# Opinions on trackball mice for DAWs?



## MikeH (Jun 16, 2011)

I'm using a regular usb Mac mouse right now and I'm looking into possibly getting a Kensington ExpertMouse or something similar for comfort/work-flow reasons. Any opinions and advice?

Thanks!


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## midphase (Jun 16, 2011)

You might consider the Magic Trackpad from Apple. First of all because Apple needs more money, secondly because Lion will make huge usage of the gestures, and thirdly because so far everyone who has started using one loves it and would never go back to a mouse.


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## ozmorphasis (Jun 16, 2011)

I love my Expert Mouse, and it's probably the most common fixture in studios.

Haven't tried the new Magic Trackpad, but for some people, it is those types of movements on a totally flat surface that eventually cause hand problems. The gestures are sexy indeed, but if ergonomics are of prime concern, I recommend watching someone use it and pay close attention to how natural the hand motions are.


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## MikeH (Jun 16, 2011)

Thanks guys! I've heard that there are some issues with modern snow-leopard Macs because Kensington has dropped future updates of MouseWorks. But I can still just do the regular mouse actions with it, correct? Even if I can't customize it?


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## Stephen Baysted (Jun 16, 2011)

Hi Mike, 

I was convinced by a friend - Redleicester who is on ViC - to switch to using a trackball. I haven't looked back since. Very comfortable, precise, doesn't give you RSI and sits perfectly on the keyboard. It's also stupidly cheap. 

I also have a Apple Magic trackpad. It's good, but I do prefer the trackball. It's one of these: 

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalo ... CEwQ8gIwBA


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## toddkreuz (Jun 16, 2011)

Trackball here. Love it.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 16, 2011)

And I find that trackballs slow me down. Trackpads are better, but still slower than a mouse.

Mike, do you know about BetterTouchTool? It's a free utility that lets you program the Magic Mouse to do all kinds of things.


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## maraskandi (Jun 16, 2011)

I find a trackball faster and more accurate to whip around the screen, the only thing which can be tricky at first is drawing in horizontal automation, just takes a little getting used to.


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## MikeH (Jun 16, 2011)

No I didn't Nick...thanks! I've started looking into the Magic Mouse more than I did in the past and it's so much more customizable than I realized! Maybe that's the better option..


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## Mike Marino (Jun 16, 2011)

I have the Magic Mouse. I dig it. Just make sure you've always got an extra set of batteries (AAs) nearby. Mine seem to last about 4-5 before they need replacing. It's just not something you'd want going down in the middle of a session or writing time or whatever. Other than that they're great!

- Mike


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## wst3 (Jun 16, 2011)

Another trackball fan, I have a couple different one. Main one is an Expert Mouse from Kensington, but I also use a couple Logitech wireless trackballs, and a Logitech wireless mouse. I switch between them because that seems to help with RSI risks.

If I had to narrow the field to one it would be the Kensington.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 16, 2011)

4-5 days?!

Something is very wrong, and you need to take your mouse to the Apple Store. I replace mine every few months. Same with the keyboard.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 16, 2011)

4-5 days?!

Something is very wrong, and you need to take your mouse to the Apple Store. I replace mine every few months. Same with the keyboard.


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## robh (Jun 16, 2011)

Nick Batzdorf @ Thu Jun 16 said:


> 4-5 days?!
> 
> Something is very wrong, and you need to take your mouse to the Apple Store. I replace mine every few months. Same with the keyboard.


Nick, do you turn your mouse off when you're not using it? I tend to forget to do that and the batteries last me maybe two -three weeks. 

They last significantly longer in the keyboard.

Rob


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## whinecellar (Jun 16, 2011)

I've got one of everything it seems, primarily because I'm a borderline RSI sufferer and anything I use bugs me after a while so I'm constantly switching every 10 min or so. That said, I've been a diehard Kensington trackball user for almost 20 years. The latest Expert Mouse (misnomer!) is top-notch - love the scroll ring and the overall feel. No Mouseworks necessary, BTW.

I am also a big fan of Apple's Magic Mouse & Trackpad - they each have their strengths. I don't think anything but a pen/tablet can beat the Magic Mouse for drawing controller curves.

Collect the whole set!


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 16, 2011)

Rob, I don't turn anything off.

Maybe every few months is wrong, but it's at least six weeks - long enough that I don't know how often I change the batteries.

I just checked and my mouse battery level is 100%. Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember changing the batteries, but it wasn't this week.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 16, 2011)

Same with the keyboard battery level, and it's been at least three weeks since I changed them.

And I use this machine all day long.

Something is wrong.


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## midphase (Jun 17, 2011)

Same here, my Magic Mouse batteries last at least a month before the level goes down. What kind of batteries are you using?


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## whinecellar (Jun 17, 2011)

I can confirm months between battery changes on both my magic mouse & trackpad. Pretty amazing really!


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## KevinAHalter (Jun 17, 2011)

I use the Apple trackpad. I really enjoy it for the reasons listed below:

A) It is a solid fixture that can be moved around the room when needed. For instance, my Roland V drums are a couple feet from my desk, so I just bring my wireless Apple keyboard and Trackpad along for the ride.
B) Battery life is very long. Months...
C) Sleek design
D) The gestures are very handy and I imagine Logic Pro will incorporate more to come.
E) It is comfortable.


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## Mike Marino (Jun 17, 2011)

Yeah, my wireless (Apple) key board will go 6-8 weeks before I have to change out the batteries. I'm using standard Duracells.

- Mike


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## PasiP (Jun 22, 2011)

Just ordered Kensington Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring:






It looks like a scifi battleship. Which is a plus for me (scifi geek)..hehe

Anyone used this? pros & cons?


