# How many screens/monitors do you use ?



## korgoasys (Jun 6, 2013)

Hi,

I've searched on this forum on this topic but can't see any matches.

I'm just generally inquisitive.

I would really like to hear from anyone on how many screens you work with --and more to the point, the benefits as you see for having more than, say, one. Is this a PC thread ? For example, I have 2x23 inch screens to have my DAW operating on one and my VSTs on the other to keep them separate and not clutter up the project window in the DAW. It all probably boils down to what suits your method of working but I would genuinely like to hear your takes on this.

I don't have a separate room decked out as a purpose-built studio as some of you probably have which might involve a bigger screen(s) than I could ever afford or have room for!

I'm expecting the average would be 2 but how many are you comfortable with and at what size?

Patrick


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## Guy Rowland (Jun 6, 2013)

4 - 3 in a row, 1 video on top.

I'd like 12.


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## ptbbos (Jun 6, 2013)

4 as well - one on top, two smaller ones below, and another off to the right to display Cubase's mixer.


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## gsilbers (Jun 6, 2013)

2x 23apple and 1 32inch samsung. 
then 1 ipad for binge viewing


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## charlieclouser (Jun 6, 2013)

Three 30-inch 2560x1600 monitors in an arc in front of me - center and right monitor for Logic, left one for ProTools stem recorder on a second computer.

Huge Plasma on the wall for video playback from a Mac Mini running VideoSlave.

23-inch in the machine rack for the VideoSlave machine's desktop.

When I re-arrange the rig soon I will use one or two 30-inch monitors for ProTools, off to the side of the main rig, and use all three main 30-inchers for the Logic rig, so I can have VIs and/or VEP on the left, Arrange in the middle, and Environment/Mixer on the right.

If I ever get round to using VEP on slave computers, I will put that on the left and use Teleport so I can just mouse over from the main machine to the left monitor and not have to use multiple keyboards/trackballs. With Teleport, you use monitors for each machine but only one keyboard/trackball, and you can set it so that when you mouse off the side of one machine's monitor it switches seamlessly to controlling the other machine, or you can set it so that you need to hold a modifier key (like option or control) to switch machines - this prevents the cursor from switching machines when you're just flinging the trackball around and it only switches when you really mean to. This is what I do for ProTools now.

Having only two monitors had me looking off-center all the time, so in about 1996 I switched to always having three (or five) monitors, never an even number.

http://www.abyssoft.com/software/teleport/


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## reddognoyz (Jun 6, 2013)

I have 2x23" apple monitors in front of me. I use these for my main DAW windows. I have a 21" off to the left where I keep my VEP VI's, (1 local, and 1 slave which I screen share onto this monitor). for Video playback I have one small video 10" monitor just above middle C and below the 2 23 inch monitors, and mounted on the wall behind and above the whole rig I have a 45" client monitor.


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## dgburns (Jun 6, 2013)

I use four,one 30 inch in the middle,two 24 on either side and a flatscreen above for picture.5 pc in all,two mac,one running protools,one running Logic,three pc slaves on VEP.I have a kvm,but also use Cord to view the pc's which I think is great.You can log in remotely and shutdown as well.Only reason I keep the kvm is in case I need to boot any one in case the pc goes and gives me trouble(like decides to change IP address)

teleport looks cool,must consider


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## eschroder (Jun 6, 2013)

Hey Charlie,

What is the benefit of putting the video on its own comp? Just to free up system resources? If so, is it really that noticeable?

Thanks!


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## SamGarnerStudios (Jun 6, 2013)

I have a mid 2010 iMac. As far as I know it can only support 1 additional monitor, any of y'all find a way around this?


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## Cailean Watt (Jun 6, 2013)

Hey Sam,

I've tried a whole slew of things to get my 2008 iMac to have more then 1 extra screen(even video splitters but this only duplicates a screen) but unfortunately I don't think theirs a way around it 

and back to the topic

I run 24" iMac with 32" tv monitor and my slave computer has a 21"(hopefully I will be able to upgrade soon....)


