I’ve used a Logitech MX mouse for several years and it’s great. I was just reading the November issue of Recording Magazine, which has an ending article about the ergonomics of where you make music with computers. Things like chairs and computer mice make a difference.
An audio engineer named Chandler Bridges highly recommended a trackball, the Kensington Expert Trackball. He said it’s the standard in studios so if you spend time there, you’ll want to be familiar with it.
I tried one. He’s right.
I’m still learning what it can do, but two things stand out. 1) my wrist isn’t as tired because the action feels more natural. 2) there is a ring surrounding the ball that is incredibly helpful for rapid scrolling of pages. I don’t just mean Internet browsing, though it works there; the real beauty is for music notation. Using a typical mouse to scroll through a full orchestra or big band score of 30 pages is tedious. The Kensington ring gets me anywhere in a flash.
And I had tried trackballs before, when my wrist ached during a job writing four songs for symphony orchestra. I even sent one to Don Gaynor hoping it would help him. But this one is different. It just works and it feels right.
ps he also recommends the chair brand Herman Miller Aeron, for long mixing sessions.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Interesting! I think this would be good for my music production but I also do a lot of gaming which I don't think would work well. Here is a good video from someone who uses it for music production but not for gaming. I might get one to use strictly for music if it is easy to switch between regular mouse and trackball.
When I was suffering from pretty bad wrist strain/pain from using a mouse, I tried a number of different systems to give my poor wrist a break, including several trackballs and a couple of vertical mice and a wrist splint. What I found was that the change to a different device was a great help, but after a while the problem returned, but switching again gave further respite. For several years I just cycled through the various mouse-like devices each time one became painful. Things have now settled, though I don't use mouse-like devices quite to intensively.
Thanks for posting you experience so far with it, and your enthusiasm for it.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
One solution hasn't yet been mentioned yet . . . use your other hand to give the problematic hand a break and sufficient time to recover from the damage.
A quick story. When I was working my way thru college all I could afford was a rust-bucket of a vehicle that had no heat. Lack of heat per-se wasn't a problem as I was young, healthy, and had a warm coat and gloves. The prblem was no de-froster. So I had to pull over every few miles to scrape the ice build up on the windshield, which would significantly add to my travel times. But then it occurred to me that if I removed the glove off my right hand (while driving) I could press it against the inside of the windshield and the combination of the heat from my hand and the flapping windshild wipers would melt a small port hole from which I could see thru and drive. Problem was, that hand turned blue and was quite painful.
Solution? Put that glove back on and use my other hand And so, I would alternate hands until I reached my destination. The Good Lord gave me not 1 but 2 hands and they sure came in handy.
Such is the lot of those that grew up blue-collar and in cold climates. But this simple principle has paid dividends over the years in other situations. Of course, thru hard work, I now have more heat in my vehicles than I know what to do with. Nonetheless, I never forgot this principle.
Side benefit and icing on the cake: Years ago I read that those that force the usage of their weaker hand in doing various tasks enjoy better brain health. And better brain health may result in better music
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
One solution hasn't yet been mentioned yet . . . use your other hand to give the problematic hand a break and sufficient time to recover from the damage.
I'd forgotten that; yes.
I became quite ambidextrous with all the mouse-like devices and was able to use two devices at the same-ish time on two computers doing two different tasks. Apparently, as a man, I'm not able to multitask, but unfortunately nobody at the time had told me that. These days computers are usually so quick that there's little or no benefit.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
I've never used a trackball, sounds interesting. I have a vertical mouse that I often use if my wrist gets tired. The trackball sounds like another solution. Thanks for sharing.
Good point on using the other hand. I did that especially while writing those symphony pieces, and it gave some relief to switch off (and so did a rigid wrist brace). The trackball above can be used with either hand.
I am not a gamer but i am guessing gamers would want the fastest left-click possible. I don’t think the trackball would be good for that, since you use a thumb.
Ergonomics used to be a more important consideration back in the 1980s. It was a regular short part of my intro to comp. sci. courses. Now, you don’t hear much about it unless it’s in a specific product review like the Kensington review. I don’t know whether that’s because people now take ergonomic considerations for granted, or they dismissed it as a fad. Either way, it’s real, especially the older i get.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
And my chair is from Staples, a Sorina. Think Amazon sells them too. Comfortable for me, has flip-up arms which makes it easy to play guitar, and fairly inexpensive. The material does flake off after a while though.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
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XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
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Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
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Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 60 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
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2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49. Browse the full contents of each package and listen to demos here.
XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs Special Extended Until August 31st!
The XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs special offers are now available until August 31st at 11:59pm PDT!
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Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
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Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
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And so, I would alternate hands until I reached my destination. The Good Lord gave me not 1 but 2 hands and they sure came in handy.
These days computers are usually so quick that there's little or no benefit.
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