Appliances Memorial Day SaleEnds 6/4.Shop now

Skip to content
Main Content

Customer Ratings & Reviews

Your price for this item is $199.99

Customer reviews

Rating 4.6 out of 5 stars with 45 reviews

Rating Filter

Rating by feature

  • Value

    Rating 4.3 out of 5 stars

  • Quality

    Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

  • Ease of Use

    Rating 4.1 out of 5 stars

Pros mentioned filter

Cons mentioned filter

93%would recommend to a friend

Customers are saying

Customers have good things to say about the MX Creative Console's customizability. They appreciate the ability to create unique templates for each software and customize the keys and dials to their liking. The console's functionality is also praised, with customers saying that it has improved their workflow and is a game-changer.

This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.

The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 45 reviews
  • Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Great device for Adobe users

    |
    |
    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I got this MX Creative Control after seeing a video about it online. The more I saw it, the more I thought this might help speed up my process. It has definitely made my photo editing a little faster and even more enjoyable. This is highly recommended.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      We're glad to hear the MX Creative Control is speeding up your workflow and making photo editing more enjoyable. Your feedback is valuable as we continue to refine our products for creative professionals Logitech

  • Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Highly recommended

    |
    |
    Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I love it, it really simplifies my workflow. Highly recommended

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      We're delighted that the MX Creative Console is streamlining your workflow. It's designed to provide intuitive control and seamless integration for creative professionals. We appreciate you sharing your positive experience! Logitech

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Adobe-Centric for now... room for more improvement

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I almost loved the Logitech - MX Creative Console, but it missed the mark. I switch daily between multiple work applications, including Teams, Zoom, Miro, and Figma. What I liked about the creative console was how quickly it recognized the different apps that I switched to, and if I created a "profile" for it through the Logi+ options app, it recognized the hotkeys that I programmed into it. I was even able to set specific hotkeys for programs that didn't already have preset profiles. Though it took a bit longer to program hotkeys for non-Adobe or out-of-the-box products, the flexibility to program any app is a plus. Fair warning - it is Adobe-heavy/centric (for now); with that said, if you use Adobe products heavily, it's perfect, as there are many hotkeys from which you can choose. However, for other apps, manual setup is required. It's not a deal breaker, but the UI of logi+ options makes it a bit cumbersome to manually program each shortcut. I wish there was an easier way to enter the hotkey in the field as you type instead of selecting it from specific dropdown menus; for example, instead of selecting the alphabet or special keys, just type it in and have it recognize the keys you want to program. The manual way works, but it is a bit cumbersome and takes a while to get it just right. Though, its still a bit early, I'll give it some time to roll out more profiles in the future. Another highlight is the dialpad which sets it apart from other similar creative consoles. While it's a nice touch, I wished there were more options than just programming the scroll to horizontal like zooming. The other keys on the dials are a nice addition, but with the main console, I found little use for it. Pros: + Easy to add as a new device in Logi Options+ + Simple setup process for Adobe and other supported programs + Customizable profiles for unsupported programs (outside of MS teams, and adobe) + Dial pad feature adds flexibility and more customizability + Bright, adjustable LCD screen (and optin to choose colors) Cons: - Limited number of available profiles - Manual programming in Logi Options+ is time-consuming - No option to customize icons for hotkeys - Dialpad is non-rechargeable - No zoom capability on dial Overall, the Logitech-MX Creative Console is a solid device for your day-to-day workflow, especially if you're already working heavily in the programs that they support out-of-the-box. I can't wait to see new features and additional profiles be released in the future.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      We appreciate your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console. Your insights into the strengths and limitations of the device are valuable. We'll continue to work on improving the software and expanding compatibility with the various applications to enhance the user experience. Thank you for choosing Logitech.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    The console I wish I had earlier

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Logitech MX Creative Console is a great tool that fits well into a creative workflow. Though I’m not a professional content creator, I often use FL Studio and turn to Adobe Premiere, Lightroom, and Photoshop for light video and photo editing. The console uses Logi Options+ to customize the keys and dials through pre-made profiles Logitech calls “plugins”, primarily for Adobe products. Custom profiles can also be created for other programs/applications. While Logi Options+ works well where it needs to, it can still sometimes feel limited in small ways. Pros -LCD Display Keys. I love how it supports user-uploaded images (up to 150kb) with text overlays. -Many customization options: Each key, its text color, background color, icon color, and text and icon placement can be changed. It’s easy to swap keys around as well; just drag and drop and customize on the fly without the need for saves or program restarts. - 9 physical buttons on the Keypad: A maximum of 15 pages per profile can be added to each program, totalling over 100 keys not including the 4 other customizable buttons and 2 dials on the Dialpad. -The ‘search action’ bar which allows for the searching of program functions (things like crop, select, clone, etc.) for the existing Logi Options+ plugins. Sometimes I find functions that I didn’t even know existed. - Scrolling with varying speeds on the Dialpad is great. Modifiers such as Win, Ctrl, Shift, Alt can be added, which is convenient. It has 4 other customizable buttons. - I personally felt that making color/light adjustments in Premiere with the Dialpad (vs mouse) a pretty satisfying experience. -It comes with a stand. Cons -Dialpad uses 2 AAA batteries. -Keypad buttons feel too squishy and soft in my opinion. The Dialpad buttons feel much better in a click-ier kind of way and the dial itself has a metal-like feel. -Plastic housing can look and feel boring. -Limited plugins for now. -Can’t drag a key from one page to another, reordering keys is limited within one page (e.g., a key from page 2 can’t be dragged into page 1). -Can’t save user-created custom keys for later. For example, if I customize my “show desktop” key with a custom icon, text, color, etc., I have to recreate that entire key in Logi Options+ for another program. - While not a major issue, it’s a little inconvenient to match the look/colors of existing plugin keys from Logi Options+. For example, plugin keys on Adobe Premiere have a specific purple color scheme. If I wanted to get that exact look for a OS/system custom key (like my Alt+Arrow Left combo), I would need to copy the color hex codes from the original plugin key to my custom key for the background, icon, and text individually. -Using the Dialpad in Adobe Premiere’s Lumetri Color, the undo history feels somewhat random since it goes by the ‘recorded’ stops and not by the initial point it was at. For example, if the original point on ‘Color Temperature’ is +0.2 and I turn the dial at varying speeds to say, +0.9, undoing it would not go directly back to +0.2, but rather it stops at whatever increments it ‘felt’ like I had paused on, like +0.8, +0.7, then possibly a skip to +0.4. While it may be intentional, it means I should have memorized beforehand what the original point was or use the History panel to revert to the original point. This can also get tedious if I forget to toggle off the effect on the Keypad and I think I’m about to scroll on the timeline with the Dialpad. -When game .exes are added into a profile (games that cannot launch via Program File/exe and use launchers, in my case: Steam, Battle.net) the Keypad doesn’t detect the game. It would’ve been fun, but I don’t really think this was made for gaming anyway. -It would be nice to have an option to display notifications for when you toggle an effect on or off from the Keypad like Logi Options+ does for the caps lock, num lock, etc. The cons are just minor things and limitations I noticed as a light Adobe user. Overall, in my opinion, the MX Creative Console is a smooth experience and works the way I want it to without feeling clunky, overly bloated, or buggy. I think it's an excellent choice for creators wanting to combine their most used actions into a single device.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your incredibly detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We truly appreciate your insights into both the strengths and limitations of the product. Your feedback on customization options, software improvements, and future plugin development is valuable as we continue to refine the MX Creative Console and enhance the creative workflow experience.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Powerful Platform if you're all-in with Adobe

