Can a MIDI controller run DaVinci Resolve on a Mac?
Yes, for editing, through an app that turns each pad and knob into one of Resolve's keyboard shortcuts. InputConfig, the free Mac app I make, does the turning: pads run the transport, mark, cut and undo, and a knob steps the playhead a frame at a time like a jog wheel. It finds a class-compliant MIDI device over USB or Bluetooth MIDI with no driver.
One limit comes first. A keystroke mapper presses keys. It cannot grab a color wheel or a grading knob, which is what dedicated panels are for.
On this page: 9 sections
Steps
- Connect the MIDI controller over USB or Bluetooth MIDI.
- In InputConfig, add a row, press Scan, and hit a pad.
- Pick the Resolve shortcut for that pad, such as J, K or L.
- Set a knob to Turn mode on the Left and Right arrow keys.
- Activate the preset and bring DaVinci Resolve to the front.
Map the pads to Resolve's shortcuts
- You: Add a row for each pad, press Scan, hit the pad, and pick the key.
- InputConfig: Sends that key to Resolve whenever you hit the pad, and holds it for as long as the pad is held.
- Check: With Resolve in front, hit the pad for L and playback starts.
| Pad or knob | Resolve key | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Pad 1 | J | Play in reverse |
| Pad 2 | K | Pause |
| Pad 3 | L | Play forward |
| Pad 4 | Space | Play and pause |
| Pad 5 | I | Mark in |
| Pad 6 | O | Mark out |
| Pad 7 | Command B | Cut at the playhead |
| Pad 8 | Command Z | Undo |
| Pad 9 | A | Selection mode |
| Pad 10 | B | Blade mode |
| Pad 11 | Command S | Save |
| Knob 1, Turn mode | Right Arrow clockwise, Left Arrow counterclockwise | Step a frame at a time |
| Knob 2, Turn mode | Command Plus clockwise, Command Minus counterclockwise | Zoom the timeline |
| Knob 3, Dial mode | Horizontal mouse wheel | Move along the timeline, faster the further you turn |
These are Resolve's default keys. If you have changed the keyboard layout in Resolve, use your own. J, K and L under three fingers and a jog knob under the thumb cover most of an edit.
InputConfig is free on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later, no account, no tracking, open source.
Choose a mode for each knob
A knob can be read three ways:
- Turn. Fires a short nudge every few steps of rotation, clockwise for one row and counterclockwise for the other. This is the mode for stepping.
- Dial. Treats the center as rest, like a stick: the further from the center, the faster the output runs. This is the mode for scrolling.
- Switch. Fires once past halfway, for pedals and buttons that send a Control Change.
Turn Step sets how far you turn for each frame. Turn mode on the arrow keys is what makes a knob a jog wheel. The built-in MIDI: Knob Deck preset has both kinds to copy from.
Put the risky keys on a hold
Every row can carry a second action on a hold and a third on a double tap. Put Undo on a tap and Save on a hold of the same pad, or keep the cut on a pad you cannot brush by accident. One pad can carry several keys in order too, as a macro: mark in, mark out and cut, for example. A hold costs half a second and saves a wrong cut. Hold and double-tap actions has the settings.
Know what a keystroke mapper cannot do in Resolve
- Color wheels and grading knobs. They are not keys. For grading by hand, Resolve users reach for dedicated panels or tools built for Resolve.
- Faders in the mixer. A keystroke cannot move one.
- Feedback. Resolve never tells the controller anything, so no pad lights to show a state.
If Resolve has a keyboard shortcut for it, a pad can do it, and if it does not, a pad cannot.
Share one controller between Resolve and a music app
If the same controller also plays instruments in a music app, give this preset an auto-switch entry for DaVinci Resolve. The pads send its shortcuts while it is in front, and the preset that was running before comes back when you leave. Turn automatic switching on in Settings, Advanced first. InputConfig reads a copy of the MIDI, so the music app still hears the notes.
Auto-switch hands the pads to Resolve only while it is in front.
If a game controller is simpler
If you do not already own MIDI gear, a game controller in the off hand does the transport and marking jobs with no desk space. The DaVinci Resolve preset is ready in two clicks, and MIDI rows and controller rows can live in the same preset. The controller you already own can be the edit remote. The video editing controller guide compares Resolve, Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro row by row.
The short version
- Pads. J, K, L, Space, I, O, Command B, Command Z.
- Knobs. Turn for frame-by-frame jogging and zoom, Dial for scrolling the timeline.
- Limit. Keys only: no color wheels, no faders.
For cutting, a pad controller and a free mapper are enough.
Questions
Can I use a MIDI controller with DaVinci Resolve?
Yes, for anything with a keyboard shortcut. An app such as InputConfig turns pads and knobs into Resolve's keys: transport, marks, cuts, undo and frame stepping.
Can a MIDI knob be a jog wheel in Resolve?
Yes. Set the knob to Turn mode with Right Arrow on clockwise and Left Arrow on counterclockwise, and it steps the playhead a frame at a time.
Can a MIDI controller control color wheels in Resolve?
Not through a keystroke mapper. Color wheels are not keyboard shortcuts. Dedicated panels and Resolve-specific tools do that.
Do I need a driver for my MIDI controller?
Not for a class-compliant USB or Bluetooth MIDI device, which is most of them.
Does it work in the free version of Resolve?
Yes. It sends ordinary keystrokes, which every edition of Resolve accepts.
Is it free?
InputConfig is free on the Mac App Store, with no account and nothing to buy inside it.
Related
Free. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.
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