Multi-Monitor Consoles

[Charc]

I've noticed that many-a-console on the market has two monitors. I've wondered why for awhile. I believe the Strand 300 is capable of two displays (if I remember correctly), but from my experience, I'm not quite sure if that's necessary. Also, I'm not sure what info one would display? Patch on one-side and Live on the other? Or just one screen dedicated to Live all the time, and one that takes input? Or what? Can you choose which screen data would display on, and what? Any thoughts on this subject? Is it worth it for me to grab an extra monitor lying around from the IT people?

[soundman]

Depends on the desk. The expression has the live channel readout on one screen and on the other it displays the cue list, and submaster names.
On the hog 3 and its offshoots you can set up the monitors to display whatever info you want on whatever screens you choose.

If you have an extra monitor laying around what do you have to loose?

[Charc]

Originally Posted by soundman

Depends on the desk. The expression has the live channel readout on one screen and on the other it displays the cue list, and submaster names.
On the hog 3 and its offshoots you can set up the monitors to display whatever info you want on whatever screens you choose.
If you have an extra monitor laying around what do you have to loose?

Desk space. It's at an ultra premium, I'm wondering if it's even worth exploring if the trade-off won't be that helpful.

[phil000]

Originally Posted by charcoaldabs

Is it worth it for me to grab an extra monitor lying around from the IT people?

A) yes, the IT people don't know what they're doing with them.

and the 300 displays upcoming cues and you can put text in etc.

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by charcoaldabs

Desk space. It's at an ultra premium, I'm wondering if it's even worth exploring if the trade-off won't be that helpful.

LCD screens, young Luke. The grandMA has three built-in touchscreens and two external monitors, and more and more programmers are requesting 19" or 21". Standard with the HogII was two built-in touchscreens and two external monitors and anything could be anywhere, all operator preference.

I don't know how it would work on the 300, but since 1979, every console with two monitors has had channels/cue contents on one screen and cue-list on the other. As theatre boards get more complex, there's more information to display. Though you don't have to look at everything at once.

The Electro-Controls Premiere even had a Heads Up Display, where you watched the stage though the channel display. Never caught on though for obvious reasons.

[Charc]

Originally Posted by derekleffew

LCD screens, young Luke. The grandMA has three built-in touchscreens and two external monitors, and more and more programmers are requesting 19" or 21". Standard with the HogII was two built-in touchscreens and two external monitors and anything could be anywhere, all operator preference.
I don't know how it would work on the 300, but since 1979, every console with two monitors has had channels/cue contents on one screen and cue-list on the other. As theatre boards get more complex, there's more information to display. Though you don't have to look at everything at once.
The Electro-Controls Premiere even had a Heads Up Display, where you watched the stage though the channel display. Never caught on though for obvious reasons.

Yes Darth Fader, the one external monitor we have is an LCD display, and I'd only think of adding a second LCD display, not CRT.

It's interesting you mention the way content is displayed, the Strand 300 series has almost a "split-screen" view which I love. Cues on the bottom, channels up top. I guess there is nothing else to view then?

[soundlight]

I always use two monitors when I can. One has my list (cue, sub, group, fixture, attribute, focus group, or other) on it, and the other has my live levels (either standard channel window or ML attribute window). Makes life a lot easier.

[gafftapegreenia]

Originally Posted by charcoaldabs

Yes Darth Fader, the one external monitor we have is an LCD display, and I'd only think of adding a second LCD display, not CRT.
It's interesting you mention the way content is displayed, the Strand 300 series has almost a "split-screen" view which I love. Cues on the bottom, channels up top. I guess there is nothing else to view then?

I might start calling Derek Darth Fader. I wonder if he can shoot force lightning out of his followspot.

[PadawanGeek]

On a Maxxyz, I use four touch screens. Here are what each screen usually has on it:
screen 1 Cuelist
screen 2 playback buttons
screen 3 channel values
screen 4 presets

Works well for me...

[DarSax]

Oh, yea. Two (or more!) monitors is great. Both with conventionals (Express at my school, one's channels/intensities and the other's cues.) and with MLs (like the HogII, great for monitoring two attributes at the same time). I doubt there's any constraint other than space that would dictate why NOT to have more monitors.