TourBox NEO, Custom Controller for Photo Video Editing, Color Grading, Ilustration, Mac/Windows, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Premiere Illustrator Davinci Resolve After Effects Final Cut Pro Keyboard

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Macros include keyboard shortcuts, mouse actions, delays, text input, file and folder opening and URL links. Macros can be stored in groups with different groups for different tasks. After installing the TourBox Console software, connecting the Elite controller over Bluetooth was a breeze. On my Mac, I was surprised to find that I did not have to go into my Mac’s System preferences and delve into the often-slow Bluetooth connection section. I’d much prefer a rechargeable, internal battery instead of two AA batteries. Removable batteries encourage waste, and it would be easier to recharge the controller via USB-C (similar to my wireless keyboard and mouse) instead of dealing with physical batteries. I’ve learned that every editor prefers to edit in their own way. If you have trouble remembering all the keyboard shortcuts you need, and are frustrated dragging a mouse around, it’s time to look at a different way to work. Adjusting brush size using a knob on the TourBox NEO is way faster and more intuitive than a keyboard and mouse. It feels awesome. I also use the scroll-wheel at top left to “Photoshop Zoom” in-and-out of whichever area the mouse pointer is currently in.

ONE-HAND EYE-FREE CONTROL: With only 11 buttons and 3 rotary ones, the TourBox comes with over a hundred input methods. At the same time, its compact size and button layout allow full control using one hand. All buttons and knobs are different in shape and are super easy to recognize and memorized so that users don’t have to look down searching for buttons. There are plenty more assignable Photoshop functions I could explore and assign to the TourBox NEO, but for now I’m very happy with my setup. Final thoughts on the TourBox NEO

For example, in Lightroom, you can enter fullscreen mode by pressing the keyboard shortcut “F”. But there is no keyboard shortcut for increasing or decreasing the value of the currently selected editing slider such as contrast, exposure, highlights or clarity. To solve this, TourBox has several built-in functions that take care of these, but they are only available for Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere, and a lesser-known-to-me application called Clip Studio Paint. The software comes preloaded with shortcuts for Adobe's Lightroom and Photoshop, and it's easy to change these and to set up new ones. I've primarily been using it with DaVinci Resolve and Photoshop. It definitely takes some time and several iterations to find out exactly which control is best for assigning to a function. It definitely takes some time to find out which control is best for which function There’s also a scroll wheel, a versatile knob, and a large “all-in-one” dial. The scroll wheel can perform a myriad of functions, such as screen zoom or scrolling through settings, while the knob can serve to adjust brush size or timeline adjustment. The dial can change parameters such as contrast or saturation — basically, these three controls can be customized to do pretty much anything you want. You can use up to 30 presets at a time and set up to 42 operations using the TourBox, which is made doable because some buttons can perform double duty — you can set a button to perform one function with a single press, double press, or even press two different buttons simultaneously. UPDATE: The TourBox NEO only connects via USB-A. The recently-released TourBox Elite connects via either Bluetooth or USB-A.

The software developers at TourBox Tech have been busy. As well as the macro function, a new TourMenu feature is also available. The TourMenu is yet another way to expand the number of commands at your fingertips, effectively allowing you to assign up to ten different commands to a single button on the console. This is done by creating an on-screen menu that is assigned to each button.The specific functions of knobs and buttons changes based on what software you're using and how you choose to configure the device. The TourBox is certainly built with Adobe apps in mind, and goes beyond keyboard shortcuts when it comes to mapping functions to Photoshop and Lightroom. The expansion USB Port on the Tourbox Neo has been removed from the Tourbox Elite, this could potentially affect those with a limited number of USB ports built into their device. However, the use of the Bluetooth system of the Tourbox Elite could free up a USB port that was being used when having the Neo connected via its USB cable. Ultimately the Tourbox system has been designed to improve your productivity and workflow, so getting the right one for you is more based on how you see yourself using it. Getting the TourBox up and running is pretty straightforward if you follow the directions. I did not and forgot to enable one of the permissions settings the first time around leaving me unable to do any customization. For now, it works when I want to edit an image using my Apple Pencil. However, it’s not an ideal solution because Apple Sidecar does introduce a bit of lag. I prefer the iOS version of Photoshop and using it as a standalone application on the iPad. Overall Impression

But what about complex panels like Hue, Saturation and Luminosity (HSL)? Press a button on the NEO, and TourBox Console displays a clever overlay including every HSL slider. You then tab between Hue, Saturation and Luminosity, scroll (using the NEO scroll wheel) to the color you intend to edit, then use the NEO center knob to adjust value. Using the TourBox NEO’s custom HSL panel with Adobe Lightroom Classic However more than once I accidentally typed into the key assignment field when I meant to enter a description. This is because you actually have to select the edit icon before adding a description, you can't type directly into the field. Looking to upgrade your equipment? Get competitive prices on major brands with our part-exchange service. For example, I initially set the Tall button to reject an image. And then set a combination of the Tall and C1 button together to Sync Settings. Whenever I tried to use the latter, it would reject my images first. It makes sense since I am technically pressing down on either the Tall or C1 button first thus telling it to do what I programmed for that button. In the end, it wasn’t a big deal, I found combinations that all worked as I wanted and you can find them in my presets. The Tourbox Elite and the Tourbox Neo overall at the heart have the same overall software and structure making it almost impossible to say if one is absolutely better than the other, it really does come down to the small details. Tourbox has clearly spent a good amount of thought and engineering to improve what was already a fantastic controller and create one suitable for any professional editor.What if you didn’t want the entire process to fire instantly on a single press? This is where the macro Groups function comes in. Groups allow you to split your macro actions into different sub-macros triggered by consecutive presses of the same button. Although I don’t think they got the naming right by calling it Tag Manager, it is a darn good idea! Each set of tags lives within the preset, so you won’t find any Lightroom shortcuts in your Tag Manager if you are currently editing your Photoshop preset. Once you understand the Tag Manager’s purpose and how it works, it’s an immensely useful way to organize the possible customization options for any given application. Built-In Functions Example built-in Lightroom functions Available mouse functions TourBox NEO connects via USB-A and can be used stand-alone, with a mouse or with a graphics tablet. It contains three rotary wheels and 11 buttons, ergonomically designed to fit either hand – though it is somewhat biased toward right-handers.