REVIEW: TourBox Controllers, I’ve seen the Lite!
If someone asked me what one piece of equipment had the biggest impact on my productivity as a photographer & videographer, it would without doubt be the TourBox! And that question would very quickly be followed by ‘What in the world is a TourBox’? It’s a game changer, that’s all you need to know…
However, you probably want to know a little more than that so I am here to tell you about it. First though, a quick history lesson. When I started out in photography, I very quickly realised the power of post production and the ability to take my images to the next level using software such as Lightroom and Photoshop.
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As many of you will have learnt by now, editing can be a time consuming process and as I started to build a client roster and shooting several times a week, photo editing became the bane of my life. This was nothing compared to the time taken on video editing, but let’s leave that to one side for now. It wasn’t unusual for me to come home with several hundred shots from a job (sometimes even in the thousands!) and this became a real headache.
The wily old professionals will now be shaking their heads saying ‘Quality over quantity’ but for anyone who suffers Imposter Syndrome like me, that simply wouldn’t cut it. ‘You can always use presets!’ I hear you say, and I did, I mean, I do - copious amounts of the things but that doesn’t change the fact that each image still needs that little tweak to make it just right! There had to be a solution.
The real issue is that Lightroom’s sliders are not easy to control with a traditional mouse - or even worse, a laptop trackpad which is what I had spent years using. I did my research and soon learnt of the wonderful world of ‘Hardware Controllers’ - basically a piece of hardware, usually with knobs and dials that can be mapped to the various different controls of a given piece of software. Problem solved, you may think, but as with all things in life, not all hardware controllers are made evenly.
I went through quite a variety of different styles, some dedicated to photography, others that were built for music and adapted to fit my needs as a photographer. Nothing ever seemed to tick all of the boxes, no matter the size, cost or hours of fiddling around to get them to work in the first place! That was until a couple of years ago when a company called TourBox reached out to me and asked me to try their new controller. ‘I’ll have a look,’ I said, not holding out much hope and forgot about it…
When it arrived, and I saw the layout, I almost didn’t want to bother even setting it up. It didn’t look intuitive and knowing how Lightroom is layed out, I couldn’t see how it would logically work. How wrong I was… Within about 30 minutes of mapping the dials and knobs to what I thought worked best, I was flying through edits with a smile on my face and gaining back precious amounts of time! But that wasn’t even the best part.
I knew that the TourBox had also been designed with videographers in mind and again, I was skeptical at best as to how this could possibly work with Final Cut or any other video editing software for that matter. After a short period of time setting the device up, I knew that I could never go back to a traditional method of ‘mouse & keyboard’ and that, is where the game was changed for me and countless others who had tried it.
Skipping forward to the modern day and TourBox have released their latest itteration of there little box of tricks and at first glance, you’d be hard pushed to tell a difference. The layout is practically the same, minus a couple of buttons and everything else feels reassuringly ‘TourBox’. That is a good thing and as we’ll see, this might be the perfect entry into one of the best kept secrets in the industry.
Price and Build
It’s important to start with the price, the ‘Lite’ is (at the time of writing) $94.99 with free worldwide shipping. That is insane value for something that can transform your workflow and save you copious amounts of time on editing. However, it’s important to remember that this is the more budget friendly offering as TourBox also offer their ‘Neo’ and ‘Elite’ versions - and if you can afford the $268.00 asking price - the Elite is worth it just for the Bluetooth functionality alone.
Does the low price point mean poor build quality? Not at all. The unit is reassuringly solid and with enough heft that it will not slide around a desk whilst in use. Having used the original TourBox for a number of years, I can feel that the Lite is maybe not as premium feeling, but this is nothing to be concerned about. There is definitely a more ‘plasticy’ feel to the buttons but the travel and feel of all of the controls is solid enough.
The Lite only comes in black, not quite as fancy of as the range of colours for the Elite Natural Series but again, that’s only a minor. At 329 grams it makes for a great travel companion and as we’ll discuss later, this is possibly where I see most people using it. It connects via USB C (type 2.0 and above) and it worked perfectly with both my M1 Mac Mini and M2 Max Macbook Pro.Setup is as simple as downloading the wonderful Console and plugging in the device.
Usability
This is what I imagine most of you want to know about. Usability is excellent! At first, it may look confusing and even daunting having a left-handed controller. However, the moment you hover your hand above the Lite, you start to see the genius of the TourBox - it just seems to work. You barely need to move your hand to reach any controller and it is designed not to move, so your hands simply rests on top and your fingers dance around tweak knobs, rolling sliders and pushing buttons.
Although the software comes with designated controllers for all of the most popular editing applications, the beauty lies in the ability to customise any button. For someone like me, who has, let’s say, a ‘creative brain’ this is brilliant - I can apply actions to buttons in the way I plan to use them. There is no right or wrong way of setting the device up and you are not limited in terms of ‘this button can only do this one thing’ - something that has frustrated me with similar products.
If I could give one piece of advice, in particular for video editors but also photographers - combine the TourBox with a good quality mouse that also has some additional buttons. I use the Logitech MX Master 2 (I did try the latest version but didn’t enjoy it as much, so revert back to the old one!). The ability to to control all timeline functions with my right hand and all edit functions with my left makes flying through an initial edit a breeze. Doing the same actions on just a trackpad feels like trying to edit with one arm behind your back!
