May 22 2003
Contour Design ShuttleXpress
A couple of years ago when I reviewed Final Cut 2 and the 867 MHz Quicksilver as the “ultimate DV editing station”, I included Contour’s ShuttlePRO. Now, as Final Cut has gone Xpress, it seems only appropriate that the Shuttle would too.
The ShuttleXpress bears similar functionality to its predecessor, but like FC Xpress, is tailored for down-and-dirty editing without all the bells and whistles. The Xpress is a jog and shuttle wheel with 5 assignable buttons.
Perhaps because of its smaller, round size, it feels a bit more substantial than the Shuttle. The smaller size and little rubber feet make it usable in all kinds of spaces. The black plastic finish is tough and gives the little flying-saucer an AV look.
But looks aren’t all it has. On my Jaguar system, I had it up and running in minutes. One thing that took me by surprise was how the Xpress had pre-configured itself for the applications on my system.
While built for applications like Final Cut and Flash, the Xpress works in web browsers, the Finder and even TextEdit. In addition to the presets, the Xpress can be set up to work in any application. In fact, I’m using it right now to edit this article.
The Xpress brilliantly augments your audio and video applications. With quick and stable drivers and a reasonable price tag, it is a great buy. The Shuttle Xpress will save you time as an editor (video or audio) worth far more than its cost.
Although the Xpress functions in other applications, it is no mouse replacement. And for those of you with limited desk space who don’t use an editor as your primary application, you may want to skip this one.
If you find yourself editing media frequently, then you should consider this useful addition to your system. It is for editors what tablets have become for designers.
MSRP: $59.95
