On the desk is a Stream Deck control box. This gives rapid access to a number of different functions that can make it quicker and easier to run a service. It’s worth exploring what it can do. Please comment below if you have any queries, or would like any additional features to be added.
The Stream Deck needs the PC to work, but can then control devices around the building, as well as apps on the PC. We usually use it for simple things like controlling ProPresenter, but it can be used for quite complex situations like remotely controlling the broadcast streaming gear in the back room.
Must-know info: Pages and buttons
The Stream Deck controls are organised into “pages”. You move through the pages with the buttons on the left. There are pages for our most commonly used activities: ProPresenter control, ProPresenter stage display, ATEM video switching.
1 PP Control
This has the main controls for moving through a ProPresenter playlist once it’s set up.
- top row: “Clear slide text” removes song lyrics but leaves the background in place. “Clear all” clears everything on screen, down to black . The top-right button shows the countdown for any videos currently playing (including a looping background).
- middle row: here is a Spotify play/pause button. Spotify needs to be running already for it to work.
- bottom row: button 1.18 displays the name of the current presentation in the playlist, eg the song name in the example below. Then there are 2 buttons to move back and forwards through the current presentation (they don’t move up/down through the whole playlist). Button 1.21 shows the number of the current slide in the current presentation.
2 PP stage
This page controls the ProPresenter stage display output for hosts and musicians on stage to see.
- in the middle row is the Spotify button – don’t forget to stop playing from Spotify as soon as the service starts, as just fading it down on the mixer doesn’t stop it playing at full volume in the band’s monitor earphones
- on the bottom row, you can select which layout is currently used on stage
- on the top row, you can send some pre-set messages to the stage, and hide the stage message afterwards (far-right button 2.5)
3 ATEM MMR
It’s rare to need this page. It controls the video switcher that sends outputs from the visuals PC to different destinations around the room.
- top row: these buttons change what is sent to the main projector and TVs. Select from:
- 1 Main – the usual main output from ProPresenter
- 3 Red – the red HDMI cable on top of the desk
- 4 Lyrics – the broadcast feed that contains lyrics on a green background
- bottom row: these change what is sent to the broadcast lyrics line. For example, you could use this to send another signal to the back room other than the usual lyrics overlay.