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## wst3 (Jun 22, 2011)

Wow, that looks cool, and I like the smaller footprint (compared to the Expert Mouse.) Please report back when you've had a chance to exercise it.


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## PasiP (Jun 22, 2011)

wst3 @ 22.6.2011 said:


> Please report back when you've had a chance to exercise it.



Will do.


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## reddognoyz (Jun 22, 2011)

kensington expert mouse trackball, bullet proof optical with very helpful buttons and a scroll wheel. expensive and worth every penny. Everything else just feels like junk to me...


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## wst3 (Jun 22, 2011)

reddognoyz @ Wed Jun 22 said:


> kensington expert mouse trackball, bullet proof optical with very helpful buttons and a scroll wheel. expensive and worth every penny. Everything else just feels like junk to me...



I agree with your evaluation, except for me I think it is the accuracy and responsiveness of the trackball itself that was the deciding factor. It's uncanny how good it feels, the feel being, in large part, due to that accuracy and responsiveness.


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## MikeH (Jun 23, 2011)

Okay, so I've narrowed it down between the ExpertMouse and Apple's Trackpad. One thing that I'm curious about re: the Expertmouse is clicking and dragging. Looking at how it's designed, if you hold down the top left button and then go to 'drag' using the trackball, isn't it a little difficult? Or maybe I'm just looking at it wrong..ha!


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## MikeH (Jun 23, 2011)

Out of curiosity, is anyone using a trackpad with a 2009 Mac Pro? I've heard about some problems with the bluetooth antenna in 2009 Mac Pros with wireless devices, but since my desktop is only about 2 meters away from the tower I wonder if it'll be a problem...


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## whinecellar (Jun 23, 2011)

Hey Mike,

As I mentioned, I use all of the above mentioned controllers and love them each for a different aspect. To answer your questions:

1. On the Expert Mouse (TRACKBALL for crying out loud, Kensington!) - you would typically use the bottom left button (under your thumb) for clicking/dragging - much more natural. The other 3 buttons can be assigned to do whatever you want, even without using Kensington's drivers. Mine do Exposé, Spaces & Desktop.

2. I've used the Apple trackpad on several different machines (mine are in the next room) without any problems. I'd try it at an Apple store if you can.

Hope that helps!


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## MikeH (Jun 23, 2011)

Much appreciated! Thanks!


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## wst3 (Jun 23, 2011)

MikeH @ Thu Jun 23 said:


> One thing that I'm curious about re: the Expertmouse is clicking and dragging. Looking at how it's designed, if you hold down the top left button and then go to 'drag' using the trackball, isn't it a little difficult? Or maybe I'm just looking at it wrong..ha!



One of the features I like best about the Expert Mouse (or as already noted, it's a TRACKBALL!) is that it is highly configurable. My right hand was injured many years ago, and as a result I have no lateral movement between the fingers, among other things. So any kind of mouse or trackball can be a challenge for me.

It's been so long I don't remember what I left 'stock' and what I customized. But I remember some of their standard gestures felt odd! In an unusual moment of patience, I worked with it for a bit, and I was able to learn to use most of the stock gestures. In fact they became second nature.

So I would suggest first giving yourself some time to acclimate. What starts out feeling awkward may in fact turn out to work well for you! And if it does not, you can change it!

Input devices remain, I think, one of the weak aspects of both Windows and MacOS. While the one button does all thing strikes me as too limiting (I started with three button mice using X-Windows) I find that I get used to it almost instantly when I work on a Mac.

Trackballs have a lot of advantages over mice, but mice are still useful in some settings. I have an ancient MX-something or other mouse that is wireless, and works really really well (it is my current main input device in my studio - but that changes regularly!). I also have a newer Logitech Trackball (sorry, again I can't think of the model name or number - can you tell I'm not in my studio?) that I like a LOT for CAD work. It is one that uses the thumb to drive the ball, and it just works for me.

Touch pads would, one might think, provide the ideal solution, they are really flexible, you can do two finger taps for additional gestures. you can slide for scrolling, etc. But as implemented on most laptops they are lacking... at least for me. My most recent laptop - a Lenova provided by my employer - has both the touch pad and the little pointer stick (with all it's lovely nicknames). That has proven to be a pretty nice combination for a laptop.

On advice of a wise friend (who is a programmer and spends even more time with mice and trackballs than I do) I switch from one to the other semi-regularly to further avoid the possibility of some repetitive stress injury. You might want to keep that in mind as well.


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## IFM (Jun 27, 2011)

I just got an Expert Mouse to try in the studio but would put in the personal computer room if I don't like it. So far that may be the case. The scroll wheel feels very clunky to me. I'm used to the scroll ball on the wired Apple mouse and it is very comfortable. I'll try some editing but so far it isn't my first choice.
With the trackball I am always moving my fingers but I can rest my hand on the mouse.


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## whinecellar (Jun 27, 2011)

Give it some time Chris. I didn't like the scroll wheel at first either - it feels kind of rough until it wears in, but it ends up feeling second nature under your finger. I couldn't live without it now. Also, if you hold the shift key, it will scroll horizontally as well.

You may end up not liking it, but it's worth giving a fair shake


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## MikeH (Jun 27, 2011)

I purchased an apple magic trackpad over the weekend. When I get back to my studio I'll let you all know how it's working for me! Thanks again for all the suggestions.


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## PasiP (Jul 1, 2011)

I've had the Orbit Trackball with Scroll Ring for a few days now. I LOVE IT!

It fits to my hand perfectly and it is easy to use. The reception is smooth and the scroll ring works like a charm.

Only downside I have found is that you need to clean the mouse more often but it ain't a big problem though.. 

For 25€ this is a good deal.


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