OK so just purchased a Stream Deck XL and struggling to get motivated to use it, as been working and not had time to play properly.
I'm looking at using this with a few programs, and other DAW's just to make my life easier when I load up a certain DAW like Ableton, Logic Pro, Reaper.
Is anyone using a Stream Deck particulary with Ableton, and is it a big help over using the QWERTY keyboard for shortcuts?
Any tips, help, or set up ideas on how you use it, would be great!
Stream Deck XL and Ableton
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Machinesworking
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Re: Stream Deck XL and Ableton
So I use a similar product for the iPad called Metagrid. IMO only but it's best for features that you don't use that often, shortcuts you don't have muscle memory for. You're on a Mac what with Logic mentioned, which opens up a whole new ball of wax, in Keyboard Maestro.
Keyboard maestro can automate things like quantize to 16ths, 1/4th etc. then you can set up StreamDeck to use a button quantize a selection to quarter notes etc. IMO this is where these devices are super handy, instead of hitting shift command u to call up the quantize window, then selecting quarter notes, then selecting 90% etc. you have a button on StreamDeck that does all that. Anyway that's how I end up using these types of programs. I have a pretty large template of actions in Keyboard Maestro that are triggered by Metagrid, and would work as easily with StreamDeck.
You can of course set up all your Live Shortcuts to StreamDeck, but it takes maybe a day to remember option command b for the browser etc. To be fair I have no clue as to why Ableton hard wired three key shortcuts when they don't by any means have enough shortcuts to justify that? So in practical use I could see programming in all the multi key shortcuts.
Keyboard maestro can automate things like quantize to 16ths, 1/4th etc. then you can set up StreamDeck to use a button quantize a selection to quarter notes etc. IMO this is where these devices are super handy, instead of hitting shift command u to call up the quantize window, then selecting quarter notes, then selecting 90% etc. you have a button on StreamDeck that does all that. Anyway that's how I end up using these types of programs. I have a pretty large template of actions in Keyboard Maestro that are triggered by Metagrid, and would work as easily with StreamDeck.
You can of course set up all your Live Shortcuts to StreamDeck, but it takes maybe a day to remember option command b for the browser etc. To be fair I have no clue as to why Ableton hard wired three key shortcuts when they don't by any means have enough shortcuts to justify that? So in practical use I could see programming in all the multi key shortcuts.
Re: Stream Deck XL and Ableton
I just purchased STREAMDECK-XL and STREAMDECK+.
I have seen pre-programed plugins for Ableton, but I did not like the layout. The layout must really fit somebody's workflow. I have also followed some YT videos but the problem with Ableton is that there are many tasks which cannot be accomplished with shortcuts. As opposed to Studio One , Ableton does not allow to create custom shortcuts for everything.
Mapping the keyboard (though K icon) is very limited.
Existing key macros can be remapped with AHK but it is a very tedious job.
For example I want to use STREAMDECK to switch between VSTs , or intrument pages/tabs etc and this seems rather impossible without AHK. I am looking for some script repository with typical examples which one can accomodate into Ableton. Once the AHK script can do what is needed by running it then calling the script from Streamdeck is rather easy task.
I have MIDI plugins installed but the question is how to make Ableton perform certain tasks by pressing a single key? Multiaction feature in SD will not help here. I hsve seen some paid script for Ableton/SD+ and they also use some scripting for the Midi plugin. I would rather want to have my own customized setup. I also need to apply the same to my Studio One setup.
I have seen pre-programed plugins for Ableton, but I did not like the layout. The layout must really fit somebody's workflow. I have also followed some YT videos but the problem with Ableton is that there are many tasks which cannot be accomplished with shortcuts. As opposed to Studio One , Ableton does not allow to create custom shortcuts for everything.
Mapping the keyboard (though K icon) is very limited.
Existing key macros can be remapped with AHK but it is a very tedious job.
For example I want to use STREAMDECK to switch between VSTs , or intrument pages/tabs etc and this seems rather impossible without AHK. I am looking for some script repository with typical examples which one can accomodate into Ableton. Once the AHK script can do what is needed by running it then calling the script from Streamdeck is rather easy task.
I have MIDI plugins installed but the question is how to make Ableton perform certain tasks by pressing a single key? Multiaction feature in SD will not help here. I hsve seen some paid script for Ableton/SD+ and they also use some scripting for the Midi plugin. I would rather want to have my own customized setup. I also need to apply the same to my Studio One setup.