My ‘old’ Elite on the Left and the new elite, I mean ‘Lite’ on the Right…
Ergonomically, the TourBox may seem confusing but it really is just one of those things that you need to try to understand it. I can’t work out how they came up with this design but it just seems to be a natural extension of your hand. I have used similar products with rows of slides and knobs and yes, they are great ways to control individual elements - but you still have to ‘look’ at what control you are using. With the TourBox, they have intelligently used shapes and textures that instinctively give you feedback so after a few uses, you never have to look down again - genius!
Software Integrations
The TourBox range are designed to be used with multiple software integrations. Common uses are for Adobe Lightroom and video editing software such as Final Cut. However, it goes way further than that with many creative software options being covered. In addition, it’s pretty easy to map basic controls using the TourBox Console, which we will look at next.
The TourBox Lite is compatible with both Windows and Mac and in my many years of using one, I’ve never had any integration issues. As long as you have the Console installed on your computer of choice, the hardware just becomes ‘plug and play’. It can even be used for more general computer controls such as changing audio volume when not in use with specific software. The aut-switching feature works seamlessly when working across multiple apps so there is almost no user input needed - just map the controls you want and your away.
TourBox Console
If the hardware is the body of the TourBox then Console is very definitely the brain! This is where all of the really clever stuff happens. Although it is effectively just the app that you use to map the controls and features of the TourBox, it is certainly powerful and should not be overlooked. Console offers a lot of great pre-mapped options for all of the main creative software covered. The real magic lies in the ability to map controls to your own liking.
Remapping controls is super simple and what is even handier is the ability to export your newly mapped controls and use them on a different computer. For instance, I use my TourBox with my Mac Mini at home but also with my MacBook Pro when I’m on the road. All I need is Console installed on both machines and then I export my controls from one machine and import them onto the other. Simple.
Such simple integration and ease of use as well as the fluid integration with a variety of software is what really elevates the TourBox to another level. The hardware is very well throughout and becomes second nature to use. However, the centre piece is really Console And the power that is put at your fingertips.
Downsides…
So far, this has felt like an open love letter to TourBox, and in a way, it is. However, nothing is truly perfect and the Lite is just the same. My biggest gripe with the lite is the reduced number of buttons. I know this is a cost thing and let’s face it, they have a clear product line up that will suit most needs. However, I can see this alone being a slightly limiting factor to some people. That said, it is still a more than powerful enough tool for most editing needs, so I am definitely ‘nit picking’.
The buttons do definitely have a ‘plasticky’ feel but for my use so far, this is not really an issue and a lot of my complaints only come from having used the original TourBox - so I have a line of direct comparison. For most first time users, this is still an excellent tool at a more than fair price.
My only final concern is more of a usability issue, but one that I can’t really comment too heavily on. I have pretty decent dexterity and even though I am very right-hand orientated, I found both iterations of the TourBox easy to use. I would have concerns if you struggle with dexterity at all or have issues with orientation - but that said, the fact that you barely need to move your hand to use it is a definite bonus!
Who is it the TourBox Lite for
If you’re reading this review then you probably have an underlying reason why it might work for you. Whether it’s photo editing, video editing or simply a useful control for a variety of other applications - then the Lite is probably for you. It very much fits into most modern workflows but more so, it can be adapted to suit many different needs thanks to the brilliant versatility and genius layout.
The ideal use case for me is the ability to edit quickly whilst travelling. I do a lot of work that needs a very quick turnaround, even editing some videos on the same day as shooting them! Not having to wait until I get home to start an edit is unbelievably valuable and allows me to be productive in situations that would have otherwise been incredibly limiting. It really is a ‘creatives’ perfect companion!
Conclusion
The ‘Lite’ rounds out the TourBox line up perfectly and other than being an incredibly useful tool, it opens up a new level of productivity to the masses. The move to a lower price point is something that I don’t often see in the ‘tech’ world but this makes the Lite an indispensable little gem. There are very few compromises in what I consider to be a must own accessory for all creatives.
Still need convincing? It is well worth at least trying one if you have the chance to do so. I must admit, I was sceptical about these little boxes of tricks but I honestly couldn’t go back to not using one. I now reach for my TourBox almost as quickly as I reach for my mouse! I’d love to know if you have tried one and what your thoughts are so please do leave a comment below, thanks.
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About the Author - Ross Jukes is a professional Photographer and Videographer with over a decade of experience. Working in both Digital and Analogue formats, Ross has worked with international clients, had his worked published numerous times and exhibited his work extensively. With a passion for all things photographic, Ross combines his experience, enthusiasm and dedication to his art form to create engaging and educational content for the photographic community.
Disclaimer: All links to Amazon UK/US are affiliated links - you will still pay the same price but I will receive a small commission. All information provided in this blog is intended either for educational or entertainment purposes and is accurate to the best knowledge of the author. However, further research/professional advice should be sort before making purchases/implementing any advice given and no responsibility is taken by the author or parties mentioned here within.