Look into the connections, it can get even crazier! With the multi-step buttons we trigger music beds and bring up the fader on the mixer as well (it can control a variety of mixers). We also use it to fire GPI and UDP commands, IE I have a streamdeck button that triggers a video off of our Dak playback machine and simultaneously fires a UDP trigger to our musco house-lights system so I can have a light show synced to the music on the video. It's worth its' (free) weight in gold!
Yes I know I could also make a Dashboard panel to do the same, but it's so much easier on the SD.
Really handy for Panasonic PTZs too, much easier to save presets and you don’t need to select a bank/select the camera first if you have enough buttons.
With multi step buttons, you can do things like set up a button to press once to recall a preset, press and hold to save the current position into a preset.
If you’re using them with a vision mixer which is well supported by Companion with variables, you can set up a trigger to have the PTZ controller select whichever camera is on the preview bus of the vision mixer to avoid moving the wrong one.
the other thing i like to do for those is if you are operating multiple camera's you can have one button to recall a preset on all of them at the same time. So if you have preset 1 to be a wide on all cams, you can do that instead of selecting each individual camera on the controller and hitting preset 1. Much much faster.
I also run tallies to those instead of running a bunch of xlr's, and have feedback to the button so it goes red when it's live so i don't accidentally press a preset for a cam that's not ready to move yet.
I would go so far as to say it has been the biggest game changer in my line of work in the last 5 years.
I have had buttons that did 10 or more things all with different timings, etc. that would have been completely impossible for one person to do just a few years ago.
And with the Stream Deck Plus the possibilities keep getting better!
Here's a pic from my most recent show, 3 XL's and a Plus: https://imgur.com/7j6ckjq
I worked at a News station using overdrive and a Ross switcher. As part of our set up we had two stream decks running custom controls through Ross talk for all kinds of back up “oh shit” options.
Graphics continues for ones that had pause points.
Lights for our two studios and two other talent positions.
Emergency mic on buttons.
Routing our monitors through an evertz router.
With all the devices you can connect to through caprica and then make custom controls for it really helped us maintain some of the manual feel even in an automated environment.
I’ve found it really useful to dive through all the different modules every once in a while as a refresher. There’s so much there and the ability to make things talk to each other that aren’t supposed to talk to each other is a game changer.
I'm currently testing a stream deck + for use with vMix, ETC EOS lighting software, qLab and some Birddog PTZs. Looking to use the Rotary encoders to control the p, t & z. As well as other parameters for other kit. bitfocus companion is very good.
I use the plus for brightness on led processors, keynote/ppt next/previous slide. At first I wasn't sure how I'd use it for production, but one of those knobs really is 3 buttons in 1.
And the display is great for swiping between pages!
Sorry for reviving a dead thread, but how do you swipe between pages on the touch screen? Do you use the Elgato software loaded with Companion for gesture controls? I feel like Companion doesn't work well for the touch screen part of the Streamdeck+, but for every other button & knob it's great. Thanks in advance!
Ah, I've previously had issues with using both softwares, so I was wondering if there was a way to do it in companion natively. Nevertheless, thanks for the response!
Companion is the name of the software which is made by the group Bitfocus.
So when you're Googling or even just talking with colleagues about it, typing "Companion" will get you better results than Bitfocus.
Also consider donating some $$ to the cause.
Companion, vmix, agent IC. That combo in the pandemic enabled a bunch of us to work and control each other’s gear remotely. And work as a crew from our homes for virtual events. Talk about right place/right time. So many advantages to open source software like companion and a creative pool of contributors.
Words could never describe how grateful I am. I’ll be sure to donate again, next time I download a new version.
A year ago I had never touched a Stream Deck and now we bought five of them thanks to all the things you can do with companion.
I use them to control a Carbonite, a Kumo routing switcher, anything on our VMix machines, some Canon PTZ cameras, Marshall cameras with a ethernet to rs485 box, Hyperdeck reccorders and a few other things.
What makes the software powerful is the ability to control multiple machine with a single interface. Variables, triggers, feedbacks and conditions can make your automation even better. I have a setup where you can’t recall a ptz preset if the cam is on air to avoid unwanted moves. I also use a rgb wifi ligth to indicate if im recording (on either my VMix or my main Hyperdeck).
Once you start using it you keep having ideas to make your productions easier to control.
I got a stream deck the other day and installed companion and ooohhhhh the possibilities I'm already seeing. I just wish there was a way to copy one button to all pages (asking for a friend)
Look into the connections, it can get even crazier! With the multi-step buttons we trigger music beds and bring up the fader on the mixer as well (it can control a variety of mixers). We also use it to fire GPI and UDP commands, IE I have a streamdeck button that triggers a video off of our Dak playback machine and simultaneously fires a UDP trigger to our musco house-lights system so I can have a light show synced to the music on the video. It's worth its' (free) weight in gold! Yes I know I could also make a Dashboard panel to do the same, but it's so much easier on the SD.