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Logitech - MX Creative Console is a powerful 2-piece human interface, hardware system. Starting off with the build quality and initial setup, I would say that the both the jog wheel and button platform feel like & present visually as quality bits of kit. The jog wheel unit could have benefited for a bit more heft or weight but it feels solid enough. Likewise for the button module until you use the included "prop up" stand which gives that module more of a "planted" feel on the desk surface. Getting the two pieces connected up and recognized by the operating system (Win 11 Pro) is truly quick and painless. Something that might be of interest to some people is the fact that the jog wheel module is not hard-wire dependent upon the button module. That is because the jog wheel module connects via Bluetooth and can also be paired up to three separate devices. I like the fact that clutter is eliminated by way of not having a cable running between the two pieces. This also allows the user to turn off the jog wheel module for more pedestrian, day-to-day activities and to save battery life. It also lets the jog wheel module become a "floater" so-to-speak and be carried off or whatever, and used with an entirely different device. To finish up on the the over all build quality of the Logitech - MX Creative Console, all of the buttons and rotating bits feel like they are designed well. My only gripe is that the large jog dial itself is super smooth and could have benefited from having some compliant rubber-type material added as an outer ring or entire cover... or at the very least, some kind of stamped or inherent texture to it. The button module illumination gets plenty bright and is adjustable - with great linear range. Another aspect to the graphical buttons I dislike is the fact that on a Windows based installation, icons displayed are not scalable in the Options+ software. This makes for somewhat fuzzy looking graphical representation of the icons compared to the grayscale only display options or the highly optimized Adobe icons that are available as part of the Console's obvious intent to be an "Adobe" skewed & optimized platform. More on that later... Log Options+ is the application used to control, configure and update the Logitech - MX Creative Console. It is a well laid out application and organized in a logical fashion. The firmware updating process went smoothly & very fast. So now on to the usage scenarios. One can only hope that more & more third party applications have the interest and the wherewithal to jump aboard a platform like this. As mentioned earlier, the MX Creative Console is extremely skewed towards the Adobe ecosystem of applications and obtaining downloads from the Logi Marketplace is narrowly focused on that relationship. Beyond the all the usual suspect Adobe content creation apps, the only other highlighted apps on the packaging is Microsoft Teams; Zoom; Spotify and Apple Music. I think this is where the value proposition of this platform really begins to fall short. Certainly, the MX Creative Console is manually programmable across all the actual input buttons & dials and seasoned veterans that love programming macro functions and work-flow sequences/routines can have at it with the flexibility this hardware offers, but more automation across many more use cases should have been considered by Logitech in advance of releasing this. Beyond Acrobat, I am not much of an Adobe fan and use Vegas Pro & Soundforge Pro as two essential parts of my content creation application suite. I honestly do not envision the Logitech Marketplace catering to either of those any time soon.. or ever. That makes programming the MX Creative Console for my usage case far from automated and more cumbersome. Moving on, some obvious advantages to Gamers can be gained with the MX Creative Console too. If you're like me have keyboards absent of any media keys and dials, then this kit is your ticket to having the best of both worlds. 75%ers and below can now rejoice! All in all I like the ability to make mouse pointing to button clicks more efficient with assignable buttons, so this MX Console is very useful. It can make for less cluttered Windows task bars or iOS launch pads too, if one so desires. But I can't stop going back to seeing this as just another platform, highly skewed to a particular ecosystem of applications in terms of the ease-of-use, plugin arena. Companies need to come up with better solutions to get application functionality better integrated - even it requires their own automated tool(s) to do so. Pros: Sleek, compact design No tethering between the two modules Great layout Good Logi Options+ software aesthetic and firmware support, etc The button panel has good brightness range and linear control all the way down to off Programming text into the buttons looks crisp Cons: Icon scaling within the programmable buttons is sorely missing Icons pulled in from Windows look fuzzy and truncated The big job dial needs some grip, texture or something Not a fan at all with primarily Adobe-world skewed products 4 stars because they should have named this the "Adobe MX Creative Console".

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    A must for Adobe users

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    If you’re a user of Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Premiere Pro, Illustrator and Audition, this is what you need! It can save you some time and make editing easier. However, I think that you will need to customize the function buttons and dial pad beyond the default profiles to get the most out of it. Not a user of the aforementioned apps? You can set it up to control many Windows functions and it does support some other apps too. I’m not a Mac user, but I would assume the same goes for Macs in that area. As for Affinity suite, Resolve and other popular editing software, there are profiles listed for them, however, they are empty. I’m assuming that’s going to change in the future. At least I hope so, as I use Affinity too. The keypad connects via USB and is powered by your computer. A USB C to C cable is included. There’s also a stand for the keypad, giving you the option to have it lying flat or standing up at a high angle. The dial is powered by two AAA batteries that are included and pre-installed. If you are already using any Logitech products that use the Logi Options+ app, then the Creative Console is pretty much plug and play as far as the app finding the new hardware. Getting it setup and customized to your liking will take a little time to do. The knob on the dial pad is metal, rotates very smoothly and has no play in it. It has a premium feel to it. Same for the buttons that surround it. They have a nice tactile feel and soft click to them. However, they don’t have much travel. Maybe 1.25 mm at the most. I wish they had a little more travel. The roller at the top right also has a very solid feel. It has ridges that go across it to improve traction with your finger, and it’s made in such a way as to be able to be cleaned when needed. No rubber on it to get sticky or dry rot over time. An indention for a finger would be a nice addition to the top of the knob. Most of the time the roller is used for scrolling or zooming in and out, however, you can assign it other functions as well. You can also set the step resolution of the dial and roller. Although this isn’t that easy to find in the Options+ app, but it’s there. The keypad is plastic and has nine transparent buttons over the top of a color LCD screen. I don’t know the resolution, but it looks pretty clean and easy to read the small text it displays. These buttons have a unique feel to them and I’d say about 3 to 3.5 mm of travel. There are also two Page buttons below it. They feel like the dial pad’s buttons and switch between the function button pages. They are not assignable. You can assign a function to each keypad button and you can have up to 15 pages per profile. The keypad has rubber rail shaped feet on the bottom the grip well to keep it from sliding around on your desk when you use it. So does the dial. The entire bottom of the stand has a rubber foot. For how I use LRC, I go down the list of setting white balance, then the slider list of adjusting exposure, contrast, highlights, ECT as needed. What I did was set up the pad to each of those functions in preferred order, so that I hit the button and I get the knob to do the adjustment. While it might seem silly to some, it can be pretty handy if you’re working with a very large screen. Less time moving the mouse across the screen to get to the slider you want to use. On a small screen, think a laptop being used on location as opposed to your studio, where even small movements can make a large change in the value of the parameter that you’re adjusting because everything is so small on the screen. I also customized my keypad setup for Ps for the tools I use the most and in a way that it makes the most use of the dial. I think that getting the most use out of the dial is what can really speed up your workflow. I have followed Photoshop guru, PIXIMPERFECT, on YouTube for several years, He posted a short video that goes over the MX Creative Console. He doesn’t dive into detail on setup and such, but gives a good idea of what all it will do. I can’t include a link, but you can look him up on YT. He talks about and shows things, like using macros and some custom stuff that I didn’t get into because I’m not sure how you do it. I looked. This is where I think the documentation could be better. Or, maybe I just overlooked it... Pros: Dynamic setting will switch the console’s functions to whatever app you are using. So, if you’re bouncing back and forth between Ps and LRC, it will keep right up with you. Comes with Adobe Pr, LRC and Lr profiles ready to use and modify to your liking. Other profiles, including for more Adobe apps, available in the Options+ Marketplace section. You can make all the profiles you want for supported apps. Cons: When in Ps and in camera RAW. using the dial, anything on it, grays out adjustment panel and the device does nothing. Not enough support, yet, for other popular apps. Support for Capture One is only available for Mac users. The instructions and documentation on using the set could be better. Some things, like connecting and setup, are explained well, while others are not explained as well, which left me figuring out some things by trial and error. Even though Options+ shows certain app icons, such as Affinity Photo, it’s not “yet” supported and you can’t create a profile for it the same way you can for Ps. The app’s functions are not there to select. Conclusion: To repeat the title, if you’re and Adobe user, this is a must. Even if you just use Ps and LRC. The product is made very well and there’s a lot you can do with it. I’m hoping they will add more app profiles in the future. A solid recommendation even with a few shortcomings.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    The Creative Controller for Professionals!

