The ideal way is to grab a dual head video card. You can get a decent dual head card for under $100 if you shop smart, i.e. ATI Radeon. It will allow you to run in either of two modes:

1. Clone mode - both monitors show the same data.
2. Extended desktop - effectively doubles the width of your desktop. Superb for running DAWs like Nuendo, etc. You can run either monitor in any resolution typically but most people go 1024 X 768 and 1024 X 768.

I'm using pro tools, how would I set it up to see the mixer view in one monitor and the edit view on the other monitor?

how does the mouse work when there are 2 monitors?

where can I find a card like that for cheap?

one more thing... is there such thing as a bad video card that maybe doesn't put out as clear of a screen, because there is a few on ebay for like 20 bucks including shipping, the model number is...
Matrox G450 Dual Head Monitor 16MB 4X AGP Video Card

If you use mode 2 (as described by Calgary) your two monitors will function as one large desktop, and you can choose whether to stretch a single app across both screens, or use them to display different windows / applications.

You using a mac? I'm windows: that lets me define the physical relationship between the two monitors (eg: screen 1 to the left of screen 2) so when I drag the mouse off the right hand edge of the first screen it appears on the left side of the second.. I'm sure the same can be acheived with a mac but someone else will have to tell you how.. ;)

nah, I'm on a PC too, are different brands of cards better than others?

oh, and if I did decide to put 2 monitors far apart from each other and just make the screen appear identical on both, can I use 2 mouses so that I can have one in front of both screens?

Get either an ATI or an nVidia. You don't need the $200+ gaming cards. ATI actually makes their own cards, nVidia designs them and other companies make them. Both companies make top-notch products.

Something like [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.newegg.c…"]THIS[/]="http://www.newegg.c…"]THIS[/] would do you well. You won't be gaming on it, but it'll be perfect for what you want to do.

I don't know about the two mice thing. How about just a wireless mouse you could take around the room?

And that Matrox on ebay is an outdated POS, and is only AGP4x, which is really slow and old.

FWIW I strongly recommend not getting the Matrox. I've had 2 out of 2 Matrox video cards fail on me. By contrast none of the ATi or Nvidia cards I've bought have ever failed. Just my experience anyhow... 8-)

Calgary wrote: FWIW I strongly recommend not getting the Matrox. I've had 2 out of 2 Matrox video cards fail on me. By contrast none of the ATi or Nvidia cards I've bought have ever failed. Just my experience anyhow... 8-)

Funny I have had exactly the opposite happen two ATI cards going bad (an lots of trouble with the drivers) and my Matrox card is still going strong after 4 years of constant use. The cards we both are having problems with must have been made on an off day!

No problems with having more then one mouse, as long as at least one is USB of course.

The video card war has been going on for YEARS...

For a while, Matrox ruled the world. Then ATI came along. Then EVERYBODY was destroyed by VooDoo and VooDoo 2 and ultimately VooDoo 3. Then, like the Phoenix, ATI arose from the ashes. Matrox never really did (that is, in the 3D world...the 2D world is a different story) and then newer, faster vendors came on board and now it's all just a big mess.

If you are only using the PC for DAW work and occassional files, etc. then you don't need a fancy 3D card. The Matrox cards are amazing cards and some of the finest (if not THE finest) 2D rendering engines on the planet. Don't expect them to do 3D though. (No games or cool maze screen savers :cry: )

I know someone already poo-poo'ed the old Matrox, but in reality, that's all you would need. 4x AGP and 16MB are plenty for 2D and that card was actually a good dual-head card.

ATI also makes some very cool dual-heads, but most (if not all) include a 3D engine. If you don't need 3D, see if you can disable it. It does request info from the CPU even if you're not using 3D.

The thing is, you won't really be taxing any card you put into service for 2D work, so just about anything will do.

J.

Thomas, older Matrox cards are a whole different beast than newer ones form what I've heard. I'm not 100% sure that's the case but my impression is that the new ones fail much more than they should. Who really knows. In my case I'll never buy anything by Matrox again though. I've read the ATI drivers are much better, again that's just someone's opinion though... :)

Thomas, older Matrox cards are a whole different beast than newer ones from what I've heard. I'm not 100% sure that's the case but my impression is that the new ones fail much more than they should. Who really knows. In my case I'll never buy anything by Matrox again though. I've read the ATI drivers are much better, again that's just someone's opinion though... :)

Here's a link for a couple of ideas,,

you can also use a monitor switch if you don't need to look at both screens at same time

or put in a second single head vid card, try to match them as both monitors will run at the lesser cards specs, downside, thakes up slots,,,

http://www.ehow.com/how_13829_connect-two-monitors.html

hope it helps out ..

SI

Sanity Inn wrote: try to match them as both monitors will run at the lesser cards specs,

SI

what do you mean by this?

If i remember correctly, but research and double check

to make it simple

if one car goes 30 mph, and the other goes 60 mph, when they both go they can only both go 30 mph,,

now this was for windows 98 back when i was thinking of doing this, again from memory,

but i just wanted you to know options of
a) using 2 single cards
or
B) the monitor swith

hope i didn't confuse you

G'Luck

SI

Hah! Disn't see this, and posted a similar "how do I do this?" thread, but for Mac...so, if any Mac pros stumble in here, stumble next door and help a brother out.

