# 32" or ultrawide screens



## Jonny487 (Jul 18, 2022)

Looking to get a larger screen for cubase. Anyone have any insight to which is better/easier to work with?

Thanks all


----------



## Pictus (Jul 19, 2022)

With any option you choose, make sure it does not use PWM for backlight dimming!
At least avoid the low frequency PWM models...
Why PWM is bad https://www.notebookcheck.net/Why-Pulse-Width-Modulation-PWM-is-such-a-headache.270240.0.html

The best review sites: (Check for PWM, flicker free probably means no PWM)

*https://www.rtings.com/monitor/reviews/best/by-resolution/4k-ultra-hd-uhd*
https://www.prad.de/test-kaufberatung/testberichte/test-monitore/
https://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews.htm
https://pcmonitors.info/reviews/


----------



## Loerpert (Jul 19, 2022)

I've had both and would recommend 32" normal ratio.


----------



## Dewdman42 (Jul 19, 2022)

right now I am completely torn between 32" 4k or 38" Ultrawide. Pros and cons both ways, I currently have 32" 4k and really like it with various retina hidpi modes, however I am seriously thinking about a 38" ultra wide soon.


----------



## Dewdman42 (Jul 19, 2022)

Loerpert said:


> I've had both and would recommend 32" normal ratio.


why?


----------



## Freudon33 (Jul 19, 2022)

And why not a 4k TV?
I switched to a 50" screen
of course you need enough distance
I am a little over 1m20


----------



## Jonny487 (Jul 19, 2022)

Thanks for all your replies. I will have to look into what those technical specs mean as I'm not really clued up on those exactly. I guess it is all down to preference


----------



## Jonny487 (Jul 19, 2022)

I guess one benefit for me would be making the most use of the space inbetween my speakers, as at the moment my second screen is sitting right in front of the woofer of the speaker which is of course not preferable. Endless ergonomic and desk problems being a composer it seems....


----------



## mjsalam (Jul 19, 2022)

I just made the switch from a 43" 4k to a 49" ultra wide. I had been waffling on it for what feels like forever. It's still new to me so I can't say definitively but so far it's rather bueno. _(pardon the messy desk in the pic...still sorting things out). _The 43" just never felt quite right for me. I have a very deep desk so I was able to keep it an appropriate proximity but for some reason the height was just always a bit unnatural. Anyhow if I end up deciding this was a terrible mistake and reverting back I'll be sure to report.


----------



## José Herring (Jul 19, 2022)

mjsalam said:


> I just made the switch from a 43" 4k to a 49" ultra wide. I had been waffling on it for what feels like forever. It's still new to me so I can't say definitively but so far it's rather bueno. _(pardon the messy desk in the pic...still sorting things out). _The 43" just never felt quite right for me. I have a very deep desk so I was able to keep it an appropriate proximity but for some reason the height was just always a bit unnatural. Anyhow if I end up deciding this was a terrible mistake and reverting back I'll be sure to report.


That's a messy desk? Stop by my place sometime, I'll show you a messy desk.


----------



## Mike Stone (Jul 23, 2022)

IMO, the absolute best screen size is 38" ultrawide, and I've tried various different sizes. Can't go wrong with that one. The superultrawide monitors are too niche for my taste, and the curve is very aggressive, also a bit impractical with regards to studio monitor placement.


----------



## Gerbil (Jul 23, 2022)

José Herring said:


> That's a messy desk? Stop by my place sometime, I'll show you a messy desk.




Am I close?


