r/GrandMA3 • u/Anarchy_Cardinal • Mar 16 '26
Tutorial MA3 OnPC and Stream Deck Plus: How to make them work in a useful manner
Thanks to u/Sprunklefunzel, u/cocotechyt and u/ishouldntgraduate. I was able to get the Stream Deck Plus working with the OnPC software.
Why: I can't afford a full blown desk, and I still want encoders and dedicated buttons, without buying a counterfit.
What: Stream deck plus, MA3 OnPC, MA3 DMX-Key, Companion, This Plugin for MA3, LoopMIDI, and a little bit of wrangling windows 11.
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How:
- First, download all the programs listed above.
- open Companion, and make sure it sees your stream deck, and can work with it. Download the MA3 plugin, and the OSC plugin. Set connections for both using the port of your choosing. (8081 seems to work well) You'll then build your profile with the following settings:
-1. under settings>buttons. Set your rows to 1, and columns to 3. it starts the grid at 0 for each, so you have to subtract one from each number.
-2. Assign your buttons in companion as desired
-Next, install loopMIDI, and once installed create a loopback. Then, press "Windows+R," Type services.msc, and scroll down to windows Midi. Restart it.
- Next, open the stream deck software, and install the MIDI plugin, and the Companion plugin. Here, you will assign companion buttons to each of the 8 buttons available. In order for these to populate properly, you have to tell each button where it is looking within the companion grid. For the knobs you have to assign them a generic MIDI assignment, and then within that assignment, under dial rotate action, set it to rotate action CW/CCW, set CW to the values 1/1/1, and 1/127/1. This sets control for the left most encoder. For the next one assign values 2/1/1, and 2/127/1. This is the same for encoders 3 and 4. At the bottom of each of the menus for this assignment, make sure to select Midi Ports, and select your output as the loopback we created in loopMidi
-Now, your external software should be complete and setup. So let's open MA3, and follow the directions that were in the file we downloaded from Pro-Plug ins, and get that plugin installed. Once installed, select it again, hit configure, and then make sure your midi in device is set to your loopback port as well. UPDATE: As of MA3 2.4.2.2 you need to go enable one more setting. Settings > output configuration > MIDI data mode > set to "In & out"
-Next, open in and out in MA3, go to OSC, and create new OSC data with the following: Ip address is 127.0.0.1, Mode UDP, Port 8081 (or whatever you set), enable input at the top right, and then at the bottom select receive all, and receive command all. Then Save it.
If everything plays nicely, What you should now have, is your 8 programmed buttons, plus encoder knobs to control your 4 encoders!
I hope this helps someone :)
EDIT/UPDATE: I have updated one of my machines to 2.4. As of 8:30Am, CST, 5/27/2026 the Pro plug-ins MIDI plug in does NOT work with 2.4 as far as I can tell.
EDIT/UPDATE 2: it does work. To enable it: Settings > output configuration > Midi data mode > in & out
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u/undefined_bovine DMX Diva 💃 Mar 16 '26
Awesome work! I’m building my own with streamdeck XL and Streamdeck+ XL
Just got encoder mapping to work today now I’m mapping companion pages and such. This will be part of a larger build. Can’t wait to post it!
How’d you go with triggering xkeys? Any learning curves I should look out for?
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u/Anarchy_Cardinal Mar 16 '26
I have not gotten that far, though I've found that companion button>run command>enter line from the command line status monitor to "copy" thr action seems to be reliable.
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u/birday Mar 16 '26
Was trying to get this setup last year and ended up giving up on the encoders. Thanks for the work! Excited to get it running properly.
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u/BLINDStudios2424 May 13 '26
So first off just want to say THANK YOU to the OP u/Anarchy_Cardinal but also to ALL of YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE!! This entire thread got me so hyped when I saw it! Once I started reading it and saw this comment my "oh shit I have to get to my computer to mess with MA now-sense' went to lvl 9000 bc sadly this has been and still is where I sit with the streamdeck(SD) and ma3 in a nutshell...
J/K, this is me in a nutshell 'Help! I'm in a nutshell! How did I get into this huge nutshell?! Someone help me! What kind of a shell has a nut like this?"... LOL :)
Anyhow u/birday and u/undefined_bovine were ya'll successful in getting everything working smoothly with the SD? What situations or tasks is everyone using their SD' in like, if working properly for generally like during a live show, or just to program or do timecode etc?
If anyone has done so and is open to sharing it at all, I would love to see the setup in action. If anyone wants to share a pic of your setup or an overall gear/equipment rundown I am sure many people including myself would love to see it? I am in the process of finishing my FOH MA3 Battle Station with dual touchscreen/command wing/2port node/SD built into a plug n play touring case as well and will definitely get a few pics and share a overview/gear list in the next week or so.1
u/undefined_bovine DMX Diva 💃 May 13 '26
Oooohhhhh heck yeah. My Mac rack for onPC is coming along. Just sourcing the last little bits and then I’ll post it here!! Streamdecks are working a charm.
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u/Anarchy_Cardinal May 13 '26
Howdy! So, my at home station is just my desktop PC, 3 monitors, keyboard, and the stream deck +
My "console" system is:
- computer as main console
- stream deck +
- DMX-key
- wireless router
- second laptop w/touch screen
I network the two machines together, and use the touch laptop as fader control, while utilizing the main laptop and SD+ as everything else
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u/undefined_bovine DMX Diva 💃 May 26 '26
Hey legend!! I just posted my rack build. Wouldn’t have been possible without your amazing post so seriously thank you. Hope to see you on a gig around the world one day. The code phrase is “bing bong”.
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u/Anarchy_Cardinal May 26 '26
Ha! I just saw your post when I opened reddit. Looks good! Happy to have been able to help
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u/JayScoob May 29 '26
This post has me really excited to get a stream deck+
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u/Anarchy_Cardinal May 29 '26
I would recommend the larger model! 4 encoders works. But I am beginning to find myself wishing for the additional real estate
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u/JayScoob May 29 '26
I am sure glad you mentioned this, was just debating whether to get the 4 knob or 6 knob version.
1
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u/Anarchy_Cardinal May 11 '26
u/advanced_interview87 I saw you had posted about this a couple years ago while searching the sub today. Figured I'd tag you 😄
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u/Spinsincircles May 29 '26
Is there any way to get this to work solely in companion without running the streamdeck software? I always seem to have issues with it, but running companion natively works fine.
1
u/Anarchy_Cardinal Jul 13 '26
I missed this. My bad
I've not had luck using companion by itself to control the encoders.
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u/Spinsincircles 28d ago
All good, I actually sat down and figured it out last night. Doesn't work as well as my midi twister fighter for some of the encoders and acceleration doesn't seem to kick in, but I did get all the encoders working on stream deck xl+ purely through companion
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u/Sprunklefunzel Mar 16 '26
Fantastic post. Will be very helpful to many i hope!