Hi all
Just wondering from a monitor/screen perspective how you guys run your studios? Disregarding the processing/memory side of your PCs/Mac set-ups, I'm wondering how many of you record on a laptop or desktop? I really like the idea of installing X3 on a laptop but in terms of screen real estate is a 15.6" screen really big enough to be able to work productively?
 
I do have a desktop with a 23" monitor but the computer is getting a bit long in the tooth. It runs an delta audiophile 2496 card which is also quite old. I do have a much newer i5 laptop and I'm considering installing X3 on that and purchasing something like a Focusrite 6i6 interface, but I'm inclined to believe that with monitors, at least as far as recording music is concerned, size actually does matter! I can't help thinking that a laptop will be really cramped and on a busy project, be really difficult to work with. 

I'd be really interested to hear what you guys are doing! Perhaps you could post some images of your set-ups? That would be cool :-)
YC 

Don't forget that you can fit an external monitor to most laptops. So your 23 inches wouldn't go to waste. 

Screensets are your friend here. I personally use 2 monitors, console view on one, everything else on the other, some use one, it really doesn't matter that much because Screensets are so damn useful. I'm also guessing you could hook up your laptop to a larger monitor anyway.

Bibs

My laptop is 1920x1080 on a 15 inch screen. Things are kinda small but it's definitely workable. I have a pair of 1680x1050 monitors (22 inch) for the desktop, that's definitely better. I don't know what resolution your laptop is but some 15 inch ones come with something like 1368x768 (or something), I would definitely advise against that. Second screens are really helpful though!

I would hook up your existing monitor to the laptop, as someone else had suggested.
 
I do that when I go mobile for recording.
 
Bob Bone
 

I got an 18.6" HP laptop so I didn't need to take the extra monitor along for mobile gigs. With Screensets it's OK for live work but I appreciate the extra real estate back in the studio.

Thanks for your replies guys :-)

I did think of hooking up the 23" monitor to the laptop ... But the laptop doesn't have a DVI port (it does have HDMI) and the monitor doesn't have HDMI (it does have DVI).

So that means using positively prehistoric VGA. And surely the quality there would be seriously lacking?

Unless of course there's an adapter out there that I could use for conversion purposes?

YC

I use VGA for one of my monitors, and it is fine with Sonar.
 
But also, for about $5, you can buy a DVI/HDMI adapter, and you are in business.  Just make sure you get it going the correct way, either DVI TO HDMI, or HDMI TO DVI, whichever you need.
 
If you have trouble finding one, just post back, and I will find you a couple links for ordering one.
 
Bob Bone
 

A +1 on screensets with laptops if no additional monitor is available.

Cheers Bob. There's a ton of adaptors on Amazon :-)