Logitech MX Creative Console: Separate Shortcuts from Fine Adjustments

Editing often alternates between choosing a tool and adjusting its value. Those are different movements: one is a decision, while the other may involve repeated small changes. Logitech MX Creative Console separates them into a display keypad and a dialpad, giving each kind of task a physical place.

This guide covers the graphite 920-012660 package with both components, not the separately sold MX Keypad. It is based on Logitech's product and setup documentation rather than a timed editing test. The strongest reason to consider it is a recurring workflow you can map clearly onto buttons and a dial.

Choose the application before choosing the layout

Logi Options+ handles customization, and Logitech's support guide distinguishes plugins from profiles. A plugin provides available actions for an application; a profile maps actions to the device's controls. That distinction matters when judging whether your preferred editing program is supported.

Some applications have a dedicated integration, while others rely on keyboard shortcuts or mouse commands in a custom profile. Do not assume that every program shown in a broad compatibility list exposes identical controls. Identify two or three operations you repeat and check how each one would be triggered.

There can also be specific requirements inside an integration. Logitech's Final Cut Pro guide, for example, requires a US English keyboard layout and the appropriate Logi command set. It also notes possible reduced dial performance on older Intel Macs. Those details are more useful before purchase than a general statement that a device works with creative software.

Give the two components different jobs

The keypad provides nine LCD keys, while the dialpad combines a large dial, a roller and additional buttons. Think of a display key as a place for a named command and the dial as a control for a suitable adjustable value. The exact assignment depends on the application and profile.

Start with a small editing routine. You might select a tool with a key, adjust a supported parameter with the dial, then use another key for a frequently needed command. This is an example of planning a layout, not a promise that every application exposes those particular actions.

Keeping the units separate also lets you place them around the rest of your desk equipment. Before buying, sketch where the keyboard, pointing device and both console pieces will sit. A control is only convenient if it remains within a comfortable reach without obstructing the way you already work.

Plan two connections, not one

The keypad connects to the computer through its supplied USB-C cable. Logitech's setup guide allows it to sit flat or in the included stand, which has a slot for routing the cable. Check the available computer connection and the route across the desk before settling on a location.

The dialpad has a different arrangement: Logitech provides Bluetooth setup and an optional receiver-based route. Its instructions identify two AAA batteries as the power source. The fact that one component is wireless does not make the whole package cable-free.

Treat installation of Options+ and any required plugin as part of setup time. On a managed work computer, check whether you can install the needed software. A useful controller for a personal editing machine may be less practical on a computer where application installation is restricted.

Build a layout you can remember

The product page describes up to fifteen keypad pages per application. That is room to expand, but it is not a reason to fill every page immediately. A compact first page with clear labels is easier to evaluate than a large collection of commands you rarely use.

Profiles may follow the application in focus, so check which one is active when switching programs. Keep frequently used actions in consistent positions where practical. If a control seems to behave differently, inspect the active application and mapping before assuming the hardware is at fault.

Evaluate the purchase with a small real project. Compare how comfortably you complete the repeated steps, how often you look away to find a control, and how much configuration you need. This article does not claim a measured speed increase.

MX Creative Console is a purposeful option for someone who repeats enough editing operations to benefit from dedicated controls. Verify the integration, installation access and desk arrangement first. Its value comes from a useful mapping that you learn, rather than from replacing every keyboard shortcut at once.