----------



## Dewdman42 (Jul 23, 2022)

I even just noticed a new 40” ultrawide from LG that is pricy but has higher pixel count so that you can do a humongous 48 inch ultrawide retina monitor, presuming your computer and gpu can handle it. Requires TB4 though, so guess I am not going to be able to get it any time soon, but one can dream about it:









LG 40'' Curved UltraWide® 5K2K Nano IPS Monitor with Thunderbolt™ 4 Connectivity (40WP95C-W) | LG USA


Shop LG 40WP95C-W on the official LG.com website for the most up to date information. Buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up.




www.lg.com





There is also this new 48" monitor that they just came out with... I'm actually thinking about it for my back wall....my back wall might be too far away though:









48 Inch UltraGear™ UHD OLED Monitor | LG USA


The 48 Inch UltraGear™ UHD OLED Monitor (48GQ900-B) Guarantees Fluid, Immersive Gaming With Anti-Glare Technology and UHD Imaging. Order Now on LG USA.




www.lg.com


----------



## José Herring (Jul 23, 2022)

Gerbil said:


> Am I close?



I think the tooth brush makes you the winner in the messy desk competition. Funny!

But slick beat man!


----------



## Pier (Jul 23, 2022)

José Herring said:


> That's a messy desk? Stop by my place sometime, I'll show you a messy desk.


Exactly. You don't want to see mine 😂



Gerbil said:


> Am I close?



That looks more like mine. Except for the tooth brush!


----------



## Gerbil (Jul 24, 2022)

José Herring said:


> I think the tooth brush makes you the winner in the messy desk competition. Funny!
> 
> But slick beat man!


Not me but I'm sure he'd give you a gloved thumbs-up.


----------



## colony nofi (Jul 24, 2022)

Dewdman42 said:


> I even just noticed a new 40” ultrawide from LG that is pricy but has higher pixel count so that you can do a humongous 48 inch ultrawide retina monitor, presuming your computer and gpu can handle it. Requires TB4 though, so guess I am not going to be able to get it any time soon, but one can dream about it:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes - the LG has been coming a while.
It is the same panel used in the dell 40" UW which has been out for a while.
5k * 2k res.
I have one in my home setup and it is the best monitor I have ever used for a stereo setup.
Plenty of res, while still small enough vertically to allow a TV mounted above and not have to look "up" too much - a constant issue in sync world.
Now, for work I'm still playing. I've tried the 49" (now in our presentation suite), 43" 4k, 38" ultra wides and normal smaller (32") 4K monitors.
And I still haven't nailed it, as it needs to work with 3 speakers across the front, and a large TV monitor for sync. 
I'm trying to get hold of 2 of the new 18:16 LG's (2.5k * 2.8k) - to go as LOW to the desk as possible, but a gab for the centre. It turns out the monitors may not be big enough - as I want them to be far enough back so they are in the plane of the speakers. As soon as the monitors are in front of the speakers, all hell breaks loose with imagining. 
Will see. This room is also going to be home to a main ATC 2.2 setup (alongside a small 5.1 to 8.1 rig) so fitting it all in is a mission. Looking into soffit mounting the ATC's (but space again is tight, and that also demands a live wall, which could be problematic for the 5.1 monitoring, which will stay with Neumanns.
Any sort of acoustics & ergonomics for sync in stereo is hard enough, but add in 5.1 or higher and you get massive issues. There are ALWAYS compromises.

Here's the new almost square monitor :








LG 27.6-inch 16:18 DualUp Monitor with Ergo Stand and USB Type-C™ : buy online | LG Australia


Shop LG 28MQ780-B on the official LG.com website for the most recent product information. Buy online now with delivery or in-store pick-up.




www.lg.com


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jul 24, 2022)

Why would you want a monitor that only dsplays 1080 pixels vertically?

Not for me, thahks.


----------



## HammyHavoc (Jul 24, 2022)

Some thoughts not aimed at anyone, just my two penneth as an existing ultrawide user:

Using an Acer X34P (a *curved* '21:9' 34" ultrawide at 3440x1440 px), and have been since launch several years ago. I've had no issues with it other than needing to disable G-Sync in several DAWs in NVIDIA Control Panel to get non-jittering visual performance (opposite of what it does in video games). Not certain why that would be the case (probably process priority), but admittedly haven't dug far into it as G-Sync introduces latency, thus making it inappropriate for working on picture _anyway_. All readers may want to check that they're not running G-Sync or FreeSync for their specific DAW application(s) if visual latency matters to you, I've amended this on several machines of others who do VGM, and it's instantly noticed and appreciated... 

