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Taking Control The real power of the TourBox Elite is in the TourBox Console software, which is where the controls are defined and customized. It comes with a good selection of preset functions already installed for popular graphics and video applications. Additional sets created by users is available on the touboxtech.com website and if you search the web you’ll find more. New presets are being added to the defaults with each update of the TourBox Console software and you can switch presets while you’re using the same app, for example to go from cutting to color grading in a video editor. Stepping through the included presets is a great way to get a sense of the logic behind the buttons and knobs are best used and, along with the available guides, tutorials and videos are a good way to learn how they can aid the way you like to work. The TourBox Console gives you the ability to make the device as simple or as sophisticated as you like. Buttons can be assigned to take the place of either keyboard shortcuts or as modifier keys that affect the other controls. There is also a macro editor that will let one click drive a sequence of actions. The TourBox Menu is arguably one of the most useful features. Assigned by default to the small, round button to the left of the knob, it acts a sort of contextual menu of available controls. For example, you click on the Tour button to bring up a list of functions for color adjustments. Use the scrolling knob to the upper left to select one and then the round knob will let you precisely adjust the setting, with the light haptic ratcheting providing a greater sense of control. This is far easier than using onscreen sliders and your mouse. The Console is where you customize, create, and link additional presets to new applications (the app must actually be open for it to be linked). Setting up a group of control actions for a preset is reasonably straightforward once you understand how the device fits into your workflows. Presets are defined by keyboard shortcuts, so it may take some research to build them if you normally use an application’s GUI. However, if you pay attention to how you normally use your mouse and keyboard in a program, it gets easier to see how the TourBox can really speed things up. Overall, there is something of a learning curve involved in mastering the TourBox. There is a manual available, but it is not particularly robust. However, the product has been around for a while and you’ll find some more detailed tutorials created by users on the web. One odd thing is the Help Center option in the Console takes you to a web page with the contacts for customer support. It takes a bit of digging on their site to locate the online manual. It is, however, downloadable as a PDF. The English version is only 5 pages of the multilingual document. The TourBox Elite starts at a list price of $268 for the Ivory White and Classic Black models, with a Smoke-Black Translucent version at $308. There’s also a rigid-shell travel case available for $21. Though it is a mid-priced control surface, if you’re willing to put in some time to learn its ins and outs, it is one of the best values. As odd as it may appear at first, you’ll soon discover that a great design is more than just good looks. For more information, visit: tourboxtech.com.