How Neumann&Müller uses Network Dock to run Stream Deck in Live Event Production

For large-scale live events, reliable media control matters just as much as flexibility. Stage managers, show callers, and on-stage presenters all need access to the same tools, often in places where a laptop or control PC simply doesn’t make sense.

Neumann&Müller is one of Europe’s leading technical service providers for live events, broadcast, and corporate productions. Their teams have relied on Stream Deck for years to trigger media cues, manage timing, and keep shows running smoothly. Until recently, that workflow required placing an extra computer at every control point.

With Network Dock, that changed. The video below shows a example of Stream Deck being used to request assistance, sending a notification to a phone with a single key press.

Neumann&Müller: For more than 8 years, we have been using Elgato Stream Decks in event production primarily for media control, almost always in combination with Bitfocus Companion. Until now, it was mandatory at every venue to deploy an additional PC or laptop to translate the control signals into our media network. This not only increased technical complexity but also added cost and required extra space.

Network Dock completely eliminates this bottleneck: for the first time, Stream Decks can be integrated directly into the network without an additional computer.

Neumann&Müller: We use Network Dock in all positions where no computer was previously planned, but where we still want to implement media control - for example, in stage management, at stage entrances, for the show caller, or even directly on stage at the lectern.

This allows us to place a Stream Deck in a compact and unobtrusive way and actively involve the respective people in our media control workflows:

• The stage manager confirms with a single key press that the next speaker is ready.
• The show caller can independently control the speech timer.
• Speakers on stage receive a powerful and discreet remote control for videos, presentations, or other media elements.

In short: with the Network Dock, we elevate every classic USB Stream Deck to the connectivity level of a much more expensive Stream Deck Studio—flexible, cost-efficient, and with a minimal footprint.

Neumann&Müller: Network Dock is thoughtfully designed down to the smallest detail.

• Power over Ethernet (PoE) allows us to operate each device from the network switch using just a single cable.
• The standardized USB-C port and the included, clearly labeled cables are true to Elgato’s proven design philosophy, finally sparing us the guesswork around protocols and compatibility.

These seemingly small but crucial details are real game changers for us in daily operations.

Neumann&Müller: In combination with Stream Decks, the possibilities are virtually limitless. We are already using the Network Dock for:

• Custom-designed doorbell and signaling solutions,
• Overlay graphics in cooking shows, controlled directly by the chef from the kitchen,
• Alerting systems for technical teams at large eSports productions,
• Mobile, battery-powered Stream Deck setups over Wi-Fi that can be freely carried around the event venue.

Whether for creative custom solutions or everyday production workflows: wherever a laptop would be disruptive or simply doesn’t fit, the Network Dock proves that media control is still possible, flexible, reliable, and elegant.

Neumann&Müller: For Neumann&Müller, Network Dock removed the need to rethink workflows around hardware limitations. Stream Deck can stay exactly where it is most useful, whether that is on stage, at entrances, or with the people calling the show, without adding extra computers to the setup.

By connecting Stream Deck directly to the network with a single PoE cable, their team simplified deployment while expanding where media control can live. That shift made it easier to involve more roles in the production process, keep setups compact, and maintain reliable control across complex live events.