A 21:9 ultrawide is equivocal to two 4:3 displays (third power of 4:3 in scaling), which when you realize what that means in screen estate, may actually put you off the idea if you're accustomed to multiple 16:9 displays.

I've recently begun to supplement it with additional sub-19" displays for running metering and picture on as I was getting annoyed having the picture floating on top of the timeline (I don't want to need to crane my head upwards, and it would block my center channel). Getting speaker placement right was a pain in the arse too and very nearly threw my hand in with this _*curved*_ ultrawide.

Another irritation is the curve when adding additional displays. There's a limit to how large I can go on additional side displays whilst still being able to comfortably use them as they overlap my 19" rackspaces below the bridge of my desk due to the curve, which means that if they were any larger and lower then I wouldn't be able to comfortably turn knobs or see displays on rack units.

Lovely panel though, can't fault the quality, just believe that this is a niche of a niche in terms of usage scenario, and a niche product that might suit some folks better than others depending on what you need to do, and whether you're supplementing it with additional displays.

Mulling a sub-19" touchscreen directly behind my QWERTY keyboard, which would end up covering one of the three 19" rack sections under the bridge of the desk. Not sure if that's ergonomically smart though with what angles I'd be limited to in order to get it to not overlap the bottom of the X34P. Thinking aloud here at 4am, please excuse the rambling.

If I was going to do it over again, I'd likely go for a 4K non-ultrawide instead, or trial a flat 21:9 for less placement issues. What I've come to realize is that vertical resolution is of more use than horizontal when working with a typical DAW. Your mileage will likely vary. As @Mike Stone said, the curve can be quite aggressive, so couldn't go larger and wider with a _*curved*_ 32:9 without moving it further away from me, thus meaning I'd need to increase scaling, diminishing any gains on screen real estate, and this would further complicate the speaker placement issue for me with a hypothetical *curved* 32:9 inevitably colliding with monitor brackets, preventing me from getting an ideal placement.


----------



## Dewdman42 (Jul 24, 2022)

That 40" UW dell is just gorgeous I wish I could justify it. Its literally 3x the price of my 32" LG from a couple years ago. Its pretty close to exactly the same height...but wider and essentially 1000 more horizontal pixels after scaling, compared to what I currently use. But 3x the price is hard to justify.

The 49" Dell at 5120x1440 would be my next choice....its only a little more then 2x the price of my 32" LG. hehe. That one should not really be scaled, it is meant to be ran pretty much at native resolution or nothing else. I like the hidpi scaling capabilities on my 32" a lot, but I'm typically running the resolution roughly around 3000x1700. So that would gain me more then 2000 pixels of width, though the height would be just barely high enough, losing a few hundred pixels in that direction. However, another advantage would be that its 2 inches shorter then my 32" (and that would be 2" shorter then your 40" Ultrawide also @colony nofi )

Honestly that could make a big difference for looking over the top of it at more stuff behind, in my case a gorgeous view of the city. In other cases it would be to look at big monitor on the wall. I'm definitely tempted by that one also. But really they are both just a lot of money. My 32" was only $650 and its gorgeous also...

as far as I'm concerned its also mandatory to get a swing arm so that it doesn't have to sit on a stand, it can be dropped even lower and even angled back so that I'm kind of looking down at it a little bit sometimes and move it around to suit the situation.

Some of the 38" Ultrawide are worthy of consideration also, they would be similar form factor as that 40" but a lot less money. They shouldn't be hiDPI scaled either though, but might be ok at their native resolution which would be about the same as the 40" scaled.

All the 27 inch and 34 inch monitors are just too darn small in my book.


