Palette puts Adobe’s Creative Suite in the palm of your hands with its new modular control surface

The inputs on our computers haven’t changed too much over the years. Basically a mouse and keyboard have dominated our interactions with desktops and laptops alike over the last 25 years. There have been varying degrees of new products that have included ergonomic designs or dials that handle one specific input. Now, a new company called Palette is releasing a customizable modular kit with support for the full Adobe Creative Suite, MIDI and even a joystick for your games. 

Palette is made up of a series of buttons, dials and sliders that magnetically connect together to provide customizable inputs into software for both Mac and Windows. Within the software, users can designate what each piece does within a specific program. For example, a slider can be set to adjust the saturation levels in Photoshop or a dial could adjust video playback in After Effects. Born out of a Kickstarter campaign a few years ago, Palette brings users closer to software by providing controls that are usually limited to keyboards, trackpads or a mouse.

There is a display screen – the core – that acts as the brains of the operations and connects via USB to your computer. It communicates with the Pallete app to display information and help control the different inputs. A simple standalone button can be used for repetitive keyboard shortcuts within apps, meaning that an awkward key combination will no longer be needed. The dial is meant to handle fine controls, slowing and precisely adjusting changes to a photo or video. Finally, Palette’s slider is designed for direct control on settings that work as a percentage (such as volume) and the like.

Palette can also be used for gaming and will be soon releasing an open source developers kit for further integration with apps. It is already an official Adobe Partner, so if you’re in the world of digital media creation, Palette may be of interest for you. It is available for pre-order today with a $199 price tag for the Starter kit (1 core, 1 dial, 2 buttons and a slider) with a November delivery date. Additional bundles cost up to $899, which delivers a limited edition wood covered kit.

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