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I’ve been using controllers for streaming and automation on my personal computers for years now, as they save time and simplify repetitive tasks like opening programs or changing settings for a stream. Not to mention controlling effects while streaming. But the one thing I’ve always wanted was a controller tool, but for work. Due to administrative restrictions, I’m limited by what applications I can install on my work laptop and most streaming focused software is excluded. But that is where Logitech comes in, as its software is allowed to support mouse and keyboards, and that also includes the new MX Create Controls! Pros: - Works with existing Logitech software, Logi Options+. - Simple guided setup. - Looks and feels professional. - Customizable per app. Cons: - Logi Options+ needs to be updated to work. - Needs more profiles such as Microsoft Suite, to work with Excel or Outlook. Setup: First off, you will need to update or install the latest version of Logi Options+ to get the MX Creative Controls to work, as without the updated software only the MX Dialpad will work but will not display in Logi Options+. Once the software is updated, everything connects, and a guided setup walks you through how each MX Create Control works along with how to customize each for your specific use. Customization: The customization options for both controls are amazing and completely customizable. Logitech created Profiles that store customizations for your MX Creative Controls, so you can switch the button mappings quickly without having to reprogram the devices manually. This will allow you to quickly swap between pre-set controls on different applications, which can be automatically controlled when you open the set application. The productivity gains are endless once you configure the controls for the applications you use the most. Logitech has set up a Profile Marketplace where they have pre-customized Profiles for specific Apps that can be downloaded and modified further. This is still in Beta, which means there are still in development features and only a small number of application Profiles currently available on the Marketplace, such as Adobe and OBS. I was looking for a Profile for Microsoft Suites, but only found an MS Teams Profile. I hope that Logitech opens up the Marketplace for User created profiles at some point in the future, to help build out the Marketplace options, as more options will be come available with more users and time to build the profiles. Using: The Keypad functioned as I would expect having used other controllers for streaming, with the 9 programable buttons customizable for both the action and visual image on the button. I did find that the resolution on the keypad was astounding, even the small text was very easy to read. With the navigational buttons, you can customize up to 15 pages of buttons, or 135 buttons. That is a lot of customization in such a small footprint, which I appreciate as desk space can be a limited commodity for many workers. The Dialpad was the surprising tool I didn’t know I needed for work. The combination of the large dial plus scroll wheel works in so many ways from photo shop to selecting options in drop downs. But what I used the most was navigating and using macros in Excel. I know, this seems pretty lame, and it is, but this little device easily shaved off hours of button pressing with how I could copy, paste, scroll both vertically and horizontally to a cell. It’s the little things that make the most impact when changed. Conclusion: If you’re a Content Creator or Professional who often does the same action multiple times, like copying and pasting across spreadsheets or adjusting brightness/color on a photo, and you’ve mostly used mouse and keyboard, then this might be the device for you to try. Even if you are not a streamer, this little device can make a huge difference in your setup, just the Dialpad can be one of your most used devices outside of a mouse. I’ll have a hard time if I must switch back and will be recommending Logitech’s MX Create Controls to my co-workers at the next opportunity.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great Tool for Video Editing and Beyond

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Video editing for most people is tedious work. Having good video editing hardware is a necessity to make it easier and get it done faster. The MX Creative Console is Logitech’s solution for that particular purpose. The device has enormous potential but right now it’s catered more to Adobe Creative Cloud users. Thankfully, the device comes with 3 months of creative cloud subscriptions, which would normally cost nearly the price of the device. Design and setup The product consists of a keypad and a Dialpad and they all feel solid. There’s a stand included to support the keypad upright. I’m not a fan of plastic buttons on the keypad but they’re not bad. The plastic buttons are illuminated really well, and texts are easily legible. Setup requires a bit more work. Logi Options + needs to be installed and in the said app there is a specific profile that needs to be activated before the device can be relevant as an editing tool in the Premiere Pro application. Even without activating specific profiles that cater to context-based application, the general profile is always active and useful as an extension and shortcuts of your keyboard. You can also customize and tweak the buttons further right from the app. Features and performance I tested the device in both PC and Mac and it works pretty well as a shortcut tool in either system. It’s quite clear that the device is geared more toward PC users, even more so, Adobe Premiere Pro users. Currently there’s no profile for Final Cut Pro. Even for PC users there’s no profile being made available for other video editing software such as DaVinci Resolve, no matter how hugely popular the software is. As a video editing tool for Adobe Premiere Pro, the device works well. Undo and redo changes in a clip are just within a click of button in the Dialpad, same goes for marking the clip in and out. The dial works smoothly, and context manipulation works to the speed of dialing. Button response is good and once you get the hang of it, accessing every shortcut will become second nature. The only thing is that the buttons on the Dialpad are without label and perhaps Logitech should have provided labels to make it easier for users to get used with the buttons. So yes, Logitech has largely been able to make video editing a bit easier. I just wish that Logitech would create a profile or plugin for Final Cut Pro. Not just for video editing, useful profiles and plugins already available on Logi Marketplace includes Zoom, Discord and a few streaming popular apps. Conclusion Logitech has been successful in creating video editing hardware with enormous potential for other use cases as well. Hopefully for Mac users there will be profiles or plugins for Final Cut Pro, as well. I can see that the MX Creative Console appeals to someone who use Adobe Premiere Pro a lot. Also, the device is useful for those who need dedicated buttons when using certain apps, such as Zoom, Discord, etc.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great productivity booster for different use cases

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Logitech has been making top notch peripherals for many years that just help you get more done - so it's no surprise that their entry into the "creative" programmable keypad/dialpad realms is sleek, well designed and just plain works. But it's not just for creative professionals (or hobbyists), it can help with any number of areas. First, the basics. You get two main pieces here. The first is a wireless "dialpad" controller for 4 programmable buttons, a vertical "roller" scroll wheel and the dial controller itself. The dialpad connects to up to 3 computers (switch between them with a button on the back) wirelessly using either Bluetooth or a (not included) Bolt USB-A dongle. The second is a programmable "keypad" with 9 primary buttons (each with their own mini screen to show you what the button is set up to do at the moment) and 2 "page" buttons. The keypad uses a USB-C to USB-C cable (since the mini screens use power, it wouldn't last long if it were wireless) and also comes with a stand to keep it at a nice viewing angle. Configuration is done via the latest version of the standard Logi Options+ software, but you need the newest version available as of this writing (released the week of 10/14/24) to do so. There are a number of "pre-built" setups for various applications - the Options+ software searches your computer for software it recognizes and suggests installing these setups so that whenever you active a compatible program, the keypad and dialpad automatically switch to the right configuration - or you can build and configure your own setups for both. The designed usage paradigm here is clearly for creative folks - you can say use the keypad to switch between commonly used tools in a drawing or photo editing program and then using the dial and roller on the dialpad to fine tune the size / etc. of the tool. This is a great use and a great way to use the set in tandem, but it's hardly the ONLY way to use it. Streamers will love having dedicated keys for various key functions to control their streams, anyone working with audio can use the dial to fine tune mixing or other analog functions and the like. But frankly as someone who works full time at home, I love the integration with Zoom. I spend about 30 hours a day on Zoom meetings (it seems) and the integration here is great - when I start a meeting / the Zoom window gets focus, the keypad changes to a set of Zoom function keys that I can use to control mic/screen share/etc. effortlessly. It's frankly brilliant and a great boost to my productivity. And that's just in the first week of using this - I'm sure I'll find more great ways to use it in the coming days and weeks! So if you could use a bit more productivity (or creativity) in your day, this Logitech setup is a great booster from a top tier brand. Give it a try today!

