Blackmagic Forum

Hello,

In the market for a new keyboard for my mac and I was wondering if you all had any suggestions. The resolve keyboard looks nice but it's way over my preferred budget of $30-$75.

Here is what I'm looking for:
-Wired
-Backlit/illuminated keys
-Relatively quiet
-(I don't know if this exists) Dedicated mac function keys that are separate from the regular function keys so that I don't have to go into system preferences to switch them back and forth every time to use resolve features like insert, overwrite, etc (or hold the function key to do so). I would still like to use my mac function features like window gather and screen brightness.


I'm coming from a logictech K750 and when it works it's great but it is the must frustrating experience when the keyboard doesn't work in the middle of a project because it does't have enough light. I don't quite know how the thing works but even when I leave it in direct sunlight for a couple hours, it still sometimes decides to be super laggy.

Any recs would be greatly appreciated!

I'm a big fan of the Mattias keyboards, which are available for Mac or Windows:

https://matias.ca/aluminum/mac-rgb/
https://matias.ca/aluminum/pc-rgb/

It's $99, which is a little more than your price range, but it's rock-solid and a terrific performer. I have tried damn near everything on the market, and this is hands-down the best illuminated keyboard I've ever used. Perfect for Resolve. I've bought 3 or 4 of them even for non-Resolve systems because I like the feel so much.

Awesome, Marc! Thanks so much for the rec!

Let me just note that I've had two Matias keyboards and would never buy another. One completely stopped working after a year and the other was unusable out of the box (a bunch of the keys would repeat several times if you tapped them, sso mmyyy sennntennnnncceess woulllld lllllookk llllikee tttthiiis.

It sounds like Marc has had better luck with them and maybe I just got a couple of lemons. The one with repeating keys was the backlit model.

I'm using a DAS Keyboard now (not backlit) and it has been a great experience for 3-4 years now.

This is probably not in your price range but take a look and it might change your mind to save up for one. I have a PC so not sure if they make for Mac - but again check. This is a very solid and reliable keyboard, with the tactile feel which is important to me; and this model has a trackball which I really like for the LGG wheels.
https://tesorotec.com/project/herpe-tl- ... rackball/#

Thanks for the recs everyone!

Hello together,
I thought I might give a short review to the Matias FK318LS-DE wired Mac Backllt RGB Keyboard in this thread, as I bought it after I read the recommendation here. Before I used the original Apple wired Keyboard and Apple Magic Keyboard (Bluetooth), so they are my reference value.
I returned the Matias today because the overall built quality was not good enough considering the price of ca. 100$. The keys are a bit lose, so they wiggle a bit when you hit them. This means, that they can make a squeezing sound, if you don't hit them in the middle, because the side of the key then scratches at the side of the metal frame of the keyboard. In addition to that the backlight is very unevenly distributed, don't expect it to look as good as the backlight of a Macbook Pro keyboard – it's far away from that. Also the key pressure point is – in my opinion at least – not as clear and doesn't give you as good feedback as the Apple keyboards do. I'm always sure if I actually hit the keys there, but at the Matias I was often not. Maybe I would have get accustomed to it. The last thing I want to mention is that my left command key had to be hit VERY hard to function. This of course may be a problem with the specific one I got, but all the other shortcomings where reason enough, that I didn't want the keyboard replaced, but refunded.
One thing of the Matias keyboard I find better than in the original Apple wired Keyboard: The USB cable is longer.

It's this one I had: https://www.matias.ca/aluminum/mac-rgb/

These Logic keyboards are nice and feel good to the touch with testing for longevity ..... there are 5 levels of backlit brightness, 2 USB jacks on the side at the top and of course the Resolve shortcut keys are all color coded and labeled.
They will probably be coming out with the version 17 one soon....... don't know how much will change there as far as the shortcut keys.
It is a little more than your budget but well worth it if you really do a lot of Resolve work.

https://logickeyboard.com/shop/video-ed ... 025s1.html

Here is another older Bella keyboard but its not backlit or made anymore as far as I know..... you can find them on eBay cheap...... maybe something to look at.

https://www.amazon.com/Bella-Profession ... B000LQPF9Y