Logitech MX Creative Console test: For more productivity?

Logitech Logitech MX Creative Console, Programmierbares Tastenfeld mit 9...

Logitech Logitech MX Creative Console, Programmierbares Tastenfeld mit 9...

€ 229.00

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Scope of delivery

• Control elements: MX Creative dialpad, MX Creative keypad
• Accessories: Holder, 150 cm USB-C 2.0 cable, AAA batteries, usual paperwork
• Coupon: Three-month Adobe Creative Cloud membership

The scope of delivery focuses on the essentials and the usual paperwork. The MX Creative Console consists of two components, the MX Creative Dialpad and the MX Creative Keypad. There is also a holder for the MX Creative Keypad and a 150 cm long USB-C 2.0 cable for the power supply. Two AAA batteries are already inserted in the MX Creative Dialpad for power supply. Finally, a tag refers to a three-month membership in the Adobe Creative Cloud, which is included with the purchase in the form of a voucher.

Appearance and finish

• MX Creative Keypad: USB-C, 9 configurable keys, 600 cd/m² display
• MX Creative Dialpad: Wireless, large and small control wheel, 4 assignable buttons

First of all, it is important to differentiate between the two components of the MX Creative Console.
While the MX Creative Dialpad is equipped with a large control wheel, the MX Creative Keypad is predominantly flat and has flat display buttons.

MX Creative Keypad

Let’s now take a closer look at the MX Creative Keypad. This is connected to the PC via a USB-C cable and has nine freely configurable buttons. The brightness of the LCD screens can be controlled via the software and reaches up to 600 cd/m². Below this, two additional buttons enable navigation to other pages. The keypad of the MX Creative Console can be laid flat on the work surface or set up using the stand supplied. The latter is primarily useful if the keypad is not to be placed to the left or right of the keyboard, but typically between the monitors and the work surface.

MX Creative Dialpad

Let’s now turn our attention to the MX Creative Dialpad. This works completely wirelessly, controls up to three devices and, unlike the MX Creative Keypad, has no display. Instead, the large tactile aluminum control wheel is the focal point of the dialpad and takes up a large part of the pad. It allows the system volume to be controlled ex works. It is worth mentioning that it can be turned continuously in both directions and does not have a locking mechanism. There are four additional buttons all around it for free assignment. These are assigned the functions Escape, Undo, Redo or to call up the Action Ring as standard. The second small scroll wheel at the top right ensures convenient scrolling, which can be an advantage with large horizontal websites, for example.

An active Bluetooth connection (Bluetooth Low Energy) or alternatively a Logi Bolt is required for all functions to be interpreted by the PC. Two AAA batteries are used to power the dialpad, which can be operated for up to 18 months.

Further accessories

Finally, let’s take a brief look at the other components included with the MX Creative Console. The additional holder for the MX Creative Keypad, like the other elements, is mainly made of plastic. There is a small bulge on the front of the holder into which the keypad is inserted. There is an opening on the back, however, which serves as a cable duct for the USB-C cable. A rubber coating on the underside ensures a secure hold at the workstation. Nice gag from personal experience: If you don’t want to actively use the holder and use the MX Creative Keypad lying down, you can use it as a cell phone stand.

In terms of workmanship, every component of the Logitech MX Creative Console feels of high quality. Considering the price, the console therefore looks quite appealing, which is why no weaknesses can be identified. The keypad display is also colorful and vibrant.

Software and range of functions

• Seamless integration with Adobe Creative Cloud programs
• Limited support for non-Adobe programs
• Currently few plugins for other programs, but range is growing steadily

The in-house Logi Options+ application from Logitech is required to actively use the MX Creative Console on the computer. The beta version with the version number 1.84.628903, on which the following experiences are based, was tested. The range of functions may therefore be expanded over time and any bugs may have been fixed in the meantime. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the software is stable and, apart from a few missing translations, Logi Options+ is a fully developed application.

Adobe and other applications

As mentioned at the beginning, the Logitech MX Creative Console offers seamless integration with various Adobe Creative Cloud programs, including Lightroom Classic, Photoshop and Premiere Pro. All applications are fully compatible out of the box, which makes them much easier to use. However, if you are still using an older version of the software, you should of course check compatibility in advance. This is because the appropriate plugins from Logitech are only available from certain versions onwards.

With other programs such as Asana, Affinity Photo 2 or DaVinci Resolve, the setup is much more complex in practice. In some cases, the options of the MX Creative Console are limited at system level, which makes manual adjustments necessary. For example, special functionalities of a software cannot be operated directly, but the corresponding key combination must be assigned to a key as a hotkey. This naturally limits the ease of use of non-native software to a certain extent. On the other hand, the automatic loading of application-specific profiles after configuration works very well. If you switch from Photoshop to Chrome, for example, the specially created profile is loaded directly and is ready for use.