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 3 out of 5 stars

    Love the idea, but work is needed

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Here’s the thing with all these types of devices, it has to be useful enough to get my hands off the keyboard and be more useful than the keyboard. I think there’s potential for the MX Console to do that, but so far trying to set it up has been a headache and the premade layouts are not very useful for me. Let’s start at the beginning, I really enjoy the idea of these kinds of devices. Dials and wheels especially. Having the ability to color grade in resolve with color wheels vs a mouse is night and day for example. As a video editor and photographer, this tool sounded like a time saver that can help me create faster than ever. The reality so far though has not been so great. I had issues getting the required software to work at first, followed by setting up the adobe plugins only to find out the photoshop plugin was not working for some reason. I had to delete it off the MX board and install again, this time for some reason it worked. But you can imagine my frustration of being told I can simply plug n play with adobe software only to be hit with a bug right out the gate. But with that behind me, I was able to start testing and using the console. Obviously there’s a learning curve and learning to use the console instead of the keyboard or mouse for actions will take some getting used to. Remembering what button does what without looking down for example, would speed things up a lot. So besides the slowness of learning the keys, I still think it’s only useful in certain ways. Unfortunately, those ways are not the default layout that comes with the adobe plugins out of the box. When I downloaded the PS plugin, the first page included things like “save” and “move” “lasso” and other tools. Are they commonly used tools? Yes, but if my hand is already on the keyboard and I can just as easily hit V or M or cntrl T; commands my muscle memory has already learned, I don’t see the need of having them on page 1 of my photoshop settings. Of course, there’s no problem here because I can just customize the layout. But then I quickly learned I can not drag a button from page 1 to page 2. I also can’t change page 2 to page 1 and vice versa. I have to delete the button, then search for it, then add it. Ironic how the time saver tool has a very time consuming setup process. But whatever, look past it and customize all the buttons to tools and tasks I found useful for ME. Once it’s the way I like it, I shouldn’t have any issues. Only I did hit bugs, mainly that I would add a button and customize it to my liking, then decide I want to change the name a little maybe, only to have it not change and it seemed easier to delete and start over than try to fix it. But once I got the layout I liked, I could get to saving time. So I went to photoshop and started working on a graphic project I’ve done hundreds of times, this time trying to use the new console. I noticed right away trying to dial in a brush size or flow rate etc with the wheel was WAY too sensitive. So I went back to the app to try to find a sensitivity adjustment setting for the wheel, but I could not find one. The wheel spins so smoothly it’s a joy to use, but when you’re trying to fine tune a setting and it goes from 0 to 80 with the tiniest twist, it takes more time than it saves. I actually wish the wheel had a little more resistance to it, possibly even a “click” feeling or haptic feedback option. The scroll wheel on a mouse has a setting to adjust how much it scrolls and some have tension settings, this isn’t a new idea, it’s just not available here. My point is, there’s little quirks all along the way that I noticed and made my excitement go down the more I realized how the console was going to behave. Do I think this will eventually go away and once I learn how it works I’ll enjoy it more, yes. But time will tell on that. So after having mixed feeling about using the tool for photoshop and, I decided to make a custom profile for Resolve. I do like how you are able to make basically any app on your computer have a set of custom keys and controls, that’s a world of potential but also a world of time. Mostly I wanted to use the wheels and maybe the expanded wheel options for resolve. I have a stream deck that I have used in the past to try to add my favorite hotkeys to and I just tend to keep my hand on the keyboard more and use that, so I wasn’t too interested in hotkey buttons. BUT what I did like is using the wheel to scroll the timeline and, with a little setting changes, using the up down scroll wheel to zoom in and out of the timeline. I still felt the sensitivity was way too high but when I wanted to haul across a long timeline, I could just spin that wheel with a big spin and get right to the end. So what’s my point here? Do I like it or not? It’s sort of a toss up right now for me. I feel there is so so much potential here and with some tinkering and thought, you can use this for just about anything. But is it any different than any other keyable digital button box? Yes…if you use adobe a lot. But when it comes to customizing buttons, it’s not much different. Where it does differ, and I think this is a BIG point to make, is the second piece, the wheel pad. Having the option to push a key and then spin a wheel to dial something in is not something I have on other consoles and it was the main reason I was intrigued by this console. It’s also the main reason I’m not writing a negative review on it. I think as the community grows and people make and share their profiles (another handy feature) the MX console will become more and more useful and one would assume that soon Logitech will work out the bugs in the software and maybe add things like dial sensitivity or copy/paste buttons. That’s the good news, all or most of my complaints are fixable in updates. I don’t love seeing the common approach of “get it close enough to launch it sooner” vs having it work better and address these issues before release, but it’s 2024 and like it or not, that’s what the ones in charge like to do. So yes, I am frustrated with the bugs and quirks and less than easy ways to customize, BUT I do like that it is still an option to customize, it is still very much a flexible tool that can be made to work great with all sorts of types. I think the adobe partnership thing is a bit of a showy fluff to help sell it, but hey, most people will be perfectly happy with that so why not. If you’re like me and would rather just customize every button your way, maybe wait and see if they update the software or add more user friendly ways of making profiles. I would also like to see more officially integrated apps like davinci and spotify and VLC and even browsers like chrome, but if the community makes and shares these, then soon that won’t be a problem. It’s just really a 50 50 for me right now but I am confident that will trend upward vs down, so overall I still like this product, quirks and all.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Increase Workflow!

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The MX Creative Console is a fantastic addition to any setup geared for Content Creation. The two devices were lightweight and very minimal. The Creative Dial has a battery inside of it. The Dial is what I used more. I loved the ability to customize the dial with Davinci Resolve. Resolve Studio wasn't on the apps listed but you can still program it with the hotkeys. Making the editing process more efficient and smoother. Just being able to scroll the timeline with ease and not breaking the flow of concentration. I also enjoyed the Action Ring. It's the ability to customize an action wheel that pops up on your screen. You can do all sorts of customizing with this function. I used it to quickly launch certain apps. Next, you have the Creative Keypad. This device is also amazing. The best feature about this was the next/back button doesn't take up a button. The buttons feel decent. They feel mid-grade to me so I have no complaints. They work when pressed. The Creative Keypad gives ability to make working from home or creating content much faster, better, and fun. The level of customization should be a fan favorite with this. You are getting a great package here. For any Windows user, this can help increase workflow. Like, it helped with my video editing. This is a game changing package! I do wish the Dial had more grip on the bottom. It does slide around easily. Good Job Logitech for making a great creative or work from home essential package!

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Great devices for more efficient PC use!

