I was interested in the Delgato Stream Deck but put off by the price. I see there is much interest in it in this forum and rightly so, it looks like a great piece of equipment.
But Mac users of Dorico will be interested in a cheaper rival: FullControl which is available FREE at the Apple Store or in a slightly better version for a couple of quid. It works by using an iPhone or iPad as the macro keyboard, and can cope with any shortcut whatever, on any and all of your applications. You can program it yourself: it already knows most of the available shortcuts in all your apps, and you can make your own new ones so long as they work in the relevant app.
Drawbacks? Choice of icons is fairly restricted, and there is no obvious manual or other detailed instruction, but it is easy to figure out with a little commonsense. It is described as a remote control but is best used along with your workstation. I have already used it with Sibelius and will get round to Dorico some time.
I have no vested interest in this app by the way, but it has surely got to attract Mac users.
Terry Dwyer
The drawback of ALL iphone/ipad apps is the lack of tactile feedback. Years back I had the NumPad app on my iPhone, which allowed me to use my phone with a MacBook (which lacked a number keypad). It even showed the Sibelius keypad functions. The thing is, if you’re using a tactile keypad every day, your fingers learn where to go - you don’t have to look - and using the iPhone app slowed me down so much that I ended up spending about £8 on an external USB number keypad.
The advantage of a Stream Deck is that once you’ve got it programmed up, your routes to each function never need change and thus you can learn to use it without looking. The same goes for the antiquated Logitech G13 that I use (which is basically just a one-handed keyboard - you have to memorise your functions).
The disadvantage (to me) of an iPad app is that, though you have the reminder of what each function does, in front of you, your fingers don’t have any geography to latch on to so it’s ALWAYS going to require looking away from your computer screen or your handwritten score or whatever, to look at the iPad screen.
Discuss…
I agree. I HATE touch for pretty much any sort of input except for free-drawing. Give me a physical keyboard any day, with real keys I can feel. I hate typing on my iphone (which I’m doing now…). If Blackberry weren’t a sinking ship, I’d seriously consider one for the tactile keyboard alone.
I use plenty of touch devices, but almost exclusively for consuming, not producing. There are exceptions, but they’re rare. I’ve seen plenty of people using laptops with touch functionality, and it’s universally uncompelling to me.
That said, plenty of people like Metagrid and such. If it works for them, that’s great.