Plugin marketplace

In the initial phase, support for non-Adobe applications is still limited. The Logitech plugin marketplace, which can be accessed via Logi Options+, currently offers plugins for Spotify, Capture One, Apple Music, Discord, Microsoft Teams and Zoom, among others. The range is constantly growing and is set to be expanded further in the future. In the meantime, extensions for streaming and audio apps have already been added. However, it remains to be seen how quickly and to what extent new plugins will be available. Users who do not use Adobe programs are therefore likely to feel limited at the moment and should wait for updates. In this respect, you should perhaps put your feet up for the time being and let a few weeks/months pass.

MX Creative Keypad

Now back to the MX Creative Console or keypad and what it entails in terms of software. Up to 15 pages can be set in the software, which results in a total of 135 actions with 9 functions per page. This is of course a considerable number and a little dream for lovers of shortcuts! However, it should be mentioned here that you cannot scroll through the pages indefinitely. So you can’t go from page 1 to page 15 and vice versa. The maximum image file size for embedding as a display is 150 KB.

MX Creative Dialpad

The MX Creative Dialpad is all about the feel. On the software side, the range of functions is impressive and the button at the bottom right was used extensively in the test. A short press brings the Actions ring firmly to the foreground and waits for an input, while a long press without a subsequent action makes it disappear again immediately. It should be noted in this context that the actions ring appears at the current mouse position.

As far as the two scroll wheels are concerned, these can of course only be used for their intended purpose. For example, it is not possible to simulate a mouse click, but it is possible to move the mouse pointer in either the X or Y direction. In addition to regulating the system volume or the usual scrolling, the brightness of the screen could also be controlled.

Practical test: Really more productivity?

• Enormous simplification of workflows in Adobe applications
• Configuration often very tedious with unsupported software
• Actions Ring offers eight functions, facilitates media control, among other things

Now it’s time to get down to business and report on our impressions of the Logitech MX Creative Console.

Positioning at the workplace

In practice, it has proven to be a good idea to place the Logitech MX Creative Console dialpad to the left of the keyboard and the mouse to the right. The keypad is located between the keyboard and monitors and remains easily accessible. This also has the advantage that in the case of a wireless setup, the keypad cable does not protrude over the entire desk.

MX Creative Keypad

The keypad of the Logitech MX Creative Console proves to be a useful companion with useful extras, which are also used extensively in the test. In particular, the integration into Adobe programs is a real game changer, where the strengths come into their own. So if you spend a large part of your working time in Photoshop or Lightroom, for example, the time savings quickly add up. Logitech’s software also offers all kinds of options for simplifying various calls within an application. But this is also the crux of the Logitech MX Creative Console. If an application is not natively supported, configuring it according to individual requirements quickly becomes tedious and requires a certain amount of effort in advance.

MX Creative Dialpad

Opinions can really be divided when it comes to the MX Creative Dialpad. If you expect a certain haptic end when you turn it, along the lines of: “I have now turned the volume to maximum” or “action successfully executed”, you are looking into the void here. However, this did not bother us in the test, as the action is mostly visual on the monitor. The buttons are also easy to reach and trigger the respective action promptly.

We really liked the Actions Ring, which provides eight functions directly on the mouse pointer. Regardless of the Adobe integration, this makes media control easier. For example, the shortcut “Reply with chat GPT” opens the ChatGPT website from OpenAI. However, it is not possible to frame text and summarize the input directly or even reply directly from ChatGPT via Logi Options+. Nevertheless, the MX Creative Dialpad is a great extension and can hold its own with various use cases even without a display.

Logitech MX Creative Console test: Conclusion

The Logitech MX Creative Console has established itself as a helpful addition to the mouse and keyboard. Various workflows, especially in the Adobe environment, can be simplified with a high degree of flexibility and customizability. Particularly noteworthy are the dynamically changing keys on the keypad depending on the application and the separate, wireless dialpad with the successful Actions Ring. The workmanship is neat and the design looks sophisticated and, depending on the choice of color, blends easily into existing setups.

The biggest limitation of the MX Creative Console is currently its compatibility with non-Adobe programs. The setup requires additional effort and, due to the lack of native support, the range of functions is (still) limited. We will have to wait and see until the Logitech Plugin Marketplace is gradually expanded to include other popular programs.

In conclusion, the MX Creative Console is a powerful and, above all, convenient solution for users of Adobe programs. Within a few minutes, creative processes are optimized and everyday work is made more efficient. For those who do not work with Adobe applications on a daily basis, it is advisable to check the compatibility of your own tools in advance. If plugins are already available, a lot of additional features can be added. Otherwise, it might be worth waiting a while until the Logitech plug-in marketplace is supplied with various extensions.