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Version: 5.0.0

Connecting an Elgato Stream Deck

The Elgato Stream Deck is an excellent companion for Visibox. With live clip thumbnails on the buttons, playback controls, and Song navigation, it gives you tactile, eyes-free control of your show.

Elgato Stream Deck with Visibox plugin showing live clip thumbnails on the buttons
A Stream Deck running the Visibox plugin with live clip thumbnails.

Visibox 5.0 includes an official Stream Deck plugin that works within Elgato’s Stream Deck software. This is the recommended way to use a Stream Deck with Visibox — it lets you mix Visibox actions with actions from other apps on the same Stream Deck.

Installation​

  1. Open Settings > Devices in Visibox.
  2. Set Stream Deck Mode to Stream Deck Plugin.
  3. Click Install Stream Deck Plugin. This installs the Visibox plugin into Elgato’s Stream Deck software.
  4. Open the Stream Deck software. You will find a “Visibox” category in the action list.

Available Actions​

The plugin provides six action types that you can drag onto any Stream Deck button:

ActionDescription
Play Clip by IndexTrigger a Clip by its position in the current Song. The button displays a live thumbnail of the Clip.
Song SelectSwitch to a Song by its index or ID.
Playback ControlPlay, Pause, Stop, Resume, Play/Stop Toggle, or Pause/Resume Toggle.
NavigationNext/Previous Clip or Next/Previous Song. Optionally continue across Songs.
Output LevelAdjust the master volume. On Stream Deck+ encoders, rotate to adjust and press to toggle mute.
System ControlPanic (emergency reload) or Fullscreen toggle.

Play Clip by Index​

Assign this action to a button and set the Clip index (1, 2, 3, etc.). The button displays a live thumbnail of the Clip at that position in the current Song. Press the button to trigger the Clip. When the Clip is playing, the button shows its current frame. Visualizer Clips display a rendered thumbnail just like video and image Clips.

Song Select​

Select a Song by its position in the Project (index) or by its Program Identifier. Useful for jumping directly to a specific part of your set.

Playback Control​

Choose from: Play, Pause, Stop, Resume, Play/Stop Toggle, or Pause/Resume Toggle. The button icon updates to reflect the current playback state.

Next/Previous Clip or Next/Previous Song. Enable the “Continue across Songs” option to move beyond the current Song’s boundaries.

Output Level​

On standard Stream Deck buttons, press to step the volume up or down. On Stream Deck+ encoders, rotate the dial to adjust the master volume smoothly and press to toggle mute.

System Control​

Panic (emergency reload of all windows) or Fullscreen toggle. Panic is your safety net if something goes wrong during a show.

Live Thumbnails​

When you assign a “Play Clip by Index” action to a button, the Stream Deck shows a live thumbnail of that Clip on the button face. The thumbnails update in real-time as you switch Songs, so you always know which Clip is assigned to which button. Visualizer Clips show a rendered preview of the visualizer, not just a generic icon.

Elgato Stream Deck software showing Visibox actions in the sidebar and a configured button layout
Visibox actions in the Stream Deck software — drag actions onto buttons to configure.

Pre-built Profiles​

Visibox ships with pre-built Stream Deck profiles optimized for common layouts:

  • Stream Deck Mini (6 buttons)
  • Stream Deck (15 buttons)
  • Stream Deck XL (32 buttons)

These profiles are installed automatically with the plugin and provide a ready-to-use starting point.

Multi-Language Support​

The Stream Deck plugin interface is available in English, German, French, and Spanish.

Built-in Mode (Legacy)​

For users who prefer the original behavior, Visibox can take over the Stream Deck directly via USB without Elgato’s software.

To use Legacy mode:

  1. Open Settings > Devices in Visibox.
  2. Set Stream Deck Mode to Built-in (Legacy).
  3. Quit the Elgato Stream Deck application if it is running.
  4. Connect your Stream Deck and Visibox will take over all buttons.

In Legacy mode, Visibox automatically maps the buttons to Clips in the current Song, with buttons for Stop, Previous Clip, Next Clip, Previous Song, and Next Song.

note

Since Legacy mode takes over complete control of the Stream Deck, you cannot use it with other applications simultaneously. The Stream Deck Plugin mode is recommended for most users.

Multiple Stream Decks​

You can use more than one Stream Deck with Visibox at the same time. In Plugin mode, each Stream Deck is configured independently in the Elgato Stream Deck software — assign different profiles or layouts to each device. For example, use a Stream Deck XL for Clip triggering and a Stream Deck Mini for Song navigation and transport controls.

Troubleshooting​

Stream Deck not showing Visibox actions:

  • Make sure the Stream Deck plugin is installed (Settings > Devices > Install Stream Deck Plugin).
  • Quit and reopen the Stream Deck software after installing the plugin.
  • Confirm that Visibox is running — the plugin communicates with Visibox over the local API.

Thumbnails not updating:

  • Check that Visibox’s API is running (the API indicator in the Control Bar should be active).
  • If thumbnails appear blank, try removing and re-adding the action on the Stream Deck button.

Stream Deck disconnects during performance:

  • If the Stream Deck briefly disconnects and reconnects (e.g., due to a USB cable bump), the plugin will automatically reconnect and restore button states within a few seconds.
  • For reliable connections during performances, use a short, high-quality USB cable and avoid USB hubs if possible.