Use "windows" key like apple "command" key in Cubase?

Cubase
1

Hi,

Just recently switched from using Cubase 8 Pro on a Mac to using it on a new PC, running Windows 7. Transferred all of my key commands to Cubase on the PC and most of them remapped fine (e.g. some command+whatever shortcuts turned into ctrl+whatever) but not all. Some key commands that used to use command/apple now show up as “meta” in Cubase’s key command list. (Especially key commands that used to be something like “ctrl+command+something else” on the Mac.)

For Windows-specific functions, the Mac command key = the Windows key. But Windows OS seems to have a death grip on the Windows key, and won’t allow other programs to use it as a shortcut key.

So my question is: Is there a way to force Windows to let go of that key? Is it possible for Cubase to use the windows key for shortcuts, as a replacement for the Apple command key? Or am I stuck re-doing my key commands to only use ctrl and alt/option?

(This is of particular concern because my assistant is actually still on a Mac. So ideally we’d like to have key commands that we can both use without any adjustments.)

Thanks in advance for any tips…!

2

Cubase doesn’t see the Windows key unfortunately.

You have ctrl, alt, and shift.

I ended up just changing the keystrokes when for my Windows machine.

You could use something like Autohotkey to map the Windows key to something like ctrl+alt+shift… I had some limited success with that, but it was too much trouble to actually memorize all the substitutions.

3

Ah, I was wondering if that might be the case.

Thanks for the help. I’ll look into the Autohotkey option and see if it seems worth it.

4

Just go into the Key Commands settings and replace Ctrl with Alt for your most frequently used thumb+pointing finger key commands. That’s what I did. :slight_smile:

5

This is what I’ve done as well both for ergonomic reasons and consistency with my OS X laptop. The Control key is just a very bad main modifier in general. I don’t have an Emacs pinky, but damn near have had a Cubase on Windows pinky! I don’t think the latter name is going to catch on though…