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![]() Kensington Orbit Optical Trackball for USB and PS/2 However, as with the SlimBlade, I would have preferred that it come with a wrist pad to help keep my arm straight. ![]() Naturally, the Orbit Optical uses optical tracking, and sports a particularly ergonomic design that makes it one of the more comfortable models to use. ![]() The Orbit Optical Trackball is a another wired Kensington trackball that features a simpler design, with just two buttons, no scroll wheel and a medium 40mm ball. The SlimBlade also has a braided cable sleeve, which I think is a nice touch. But, I did prefer its unique scrolling mechanism, which allows you to scroll with a simple twist of the 55mm ball, as opposed to the Expert Mouse’s scroll ring. I didn’t find this one to be quite as ergonomic as the Expert Mouse, mostly due to the lack of a wrist rest. Like the Expert Mouse, the SlimBlade has four buttons and a 55mm ball that really has some weight to it, which for me is far more natural for scrubbing audio than a conventional mouse. Kensington Expert Mouse Wireless TrackballĪnother popular model from Kensington is the sleek SlimBlade Trackball. Like the wired version, it has a scroll ring that allows you to quickly navigate up and down screens, comes with a detachable wrist rest, and features an ambidextrous design. This trackball connects to your computer via a 2.4 Ghz USB nano receiver or Bluetooth 4.0 Smart (LE) and features a DiamondEye optical sensor for precise cursor control. Kensington Trackball 4-Button USB Expert MouseĪlso available in a wireless version, the Expert Mouse Wireless Trackball unchains you from the constraint of USB cables. I also love the wrist pad that comes with the Expert Mouse because it forces me to keep my wrist straight, which helps prevent arm and shoulder pain. For me, having a dedicated button for the tool cycle function is great because I find it easier to get to than its toolbar or keyboard shortcut equivalents. By default, the top left button on the Expert Mouse conveniently allows you to cycle through edit tools in Pro Tools. The trackball you’re most likely to find in professional recording studios and post facilities is the industry-standard Kensington Expert Mouse, which features a large 55mm ball, four customizable buttons, a detachable wrist pad, and a scroll ring. This boundless quality comes in extremely handy for multi-screen DAW setups with miles of digital real estate to cover, whereas a normal mouse can only take you as far as the edge of your mouse pad. This is mainly because its design allows you to move the cursor infinitely in any direction without needing to reposition the device itself, allowing you to get where you need to go on the screen with less hand movement than a traditional mouse. Although not everyone agrees, many people find that using a trackball provides added comfort and reduced strain on the hand and wrist. If this sounds all too familiar to you, especially if you’re experiencing some of the nagging aches and pains that tend to spring up during extended sessions, the importance of ergonomics cannot be overstated. Whether you’re a bedroom engineer or producer, or a seasoned pro who works on audio to pay the bills, everyone across the board can agree on one thing: editing and mixing can take a really long time, and require hours upon hours of sitting at the computer. In the paragraphs below we’ll explore some these advantages, and look at some trackballs from Kensington. As the preferred method of travel in many commercial studios and post facilities, the trackball gives engineers some key advantages in navigating their sessions, versus using a traditional mouse. If you’re a professional engineer, chances are you already have some experience using a trackball with Pro Tools or another DAW.
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