Exploring the Elgato Stream Deck Plus with SideshowFX Color Panel Profiles

Using and customizing the Elgato Stream Deck + to control Resolve’s HDR Panel

The new Stream Deck + panel from Elgato is an interesting control surface on its own, since it combines keyboard shortcuts with mouse control. But when paired with SideshowFX’s  Color Panel profiles, we can control every parameter on the Colour Page of Resolve. And the best part is it’s completely customizable so users can configure shortcuts and dials in almost any way they want.

Why my focus on Resolve’s HDR panel?

Ever since the HDR Tool was introduced to DaVinci Resolve I’ve been using it to retain and enhance details in highlights, skies and clouds, etc. The problem I have is that, when I’m on my home setup using my BlackMagic Design Micro panel, the HDR tools are rather fiddly and awkward using a mouse. Even the Mini Panel isn’t perfect – and the $30K Advanced Panel still requires a couple of extra button pushes.

So when I saw that SideshowFX were previewing their Stream Deck Plus Color Panel  I was very interested to see if it lived up to its promise. The Stream Deck + isn’t perfect, and some might say their solution for controlling sliders using rotary buttons is a bit of a ‘hack’, but the result is something that could save many DaVinci Resolve Colour Page users hundreds of button clicks a day!

Beyond the HDR panel

Of course, this doesn’t stop at the HDR Tool – whatever tasks you find yourself doing on a regular basis in Resolve, you’ll be able to use the Stream Deck + to configure all the controls you need into a custom set of keys and dials. The Stream Deck + hardware and accompanying software, combined with SideshowFx profiles as a starting point, is a cost-effective way to speed up your colour grading workflow – without forcing you to start from a completely blank page.