Manuals
FAQs
How do I switch to Mac Mode?
Tap the layout key once to load Layout 2, the Mac Layout, to the keyboard. The right Layout LED is illuminated when Layout 2 is active.
How do I reset my keyboard to the default layout and/or settings?
Soft Reset
Press SmartSet+ Shift then tap F12 (lights flash) to reset the active layout file by erasing all remaps and macros and restoring it to Windows mode.
Hard Reset
Press and hold SmartSet+ F12 while plugging the keyboard in (hold until the lights flash and release) to erase all remaps and macros from all nine layouts and reset keyboard settings to the factory default.
How do I remap a key?
You can remap a key using the onboard shortcut or the SmartSet App.
Onboard Remapping
- Tap the Remap key (light will begin flashing rapidly).
- Tap the “source” key action you want to copy (light will slow down).
- Tap the “destination” key where you want to assign the copied action (light goes off)
Note: Remapping is a one-way process, to swap key actions you must perform two separate remap actions.
SmartSet App
Open the v-Drive (SmartSet + F8). Navigate to the “FS Pro” removable drive in File Explorer and launch either Windows or Mac version of the App. Select the desired key in App and either tap the key action on the keyboard or select from a list of Special Actions using the button at the top of the Programming menu.
How do I create a macro?
A macro is a sequence of key strokes that can be stored in your keyboard and played back with click of a single trigger key or key combination. You can record a macro on-the-fly using the onboard shortcut and assign it to any key or you can build a macro using SmartSet App.
Onboard Macro Recording
- Tap the macro key to enter Program Macro Mode (lights will begin flashing rapidly).
- Select your trigger key with or without a modifier co-trigger (lights will lights will flash slowly).
- Then type your macro content on the keyboard and tap SmartSet when the macro is complete.
Note: Every keystroke is recorded so if you make a mistake, we recommend restarting the macro or using the SmartSet App to edit it.
SmartSet App
Open the v-Drive (SmartSet + F8). Navigate to the “FS Pro” removable drive in File Explorer and launch either Windows or Mac version of the App. Select the desired key in App and the use the Macro Editor to type out your macro, customize the playback speed, and assign up to two co-triggers.
Can I temporarily disable all my macros?
Yes. Press and hold the SmartSet key and tap F9 (lights will flash), and then tap 0 to to disable (but not erase) all macros.
To re-enable macro playback, repeat the command above.
How should I clean my keyboard?
Unplug the keyboard and remove all the individual keycaps to gain access to the keywells, which can collect lots of dirt after time. Use the included keycap removal tool and grab two sides of the keycap and pull straight up. If you do not have a keycap removal tool you can purchase one on Amazon or use two paperclips bent into the shape of a “J”.
- Soak the loose keycaps in warm soapy water lightly scrub to remove any gunk. Rinse the keycaps and let them thoroughly dry.
- Use compressed air to remove any loose debris in the key wells and use cotton swabs with rubbing alcohol to remove gunk.
- Use a microfiber cloth and a small amout rubbing alcohol to clean the outer plastic keyboard case.
Do not reconnect the keyboard to your PC until it is thoroughly dry.
Troubleshooting
If your Freestyle Pro is not working as expected, you have several options.
Step 1: Reference the FAQs above and the Troubleshooting Tips at right.
Step 2: Open any text editing program and use the onboard shortcut SmartSet + F7 to “print” a Status Report of the active keyboard settings to the screen. The Status Report will tell you the active layout and the number of remaps, and macros in that layout along. If Status Report indicates any inadvertent reprogramming, the fastest way to get help is to download and search the User Manual (linked above).
Step 3: If your issue persists, we recommend installing the latest version of firmware (see below).
Step 4: If you still need help, use the link at the bottom of the page to submit a Trouble Ticket.
The Freestyle Pro uses a virtual removable drive on the keyboard to store custom layouts and settings. As with all removable drives, it is highly recommended to always use the “eject” feature in your operating system (in File Manager in Windows). In some cases it can be possible for the “v-Drive” to report errors. If the v-Drive can be opened, these can usually be fixed using the Windows “scan and repair” feature. Open file manager, right click on the v-drive and select “Properties,” then select “Tools,” then “Error Checking.” Click on the “Check” button.
Reformatting the v-Drive
If “scan and repair” does not fix your v-Drive, you can reformat the drive using the command line interface on a Windows PC. The reformat will wipe the contents of the drive and restore the keyboard to its factory settings. Submit a Trouble Ticket below and a trained Kinesis agent will walk you through the reformat process.
Note: Using the Windows Quick Format tool and reformatting on a Mac are not recommended
You can reset any key by remapping it to itself.
1. Tap the Remap key
2. Tap the key you wish to reset twice.
To erase a single macro, program an “empty” macro in the macro triggers place.
- Tap the Macro key to enter Program Macro Mode (lights will begin flashing rapidly).
