Before investing in a second video card, I need some info on using two monitors for recording and editing purposes. If I install another video card and monitor, what procedure has to be undertaken to make the wave editor appear on one monitor while the plugs ins; compressor, eq, etc appear on the other? Basically, is it a simple task to incorporate two monitors and for those of you using two monitors, do you find it beneficial?
Using two monitors
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
timtraynor
New member
I have been using two monitors with an Apple G4 and
ProTools and have had no problems. I just installed
a Rage Orion PCI video card in the slot,ran the software
install, and configured the monitors via the monitors
section. If you use a PC I think it may be harder.
Either way it is the best thing I have done as far
as seeing what your recording software is doing,without
flipping thru various screens etc. I made a template
with the edit screen on the left monitor and the
mix screen on the right monitor.
After you get the two/three monitor thing going- ditch
the mouse and get a control surface. I use a J.L. Cooper
CS-10-2 with 8 channel extention. It's bitchin having
two monitors and controlling the screen moves with a
virtual mixer.
Rock On!
ProTools and have had no problems. I just installed
a Rage Orion PCI video card in the slot,ran the software
install, and configured the monitors via the monitors
section. If you use a PC I think it may be harder.
Either way it is the best thing I have done as far
as seeing what your recording software is doing,without
flipping thru various screens etc. I made a template
with the edit screen on the left monitor and the
mix screen on the right monitor.
After you get the two/three monitor thing going- ditch
the mouse and get a control surface. I use a J.L. Cooper
CS-10-2 with 8 channel extention. It's bitchin having
two monitors and controlling the screen moves with a
virtual mixer.
Rock On!
camn
Active member
I use two monitors and it totally rocks. Its simply a matter of dragging your plug-in windows to the other monitor (its like one BIG desktop).
I often use my Rec sw in my primary, and my sound-cards mixer software in my sec.
In photosop I use my primary for the image.... full-screen, and have all my toolbars on the secondary.
xoox
I often use my Rec sw in my primary, and my sound-cards mixer software in my sec.
In photosop I use my primary for the image.... full-screen, and have all my toolbars on the secondary.
xoox
Slackmaster2K
Gone
Two monitors is really nice. I've been doing it for a long time. As camn said, it's pretty simple to manage if you're just going to use native windows support (in 98SE, ME, and 2000 only I believe).
A tip though, for your secondary display, look for an older "standard" video card. That is, something that's not 3D accelerated. Reason being that regular cards won't require an IRQ which can make life much easier. I'm using an old S3 PCI video card with 2 megs and it performs fine (warning, S3 cards don't like some modern motherboards, especially those from Asus)
The reason I like having two monitors is that my 19" throws off a lot of noise. When I'm tracking, I set my secondary display to primary, move the start menu over, and turn the big one off. Works very well.
Slackmaster 2000
A tip though, for your secondary display, look for an older "standard" video card. That is, something that's not 3D accelerated. Reason being that regular cards won't require an IRQ which can make life much easier. I'm using an old S3 PCI video card with 2 megs and it performs fine (warning, S3 cards don't like some modern motherboards, especially those from Asus)
The reason I like having two monitors is that my 19" throws off a lot of noise. When I'm tracking, I set my secondary display to primary, move the start menu over, and turn the big one off. Works very well.
Slackmaster 2000
camn
Active member
if its a pci card, its basically plug n play.
Install it just like any other device. KNOW THIS.. if you'r primary card is PCI, than PLACEMENT is key.. the PRIMARY must be in a higher(??) up slot... (experiment with this)
If your Primary is AGP, then it will try to boot the PCI card as primary... you need to change that in your system BIOS. Not windows.
Once its all done, you set it up in 'display properties.."
xoox
Install it just like any other device. KNOW THIS.. if you'r primary card is PCI, than PLACEMENT is key.. the PRIMARY must be in a higher(??) up slot... (experiment with this)
If your Primary is AGP, then it will try to boot the PCI card as primary... you need to change that in your system BIOS. Not windows.
Once its all done, you set it up in 'display properties.."
xoox
Slackmaster2K
Gone
Well, I don't think it really matters which card is primary. My cheap PCI card is primary for the system but windows automatically makes my AGP card the primary card for windows, unless I change it. It's kind of weird watching it boot but other than that it's not a problem or anything.
Slackmaster 2000
Slackmaster 2000