Final Thoughts
As I mentioned at the start, when TourBox offered the NEO for review, I was a little bit intimidated. I’m not a full-time content creator that spends his days editing – I am a novice at best when it comes to this type of work, in my opinion, and I wasn’t really sure how much the NEO could really help me out. I felt like I was being given a Gibson Les Paul when a garage sale six-string was probably more than enough already. As it turns out, I found that having access to a tool designed for a specific task can actually improve your workflow and efficiency quite a bit. I really noticed this in my time with the NEO and CapCut. I had already used CapCut to make a few pieces of short content, but since the interface was new to me, I wasn’t always sure what the right key was for a certain function, or where to find it. Once I introduced the NEO, along with the TourBox Console and the on-screen HUDs, I felt much more comfortable, even just using the default preset. I suddenly had access to all sorts of options under my left hand, and they were the ones that I seemed to be using the most anyways. I am getting ready to transition from using the discontinued HitFilm Express video editing software to DaVinci Resolve in the near future, and my worries about that transition have been reduced somewhat thanks to the NEO and the Resolve preset within TourBox Console. I am much less apprehensive about learning a new software, one that is much more advanced than what I had been using, now that access to common controls will be at my fingertips with the NEO.
I have found that the TourBox NEO and the Console software are quite handy, and each designed quite well. At first I was trying to make a rigid, physical tool conform to my wants, as opposed to altering my habits to the NEO. Once I approached the NEO with that mindset, I found it to be much more productive. The layout really starts to make sense the more you use it, and customizing the available options, up to 150 actions in one preset, really lets you dial it into your specific needs. And if there isn’t a preset for you in the defaults, you have the option to create one of your own to fit your needs, or you can select from a wide range of community-created options on TourBox’s website.
If you are a full-time content creator or just someone looking to improve your workflow as a hobby, I think the TourBox NEO is a great way to up your productivity. From the build quality and unique, but functional, input design, to the intuitive Console software, the TourBox NEO has a lot going for it. Content creation tools can be quite expensive, but I think the NEO is quite affordable, coming in at $169 over at our favorite online retailer. I think this would make a great addition to the tool kit of any content creator, and that earns the TourBox NEO a 10 out of 10.
Pros:
- Easy Setup
- Intuitive Software
- Solid Build Quality
- 14 Control Surfaces
- Nearly Endless Customization
Cons:
- Takes Time To Become Proficient