "Gordon Kent" <dbmusic@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2008 02:24:40 -0400
Well, one good thing is that with ct 6 and 7, we don't use the num pad to go to
different columns any more, but if you want to go to a specific track by number
you would still need a num pad. Some enxternal key pads work and some don't.
If you just want a keypad, avoid getting one that has a calculator function
because that really won't work with jaws at all. All and all, you are better
off getting a full usb keyboard. You might want to consider getting a wireless
one.
Gord
----- Original Message -----
From: Tina E
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 7:06 AM
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: cake-talking and laptop
Hi there to all,
I'm also using a laptop with Sonar and CT7, and here are a few pointers if
you want to use the laptop's built-in keyboard, as opposed to dragging another
keypad or QWERTY keyboard along if you're going somewhere with it. As I was
taking a bus to class this past semester, and using my cane in my right hand,
bringing small computer bag, tote bag, and either guitar or flutes, I figured
the less stuff I had to carry, the better!
Granted, for Sonar and CT, for anything being performed live, by all means,
please disregard the rest of this post and go get an external typing keyboard!
Otherwise, if time is not as critical a factor, using the num pad emulation
makes things a little awkward at times, since unless you have a really long
right thumb, or above average dexterity, you really need both hands to emulate
the key pad comfortably. If you're wanting to quickly and frequently shift a
lot between the music keyboard and the typing keyboard, you might want a couple
extra measures of starting clicks while recording. Well, I suppose there are
always tradeoffs somewhere, eh?
So, if you've read this far, and are really interested in knowing how to
access the keypad keys with your laptop keyboard, here you go:
Not to be confused with the F1 through F12 function keys typically across the
very top of the typing keyboard, the key you'll want to locate first and
foremost is usually labeled as the FN (function) key (usually in the bottom
lefthand corner of the laptop keyboard, somewhere down by the Control,
LeftWindows, and Alt keys.
This will help you when emulating num pad keys with the right hand.
I don't know about *all* laptops, but the ones I've worked with have the m as
Insert, jkl as 123/end/down arrow/page down keys, u i o as 456 or left arrow, 5
key, and right arrow, and then 789 work as the 789 or home/up arrow/page up
keys.
With the numlock turned off, for instance, say you want to do an Insert key
pad 1, the command to decrease a value just a tad. You'd press and hold down
the FN key with your left thumb, and then use your right thumb tip to press and
gently hold the m/Insert. Then, you'd use your right index finger to tap the J
for 1. It actually sounds a lot more complicated written out here than it
typically is in reality. Plus, one slight advantage here is that you don't
need to lift your right hand from the typing keyboard.
As for the num pad plus and minus keys, and the slash and star for clicking,
laptops seem to vary just slightly depending on the make and model, but they'd
generally be mapped to the slash, semi colon, p, and 0 keys, in some particular
order.
For example, my keys on this HP are
FN with numbers row 0 does the left click;
FN with p does the right click;
FN with semi colon turns on the Jaws cursor;
FN with slash turns on the PC cursor.
If you at times need one-hand access to the number pad keys, there's usually
a way, (something like FN with the numlock key for instance), to tell the
computer to toggle those righthand embedded keys and have them act like the num
pad keys, as opposed to the usual typing keys.
The middle section keys referred to in the CT documentation, are the arrows,
typically in the bottom righthand corner of the laptop keyboard, along with the
traditional six-pack keys going up the righthand side for the home, end, page
up and page down. The middle insert and delete keys are usually at the very
upper righthand corner, or might be down at the bottom and to the right of the
space bar, depending on where the Start menu/left windows, and
application/right window keys have been placed.
If you have questions, feel free to ask either on or off-list, and I'll do my
best to help you sort things out, if you want to learn to run things from your
laptop keyboard alone, without an external keypad or typing keyboard.
As a side note, I could definitely see how an external keypad would be cool,
particularly since it could be moved away from the laptop, more toward the
music keyboard. Just a thought or few, anyway.
Hope this is helpful to someone somewhere out there, *smile*
Tina Ektermanis
Greeley, Colorado, USA
Please feel free to visit my blog,
Tina's Virtual BackPack:
http://tvbp.wordpress.com
tina-e@xxxxxxxxx
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