Our Verdict
The TourBox Elite Plus puts you in total control and provides the required haptic feedback to make it feel like you're fully interacting with the editing process. The bottom line is that the Elite Plus is expertly engineered and a huge game changer for photographers and videographers who are tired of remembering keyboard shortcuts and crave a more intuitive way of working. If TourBox could reduce the weight a little and utilise a rubber casing, they'd have a five-star product.
For
- Fast and customisable
- Tablet compatible
- Fingerprint resistant
- Excellent haptic feedback
Against
- Lacks tactile finish
- Heavy
- Expensive
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The TourBox Elite Plus is a creative editing console designed to empower photographers and videographers to simplify their workflows and thereby have more time and energy to focus on art. With special layouts and multi-dimensional input, the Elite Plus offers artists everything they need to access hundreds of software functions with a single hand.
With Bluetooth connection for switching between computers and tablets, haptic touch, and over 400 assignable functions per preset, the Elite Plus sets itself apart as the overall winner in our best TourBox editing consoles guide. The buttons feel premium and offer high-end performance.
The Elite Plus works with a wide range of design packages, including Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and more. It sits at the pinnacle of the four consoles that TourBox sells, with a more impressive spec than the TourBox Elite, TourBox NEO, and TourBox Lite. But, with this top spec comes a premium price that only the more serious of creatives will entertain.
Form & Function
The Elite Plus offers a solid build that feels weighty and premium. The see through plastic means you can see some of the hardware inside which is a nice touch for users who like to feel connected to their devices. The plastic case feels robust enough although I'm not entirely sure it would withstand being dropped from height onto a solid surface. A rubber material as found on the TourBox NEO would guarantee greater longevity and deliver a more tactile experience which would be preferable.
To get the console up and running, all you need to do is download the TourBox Console software and either connect it with a USB cable or via Bluetooth. For a more portable and versatile working experience you'll want to go for the wireless option. It is also via Bluetooth that the Elite Plus can be connected to iPads or Android tablets. The Bluetooth connection was relatively reliable although there were a couple of times when I had to restart my machine to make the connection work.
The various knobs, dials, and buttons are well engineered and offer over 150 combos with the ability to assign over 400 functions to each preset. That's customisability at its best. All controls work seamlessly and reliably to deliver an effortless workflow in the likes of Photoshop, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, and other major editing applications.
One of the features that sets the Elite Plus apart from the cheaper TourBox NEO and TourBox Lite is haptic feedback. This is delivered via a wide-band vibration motor and helps to root your editing experience. My only issue with it is that the sound it produces would be better if it was a dampened a little.
Price, value, competition
The TourBox Elite Plus retails at £297 / $297, which makes it the most expensive of all TourBox products, although it's often discounted by as much as £30 / $30. For the money, you'll benefit from a solid build quality, more buttons, dials, and scrollers than you can shake a stick at, and an elevated user experience courtesy of haptic feedback.
One of the best alternatives is the 4.5-star Logitech MX Creative Console, which costs £189.99 / $189.99. This cute and compact device features two independent consoles that allow users to switch between applications and utilise buttons, a dial and a scroller to access application shortcuts. It's simpler than the Elite Plus but also a lot more affordable.
Another alternative is the XPPen Pilot Pro. It's cheaper than both the Elite Plus and the MX Creative Console and is aimed specifically at video editors who spend their time regularly switching between tools like Razor, Ripple Edit and Selection in DaVinci Resolve and Premiere.
Should I buy the TourBox Elite Plus?
The Elite Plus is for photographers and videographers who are editing on a daily basis. It speeds up almost all elements of the workflow across photo-editing, retouching, colour grading, and cutting videos. With an abundance of buttons it is also possible, through the TourBox Console software to customise your setup to suit your exact way of working. I also appreciated how it automatically switched mapping profiles when I moved from one piece of software to the next.
The setup was relatively straightforward although I had to restart my machine because the TourBox Console couldn't detect the device via Bluetooth. The presence of software presets meant I could get up and running with the console in less than ten minutes after unboxing.
At the price it retails at, editors who are only using the likes of Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve on an occasional basis are unlikely to reap the workflow benefits. The use of keyboard shortcuts is likely to be sufficient if you fall into this category. Other creatives such as 3D artists are also unlikely to benefit from this type of console.
out of 10
The TourBox Elite Plus puts you in total control and provides the required haptic feedback to make it feel like you're fully interacting with the editing process. The bottom line is that the Elite Plus is expertly engineered and a huge game changer for photographers and videographers who are tired of remembering keyboard shortcuts and crave a more intuitive way of working. If TourBox could reduce the weight a little and utilise a rubber casing, they'd have a five-star product.