- Press the macro trigger keys.
- Tap the Macro key again to exit Program Macro Mode.
Multimedia key actions reside in the embedded “Fn” layer. To access the media keys you must first tap the “Fn” key to activate the secondary key actions shown in blue.
On certain machines and operating systems the default Status Report playback speed is too fast for the computer to process. To modify the playback speed use the shortcut SmartSet + Shift, then F7 (lights will flash). Then select the number 1 or 2 to set speeds 1 or 2. The Status Report can de disabled by selecting 0 or sped up by selecting 4.
Note: You must replug the keyboard for this change to take effect.
In some instances it is possible for a layout .txt file to become corrupted. If that happens you’ll need to delete the file and allow the keyboard to generate a replacement file automatically.
Plug the keyboard in and test the Fn key. If the Fn LED illuminates that means the keyboard is getting power.
If the Fn LED will not illuminate that means the keyboard is not getting power. First try plugging the keyboard in to a different USB port on the computer. If that doesn’t solve the problem, try a different computer if you have one available. If the keyboard still doesn’t power up, perform a Hard Reset by holding SmartSet, Shift and F9 while plugging the keyboard in. If a Hard Reset doesn’t solve the problem there may be a problem with an internal component so you will need to submit a Trouble Ticket.
If all of the keys are producing unexpected outputs, its possible that you accidentally loaded the onboard Dvorak layout (Layout #3- both Layout LEDs are illuminated)). To switch back to the standard QWERTY layout, simply tap the Layout Key until only the left Layout LED is illuminated
Because the Freestyle Pro is a multimedia keyboard that can present itself to the computer as a virtual flash drive, it may not be compatible with all KVM switches and docks.
Unlike most keyboard programming software, the SmartSet App does not get installed on your PC. The App needs to be saved to the keyboard’s v-Drive and run directly from that location to access the various keyboard configuration files. Both Windows and Mac versions of the App have been pre-installed on keyboard’s v-Drive but you have downloaded a newer version of the App from our website, follow these installation instructions.
- If you have successfully copied the App to the keyboard’s v-Drive, try re-plugging the keyboard to regenerate the default configuration files.
- If the App still won’t open, delete the App from the v-Drive (your custom layouts won’t be affected) and try downloading a new copy and saving it to the v-Drive.
- If the App still can’t access certain configuration files, these may be corrupt. See the “reformatting v-drive” entry for information on repairing or reformatting. Once you have reformated, install a new copy of the SmartSet App and try again.
For best results, always “eject” the v-Drive in Windows or macOS before using the onboard shortcut to close it.
We had a production batch of Freestyle Pro keyboards that did not include Dvorak in layout3. Follow these simple instructions to recover the layout:
- Open the v-Drive by pressing and holding the SmartSet key and tapping the v-Drive key (F8)
- “FS PRO” should now appear as a drive on your computer
- Double click on “FS PRO”
- Scroll down to the “Layout” folder and double click to open
- Right click on the file name “_Dvorak Pro Backup layout3” and select “Copy”
- Right click and select “Paste”
- The file name “_Dvorak Pro Backup layout3 – Copy” should now appear in the folder
- Delete “layout3”
- Rename “_Dvorak Pro Backup layout3 – Copy” to “layout3”.
- If you’re satisfied with your changes right click on the drive “FS PRO” and select “Eject”
- To close the v-drive press and hold the SmartSet key and then tap the v-Drive key (F8)
Freestyle Pro SmartSet App
The SmartSet App offers a GUI alternative to onboard programming of your Freestyle Pro keyboard. Unlike conventional software, the SmartSet App does not get installed on your PC, you run it directly from the keyboard’s “v-Drive”. Both Windows and Mac versions of the App are pre-loaded on keyboard but a newer version may be available for download.
Accessing the SmartSet App
To access the SmartSet App, simply connect the v-Drive (SmartSet + F8) to your PC and navigate to the “FS PRO” removable drive in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) and launch the appropriate version of the App.
***Note: Mac users running the new macOS 10.15 Catalina will need to download the new 64 bit version of the SmartSet App and run it from their desktop.***
Resources
Downloads
Freestyle Pro SmartSet App
Mac 64 Bit (v1.9.6)
Desktop Only
Linux Users
Tenting Installation
Firmware Updates
Updating the firmware on the Freestyle Pro is fast and easy. Open a text editor window and run a Status Report to see your current firmware version.
Download the desired firmware file using the links at right. Confirm you are downloading the correct firmware by entering the 5 digit model number of your keyboard (label on underside) as the password.
Save the new firmware file to the v-Drive, rename the file, and then use the onboard shortcut to install it.
Downloads
Freestyle Pro BETA Firmware
Version 1.0.538
Submit a Trouble Ticket
Not finding your answer?
Submit a trouble ticket and a support technician will respond to you in a timely manner.