The TourBox adds a touch of tactile control to your editing workflow in a portable package – TechCrunch

Now is a good time to dive back into creative projects that you had on hold, including editing archive archives of photos that you promised you would come back to later. There are a number of different gadgets designed to simplify this process. However, one of the more accessible is that TourBox, a $ 169 hardware controller that contains a range of different hardware buttons, dials, and switches that can be software-customized to work with a variety of creative applications.

The basics

TourBox is a device that takes up approximately the space on the desk of an Apple Magic Trackpad and has a USB-C connection for connection to your computer. It is equipped with a D-Pad, two dials, a scroll wheel and seven buttons. The TourBox software provides customizable controls for each of these elements that allow you to assign each key.

Integrated profiles support popular photo editing applications such as Photoshop, Lightroom and Capture One. Video editing software such as Final Cut Pro, Premiere and DaVinci Resolve; and drawing software including Clip Studio Paint. Each of the standard configurations for these applications can also be customized to a user’s preferences and needs.

TourBox differs from other, more expensive devices in this category in several ways – for example, it relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts, definitely simplifies software actions, but does not offer the same level of plug-in integration as competitors, including premium devices Loupedeck + and Loupedeck CT offer. However, these are significantly more expensive, and what TourBox offers might be suitable for the workflows of professionals who primarily want to complement, rather than replacing their existing workflows for keyboard productivity.

design

The TourBox is compact, but feels robust. It’s heavier than I expected, which makes it more likely to stay on the desk you put it on instead of moving around during use. The exterior is a matt, rubberized plastic, which has a beautiful aesthetic and a pleasant touch, although it absorbs dust.

The buttons and controls on the TourBox have unique shapes and elements, such as raised spokes and ribs on the wheels, which allow you to navigate the user interface as you wish. A controller is produced that looks very interesting due to its asymmetrical layout and the outer surface. However, all of this makes it much easier to learn after a little practice how to operate it fully, which is crucial for long-term use. If you make sure that the TourBox saves you time, you can ultimately commit yourself to muscle memory.

While the design of the buttons and other controls makes a lot of sense, the actual feel isn’t too good. There are some highlights, including the click-turn to help with fine-grain controls. Overall, however, the keys feel a bit muddy and generally don’t match the feel of the controls on other surfaces like the Loupedeck hardware mentioned above. Given the price difference, the feeling of a lower quality of the physical controls can be given and it has no influence on the actual performance, but it should be noted.

performance

As with any new hardware controller, the TourBox takes some getting used to, and the company-provided software that includes a basic tutorial does not require overt user adjustments, such as manually switching profiles to work with different applications. A major 2.1 update is in the works, which, in addition to a number of other improvements, enables automatic profile switching.

Indeed, once you learn how to use the TourBox software and become familiar with the profiles of the applications you use, TourBox is easy to use and can save you a lot of time and extra keystrokes on most common functions, including things like zooming and Pan, adjust brush size, undo and redo, and more.

As mentioned earlier, the unique physical layout and button shapes may seem strange at first, but ultimately they mean that with the TourBox you can develop a very memorable workflow that becomes second nature. By default, some of the modifier key combinations that were included in the software profiles required somewhat unusual hand exercises, but all are customizable so that changes could be made easily, making them more ergonomic to use.

Bottom line

While there is a growing number of hardware interface options that allow you to create a home editing suite, the $ 169 TourBox is one of the cheapest on the market. It’s also an extremely portable option that only requires one cable that you can easily pack in almost any pocket.

More demanding and professional users should check out Loupedeck’s offerings, and the Monogram Creative Console offers much more modular adaptability For a system that can grow with your needs, but for editing on the go and for enthusiasts who are just looking for something that makes their editing easier and faster, but with minimal effort, the TourBox is a solid option.