With the launch of the Stream Deck+ XL I’m minded to ask if it’s time that Steinberg created an official plug-in for these devices, especially with a view to helping populate the strip screen with useful information.
It would have to be up to the manufacturer to supply that, not Steinberg.
Just as has been done with the Yamaha CC1
Elgato don’t write plug-ins for every piece software. That’s up to the software provider, or third parties. The ‘manufacturer’ in this case is Steinberg.
Sure there are third-party Stream Deck plug-ins, but it would be good if Steinberg were to provide an official one, maybe with better capabilities. I use Cantabile performance software, and that provider has created it’s own excellent SD plug-in.
2 Likes
I would guess 3rd parties.
I know Stream Deck doesn’t work like Metagrid, and I don’t even know the communication protocol.
What I do know is that Metagrid is technically very tight with Cubase. With Cubase only, they have taken the Key Commands and added more flexibility due to the way Metagrid is set up. While Metagrid is deeper/more flexible than Stream Deck, it does not work well with Cubase unless using multiple Generic Remotes which Steinberg has over the years suggestsed they will “depreciate.” Metagrid does not work well with the newer Midi Remote.
So there is always this lingering concern about the future.
Would this be the reason Elgato doesn’t create “official” plugs for DAWs? They don’t know the minds of Steinberg. I think it really is the responsibility of 3rd parties.
Look what happened to DAW controllers. For years, I blamed Mackie for not addressing the auto bank function. Most DAWs refused to address it. Ultimately, it was addressed by 3rd parties using the Midi Remote.
2 Likes
The reason Elgato don’t create ‘official’ plug-ins is because they don’t own the software. They would no more create an ‘official’ Cubase plug-in than an ‘official’ Photoshop plug-in.
It’s up to the creators of the receiving software to create ‘official’ plug-ins, and that has to be Steinberg in this case. Otherwise we have to settle for third-party plug-in creators, and hope they get it right and keep supporting it.
Sideshowfx’s Cubase Streamdeck profile really pushes the limits of what’s possible.
I don’t know what Steinberg could significantly improve on.
I expect a version for the new SD Plus XL will be available soon.
Stream Deck Cubase Custom Made Icons for Shortcut Keys — sideshowfx
In my case, very soon after purchasing several Sideshowfx profiles (besides Cubase, I also use the Dorico and Affinity profiles), I added my own pages to, for example, have quick access to my favorite macros.
Therefore, a rigid profile from Steinberg wouldn’t necessarily be preferable.
1 Like
I am aware that there are third-party plug-ins, but I’d rather my plug-in be developed and maintained by those who know Cubase best. One standard plug-in that opens up the Cubase internals.
Why would there be a hype around 36 buttons and 6 rotary encoders? I don’t understand the excitement for this hardware.
1 Like
Got to admit that the SD+ XL is not ideal for me either. It’s too big and actually over-specced for my needs, A 15-button model with 4 knobs would have hit the sweet spot for me. It’s a shame as I would have uses for that display strip.
Wouldn’t it be more efficient to buy a cheap tablet, run Metagrid on it and have some knobs on a midi keyboard?
2 Likes
I use Touch Portal and I dont really need a plugin but a versatile scripting and PLE and, more key commands
Inside Touch Portal I can do all kind of logic operations so I managed to build all the commands that I wanted but Steinberg could help.
This is exactly what I did (though it’s an older 12.9 iPad Pro). Metagrid provided their own grids for Cubase, Live, Bitwig, etc, which I can easily customize myself. I can backup and restore to/from multiple systems, etc. I personally wouldn’t want to have functionality of a 3rd party solution dictated by my DAW developer; at all. One change from the vendor could break everything. No thanks 
I’m actually quite happy with my MetaGrid / Keyboard Maestro combo - it’s rather well replaced a long line of other controllers that let me down in one way or another. My Sparrow 5x5 and NI S88 compliment it rather well. But that’s just me.
…and I use Avid’s Eucon, which is fabulous - and totally free.
But Stream Deck has real clicky buttons and is useful in many, many other ways.
1 Like
You could add feature-request to your post and use your votes. I personally don’t think we’re going to see SB dedicate financial and development resources to actually code up plug-ins for 3rd party vendor products, nor do I think it would help them move product. I wouldn’t purchase a DAW because it happened to provide a template for some 3rd party product I already had (much less an actual “plug-in”), but I would purchase a controller/remote solution (or at least have my decision influenced) if it already included support and templates for the DAW I already use. Everyone will have a different opinion though, and it actually doesn’t really matter what we think here in the user forum outside of tagging and voting.