Loupedeck Live-S Review. A Device That Can Give Your Productivity A Boost!

루프덱 Live-S(Loupedeck Live-S)

루프덱 Live-S(Loupedeck Live-S) 리뷰. 인방뿐 아니라 다방면으로 사용하기 좋은 기기.

사실 이런 비슷한 컨셉의 기기는 은근히 있는 편입니다. 하지만 보통 이런 기기는 인터넷 방송용으로 사용되는 것이 보통이었습니다만 요즘 나오는 기기들은 단순 인방을 넘어서 여러 소프트웨어에서 활용되어 사용자의 생산성 자체를 향상시켜주는 도구로서 사용되곤 합니다. 지금 리뷰할 이 도구는 노키아 출신의 엔지니어들이 설립해서 생산성에 도움이 되는 도구들을 꾸준히 만들어온 루프덱(Loupedeck)에서 나온 최신작입니다. 루프덱 Live-S (Loupedeck Live-S)입니다. 공식 홈페이지

루프덱 Live-S(Loupedeck Live-S) 리뷰. 인방뿐 아니라 다방면으로 사용하기 좋은 기기.

Loupedeck Live-S — It came in a pretty neat box at first.

루프덱 Live-S은 기기 자체가 잘 만들어져있습니다.

터치나 노브가 느낌이 좋아서 작동하는 것만으로도 어느 정도 재미가 있습니다.

The first thing that surprised me when I used Loopedeck Live-S is that the touch functionality works remarkably well. Even lightly tapping the screen results in touch input, and of course, it works when you press it firmly as well. Additionally, it naturally includes actions like turning the knobs and pressing them, which I found to offer a versatile range of controls.

The Loopedeck Live-S requires dedicated software for use, and you can configure its settings in great detail. For instance, you can customize actions like turning the knobs, pressing the knobs, touching the screen, and so on, individually. While there are 15 touchscreens available, it doesn’t stop at just 15 because there are ‘pages’. You can configure different actions for Page 1, Page 2, and so on. Moreover, it offers a high degree of flexibility since you can set actions separately depending on the app or your specific needs at the moment. Of course, configuring everything from scratch can be cumbersome, so there are plenty of default templates available that you can use to get started.

Within the same company’s product lineup, there are larger devices with more buttons designed for professionals. Some products, on the other hand, focus more on buttons and do not have touchscreens. The Loopdeck Live-S strikes a balance with 15 touchscreens, 2 knobs, and 4 buttons, making it just right for versatile use. It’s designed to cater to a wide range of users, offering accessibility while still providing ample functionality.

루프덱 Live-S은 사용자에 따라서 용도 및 효율성이 많이 달라집니다.

저는 아직 글자정도 쉽게 넣는 정도…

I bought this Loopedeck Live-S with the thought of whether it could be helpful for my blogging activities. I post my math studies on my blog for the review, and besides the common +, -, /, there are also symbols that might seem complex at first glances, such as ≤, ≠, ∀. Most of these symbols are available on the keyboard. However, some symbols like ℚ, ℝ, 𝕊, ℤ, which are quite common in mathematics, are not available on the keyboard. So, I had to search for these symbols in collections of mathematical symbols similar to Wikipedia and then copy and paste them because they weren’t readily available on the keyboard. It was quite cumbersome, but with the Loopedeck Live-S, I can simply store these symbols in square boxes and press them for immediate input.

I also upload content related to my Spanish studies. However, since the English and Spanish keyboards are slightly different, characters like ñ, á, é, í, ó are used in Spanish but not in English. To use these characters, I had to switch to the Spanish keyboard layout or copy and paste them from places where Spanish characters were available. But again, with Loopdeck, I can store these characters in square boxes and simply press them when they appear in the middle of a sentence.

So, I seem to be using this tool effectively in my own way, but I believe that the purpose and efficiency of Loopdeck can vary greatly depending on the user. For instance, Loopdeck can be used not only for internet broadcasting but also for various specialized programs like Excel, PowerPoint, DAW software, Photoshop, Blender, and more. While I primarily use it to make it easier to use complex characters, if professionals utilize Loopdeck when using specialized programs, it can significantly boost user productivity.