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The MX Creative Console is a new set of input devices geared towards creative users but with possible use cases that could save time for anyone! Design The MX Creative Console includes two input devices that are made to be used together. The one is a "Keypad" with 9 very configurable buttons that each have an LCD display. It also has two additional buttons at the bottom left, below the other nine, that are used to change which "page" of buttons is displayed. The keypad also includes a stand. While you don't need to use the stand, I think it makes what's displayed on the buttons much to see. The other device is a "Dialpad" which has a roller control at the top right, two buttons at the top left (one is concave and the other is convex), and one button at each of the two bottom corners as well as a large dial control in the middle. Both devices have rounded corners and have just enough weight to them so they stay in place and don't feel cheap or have any flex to them. Logi Options+ You will need to install the free Logi Options+ app, if you don't already have it installed, to configure both the Keypad and the Dialpad. Installation is simple and it detects both the Keypad and Dialpad when they're connected to your PC. Once installed, it will walk you through some of the basic features of each device. The fun starts when you dig in and start to configure the Keypad and the Dial! You have a lot of power here! At least for me it is much more than I realized at first. You can create different profiles for applications that are specific to that application and the device (Keypad or Dialpad) will automatically re-configure itself to that profile when you switch to it. You can also install plugins from a Marketplace (everything seems to be free) that give you pre-defined features for the Keypad or the Dialpad. Two examples were for Microsoft Teams for Business and VLC - which both had integrations I was able to test and worked well! For Teams, after you install the plugin, it has a message that you need to enable the third-party app API. This was easy to do from the settings in Teams. At first I thought I didn't work because all of the integrations showed errors. It turned out I just needed to push a button assigned to a Teams function, Teams prompted and confirmed that I wanted to allow this the first time, and then it worked without issue. This isn't a Logitech issue but just a good security measure that Microsoft has in place for Teams. VLC didn't require anything to be enabled but the plugin didn't seem to work with the MS Store version of VLC. I uninstalled that, and then downloaded and installed the full Windows version and then installed the plugin and it worked perfectly. Right now there are not a ton of supported applications on the Marketplace but there are a bunch for creative design type apps. Really though, don't let that scare you. This is very configurable! I'll get into that a bit later. Keypad The keypad is USB-C connected. While there are 9 buttons, you can have up to 15 pages, with the buttons each configured differently on each page. Using the two buttons at the bottom you can page through each set, or "page" of screens/buttons. I didn't see an option to wrap around from the last page to the first page or vice-versa, but you can set buttons on any page to jump to any other page. It's also very easy to re-order pages in Options+, just click and drag the number of the page and move it to where you want. The screens are very good too! They're bright (with adjustable brightness) and they're full color! Some/many of the functions actually let use any picture you want. There is some file size or resolution limit but I just converted the ones I wanted to use to somewhere in the 150x150 to 200x200 range and that works great! I just used jpg files of some family pictures and I was very impressed! So yes, you can make some/many functions look any way you want. Another cool thing you can do is change the background or text color for many functions. I used this for VLC. A quick search on the web found that the orange VLC uses is hexadecimal code e85e00. Options plus lets you enter a hex code if you know it so I just put that in for the background color of my VLC commands and I now have the buttons color matched. Dialpad The Dialpad works great! For one, the battery life appears to be excellent, still showing 100% for me, so I don't expect to replace the two AAA batteries that it came with anytime soon. I think the roller and the dial both have a great feel to them. You can adjust the speed at which they both move whatever you're controlling with them. I love the fact that there are four buttons on there too. I've found the buttons work well for functions like undo, redo, play/pause, forward, and back, for instance. The bottom right buttons is configured by default to open the "Actions Ring". The Actions Ring is a circle of eight options that are all configurable. By default you'll see things like next and previous track, play, volume, and brightness. Volume and brightness can be change by hovering over and then then using the roller, dial, or your mouse wheel as well as clicking and dragging. You can assign really any functions to these buttons that you can to the Keypad, with the obvious difference of it will not have a display. I configured the Dialpad to zoom and pan left or right in Audacity, which I use for editing some large audio files. The Dialpad works very well for that for me. The cool thing is, when I switch to Audacity, it automatically switches the Dialpad to the settings for Audacity. When I switch back to other applications, it goes back to general normal vertical scrolling for the roller, for instance, in other applications. Some of the Features/Settings/Widgets/Actions There are way to many to tell you about all of them but I'll list some that I really like. - Clock, this buttons displays a live clock with seconds, press this and it launches the Windows Clock - Date, displays the date and the day of the week, press this and it launches the Windows Clock - Stopwatch, press this and it starts counting up right on the button, press again it pauses, press and hold to reset - Paste, This will enter up to 500 predefined characters - Windows Screenshot - Unformat Clipboard, if you're like me you copy and paste into Windows Notepad just to remove formatting on a regular basis. Now I don't need to do that! I can press this button to remove formatting of any text on the clipboard. - Mute toggle - Volume control, press this, the outside of it turns white and then you can use the dial on the Dialpad to change your system volume. Press the button again and it goes back to displaying the current volume setting. - You can Launch applications, some it will find the icons for, others it will not, you can use one of a number of icons the built-in "Library", put in text, and change the background color if you don't have an actual icon and still make it stand out. If it can't find the application you can point to any executable file. - Multi-Action Macro, I don't know the limits here but I had it open two apps and perform an unrelated action, it seems you can do anything you want in here - Keyboard input, it can capture keystrokes and then enter them - The roller and dial can have modifiers, like <CTRL> being held down while you use them for instance, I already had to use this and it worked great! - Windows Run for entering a command to be executed directly - Any page in Windows Settings, maybe not any but at least a lot, so I set one button that automatically launches Windows Display Settings Pictures I will include a few pictures showing the back of the Keypad while on the stand with the cord run through the holder in the back of the stand as well as a front view showing some of the Widgets I mentioned above and how I configured a few buttons with blue backgrounds. Summary I'm very impressed with the hardware and the software. They both need to be very good for everything to work together as it should and it's a great, well thought out package. It took me a while to really dig in and figure out options that were available and different ways they can be implemented. Again, you can have the Keypad or Dialpad automatically switch modes when you switch to an application, or you can just configure new buttons, or even add pages, for different applications. I do wish the widgets, like the clock and Stopwatch, were configurable so I could make the clock text size larger and maybe add a background color, for instance. I think I've found everything I was hoping it could do and more. It will be great as more plugins are added over time, but really, you can program it to do about any function it seems. I'm impressed with the buttons and the displays on the Keypad. I'm also very glad it never slides when I push buttons on it while it's on my desk - and I had it on a metal desk and fake wood desk, neither had issues sliding. It took some time to configure but I'm very happy with the results. If you like gadgets or you just like ways to reduce the time it takes to do repetitive tasks, I think you will be very happy with the MX Creative Console!

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Brilliant Tool For Adobe Users, Maybe Others Too