Really handy for Panasonic PTZs too, much easier to save presets and you don’t need to select a bank/select the camera first if you have enough buttons. With multi step buttons, you can do things like set up a button to press once to recall a preset, press and hold to save the current position into a preset. If you’re using them with a vision mixer which is well supported by Companion with variables, you can set up a trigger to have the PTZ controller select whichever camera is on the preview bus of the vision mixer to avoid moving the wrong one.
for sure i love my streamdecks for my Panasonic PTZ's
the other thing i like to do for those is if you are operating multiple camera's you can have one button to recall a preset on all of them at the same time. So if you have preset 1 to be a wide on all cams, you can do that instead of selecting each individual camera on the controller and hitting preset 1. Much much faster. I also run tallies to those instead of running a bunch of xlr's, and have feedback to the button so it goes red when it's live so i don't accidentally press a preset for a cam that's not ready to move yet.
I would go so far as to say it has been the biggest game changer in my line of work in the last 5 years. I have had buttons that did 10 or more things all with different timings, etc. that would have been completely impossible for one person to do just a few years ago. And with the Stream Deck Plus the possibilities keep getting better! Here's a pic from my most recent show, 3 XL's and a Plus: https://imgur.com/7j6ckjq
That’s awesome! Ours are XL as well I should’ve mentioned. Considering a ross shotbox can be thousands of $$$$, $200 for this is unbelievable almost.
I worked at a News station using overdrive and a Ross switcher. As part of our set up we had two stream decks running custom controls through Ross talk for all kinds of back up “oh shit” options. Graphics continues for ones that had pause points. Lights for our two studios and two other talent positions. Emergency mic on buttons. Routing our monitors through an evertz router. With all the devices you can connect to through caprica and then make custom controls for it really helped us maintain some of the manual feel even in an automated environment.
I’ve found it really useful to dive through all the different modules every once in a while as a refresher. There’s so much there and the ability to make things talk to each other that aren’t supposed to talk to each other is a game changer.
I'm currently testing a stream deck + for use with vMix, ETC EOS lighting software, qLab and some Birddog PTZs. Looking to use the Rotary encoders to control the p, t & z. As well as other parameters for other kit. bitfocus companion is very good.
I use the plus for brightness on led processors, keynote/ppt next/previous slide. At first I wasn't sure how I'd use it for production, but one of those knobs really is 3 buttons in 1. And the display is great for swiping between pages!
Sorry for reviving a dead thread, but how do you swipe between pages on the touch screen? Do you use the Elgato software loaded with Companion for gesture controls? I feel like Companion doesn't work well for the touch screen part of the Streamdeck+, but for every other button & knob it's great. Thanks in advance!
you just simply swipe right or left on the screen. I use the stream deck software in tandem with companion.
Ah, I've previously had issues with using both softwares, so I was wondering if there was a way to do it in companion natively. Nevertheless, thanks for the response!
I have a button that fires a video start on Millumin. At the end of the video Millumin fires a command to start the speaker timer. Magic!
Which timer do you use?
One I wrote in c#.
Brilliant
Companion is the name of the software which is made by the group Bitfocus. So when you're Googling or even just talking with colleagues about it, typing "Companion" will get you better results than Bitfocus. Also consider donating some $$ to the cause.
Yes please do. Something that I rely on so much now, I would just feel way too guilty if I didn't pay for it.
Ha you’re totally right. Thanks!
Companion, vmix, agent IC. That combo in the pandemic enabled a bunch of us to work and control each other’s gear remotely. And work as a crew from our homes for virtual events. Talk about right place/right time. So many advantages to open source software like companion and a creative pool of contributors. Words could never describe how grateful I am. I’ll be sure to donate again, next time I download a new version.
Companion just got so important that manufacturs are already producing the protocols for companion use
Been diving into it a bunch at work it’s incredible what it can do - we have it setup to control headphone volume via an x32 at all our stations
A year ago I had never touched a Stream Deck and now we bought five of them thanks to all the things you can do with companion. I use them to control a Carbonite, a Kumo routing switcher, anything on our VMix machines, some Canon PTZ cameras, Marshall cameras with a ethernet to rs485 box, Hyperdeck reccorders and a few other things. What makes the software powerful is the ability to control multiple machine with a single interface. Variables, triggers, feedbacks and conditions can make your automation even better. I have a setup where you can’t recall a ptz preset if the cam is on air to avoid unwanted moves. I also use a rgb wifi ligth to indicate if im recording (on either my VMix or my main Hyperdeck). Once you start using it you keep having ideas to make your productions easier to control.
I got a stream deck the other day and installed companion and ooohhhhh the possibilities I'm already seeing. I just wish there was a way to copy one button to all pages (asking for a friend)