As mentioned on the marketplace page, there is a variety of options available, not just templates and plugins but also sound packs, icon packs, and more. Personally, I may not feel the need for some of these options, but for example, a sound pack could be handy when creating sound effects during video editing. Furthermore, there are AI-powered plugins available nowadays, seemingly in line with current trends. These plugins allow you to configure functions like automatically translating block sections when you press a button or setting up daily schedules. However, it can be disappointing because initially, they are labeled as trial versions, giving the impression that you might have to pay separately in the future. I paid a lot for the machine, but I wonder if letting me use these parts for free would have the effect of making the machine better…

루프덱은 기능 설정할 때의 자유도가 높지만 이는 동시에 번거롭다는 뜻이기도 합니다.

앱은 기능과는 별도로 조금 개편을 해줘야 할 필요성이 있지 않나 싶습니다.

However, there is one aspect of using the Loopedeck program that I find frustrating. It’s nice to have detailed settings and a lot of freedom. But first, the program itself is a bit slow. As a result, when making individual settings, it doesn’t feel as snappy as one might expect. It can feel a bit sluggish when trying to apply changes to the device in real-time. Personally, I think it might be more efficient if the process was structured in a way where additions are made in the app, and changes are applied all at once by pressing the save button.

Additionally, apart from the issue of sluggishness, the statement that it offers a high degree of flexibility can also be interpreted as complexity. While there is a fair selection of templates available, the reality is that they may not always meet one’s needs entirely. Attempting to configure settings manually can be quite intricate. Moreover, although the templates often come with well-designed actions, trying to set up these actions yourself can sometimes feel complex, leaving you pondering how macros and other settings were configured. Therefore, it seems essential to have a fundamental understanding of such software to use it effectively. The more you know, the better you can harness its full potential.

자유도와는 별개로 ‘이런 조작도 가능했으면 좋겠다’라는 생각이 들기도 합니다… 능력자들은 어떻게든 구현을 하실 듯도 합니다만…

On the other hand, human greed knows no bounds, and sometimes I find myself wishing there were more controls. Of course, depending on the user, it seems that almost all operations can be achieved with the appropriate use of macros and the like, but for me, it’s somewhat challenging… For instance, when I translate for my blog, I frequently use translation tools and Bing AI. I go through the process of “selecting and copying a sentence, pasting it into the translation tool, checking the result, and then converting Korean to English.” However, if, for instance, a button could perform actions like “double-click to copy and paste the respective sentence,” is it asking for too much? But strangely, skilled individuals seem to be capable of such tasks.

Loopedeck — Pigma, Visual Studio Code, and Reason are all on both Windows and Mac, so why are the templates only on Mac…

윈도우와 맥에서 모두 사용가능하지만 맥에서 뭔가 더 사용하기 좋아보인다는 느낌적인 느낌…

The Loopdeck software is available for both Windows and Mac. And there are different templates for different operating systems. This may seem obvious, since Final Cut Pro, Logic, etc. are only available on Mac. However, for some reason, even though the software is available on both Windows and Mac, there are differences in templates, with certain templates only available in the Mac version (e.g., Reason, Figma), which creates somewhat perplexing functional disparities. Some might say, ‘Why not simply avoid using templates and configure it as you see fit?’ However, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, setting up Loopdeck initially can be quite cumbersome. Therefore, if templates are available and useful, using them would be more convenient. However, these aspects remain somewhat perplexing.

루프덱 Live-S와 더 친해질 수 있도록 노력해야 할 듯합니다.

As mentioned earlier, I’m using the Loopdeck Live-S primarily for inserting text while blogging. Consequently, I still feel that I’m not using this device to its full potential. Personally, I thought it would be great if the developer provided more tutorial videos. There are probably several people like me. I don’t know if they don’t get feedback, or if they don’t think it’s important because they have a lot of developers among their users like WordPress.

Of course, one could argue that even with this level of usage, I’m still utilizing the device reasonably well. However, given that this device costs approximately $200, it’s by no means a cheap device. If it’s only used for text input, one might be better off purchasing a simple keyboard with a few extra buttons separately. It would be beneficial to explore further how I can use the Loopedeck Live-S with other programs I use.