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## synthetic (Jun 6, 2013)

I have two, but I'm thinking about switching to three for the reason that Charlie mentioned. I'm not sure how to balance screens versus monitors though, especially in LCR.


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## Mike Marino (Jun 6, 2013)

Two: 21.5" iMac and a 19" Samsung monitor.


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## Guy Rowland (Jun 6, 2013)

SamGarnerStudios @ Fri Jun 07 said:


> I have a mid 2010 iMac. As far as I know it can only support 1 additional monitor, any of y'all find a way around this?



Look up compatibility info on this 3 screen adapter (there's also 2 screen and different connector versions)

http://www.matrox.com/graphics/en/produ ... splayport/


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## rgames (Jun 6, 2013)

I use two 24" Dell monitors on my desk and a 27" Asus with the project window off to the side where I keep my keyboard (it duplicates the left screen on my desk). I don't like having the keyboard in front of me because I tend to rough-in ideas at the keyboard then spend 95% of my time in the MIDI editor / project window, so always working aroud the keyboard is a pain. Much more comfortable to turn to the side and work from the third monitor for the little time I spend doing that.

One problem with monitors is that it's getting tough to find 1920x1200 resolution. My laptop is the more-standard 1920x1080 and I definitely feel a bit vertically squeezed when I work on my laptop. Those extra 120 pixels make a difference.

If you're looking to buy, note that a lot of monitors have the same panels but are branded differently. When I bought my 24" Dells many years ago (7?) they were exactly the same panels as the Apple Cinema Displays - the only difference was the plastic around the edges and the stand. Mine were about $350 vs. about $1050 for the Apple version. Must have been some really good plastic...

rgames


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## rgames (Jun 6, 2013)

Oh yeah - one other issue with a bunch of monitors is heat. Two 24" LCD's angled towards you will produce a noticable rise in temperature unless they're many feet away. Feels nice in the winter but it gets a little bothersome during the rest of the year here in the desert...

I haven't purchased monitors in a long time but I'd check to see if anyone measures that these days. It definitely would be a factor for me.

Also, some monitor panels produce a very faint buzz. If your computer is in another room (and you have good hearing) then you might be able to hear it.

rgames


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## charlieclouser (Jun 6, 2013)

eschroder @ Thu Jun 06 said:


> Hey Charlie,
> 
> What is the benefit of putting the video on its own comp? Just to free up system resources? If so, is it really that noticeable?
> 
> Thanks!



Well, I've been running video on an outboard computer since the days of the blue + white G4, which could barely play a few tracks of audio without choking. I just got used to the workflow, and now I can't go back. Here's why:

- Since you're not reading the video from disc on your main DAW, you get to use all of your disc headroom for streaming VIs and audio playback. And, since you're not using your main DAWs CPU to run the codec, you get back some (maybe lots) of CPU for more plugins etc. How much disc and CPU you get back depends on what format the video is encoded in - in the old days I'd use DVCPro format files, which were huge files (so lots of disc access required) but had negligible CPU hit. These days I'm seeing more h.264 files, which are much smaller (less disc access) but require more CPU to decode, so there's that. When the video is not in Logic's timeline, locating to markers happens INSTANTLY as opposed to having a slight (less than 1 second) lag as you jump around. I use command keys to jump to markers, and other command keys to jump forward+backward by one or eight bars, and with no video in the sequence Logic is very snappy. 

- Workflow-wise, you don't have to import and line up video in each of the 40 to 80 cues in a project, and you can just load-n-go your sequences. Also, if a new version of a reel of picture comes in from editorial you can just import it once into VideoSlave as opposed to importing it into each and every cue that references that picture - god forbid you forget to do that on a cue or three and continue working to old picture! VideoSlave lets you make a bin that contains multiple movie files, assign timecode start points to each, and it will play the correct movie when incoming timecode matches - later movies interrupt earlier ones if they happen to overlap, so it's like a monophonic video player.

