Yahoo Finance Loupedeck’s Live S gives creators an alternative to the Stream Deck
You can snag the device for as little as $106 through a crowdfunding campaign.
Loupedeck, a company that makes control pads for creators, is back with a device it's positioning as more of a direct competitor to Elgato's Stream Deck than its previous products. It says the Loupedeck Live S is designed "specifically for streamers and gamers that are looking for a simple and affordable way to control their streams."
The Live S has a touch panel with 15 customizable buttons. You'll be able to create up to 14 screens that you can swipe between, meaning you can have swift access to dozens of buttons that can trigger complex actions with a single press.
Alternatively, you could set up screens for specific scenes, depending on the type of stream you're hosting. For instance, variety streamers might want access to different actions when they're running an ASMR stream or taking part in a group discussion versus playing a first-person shooter.
The device also has dials, which Loupedeck says helps the Live S stand out from competitors. Streamers can turn the dial to make fine adjustments to things like lighting or volume or use it as a physical button to change a setting (such as muting the microphone). You can use the device as an audio mixer too.
The Loupedeck Live S has native integration with software and services such as Twitch, Streamlabs, OBS and Voicemod. Plugins for creative suites like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Lightroom can be installed too. Other plugins, custom profiles and additional ways to customize the Live S will be available from the Loupedeck Marketplace.
Loupedeck is running an Indiegogo campaign for the Live S. Those who get in at the super early bird level can snag one for around $106, though there will only be 99 units available at this tier. There are 199 available on the early bird tier (approximately $128) and 599 for those who hop in at the last chance level (roughly $138).
If you miss out on any of those, you'll still be able to secure a Live S for around $149, which Loupedeck says is 23 percent off the retail price. The pledge amounts may fluctuate as the figures are converted to USD from Euros.
The campaign features Indiegogo's Trust-Proven badge, which the platform uses to highlight creators that ran successful projects in the past, including delivery of perks to backers. Loupedeck ran a campaign in 2016 for an eponymous product designed for Lightroom. This time, the company says it's using Indiegogo more to announce it to an audience that will likely be interested in the Live S rather than to specifically raise money for the project.
The Stream Deck also has 15 customizable keys and typically costs $150. That means, at the regular retail price, Loupedeck will be more expensive than the Stream Deck, but it offers fine control with the dials and option to access more controls by swiping to other screens.