----------



## HammyHavoc (Jul 24, 2022)

Dewdman42 said:


> That 40" UW dell is just gorgeous I wish I could justify it. Its literally 3x the price of my 32" LG from a couple years ago. Its pretty close to exactly the same height...but wider and essentially 1000 more horizontal pixels after scaling, compared to what I currently use. But 3x the price is hard to justify.
> 
> The 49" Dell at 5120x1440 would be my next choice....its only a little more then 2x the price of my 32" LG. hehe. That one should not really be scaled, it is meant to be ran pretty much at native resolution or nothing else. I like the hidpi scaling capabilities on my 32" a lot, but I'm typically running the resolution roughly around 3000x1700. So that would gain me more then 2000 pixels of width, though the height would be just barely high enough, losing a few hundred pixels in that direction. However, another advantage would be that its 2 inches shorter then my 32" (and that would be 2" shorter then your 40" Ultrawide also @colony nofi )
> 
> ...


Seconding the arm instead of a stand. Finding one that was up to spec in terms of supporting the weight, and had the movement and ball-head for the VESA mount was challenging in the UK, but found one eventually. Might have just been a momentary mid-pandemic supply chain blip, but getting it to just the right height, angle, and most importantly _distance_, was possibly the best workflow improvement I've made in years. Highly recommended.


----------



## Dewdman42 (Jul 24, 2022)

HammyHavoc said:


> If I was going to do it over again, I'd likely go for a 4K non-ultrawide instead


That is the nice thing about the 32" which I think is pretty close to the sweet spot in that regard.. Typically run mine with around 1700 vertical pixels with HiDPI scaling. 27" is too small. 40 and 42" inch 4k monitors are interesting have a lot more pixels, but they are really TOO big to have close to your face...you end up turning your head too much and straining your neck, IMHO. So honestly 32" is kind of the sweet spot, aside from some of the larger Ultra-wides we have talked about as long as they still have enough vertical. 

That 40" mentioned above...has the same vertical that I do...so that would be the ultimate one to get I guess. its just 300% the price for 30% more screen real estate is all.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jul 25, 2022)

Dewdman42 said:


> That is the nice thing about the 32" which I think is pretty close to the sweet spot in that regard.. Typically run mine with around 1700 vertical pixels with HiDPI scaling. 27" is too small. 40 and 42" inch 4k monitors are interesting have a lot more pixels, but they are really TOO big to have close to your face...you end up turning your head too much and straining your neck, IMHO. So honestly 32" is kind of the sweet spot, aside from some of the larger Ultra-wides we have talked about as long as they still have enough vertical.


I agree 100%. 32" is just right, and I run mine at 3200 x 1800 or 3008 x 1692 (not a lot of difference between the two).

Of course, all of this is subjective. A lot of people are fine with the head-turning, people have better vision than others, and some people simply like having more screen space than others.

I don't even use my auxiliary monitor much (hanging from the ceiling 5' away, set to 1080p). It's only if I need to have something open for reference - a document or plug-in.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jul 25, 2022)

macOS' multiple desktops feature is really helpful, by the way - you just swipe to view different programs you have open.


----------



## HammyHavoc (Jul 25, 2022)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> macOS' multiple desktops feature is really helpful, by the way - you just swipe to view different programs you have open.


This is available on Windows 10 and up, and most desktop Linux distros, for any non-macOS users. There's keyboard shortcuts available too if you're a mouse user, on macOS, it is CTRL + left/right arrow!


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jul 25, 2022)

Ctrl + R/L arrow on macOS (unless you've changed the default).


----------



## Dewdman42 (Jul 25, 2022)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> I don't even use my auxiliary monitor much (hanging from the ceiling 5' away, set to 1080p). It's only if I need to have something open for reference - a document or plug-in.