- Also, I route audio from the headphone jack of the video slave computer to analog inputs on my MOTU 2408, and then route them to the center speaker via CueMix. This way I can hit the button on my speaker controller that mutes the center speaker to toggle the dialog and sfx on and off, instead of fiddling with the little volume slider in the movie window. Way better.

Sometimes I still import the movie into Logic, when I want to verify sync or scrub audio against picture - you can scrub VideoSlave via MMC, but it's not quite as tight as when the movie's inside Logic. I just import the movie into Logic, do my thing, and then hit "Remove Movie" when I'm done scrubbing. Actually, I hardly ever do that - 99% of the time I'm just running VideoSlave.

I used to use VirtualVTR, but it's VERY expensive and a little complex and getting old - VideoSlave is new, cheap-ish, and I helped design it - so that's why I use it!

I run VideoSlave on a 2012 Mac Mini i7 with SSD - MTC comes in via a MOTU Fastlane $70 USB-MIDI interface, audio comes out the headphone jack, and video comes out the HDMI jack on the back of the Mini. Soon VideoSlave will support BlackMagic Intensity Shuttle, which is a USB3 or Thunderbolt video interface with composite, component, stereo audio, and S-video in and out.

Although I helped design it, I make no money from VideoSlave - it all goes to the German college kid who coded it from scratch, genius that he is. Here's the website for VideoSlave:

http://www.non-lethal-applications.com/products/video-slave.html (http://www.non-lethal-applications.com/ ... slave.html)


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## munician (Jun 7, 2013)

+1 for VideoSlave.
I might add that I did some beta testing on VS (since we're both from the same town, Flo still owes me a crate of beer...) and I still mail him a wish or two. I always get a quick answer.

I use it to run video on my MacBook, which I keep to the side. I run the audio to my mixing desk and use a key short cut to mute/unmute the audio which I do all the time.

I have a 30" display for Logic on the main machine and a 26" above it for ProTools. I guess it would be straíning to look up into the second Monitor for a long time, but I hardly use PT to mix. Most of the mixing is done inside Logic.

I, too, was never really happy about having two screens next to each other in front of me - I used to in the old fat-monitor-days. Things got so much better with the one big screen...
With more monitors I guess I'd have to change my speaker system - the nearfields would just be too far apart.

For presenting I run the video either on the 30" screen or the 26" above it depending on the number of people in the room.


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## Rob Elliott (Jun 7, 2013)

This will probably change next Tues :wink: - but for me (former 15 screens across my mug.........) I have settled with a couple of 32" LED's - angled both concave and slightly pitched (I got so tired of reflections in my face, heat, etc). Slave puters are accessed via Remote Desktop.

I also got a 'neck ache' - 'looking up' at the large vid playback. The 32's are large enough to have an adequate sized vid window (in Nuendo) - with all project window, mixer and editors opened. When the client comes over to review cues I simply make the film 'full screen' for him or her.

For me the MUCH lower heat, gamma radiation, kryptonite emissions, reflections, etc. is mo betta with the 2 large screens angled as mentioned.


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## Jshippjr (Jun 8, 2013)

2x 27" thunderbolt displays and a 46" tv mounted above for video all running from my laptop


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## dgburns (Jun 8, 2013)

fifteen screens??

ok,you win :wink: 

plus one on the heat issue for sure.


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## FredW (Jun 8, 2013)

Most days I have 9 x 60" screens on the wall, and about 20 x 21" screens around my desk. I work at a television station =). 

For music I only use one 21" screen unless I'm working on larger projects and music for video. Then I also use my 11" laptop as a slave.


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## Diffusor (Jun 8, 2013)

rgames @ Fri Jun 07 said:


> Oh yeah - one other issue with a bunch of monitors is heat. Two 24" LCD's angled towards you will produce a noticable rise in temperature unless they're many feet away. Feels nice in the winter but it gets a little bothersome during the rest of the year here in the desert...
> 
> I haven't purchased monitors in a long time but I'd check to see if anyone measures that these days. It definitely would be a factor for me.
> 
> ...




wow, what kind of flatscreens do you have? I have 3 right 24 in ones in front of me and never noticed in radiated heat coming towards me.