These days with good video cards both screens do not need to be at the same settings. At work I run a 21" LCD at 1280x1024x60Hz and a 17" CRT at 1280x960x85Hz. They are both running different color calibrations as well.

Mayor McCheese is living on the cutting edge. 8-)

Nah, cutting edge would be dual DLP projectors.

I'm getting a new daw with the matrox 650 (dual dvi). Would anyone recommend using 26" monitors (Olevia - $499 on sale at the good old Office Depot)... only 1024 x768, but spread on the wide screen wouldn't this still be acceptable for mixing?

Are they widescreen monitors or regular monitors? 1024x768 is the minimum resolution needed by most apps. At 26" it'll look like shit. I recommend getting a smaller, better monitor. 26" is friggin huge.

If you wait and watch, Dell's widescreen 20.5" widescreen can be had for about $400 when it goes on sale, which it does frequently. A much better monitor.

Almost all apps can run at any resolution, which one you will prefer is more the issue. Depending on how far you plan to sit from your monitor (the farther the better) the 26" is probably a better choice if you have room to move it back a bit. If you are going to be very close to your monitor at all times, which is not recommended, then 26" will be too big at 1024 X 768. One aspect of the 26" which is *fantastic* is if you move around the room a lot but still need to be able to see your screen clearly from your vantage point. 8-)

McCheese - thanks for the feedback

Wide screens - see - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1355754&Sku=S452-2600

Probably wouldn't get these anyway because of the distracting speakers (which wouldn't be used), but found it interesting that these guys were marketing at such a low price which indicates the supply is exceeding demand and I'd expect others to come down.

What would you target for resolution on 19-20"?

I'm using Sonar PE with some miscellaneous stuff (sound forge, traction and the like). Just want to spread out the info to make the session for organized... Haven't seen anyone post on their preferred layout.

LCD's have a "native resolution" and you should do your best to run at that. You can run at other resolutions, but they just do better at native.

I run my CRT desktops at 1280x860, and my dell widescreen LCD at it's native 1680x1050.

That thing is running at 1280x768, not 1024. Although that's a great resolution for HDTV, it's on the low end for widescreen computer monitors. Like Calgary said, if it's going to be a ways away, it might be ok, but if it's going to be close like a normal computer monitor, you're going to want smaller and better resolution. Consider that the Apple Cinema 30" (only 4" bigger) runs at 2560x1600, twice the resolution of that TV.

Thanks for all the help - Just want to know what to start scouting for.... I think they have a 1024/768... this is what I'm used to on the old laptop that I use to record the gigs..

To fit more on the screen then I need screen size plus resolution as I understand it. I was thinking a very large screen (26") with standard resolution would show the same stuff and it would be large..... but maybe not crisp, correct?

Exactly. It'll just be bigger.

Crispness isn't depending on size, it's dependent on the quality of the monitor in the same way some large TVs are very crisp and some aren't. Odds are that a product which uses value-pricing as it's main selling point might not deliver the crispest possible picture. At a distance it might work, it's all very dependent on your workflow. As a main monitor the 26" might not be the best choice but as a second monitor it might be fine if you need to be able to see it from across a room.

Resolution isn't necessarily dependent on screen size, some people ho 1280 X 1024 on a 19" whereas some go 1024 X 768. McCheese is right about the native resolution of the monitor though, and that's going to be the best resolution for any monitor. It's usually stated clearly in the product display/documentation. 8-)

Crispness isn't dependent on size, it's dependent on the quality of the monitor in the same way some large TVs are very crisp and some aren't. Odds are that a product which uses value-pricing as it's main selling point might not deliver the crispest possible picture. At a distance it might work, it's all very dependent on your workflow. As a main monitor the 26" might not be the best choice but as a second monitor it might be fine if you need to be able to see it from across a room.

Resolution isn't necessarily dependent on screen size, some people go 1280 X 1024 on a 19" LCD whereas some go 1024 X 768, or even 800 X 600. McCheese is right about the native resolution of the monitor though (amongst other points), and that's going to be the best resolution for any monitor. It's usually stated clearly in the product display/documentation. 8-)

Thanks for the input...

John

Oh yeah, also, if you plan on gaming on your monitor at all then it's good to check in at a gaming forum and see what they think of the model you choose before you buy it. 8-)

No gaming - just a daw, I just want to get the right type monitors so that I don't have to buy them twice. With all of the sales, before, during, after Christmas I want to be ready when I see the right specs to get them.

The board will take up to 1600x1200 digital, 1920x1440 analog so I guess the key is to get as close to this as possible on the LCD's (digital) and then as large as possible, say 19-20".

Would I then look at brightness, contrast and pixel pitch for the "crispness"?

Didn't mean to hijack the thread, but saw a couple interesting replies and am happy for all of the help and guidance.

FWIW here's my setup. I run Nuendo across two 19" monitors each at 1024 X 768 and it works out OK so far. A lot of it is learning to work quickly with the GUI/windows/shortcut keys, etc. Essentially I'm never looking at everything at the same time, I'm usually either working with mixer or project window on the left-- with VST/VSTi's cascaded on the right. Samsung SyncMasters are my current favemonitor. Digital input is best, particulary for longer cable runs. 8-)

Thanks for the help... I'll let you know what I get and how it works!