Hot 4-Way Mouse Scrolling (FCP edition)

November 10, 2008 11:32 AM

What's the best mouse to use with Final Cut Pro 6?

I've done the Google and found a few responses, but in this, and most cases, I trust MeFtes more than the Internet body politic generally.

I'm currently using the Mighty Mouse that came with my aluminim iMac. I find it a little lacking, not least because the scroll ball has been behaving erratically after just a few months of use (I've noticed this on three newish Mighty Mice--get it together, Apple. We pay a premium for your fancy, curvilinear products, and we want them to last). I've also tried a Logitech trackball, but it doesn't seem to be quite precise enough for Final Cut business.

Top priority is 4-way scrolling so I can move through the timeline horizontally. Best would be an actual ball, like the Mighty Mouse's, but if that's proprietary, I'll take a good scroll wheel that leans side-to-side. I like clicky scroll wheels, and wireless would be nice. I've got big ole hands (Jesus, remember those tiny circular mice that came with the candy-colored iMacs? That was hell for those of us with Michael Phelps hands).

When a version of this question was posted a few years ago, the concensus was the Logitech MX 1000. Is this still the standard? Is it fully compatible with Macs, and, more specifically, FCP?

posted by andromache to computers & internet (6 comments total)

I don't like the big weighty scroll wheels that come with a lot of the high-end Logitech mice. They don't work as a middle-click, which makes them virtually useless to me. The MX1000 looks pretty nice though. All mice released within recent memory are compatible with OSX, so no need to worry about that.

About the Mighty Mice - if you just push down on the ball and spin it hard in all directions then it should loosen up. Seriously - even Apple suggest that on their site (though i can't find it right now.) I had to do that to mine after it got a bit erratic and it's been fine. Give it a shot!
posted by Magnakai at 12:16 PM on November 10, 2008

Oh, and sorry - to answer the second part of your question - I really like using the Mighty Mouse's ball with FCP. I haven't tried any others with sideways scrolling, apart from one Logitech, but I found it rather wanting in comparison.

Alternatively, have you thought about the Griffin PowerMate. I've never used it, but it looks fun.
posted by Magnakai at 12:22 PM on November 10, 2008

Avid...ha ha ha..sorry, couldn't resist.
posted by scarello at 1:08 PM on November 10, 2008

This isn't a suggestion for a new mouse (I don't really have experience with anything but Apple mice), but here's a good way to get the rollerball on an Apple mouse working again:

Take a paper towel and soak it with some rubbing alcohol (isopropyl or similar ... I'd imagine it doesn't make a difference). Rub that soaked paper towel vigorously over the stuck rollerball. I've never seen that fail to make a malfunctioning (due to dirt, which is usually the culprit) work again.
posted by oostevo at 6:22 PM on November 10, 2008

You do know that if you hold down the shift key a 'wheel' (vertical roller) mouse works horizontally on the Mac (and yes, inside FCP)
posted by filmgeek at 8:44 PM on November 10, 2008

I use a Logitech MX-620 wireless laser mouse with my MacBook Pro (Leopard) and it works great (plus other family members are using it with Leopard and Tiger on a variety of older and newer Macs). I haven't tried out tons of different mice, but I like this one better than any other I've used. It's a full-size mouse (I'm a woman, but I'm tall and have large hands. My sons, who are at least 6 ft. 1 in. or taller, really like the mouse, too). It's has 5 programmable buttons, including the scroll wheel. The scroll wheel can be changed from clicky to freewheeling, and it has super-fast scrolling. Once I switched to the freewheeling, I was hooked. The only thing it doesn't have is being able to program it to go back or forward a window in a browser - ridiculous that it doesn't have that. Having said that, since I had to come up with other uses for all the buttons, I'm fine with it the way it is.
posted by onemorething at 5:22 PM on November 12, 2008