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## Simplesly (Jun 9, 2013)

You can get a USB DisplayLink-DVI adapter that connects to an existing 2.0 port. DisplayLink is a software/hardware solution that will let you run video out via USB. It is not for designed for intensive video applications, and you may take a very mild CPU hit, but it's relatively easy and cheap to set up. Plug the displaylink adapter into your USB port and your monitor into the dvi and set up the software and you're up and running.


I use two 23" IPS screens myself - low power consumption=low heat.


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## JohnG (Jun 9, 2013)

Four here.

1. Large plasma screen for picture

2. Large-ish screen for Digital Performer

3. Medium screen for slave PCs running VE Pro

4. Medium screen for ProTools (separate computer)


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## jeffc (Jun 9, 2013)

Wow, I'm in the minority for sure, but I do everything with one 30" Apple Screen (and a flat screen on the wall for picture). I used to get annoyed if you opened a project on another computer with different screens, it was a total cluster$%*$ and drove me crazy. Apple's got a feature known as spaces built in, so I've got 3 spaces that instantly snap to the screen with one key. One for Logic, one for the 2nd Protools machine that handles stems and video, and one for Bidule. The great thing is you're always looking straight ahead and not wandering from monitor to monitor to find stuff. 

Although some people get off on more is more, I've found that by simplifying everything, I actually am more creative and productive, getting more out of what I've got...

JC


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## ThomasL (Jun 9, 2013)

jeffc @ 2013-06-09 said:


> Wow, I'm in the minority for sure, but I do everything with one 30" Apple Screen (and a flat screen on the wall for picture). I used to get annoyed if you opened a project on another computer with different screens, it was a total cluster$%*$ and drove me crazy. Apple's got a feature known as spaces built in, so I've got 3 spaces that instantly snap to the screen with one key. One for Logic, one for the 2nd Protools machine that handles stems and video, and one for Bidule. The great thing is you're always looking straight ahead and not wandering from monitor to monitor to find stuff.
> 
> Although some people get off on more is more, I've found that by simplifying everything, I actually am more creative and productive, getting more out of what I've got...
> 
> JC


I'm right there with you, just one 30" Apple Display. Had two before but find it easier/better with just one, plus Spaces and Logics Screensets.


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## lee (Jun 9, 2013)

1 30' here. Wouldn't mind having a slightly smaller monitor at the side so I could watch cubase on the big one and kontakt on the other though.


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## yellowstudio (Jun 10, 2013)

On a related note: How do you guys using lots of screens arrange your speakers ? I have only very limited space behind my desk and not too much space to the side either (and I wouldn't want my speakers at a 180° angle anyway), so when I considered my options for upgrading my screen real estate (only one lowly 22" display is really, really cramped), I always ended up with a solution that would obstruct speakers. Do you have them mounted over the screens and angled downward?

so long
Andreas


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## Nuno (Jun 10, 2013)

Hi guys

I was thinking to buy a second monitor but then I saw the LG 29EA93 IPS UltraWide 21:9.

What's your opinion about this monitor for audio production? Maybe it's better to have one of those instead of adding a second monitor..


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## EastWest Lurker (Jun 10, 2013)

Tree: a 27" and a 22" for Logic Pro and VE Pro on my Mac and a 21" for VE Pro on my PC.


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## Matt Baron (Jul 14, 2013)

I recently got 3 of the Yamakasi 27" 2560x1440 IPS displays from Korea that are pretty popular. They were around $300-400 each with expedited shipping included so I'm happy, especially since I managed to luck out and not get any dead pixels.


