Control Snooper from an Elgato Stream Deck

With the Snooper plugin for Elgato Stream Deck you can arm and disarm Snooper, see at a glance whether it is idle, armed or recording, set the trigger level, switch recording mode, listen in live, play the latest recording and save the recording in progress, all from physical keys and dials. It works with Snooper Professional and Snooper Multi Channel, on the same PC or on another computer on your network.

What you need

Snooper Professional or Snooper Multi Channel 3.7.4 or later.
An Elgato Stream Deck with the Stream Deck software 6.4 or later, on Windows 10 or 11.
Any Stream Deck model works. On a Stream Deck+ the Trigger level and Listen in actions can also be placed on a dial.

Installing the plugin

Run the Snooper installer on the PC where the Stream Deck is connected.
Tick Install the Snooper plugin for Elgato Stream Deck. The option is only shown when the Stream Deck software is installed, and the plugin is installed for the current Windows user.
If Stream Deck is running, the installer closes it while the plugin is copied and starts it again (in the tray) afterwards.

The actions then appear in the Stream Deck software under the category Snooper Professional. Drag them onto keys (or dials) like any other action.

The plugin comes with the Snooper installer, so run it on the Stream Deck PC even if that PC will only control Snooper on other computers.

Preparing Snooper

The keys get their live status (armed, recording, level, mode) from Snooper’s status server. On each Snooper you want to control:

Status server: in Advanced properties → WCF, enable the service. The port shown there is the status port. For the Stream Deck, Windows authentication must be off.
Remote control: to arm, change level or mode, flush or play recordings from another computer, enable Allow remote control in Advanced properties → Snooper Remote Service and set a control password. On the same PC the plugin can also send commands without remote control enabled.
Firewall: when controlling Snooper on another computer, allow incoming connections to the status port on that computer.

Setting up a key

Select a key in the Stream Deck software to see its settings. Most actions share the same connection settings:

Setting	What it does
Product	Choose Snooper Professional or Snooper Multi Channel.
Runs as	Snooper Professional only: the application (snpr.exe) or the Windows service.
Channel	Snooper Multi Channel only: which channel the key controls. Channels found on this PC are listed; use ↻ to scan again.
Host	Leave empty for Snooper on this PC. For another computer, enter its name or IP address.
Status port	Leave on auto for Snooper on this PC; the port is read from Snooper’s settings. For another computer, enter the status port shown in that Snooper’s WCF settings.
Control password	The remote control password, if that Snooper has one.
Title	The Stream Deck’s own Title field replaces the small label in the key’s corner (GUI, SVC or CH n), for example “Office” or “CH 1”.

Keys that point at the same Snooper share one connection, so you can put as many keys for the same Snooper on your deck as you like.

The actions

Arm / Disarm

The main status key. Its colour and caption show whether Snooper is offline, idle, armed or recording, and a live level meter with a mark at the trigger level shows the incoming sound. Press to arm or disarm monitoring.

Trigger level

On a key: press to set Snooper’s trigger level to the value in the key’s settings (in dBFS, for example -30). On a Stream Deck+ dial: turn to adjust the level (1, 2, 3 or 5 dB per tick, see Dial step) and it is sent when you stop turning; press the dial or tap the strip to send it at once. The strip always shows the current level.

Recording mode

Shows Snooper’s current recording mode. Each press switches to the next one: Sound activated → Normal → Dictation → Test. It changes the mode only; it does not arm or disarm Snooper. If Snooper is armed, it continues in the new mode.

Flush recording

Works like the Flush button in Snooper: saves the recording in progress as a file and keeps recording. The key turns red while Snooper is recording. It has no effect when Snooper is not armed or is paused, just like the button.

Listen in

Press to hear the live sound from Snooper on this PC’s speakers; press again to stop. It can take a few seconds before the sound starts. Set the Volume in the key’s settings. By default only one Listen key plays at a time and pressing another one switches to it; choose Mix to let several Listen keys play together. On a Stream Deck+ dial: turn for volume, press to switch listening on or off.

Recording stats

Shows the total recorded time and the number of recordings, and the running time while a recording is in progress. It lights up for a minute after a recording has finished.

Press to open the folder of the latest recording (Snooper on this PC only).
Hold for 2 seconds to reset the counters.
Choose Reset daily at 00:00 in the key’s settings to count per day.

Snooper keeps the count itself, so recordings are counted even when the key is not on screen or the Stream Deck software is closed. Snooper’s count starts over when Snooper is restarted.

Play latest recording

Plays the latest recording on this PC’s speakers; press again to stop. The key shows the file name, and the playing time and length while it plays. If the recording is on this PC (or on a shared folder you can reach), it is played directly. If it is on another computer, Snooper streams it to the Stream Deck PC, like listening in; this needs remote control enabled on that Snooper and its control password in the key’s settings. Set the Volume in the key’s settings.

Arm / Disarm all channels

For Snooper Multi Channel: one key for all channels. It shows how many channels are armed and recording. Press to arm every channel; when all channels are already armed, pressing disarms them all. On this PC all channels are found automatically. For Snooper Multi Channel on another computer, enter its host and the channels’ status ports, separated by commas (for example 25000,25001,25002).

Controlling Snooper on another computer

On the Snooper computer, enable the status server and Allow remote control, and set a control password (see Preparing Snooper).
Allow the status port through that computer’s firewall.
On the Stream Deck PC, set Host, Status port and Control password on each key (or set up one key and copy it).

Status keys work as soon as the connection is made; commands (arm, level, mode, flush) and playing recordings need the remote control permission.

Troubleshooting

The key shows “offline”: the plugin cannot reach Snooper’s status server. Check that Snooper is running, that the WCF service is enabled, and the host and port in the key’s settings. For another computer, check the firewall.
A key shows ⚠ when pressed: the command was not accepted. For Snooper on another computer this is usually a missing Allow remote control setting or a wrong control password.
A channel is marked “status off” in the settings: that channel’s WCF service is disabled.
Play latest recording shows ⚠: there is no recording yet since Snooper started, remote control is not allowed, or the file cannot be played (for example an encrypted recording).
The keys stop responding: make sure the Stream Deck software is running (it may need a restart after installing or updating Snooper).