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Stream Deck - killer REAL button controller

Looks like the sale is over so I can do more research. What is the main advantage of this vs an iPad running lemur or metagrid?
 
The Stream Deck is definitely worth purchasing. Been using one in the studio (Mac Pro) for a year now, and yesterday I bought another one for my office (PC). Compact, solidly built, versatile and fun to program and use.
 
The Stream Deck is definitely worth purchasing. Been using one in the studio (Mac Pro) for a year now, and yesterday I bought another one for my office (PC). Compact, solidly built, versatile and fun to program and use.

Looking hard at Stream Deck (Win10 Pro here), but not yet getting a good handle on what specific functions are 'no brainers' for it. I run (2) 27" quality monitors and tons of content down on Taskbar.
No criticism, just wanting to make sure I'm not adding something very close to functionality already in place. What 'key' (15) functions are obvious for you ?
 
Looking hard at Stream Deck (Win10 Pro here), but not yet getting a good handle on what specific functions are 'no brainers' for it. I run (2) 27" quality monitors and tons of content down on Taskbar.
No criticism, just wanting to make sure I'm not adding something very close to functionality already in place. What 'key' (15) functions are obvious for you ?

I'll just respond to the music related aspects via my Mac, and not about what I plan to do on a PC.
On the first level, the 15 buttons are set to open various programs including Cubase, go to web sites like this one, create e-mails, stream music etc. When I then click on the Cubase button on that screen, Cubase opens and as well it takes me to another screen level where I have all kinds of commands for Cubase programmed. (e.g. Start, Stop, Record, next Marker, Pencil Tool, Scissors Tool etc. etc.). If I click on the Logic Pro button on the first screen it then opens Logic Pro and a third level of buttons where I have similar commands programmed as per Cubase. So, Stream Deck is not a 'one-trick pony', and once one gets used to just hitting buttons to do things instead of typing in key commands and clicking around all the time with a mouse, it's value becomes even more apparent. I have the Stream deck on my left and my mouse on the right of my computer keyboard.

I've made my own icons in Photoshop and if you are able to do that, you can get some really cool results, use actual program logos and even make ones with a person's picture. The ones on the Elgato site are usable, but I much prefer my own. I just make them about 400x 400 pixels at 72 dpi and that is more than sufficient. Hope that helps.

PS: Here's a button image for V.I. Control:
VI_Control.jpg
 
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On the first level, the 15 buttons are set to open various programs including Cubase, go to web sites like this one, create e-mails, stream music etc. When I then click on the Cubase button on that screen, Cubase opens and as well it takes me to another screen level where I have all kinds of commands for Cubase programmed. (e.g. Start, Stop, Record, next Marker, Pencil Tool, Scissors Tool etc. etc.). **** So, Stream Deck is not a 'one-trick pony', and once one gets used to just hitting buttons to do things instead of typing in key commands and clicking around all the time with a mouse, it's value becomes even more apparent. I have the Stream deck on my left and my mouse on the right of my computer keyboard.

Great ! Continued to follow posts, and Folder levels is now clear. Unlocks powerful capabilities.
I use Keyboard /Trackball Mouse mostly, but now using Wacom Intuos Tablet /Stylus with impressive speed and accuracy. Some Architects, Digital Designers advance to using the Wacom all day for all interactive functions. Takes trust, commitment, time, but full DAW usage seems attractive.

THX
 
Takes trust, commitment, time, but full DAW usage seems attractive.
Why? Just curious. I've been using Wacom tablets for more than half my life and still only really use them for drawing or playing games like Diablo / Path of Exile where you don't need a high degree of clicking accuracy. For pretty much all else I prefer a mouse. Are you on a Mac maybe?
 
I'm going to replace my MIDI keyboard with a Linnstrument soon, and have been looking into a solution to replace transport buttons and some other functions I'm going to lose in the process. The Stream Deck looks like a really interesting option that would be of more general use than a dedicated transport controller.

I have one doubt though: one reason I prefer transport buttons to keyboard shortcuts is that sometimes keyboard commands are eaten by a VST if a plugin window is in focus. I haven't tested when it does or doesn't happen, so I'm not sure if it's about my OS (Windows), my DAW (Bitwig), the specific plugin in question or if it's a more general problem. Have you found this to be a problem when using the Stream Deck, or do you have any workarounds for the situation? Apparently the Stream Deck doesn't support sending MCU commands?
 
Why? Just curious. I've been using Wacom tablets for more than half my life and still only really use them for drawing or playing games like Diablo / Path of Exile where you don't need a high degree of clicking accuracy. For pretty much all else I prefer a mouse. Are you on a Mac maybe?

PC /Win10 Pro /Reaper. Bought it for painting with Corel Painter.
Posted mostly to see if others were using something like Wacom for music-related acitvity. Guess not ..........
I'm still amazed by how extensively some Users with demanding accuracy and efficiency are able to use Wacom for almost all daily work .....
 
PC /Win10 Pro /Reaper. Bought it for painting with Corel Painter.
Posted mostly to see if others were using something like Wacom for music-related acitvity. Guess not ..........
I'm still amazed by how extensively some Users with demanding accuracy and efficiency are able to use Wacom for almost all daily work .....

I've seen a trailer for a course where someone used an apple stylus on an ipad (or similar, don't know what exactly it was) to draw notes on note lines, like in a drawing program, not a notation program. And I thought that has to be one of the most pretentious things I've ever seen (no offense intended)...

But now that you mention it I wonder if it would be possible to somehow read pen pressure data in Reaper and use it to set the velocity of notes that you draw. That would kind of make sense for the hand full of people that use a tablet and don't play in their midi data with a keyboard.
 
I have to questions:

1) Do you know where I could find some icon packs for this?
2) Is there a way to change contextually with a window focus? For example I'd like to change automatically the keys based on the focus in Reaper.
 
I have to questions:

1) Do you know where I could find some icon packs for this?
2) Is there a way to change contextually with a window focus? For example I'd like to change automatically the keys based on the focus in Reaper.

1) There are icon packs floating around somewhere, on the elgato subreddit or somewhere else. I got one, but don't remember where I got it from.

2) Yes, you can define that. It switches automatically on window focus if you want it to.
 
1) There are icon packs floating around somewhere, on the elgato subreddit or somewhere else. I got one, but don't remember where I got it from.

2) Yes, you can define that. It switches automatically on window focus if you want it to.


1) Ok, if someone has that please share!

2) I know that I can switch profile based on active application but can I do this inside an application? I'd like to show different layouts when I focused on the mixer instead of arranger or midi editor and so on....are you sure I can do this?
 
1) Ok, if someone has that please share!

2) I know that I can switch profile based on active application but can I do this inside an application? I'd like to show different layouts when I focused on the mixer instead of arranger or midi editor and so on....are you sure I can do this?

Ah, misunderstood then - no, only on active application (as far as I know)
 
Stream deck could really be useful, if it was possible to ...

... send midi or OSC by pushing those buttons.

... receive text or images to display on the buttons. By that, I mean not a static look, including a tree of sub menues, but rather on the fly change of the displayed images.

If both where possible, you could use stream deck to display and switch you keyswitches for Kontakt libraries. And these could be automatically updated on track selection. That already works for me on Lemur, but I would find it more appealing to get physical buttons under my hands. This is the first affordable OLED buttons I have seen. Unfortunately, it seems like you would have to dive deeply into hacking and programming, to be able doing what I described.
 
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