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I was smitten by Logitech’s MX Creative Console before even grasping its abilities. Having used it a few days now though, I can say it’s way deeper than its cool looks. It’s already become an indispensable tool, especially with with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, but also routine navigating around my Mac. My workflow is “forever” changed. Truly, the Creative Console is the ultimate shortcut tool. It’s reduced my need to use keyboard shortcuts, particular the longer ones that require two hands and is fun to use. Never thought I’d say that about an input device. But as amazing as I regard the Creative Console there is a “but” to consider before deciding whether to buy today or waiting to see how app profiles proliferate. These profiles convey a given app’s functionality to the Creative Console. This leads me to the “but.” I think most consumers prefer a “works out of the box,” experience over a setting up each button themselves scenario. I know I do. If you use the top Adobe software titles you are good to go. There are also integrations with services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Philips Hue. But, with most other software right now, the user will need to manually set app functions to the Creative Console with Options+ themselves. It’s not a difficult process, but it is a barrier to use. I expect the list of ready-made profiles to grow rapidly after the Creative Console’s launch, but it will really depend on how determined Logitech is to make the Creative Console a large-scale phenomenon vs a niche creative tool. So that is a risk if you don’t use Adobe apps. In spite of the small ready-to-go library of app profiles, I do think every computer user can make use of the Creative Console. But the value proposition is uneven, except for Adobe users, because of the additional set up work needed. Clearly Adobe users reap the biggest share of the productivity windfall here. So, if you are an Adobe user or content to build your own app profiles read on. THE HARDWARE The Creative Console concept condenses the majority of an apps menu and keyboard shortcuts to a single button press or dial twist. Its design can be appreciated by even the smartest shortcut savants but certainly us mere mortals who hunt in menu bars. While the Creative Console’s name is singular it contains two separate modules that complement each other, the Dialpad and Keypad. Both these components are light, compact, and, as noted, infinitely programmable to meet the user’s need. Every button, dial, and wheel can do what you want it to do within reason instead of what Logitech thinks it should do. They work as a team to make common computer tasks and workflows less tedious. The Dialpad, a more talented jog wheel, connects to a computer via Bluetooth and is powered by two AA batteries. Battery life is supposedly over a year, far more than what is possible if it had a rechargeable battery, but I have no way to authenticate this claim yet. Up to three different computers can be paired to it. Bluetooth automatically turns off after a period of non-use – one less thing to remember to do. It reconnects by touching any button or wheel. An up-down direction roller wheel and four buttons accompany the Dialpad’s jog wheel. The speed and direction of the dial and roller is user-customizable, but only universally, not app-specific, which is a disappointment, but this might be a Mac OS limitation. I also find the speed setting to be faster than expected. For example, with the dial speed set to 5% I’d assume scrolling though photos in Lightroom would be snail slow, yet it moves at pace great than I expect for such a low setting. One possible explanation is because the dial has no haptic feedback and has a loose feeling at every speed I’m having a perceptual disconnect. Regardless, I do think it’s a miss that the Dialpad has no haptic feedback for a more realistic feeling. The Keypad, true to its name, has nine color LED keys to enable a given app function with a single tap, a huge improvement over keyboard shortcuts or hovering and clicking on menus. Think of these nine buttons as a single “page” of functions for the active app. Theoretically you can add tens of pages for nearly unlimited functionality. Personally, I find two pages is perfect, with “forward,” and “backward navigation buttons below the keys to switch been them. Any more is counterproductive to me since it takes increasingly more time to flip through multiple pages. At that point using the keyboard or trackpad is faster. The Keypad, unlike the Dialpad, is not wireless and uses USB-C for both connection to the computer and power. I assume it’s not wireless for a good reason since cables are always a hassle. For everything the Keypad does to ease my workflow I’m not complaining. Logitech was clever to separate the dial and key punching functions. It not only maximizes the user placement options, but also makes it eminently portable and packable. I’m surprised Logitech doesn’t emphasize this portability better by shipping it in a custom carrycase. OPTIONS+ SOFTWARE The “smarts” of the MX Creative Console is fueled by Logitech’s Options+ software. It’s unpretentious but powerful, bringing the Creative Console user nearly unfettered customization. On a 1-10 scale of intuitiveness with 1 being “rocket scientist,” and 10 being “toddler,” I give it a 7 for the average non-tech-oriented user because there is a shade of confusion in what exactly to do. Logitech has “how to” video which I recommend watching before setup to face it like a boss. At set up Options+ configures the Creative Console functions for the OS and any installed apps that have available profiles. For me it loaded the profiles for Lightroom and Photoshop so that features such as masking and quick select, respectively, appear on the keypad when using those apps. But the user isn’t locked into anything here and I changed things around. Personalizing the keypad’s layout to match up your workflow is as simple as dragging the function to the desired key. In contrast, Adobe Bridge doesn’t have a ready-made profile yet like Lightroom and Photoshop. In cases like this you’ll have to create a profile. By example, I wanted a “reject” button for Bridge. I just dragged “Keyboard Shortcut” to the key I wanted to program and the Options+ guided me to title the key then type the shortcut. And done. Programming any function is that easy, though a tad tedious for an entire app. Options+ also offers an optional on-screen pop-up menu on the Dialpad called Action Rings. While it’s activated on the Dialpad it functions closer to the Keypad. It comes in handy with apps like Lightroom with lots of control panels. See my workflow for how I use this feature. As a heads up, installing and using Options+ requires giving it lots of permissions to control background OS functions, keyboard, etc. It’s always alarming when an apps asks for this kind of power, but Logitech and Options+ is well established and I have seen no reason to be concerned. This is just a small taste of the Options+ software. They key takeaway is that if you have to program an app profile you don’t need to be an experience coder. And if you want to personalize a pre-made profile that’s just as simple too. Once you’ve personalized your setup you can save it to a file for import by another computer so you can get right to work. WORKFLOW EXAMPLES If I haven’t been clear enough, the Creative Console is something that will have to be pried out of my cold dead hands. There’s a lot to love about it but first and foremost is that it’s not a one-trick pony that can only work with one app at a time. It works with any app it has a profile for and with the Mac OS too. It’s smart enough to know what I’m doing at every moment so the features for the app I’m using that second are available to me on the Keypad. So, say I want to play new Spotify playlist while I’m working in Photoshop. I click over to Spotify and Spotify’s functionality will now appear in the keypad and I can scroll with the Dialpad. I then go back to work in Photoshop and all its functions show in the Keypad function automatically. It’s 100% seamless and works as a universal input device but with app-specific precision. Another example, this time a sketch of my Lightroom workflow. Prior to using Creative Console I would arrow key through my flagged photos to find keepers to color correct. When I came upon one I liked I started a process of what felt like 1,000 clicks and trackpad gesturing. The entire process could easily take five or more minutes for one photo. Now, with the Creative Console, I don’t even have to stare at the menu. One button to start a radial gradient mask, while I use the Dialpad to quickly adjust mask size. Or one button press to mask the background and then open the Action Rings and use the dial to dial-in exposure or highlights without the keyboard or trackpad. If I need to magnify a photo a turn of the roller until I reach the level I’m seeking. Granted this is an oversimplification due to the word space limitations here, but, hopefully, you get the idea that it’s a quicker, more pleasant experience than using just keyboard shortcuts and a trackpad. I can easily edit a photo using the Creative Console in 2-3 minutes now saving me hours. In sum, if you use Adobe software, buy the Creative Console now. It will liberate you from your keyboard and edits will be faster and more enjoyable. If you don’t use Adobe apps but curious enough to be willing to configure app functionality yourself I think you’ll end up happy. On the other hand, if you prefer low configuration tech or ignore “settings” menus then definitely hold off for now.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    A relatively inexpensive workspace extension

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Anyone using software for extended periods of time will often discover keyboard shortcuts to speed up their workflow. However, as software advances, so to do the number of useful shortcuts and I have a limited capacity for remembering all of them. Especially since I use multiple pieces of software for any given project. It is not uncommon for me to jump between Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, Illustrator and Blender for a project. While some shortcuts are similar between all those pieces of software, many are not. And since each has their own strengths, it can be incredibly cumbersome to try and improve your workflow while trying to remember those shortcuts. This is where the Creative Console really earns its place. Giving the ability to set commonly used shortcuts to easily identifiable buttons on a conveniently placed peripheral can be very useful. A very simple example is opening panels in Premiere. Switching between them within the app is not difficult by any means, but having an option to bring up your Lumetri color panel with a quick button press is easy and time-saving. After spending some time with the Creative Console, I've been exploring all kinds of ways that I can leverage it to increase my workflow. - Hardware I'll start with the hardware itself. I have the "graphite" color, which compliments my setup very nicely. I already have a Logitech keyboard and mouse in the same color, so it fits in nicely with my setup. Both keypad and dial are fairly small in the space they consume, so they don't add much clutter to your desk. While I do wish both were Bluetooth, I understand the need of having the keypad connected via USB, as the battery life might be an issue with having a screen that is on at all times. Speaking of the screen on the keypad, it's clear and easy to read each button from a comfortable distance. The buttons on the keypad have nice travel, making it easy to know that you have pressed them. I haven't had any issues of pressing a button and being unsure if I had pressed it. It has been very reliable in all instances. The included stand for the keypad is also nice. Propping it up at a comfortable angle for use. I kind of wish the USB cable plug was routed to the bottom, but I imagine some will prefer having it at the top. I could see some just mounting this to a monitor, or maybe on their wall if their setup has them within reach. The dialpad has an equally nice build quality. The buttons have been accurate and responsive. The dial has a nice feel on rotation, as does the scroll wheel. Again, both being very responsive and feel high quality. The battery life has been estimated at 18 months, which is incredible. Obviously, I can't vouch for that just yet, but the dialpad does turn itself off when not in use, and "wakes" with a button press. - Software As you may guess, the software is what will make or break this type of device. Luckily, Logitech has done a great job of making the setup and customization very easy for both the keypad and dialpad. Initial setup was easy, and Logitech has profiles for each app that you can either download or make yourself. Common apps, such as Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects have some prebuilt profiles by Logitech. You can also set a sort of "generic" profile for when you're not using a specific app. This allows you to set quick shortcuts to typical desktop things, like taking a screenshot or opening apps. There are great starting points and are easy to customize to your tastes with drag and drop options. If there isn't an option for what you're looking for in that profile, you can create your own using a keyboard shortcut and drop that onto one of the keypad buttons. The dialpad setup is equally easy to setup. In fact, some of the profiles are built to use both the keypad and dialpad. For instance, in the Photoshop profile, there is a button to open the "Brush Group". This is almost like a folder of additional buttons. Pressing that option on the keypad will open a group of options for the brush, like size, rotation, etc. Pressing one of those options will allow you to use the dial to change its value. So, pressing the brush size button will allow you to control its size by rotating the dial. This is all pretty intuitive and fast. And could be an excellent workflow for those using a stylus. Since the buttons and controls are set using keyboard shortcuts, that is one downside that I came across. I would really like to have a dedicated button when using Photoshop to switch brushes. It would be super useful to be able to have quick access to each brush with an icon of that brush on the keypad. I couldn't find a way to do this. The closest I could get was creating a group of favorite brushes, then assigning a button to move back and forth between them. If this is something Logitech could add, that would be amazing. - Wrap-up Overall, this is an excellent first step. If Logitech could somehow dig deeper into some of the control options, this would be a must for all creatives. Specifically, things like assigning brushes to a button. The hardware is well-designed and easy to setup. It does seem like they're on to something here, if the software can integrate further. Pros: Great hardware, nice software, easy to setup, comfortable to use Cons: Some things don't seem possible, at least just yet, like assigning individual brushes to buttons.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Excellent Workflow Addition

