Keyboard shortcuts are an easy way to speed up creative and productivity workflows. You probably know the keyboard commands for copy, cut, and paste — and power users might have many more saved to memory. However, you can make keyboard shortcuts and workflow processes even faster by using macros. These are saved sequences of actions, like a keystroke or a pointer click, that can be kicked off by a single shortcut. Instead of contorting my fingers to press a four-key shortcut every time I want to run it, I can configure a macro to complete the keystrokes with only one button press.

A macro pad is a set of physical buttons mapped to the customized macros you've created to hasten your PC commands. Technically, you can turn any keyboard into a macro pad with the right software. It's not necessary to buy premium macro pads, like the Stream Deck. It's positioned toward gamers and streamers, but the Stream Deck has become an invaluable part of my desk setup. I exclusively use it for photo editing, productivity, and media control, and it's served me so well that I bought a second one.

I use a Stream Deck Neo to speed up creative workflows I don't have to remember every keyboard shortcut thanks to the Stream Deck

Elgato sells a variety of Stream Deck models, starting with the original 15-key macro pad. There are smaller and larger units available to fit your specific needs, including models with extra buttons or knobs. I opted for the Stream Deck Neo, an eight-key macro pad that's relatively affordable at $100. This version of the Stream Deck doesn't scream "gamer," especially in the tasteful white colorway. While the Stream Deck Neo is light on physical keys, it has two touch points that can be used to switch between pages. Plus, there's a separate LCD "infobar" that I use to glance at the date and time.

Each key has a tiny LCD panel underneath it, which can be customized to show icons, variable status information, or even animated GIFs. For example, your keyboard might have a mute button, but the Stream Deck's mute button can use the LCD to display the real-time status of the microphone. This kind of customizable, glanceable control is attractive — regardless of whether you're a gamer or simply looking to improve your creative workflows. I found myself tripping over keyboard shortcuts and menus in Pixelmator Pro, my photo editing software of choice, until I bought the Stream Deck Neo and put it to work.

I use the ML Color, Denoise, and Super Resolution features in Pixelmator Pro quite often. They can each be triggered with a keyboard command or with a menu bar button. However, it's a lot to keep track of, and there are more Pixelmator Pro commands I need to use less frequently. Instead of wasting time pressing keys, I configured my Stream Deck Neo to automate every photo-editing tool I need. There are buttons for ML Color, Denoise, and Super Resolution, but also macros for the selection tool, the escape button, and the return key. When it's time to save, New Folder and Export macros handle the finishing touches.

It's true that I could use keyboard commands for these edits, and adding Escape and Return keys might sound redundant. It's all about optimization and efficiency, though. Every key I need is on a Stream Deck Neo that lives right above my Magic Trackpad. So, I can edit large batches of photos without ever touching my keyboard or mouse. Eight macros and a trackpad take care of every part of the process, and I breeze through photo editing now.

I keep my Stream Deck relatively basic, using the customizable Hotkey system shortcut to automate any keystroke I need. You can make your Stream Deck as basic or as complex as it needs to be to streamline your workflows. There are third-party plugins and icon packs that seriously improve the experience, like the Apple Music plugin that controls music streaming on my workstation. Better yet, you can fill up to 10 pages of macros on a single Stream Deck profile that can be quickly cycled with the Neo's touch points. This tiny desk accessory quietly hides 80 macros inside, and it's a dream.

I can navigate my library, control playback, and eject discs with macros

I've had the Stream Deck Neo for months, and it's become a productivity lifesaver for creative work. That said, the macro pad was so neat that I bought another Stream Deck — this time the "Mini" version — for my media server. This is the machine that handles CD ripping, local music storage and playback, and cloud music streaming. It also resides on the same desk as my main workstation. Rather than use two keyboards on my desk or keep moving a wireless keyboard between PCs, I decided to set up a Stream Deck Mini as my media server's controller.

With only six LCD keys and no touch points available, the Stream Deck Mini is more limited than the Neo. If you want to use multiple macro pages, I wouldn't recommend it. You need to use one or two of the keys to change pages on the Stream Deck Mini, so the six macros quickly become four on the middle pages. Luckily, six keys were all I needed to control my media server. I configured forward and back keys to aid with album and song selection, next and previous track keys, and a play/pause button for playback control. Since I'm using a desktop amplifier for volume control, I didn't need dedicated volume keys.

Rather than use a specific plugin, I set up basic hotkeys that work across different apps. The playback control shortcuts work regardless of whether I'm using my legacy iTunes media library or the Apple Music streaming service. I also added an eject key for my optical drive to the Stream Deck Mini, since my modern wireless keyboard doesn't even have one of those. All told, I love the tactile experience of controlling my music server with a simple set of physical buttons.

Why you probably only need one Stream Deck I need one for each PC, but a single Deck can hold 10 pages of macros

If you're intrigued by the Stream Deck, there's good news: you probably only need one. I own a Stream Deck Neo and a Stream Deck Mini because I use two PCs on the same desk, and each needs their own macro pads. However, if you're only using one desktop computer, a single Stream Deck is fine. With support for up to 10 macro pad pages per profile, there's plenty of room for custom shortcuts. If you begin to run out of space, using folders and separate profiles are easy ways to get more macros on a single Stream Deck. The possibilities are almost endless, and I know my Stream Decks could be doing more on my desk.

An affordable way to get started is by choosing the Stream Deck Mini, which usually costs between $50 and $60. If you have more to spend, I can't recommend the $100 Stream Deck Neo enough — the LCD info bar and the navigation touch points really refine the experience.