The Loupedeck Live is a thing of beauty. It satisfies my desire for a more mechanical and tactile gadget on my desktop without knowing at all what it does. But it serves many purposes to achieve that goal, not just to look like a professional creator on the corner of your mouse mat... From Photoshop shortcut bars to Ableton MIDI controllers, Loupedeck Live offers a flexible way to customize the way you interact with your PC. Loupedeck Live offers flexible ways to customize the way you interact with your PC.

Loupedeck Live is a PC multi-tool. The closest analogue in the gaming arena is Elgato Stream Deck, a popular streaming tool of which I am an avid fan, or the humble keyboard macro key. They all serve a similar purpose in that they allow you to program shortcuts for applications that would be tedious, distracting, or impractical to do manually.

Loupedeck Live, simply put, takes the age-old concept of macro keys.

Technically known as a power console, the Loupedeck's multifaceted interface certainly lives up to its title. Essentially a collection of buttons and dials surrounding an LCD touchscreen, the Loupedeck app allows you to create a vast library of custom shortcuts for any app.

These shortcuts are available on an app-by-app basis. Each time you change the active window on your PC, for example, from OBS to Adobe Photoshop, Loupedeck Live will automatically switch the currently active collection of shortcuts and hotkeys to suit your needs.Loupedeck Live calls this dynamic mode, a type of context-aware application switching. This is switching macros based on the application you have open, something that is accomplished in certain gaming apps today, but Loupedeck software does it with a fluidity and ease that I have not found in any other application to date.

In OBS, you will see buttons to record, stream, check scenes, change sources, view chats, and create clips. And when you switch to Photoshop, shortcuts to familiar tools fly across the screen, covering everything from levels to clipping masks.

You don't even have to create the entire profile yourself; Loupedeck comes with several preinstalled profiles that you can use as-is (often including shortcuts and hotkeys that a typical user might need) or use as a framework for your own The application can be used as-is (often with shortcuts and hotkeys that the average user needs) or as a framework for customization.

The following apps are supported right out of the box:

Photoshop, for example. the Loupedeck app comes preconfigured with a profile specifically for photo editing software. When you open Photoshop on your PC and make it the active window, the LCD buttons are initialized and a few tools are displayed. I tend to use keyboard shortcuts for most of these applications, so I don't use these hotkeys often, but the seven pages of shortcuts pre-programmed into the device that are not mapped to a neural pathway are useful shortcuts could be found.

Best of all, the device's dials allow for fine-tuning of sliders and numbers, speeding up the fine-tuning of any description.

When I received Loupedeck Live in 2020, a handful of creative application profiles were set to expire in 2021. Users could choose two profiles to use for free, and would have to pay a recurring or set fee to be able to use the profiles again after that date. Since then, however, such fees have been wiped off the face of the earth. All the aforementioned applications will be kept up to date and available for free. So if you're still seeing such information online, it's safe to ignore it.

If you're already familiar with the extensive keyboard shortcuts of the desktop and the aforementioned creative apps, Loupedeck Live may seem like a frivolous purchase. Depending on how gracefully you navigate the apps you use all the time, you might be right, too.

However, Loupedeck Live has at least some more "out there" uses, including a knack for live streaming. As far as streaming goes, Loupedeck Live is like Elgato Stream Deck times 11.

"You can control menu and submenu navigation with folders and shortcuts, and customize the screen icons to your liking.

While the screen footprint is comparable to the Elgato Stream Deck, the Loupedeck offers additional control through onboard dials and button pagination. In that sense, it beats the Elgato device in my book; the Loupedeck app allows for quick programming of a variety of Windows shortcuts, inputs, and application-specific controls.

It is also a more refined unit with much less bulk on the back, common to all streaming decks.

Simple application also makes it easy to customize the Loupedeck to fit your needs. In most cases, you will be tweaking what is already there. Profiles are easily found via a drop-down menu, from which you can tweak, copy, or overwrite to your liking.

For missing shortcuts or applications not yet listed in the Loupedeck software, you can create your own shortcuts and macros using various system actions, Windows actions, and keyboard/mouse commands. You can create your own shortcuts and macros using various system actions, Windows actions and keyboard/mouse commands. Simply find one of the applications installed on your PC and add it to the program. Like any other application, it will automatically switch when it becomes active.

However, if you intend to build an application profile from scratch, you will want to set aside a little time.

What it doesn't have over the Stream Deck, however, is price: the Loupedeck Live is considerably more expensive than the Elgato Stream Deck, at $269 (£229) versus $150 (£140). Therefore, for a typical streaming setup, the Elgato device has the edge. It also requires a bit more contemplation for setup and daily use, but a few dedicated, easy-to-reach buttons would make it a bit more straightforward.

However, as I began to habitually reach for the Loupedeck and spend a little time setting it up to my liking, it became apparent that it has a lot of potential in the hands of the right person.

Also, in the months I have spent with the system, there have been some welcome improvements to the system. The last update added dynamic mode on/off and full MIDI capability. The last part has been particularly well received.

Adding an Ableton profile launches an intimidating library of shortcuts for use with DAW software, but you can also add MIDI control to any custom profile for use in a variety of applications. I spent the night fiddling around with some awful sample tracks, and it's really nice to have all the features in one place and taking up very little space on my already overcrowded desk.

I've been eager to check out Loupedeck Live since it was first announced. It gives me what I wanted: a comprehensive device that requires minimal daily upkeep.

It is useful whether you are a power user looking for extensive control over all of your most frequently used apps or a streamer looking to control more complex streaming settings. This probably pushes it into a more niche market than the less expensive Elgato Stream Deck or Stream Deck Mini. If you don't have the confidence to go the extra mile and just want to use convenient shortcuts in the middle of a stream, you can't go wrong with the less expensive kit. Loupedeck, however, does its job well, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good, easy-to-use, and affordable solution.