I'm setting up a new studio in my new place and am trying to decide whether to make a TV up high in the back function as a secondary monitor or not. And if so, would I got for a higher resolution 4K monitor or just put up a TV and sometimes use it at 1080 like that.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jul 25, 2022)

Dewdman42 said:


> I'm setting up a new studio in my new place and am trying to decide whether to make a TV up high in the back function as a secondary monitor or not. And if so, would I got for a higher resolution 4K monitor or just put up a TV and sometimes use it at 1080 like that.


Mine is a 4K TV that I run at 1080p from the computer. 

I rarely watch TV in here - we got rid of the DirecTV DVR in here for that reason - but it switched to the right res automatically.


----------



## Dewdman42 (Jul 25, 2022)

how big is it? Do you feel that you need it at 1080 from 5 feet away in order to read the fonts or anything like that? why such a low resolution?


----------



## SyMTiK (Jul 25, 2022)

I will be honest I only really run a 49 inch because it looks cool and makes me feel cool and feeling cool while i make music makes me write cooler music and that is all that matters


----------



## SyMTiK (Jul 25, 2022)

Jokes aside though I actually find the 49 inch really comfortable to look at if you are used to running side by side 27 inch monitors. I really like not having the bezel and find that it works very well run like you would a dual monitor setup. Just way more comfortable to look at for extended periods of time (looks cooler too obviously) 

In terms of best workflow, I am really intrigued by the new LG Dual Up Ergo monitor https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-28mq780-b

Saw a composer on instagram running one, and it looks perfect for DAW use and notation. Way less vertical scrolling to find instrument parts!


----------



## colony nofi (Jul 25, 2022)

SyMTiK said:


> Jokes aside though I actually find the 49 inch really comfortable to look at if you are used to running side by side 27 inch monitors. I really like not having the bezel and find that it works very well run like you would a dual monitor setup. Just way more comfortable to look at for extended periods of time (looks cooler too obviously)
> 
> In terms of best workflow, I am really intrigued by the new LG Dual Up Ergo monitor https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-28mq780-b
> 
> Saw a composer on instagram running one, and it looks perfect for DAW use and notation. Way less vertical scrolling to find instrument parts!


Yup - that is the monitor I referred to yesterday . And I'm trying to get ahold of two of them to test. I'll report back if I'm able to get loaners. They're in super low supply right now.

In other monitor news, friends in distribution let me know the strange little Asus ProArt 32:9 14" monitor (portable?!) is close to US release, with UK/EU looking later this year (sept/oct). 








Asus Debuts 14-Inch ProArt 32:9 Touch Display


Pen compatible and Dial equipped portable screen currently on show at NAB 2022, Las Vegas.




www.tomshardware.com




Seems perfect for SO many uses for composers and also music studios. I'm thinking things like having a permanent spot for GUI of master chain / loudness monitoring etc. Out of the way, and just always there. A studio I use locally for mixing does this but with a large monitor on an arm off to one side - so great to just keep an eye on things without having to open / close windows all the time.
One could imagine using it for many other things as well. Perhaps even the touch controls.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jul 26, 2022)

Dewdman42 said:


> how big is it? Do you feel that you need it at 1080 from 5 feet away in order to read the fonts or anything like that? why such a low resolution?


40". I run it at that low resolution so I can see it, but you're right - I can raise it and still read the menu items.

Thanks.

My eyes are good, by the way.


----------



## mjsalam (Jul 26, 2022)

Well I'm just over a week in on the 49" super ultra. Some thoughts fwiw:

having come from a 43" 4K I definitely miss the vertical at times (but not the actual height). I'm running at 5120x1440. 1440 is perfectly acceptable though 2160 would I think be just brilliant
I think the curve is fantastic and IMO wildly exaggerated by people. I couldn't imagine a monitor of this width without it. it doesn't feel (to me) in any way unnatural.
I really love the width. It fits perfectly on my desk with my monitors at its side. no issues there for meI also love running it as dual monitors which gives me proper dual 27"
really like the reduction in cables
Overall of the (many) variations I have gone through I'm most satisfied with this (for now


----------