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Great addition to the creative process with some quick launch features that will definitely change up my work flow for the better. Using my Wacom tablet is great for the creative process too, but even with the pen selecting the tiny buttons on screen for task changes is faster than switching over to the mouse, the DialPad and KeyPad definitely speed up the process! Not having to change tools in the process is also great and having dedicated undo/redo buttons is nice. Initial setup was very easy as my software was already up-to-date. Bluetooth immediately recognized the Dial Pad and the Keypad is USB-C so that too was immediately recognized. Most laptops have one, maybe two USB-C ports these days, so you may need to add a hub to your accessories list if you have other devices connected or your USB-C is powering an external monitor. Keypad cable is USB-C to USB-C, but possibly changing to a USB-C to USB-A cable would be an easier/cheaper solution, if needed? I mostly tested with Adobe software as it seems it is designed specifically for that. I had hoped Microsoft's ClipChamp video editor would have a plug-in available as it is a great editor for quick and easy tasks, but it does not. Browsing the Logi+ Marketplace shows there are other plug-ins available for various apps, but still this is mostly designed for Adobe Creative Cloud…hence the free 3-month subscription. I paired the MX Console with my Windows laptop so I cannot comment whether the Marketplace will have any specific Apple Software plugin’s available or not, but it appears the list is complete with the option to select for Windows OS and MacOS platforms. To access the Marketplace it takes a few clicks via the Logi+ software (note if you already are using Logitech products that utilize this software you must update to the last version in order for the software to recognize the Console), once in the software select the dial pad or button pad and click on the All Actions (4 square) button on the top right of the software and then the Marketplace button is at the bottom of the window. From there the list of plug-ins are listed in grid format. Selecting a plug-in to view the features available is nice, but it is not intuitive on how to get back, just select the Plugin tab at the top of the window. The plugins listed are specific for the device you first selected in the Logi+ software screen, so you have to jump back and forth between the devices to see what features are available. Launching an App from the KeyPad will then change the KeyPad and DialPad to use the preset or custom configuration for that App automatically…IF there is a plug-in fo the App. Again, the Creative Console heavily relies on Adobe Creative Cloud Apps for full functionality and unfortunately, the only way to see what plug-ins are available in the marketplace is to have the Logi+ software AND one of these devices connected. I took some screenshots so you can see what is available as of writing this review. I find it ironic that this step is quite involved and even hidden to a degree in this process. This doesn’t change my feelings and subsequently my review of the MX Creative Console, just serves to reinforce the idea already stated that these devices are really designed for use with Adobe products for full functionality. The KeyPad can launch any application that you setup a button to do so and the DialPad and Ring (a transparent popup menu) have default features that can help in certain situations that can help for a faster workflow beyond mouse or trackpad use, but using for Adobe products is where it really gets into the customization and usefulness. I can definitely recommend this console to anyone wishing to speed up their workflow! The only “glitch” I ran into when using the console was while working in Photoshop and Chrome, the KeyPad reverted to the default plugin and I could not access the Photoshop plugin and features. I was sorting out an issue I ran into while using Photoshop so I was utilizing the help pop-up window and jumped to Chrome a couple of times. I didn’t have to close the project I was working or Photoshop, but I just had to close Chrome and the Help window and then the plugin resumed. Took about a minute, but definitely less than two minutes.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    now i’m a fan

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I'm very happy to see that Logitech starting to explore and adapt more to people’s current needs I feel like creative console will always have a market for them and hoping companies would offer something that people could atleast afford, their latest MX creative product is very useful for multi tasker user out there and huge win for digital creator which I feel like these where you can fully maximize this product DEVICE build quality is full plastic with creative dialpad having more weight due to the batteries that you can replaced. the key bad is connected with USBC to USBA to your PC/Mac. you can create custom shortcut up to 15 pages which would be awhile for me to fill up that much application, currently have 2 pages is what I need. the creative pad is automatically fully functional once you get it connected you have a huge dial pad that can control volume and another scroll on top right that lets you go up and down when browsing around the web. the best part of the dialpad if the action button on the button right corner that’s already equipped 8 custom settings including brightness, to chat GPT and basic playback options, the best part is when you switch applications profile these button can be fully customizable to anything you deserve. the device is plug and go and I could see this on some traveling creator out there that would definitely would like that fact that you can easily take it with you APPLICATION I would say this is definitely the main section user would spend most of their time. the device is fairly new but logitech created a marketplace for apps that you can download, all of Adobe applications are ready for you to download and all of them would automatically have its own settings that can be used on your creative keypad. once you create your own shortcuts you have the ability to change the prebuilt icons and colors , or you also have the ability to upload your own custom icons you either created or downloaded online. back to the marketplace it still very limited but I do believe this will grow. logitech seems to only recognize certain amount of applications in your computer I would really like to add my xbox application but seems like it can only detect certain apps and games I could on the screen. for those whose familiar to certain creative keypad should feel right at home with the application, logitech does offer tutorials on how to customize and add on your new device. CONCLUSION I find MX creative keypad and dialpad to be a very useful product to have it makes sense to have it if you’re a creative user that enjoys adobe, the packaging also comes with free 3 months of adobe creative cloud I appreciate logitech for offering such a great deal when purchasing one of these. I might a huge adobe person yet but i’ve been messing around and created a small thing for my wife for her birthday and with the creative pad it makes sense to me why some people love these kind of devices . it reduce my mouse movement and my click movement to find the particular settings I need, also if you’re streamed this pad is ready to control OBS, twitch and Discord. i’m a fan and I can’t wait for the logitech marketplace to grow more maybe have other user upload their prebuild settings that I can just go ahead and download right away. but this product has huge potential, for $199 I think it’s a must have products on your day to day computer usage.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Great for creative work