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## JPQ (Jul 14, 2013)

My neck dont like multiple displays so i use only 1920x1200 24inch display with good panel 8becouse i need graphical uses it and i need good contrast and colours without dithering) and i can connect my computer 2 displahys. and size is limited my budget and room and to me pixel size in this display is best possible. i still have old 1920x1080 cheap panel what i dont yet decided what to do with it.


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## Justin Miller (Jul 14, 2013)

I'm currently using one Apple 30" display and plan to upgrade to two 27" displays + 50" tv on the wall. Would you guys recommend T-Bolt displays by Apple or something else?


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## Jdiggity1 (Jul 15, 2013)

As matt mentioned, there are really good value korean alternatives to the apple cinema displays. They are essentially the same display panels, just a different housing (and limited to no support). I have been using two for about a year now, no issues. And one of them has HDMI (as well as Dual Link DVI and display port) so I can have my Playstation hooked up as well. :D

My specific models are 'First FSM-270YV', and a 'Shimian QHD'.

Thunderbolt could be good though depending on your circumstances - whether you'd daisy-chain to other devices, or don't have enough display ports. Dell also has 2560x1440 IPS screens.


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## Bunford (Jul 15, 2013)

I have limited space so have 2 x 24" 1080p monitors in front and use Splashtop on iPad as a third video display if I need it.

If using Ableton with Reason rewired, I have one on each monitor. If using Cubase I have arrangement window on one monitor and mixer and info panels on the second monitor.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Jul 15, 2013)

What ThomasL says.

I don't count the TV monitor as a screen - that's for watching tennis while I pretend to work on the computer.


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## Dietz (Jul 15, 2013)

rgames @ Fri Jun 07 said:


> [...]
> 
> Also, some monitor panels produce a very faint buzz. If your computer is in another room (and you have good hearing) then you might be able to hear it.
> 
> rgames



Oh my - don't get me started. :-P ... I use two identical BenQ LCDs here. I bought the second one only after I worked on the first for a while and liked it. What should I say - the newer one hums, the older one doesn't. Once my ears "caught" that frequency it is hard to make the brain masking it again.

The problem is that this doesn't account as a case for warranty replacement *arghh* ... I moved the newer one to the far right of my workspace, and I switch it off as soon as the noise starts to annoy me.


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## sammy24 (Jul 15, 2013)

This thread is giving me screen envy :D.


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## reddognoyz (Jul 16, 2013)

2x23" for my DAW
1x19" for VEP
1x9" video directly over middle C on my Keyboard
1x55" on the wall for clients.


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## wanmingyan (Jul 16, 2013)

sammy24 @ 16/7/2013 said:


> This thread is giving me screen envy :D.



+1


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## Ah_dziz (Jul 19, 2013)

2.


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## madbulk (Jul 20, 2013)

30 in the middle for Logic.
22 on the left for VEP 1.
22 on the right for VEP 2.

Odd numbers only, as charlie said.
I like the smaller 22's on the sides because otherwise my speakers would need to go up another five inches and they're already centered at the top of my head and not my ears.

Want to add a big TV on the wall above everything, but entirely to watch TV like Nick.


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## JPQ (Jul 20, 2013)

my old benq played high pitched tone when is off, i never replaced it (another problem with is non uniform backlight not even for tn panel) becouse i dont want get risk get dead pixels (actually i dont have display with them eyet). ps. but both here reasons get new display. To me is very likely never again anything form BenQ.


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## Cecco (Jul 21, 2013)

Three monitors connected to my 2010 mac pro: one samsung 23" and two old apple 20" driven by two apple active adapters. 
The 23" is for Logic arrange, one 20" for displaying movie and the other for Ve pro/ mixer and piano roll. 
Definitely in the need for a bigger one, like a 27".


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## XT26 (Aug 15, 2013)

charlieclouser @ Fri Jun 07 said:


> eschroder @ Thu Jun 06 said:
> 
> 
> > Hey Charlie,
> ...



Hi Charlie, 

I just got Video Slave and love it, just wondering though do you recommend using a midi interface to connect the DAW to the video slave machine or is network midi just as good? 

Cheers, 

Tom


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