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I stream on Twitch/YouTube and also do my share of video and photo editing and I feel like you can never have enough buttons. I've used devices similar to this, like the StreamDeck and Razer Stream Controller X. The biggest thing that sets this apart is the dial pad. Will it replace my StreamDeck? Probably not. But I'll definitely use it along side it. Setup wasn't as smooth as I would have loved but I chalk it up to it being a new device and those issues should just resolve itself. The biggest thing was just how it seemed to eventually... just work. Installing the updated Logi Options+ software that was compatible with the MX Creative Console didn't just immediately make it come to life. The software just was stuck on the "connect your device(s)" screen. But eventually, after a couple software reboots and just coming back the next day, I saw a new message when I was checking for software updates (again). "New devices detected, restarted to use them". Restarting the app and they finally showed up. Settings up the devices is another task. As with any custom input device, setting up the custom controls that work best for you is the first real chore and usually a chore you evolve over time. The keypad and dial have some custom profiles set up for you for things like Photoshop and Lightroom and Premier. These activate automatically when you switch to their applications (or they should). I noticed this didn't always happen with the dial but usually the keypad would switch pretty quickly whenever you focused the application. This is usually the biggest issue I have with custom input devices. The software really needs to be tight and, as much as I don't hate Logi Options+ as much as I've hated a lot of other Logitech software, I still think it has some room to grow. On top of some software issues with profile activation, I also couldn't find an SDK readily available so I'm not crazy confident that their tiny library of plugins is going to grow very quickly. It sort of looked like it was using similar plugins as the Loupedeck software but I couldn't find any confirmation on that. Device usage is pretty good. The keypad is plugged in via USB-C and can either lay flat on your desk or be propped up with an included stand. One of the standout features of this keypad and something I wish I had on my StreamDeck is dedicated page buttons. With only 9 buttons, there's a good chance you'll find yourself with multiple pages of actions and having dedicated page buttons instead of needing to take up one or two full keys just for switching pages just makes sense. The keypad and dial pad buttons all feel good to press and the dial and scroll wheel both feel nice to move. Interacting with these devices feels good and the dial pad being wireless makes it easy to place it exactly where you can use it most effectively. I also didn't see it drop below 100% battery the whole time I was using it so I'm going to venture a guess that the batteries (not rechargeable, it takes two included AAA batteries) will last a long time. I found the Options+ software pretty OK at being able to customize keys to do what you'd like. You'll find all the basics like opening applications, controlling volumes, media keys, etc. But If you want more specialized controls that interact with specialized services and programs, you'll find the plugin library to be rather lacking. It's got the heavy hitters like a lot of the Adobe products. There's OBS and Twitch plugins. But not a whole lot more. That said, I've seen the StreamDeck and LoupeDeck softwares evolve over time and Options+ has a pretty solid foundation for such a new product. Things that were introduced down the line in the other software are already there in Options+. The biggest downside right now is just the small library of plugins. Overall, I like the devices and they'll do a good job of helping with some editing tasks and I'll even try and find some uses for enhancing my streams as well. My biggest issues are all software related which can be resolved over time. I really hope they push out (or make it more known) a public SDK so plugins can be created and the tiny plugin library can grow. Hopefully, with this being a new product, the software advances and the customization options just gets bigger because it's really hard to compete with the StreamDeck when it comes to software and customization. But I'm hopeful since this does offer extra with the wireless Dial Pad.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      We appreciate your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad. We're glad to hear that you're enjoying its features and versatility for creative work. We'll take your feedback regarding the software and plugin library into consideration for future improvements. Thank you for your continued support.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    If you can find a use, its brilliant. If not, meh.

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    This is unique. I think it is a more niche product. Obviously, their target demographic is editors. However, it does work for streamers (or anybody who uses a Stream Deck as essentially the same thing but more functionality), musicians, those who control multiple things at once, or people who use shortcuts on a regular basis. PROS: - Dialpad is lightweight, dials feel great, buttons feel responsive and tactile. The button on back allows to quick connect to three devices at a time. Slide to toggle on/off. - Dialpad Bluetooth is quick to connect. Wireless makes it easy to pick ideal spot. Two AAA batteries mean long battery life with quick reload when empty. But more waste in the long run. No ability to plug it in for wired play. - LCD can get bright, colors are fine (not great), legibility is good, no wobble with the buttons. Really enjoy that you have 9 buttons and then two on the bottom to shift between screens. - Setup is easy, but can take a long time to tune just right. Works well. I was able to quickly get everything up and running. And it auto switching to apps is almost magical. Making it very useful if you set it up correctly. - Not only for editors. But also great for streamers or those who make YouTube videos as able to change lights/scenes in OBS well. - Works well for Discord as well. As I can easily mute my microphone or deafen. - If you know you do something repetitively and you can set it up to work through shortcuts or something this can save you a ton of time. But doing that sometimes takes some creative thinking. CONS: - Comes with stiff rubber cable. Would like to see braided as most other companies have gone that way. - USB-C to USB-C cable is an odd choice. Seeing as this is for editors, who usually are on a desktop computer over laptop, which uses USB-A ports primarily. No USB-A to USB-C adapter included. - When using Adobe products all the shortcuts that were preprogrammed were broken for me. As I had changed some of the shortcuts. Even for products that I didn’t change the shortcuts they didn’t work without me manually changing. - I really wanted to use the big dial for zoom like on a trackpad. But I wasn’t able to find a function for that. Just CTRL and + or – which isn’t as exact and doesn’t easily go back to normal zoom with quick zoom out. Would love for this feature to be added. As I would use it ALL THE TIME. As trackpads for desktops don’t really exist. - I still find myself using a lot of keyboard shortcuts over the device. As it is just quicker and does the same thing. But if you don’t know those shortcuts already this could be helpful.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Very useful for everyday work

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    In short, it provides additional input methods that are fully customizable. To start describing this, there are actually two products that are separate but work better together. All is tied by the Logi Options+. The Dialpad is a Bluetooth/Bolt console with one dial, one scroll button and four customizable buttons. I'm using it with the Bolt receiver which I'm already using with the MX series keyboard and mouse. It does not include the receiver itself. It uses two AAA batteries, included. Considering this won't be used nearly as much as a mouse or keyboard, the batteries should last a very long time, and that's likely why it's not rechargeable. The Keypad is the showpiece. It's powered by an USB-C cable, so it's not meant to be used by multiple computers at once like other Logi MX accessories. This is because the each of the nine main keys are actually tiny OLED screens. It comes with its cable and a cradle so the keys it can stay at an angle. If one used the Logi Options+ software before, with this also recognizes the application that is being used and can adjust the input devices based on the application. I'm on conferences a lot and one of the supported applications (There are not many yet) is Zoom. In this case it maps the keys for different meeting settings and sets the keys background blue. The dialpad also can be used to control meeting settings like view, turn on/off mic and camera, leave, etc. The keypad also has two screen scroll buttons on the bottom that is used to switch pages for the keys. So on the system mode (When no other customized app is running up front), added a second page with a shortcut editors (like converting to plain or HTML decoding), a stopwatch and other functions. Also keys can be used to launch a dial on-screen to be able to make adjustments with the dials. Overall is very polished. It reminds me of a streaming deck but it's geared towards creative and professional applications. I see a lot of potential. Currently there aren't many applications that come with customizations already defined, but Logi Options+ has a sort of customizations store where I expect will provide more applications soon. I'm an early adopter for this so I expected this, and having used other MX products, I've seen the software improve over time. It can be a real time saver.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad! We appreciate your insights into the product's features and your suggestions for future improvements. Your positive feedback means a lot to us as we continue to create exceptional products that elevate your productivity and creative workflows.

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    A very complex add on for creators.

    |
    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Logitech - MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad with 9 Customizable Keys & Control Dial for Graphic Design, Video Editing and more is a very comprehensive tool for me, while editing photos and videos. This Creative Console is completely programmable to achieve whatever function you need at your fingertips. The dial on the is super precise for cutting video or simply any kind of adjustments. I don't have any creative apps that directly support this product with various plug ins. but with it's Logi Ootions+ app one can completely customize each and every input on both devices even for cloud editing platforms. I really like that you can customize the icons for each of the keys on the keypad. This unit makes those actions you are doing on a regular basis very easy to find and operate. I also appreciate the fine control the dial and wheel provides. I can only imagine how this unit would benefit one that has the directly supported Adobe products. I would recommend this product to a friend.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Logitech
      Posted .

      Thank you for your detailed review of the Logitech MX Creative Console Programmable Keypad. We're delighted to hear that it has become a valuable tool for your photo and video editing workflows. Your feedback is appreciated as we continue to develop and improve our products.

Sponsored