These days a vast majority of Windows computers and indeed all of Apple's current computers include some type of a port that enables users to plug in a second display. I remember a trend when computers started shipping with dual display ports as standard around the mid-2000s (Do correct me if I'm wrong).
My first generation Mac Pro computer, that I purchased back in 2007, had dual DVI ports. I thought this was a pretty amazing feature so I quickly purchased two identical 20-inch displays to take full advantage of this graphics card capability. I used a dual-display setup in my Pro Tools studio for many years. I used to work with the Pro Tools Mix window on one display and the Edit window on the other. This was a cool setup that enabled me to see pretty much a global view of everything in whatever Pro Tools session I had loaded. But, over the years I ditched the dual-display setup in favour of single large displays. Over the last four years or so it doesn't really appeal to me having a "global" view over an entire session. Single large displays work just fine for me.
Just before I transitioned away from using dual displays for Pro Tools I tried a different setup with the extra display. I mirrored the main display to appear on the second display. I positioned the second display back into the studio so that my clients could easily see what I was doing in Pro Tools without the need for them to look over my shoulder. This setup worked well as it meant both my clients and I didn't need to get into each other's personal space every 5 minutes when making decisions in Pro Tools.
A Variety Of Dual Display Options At Your Fingertips
These days dual or multiple computer display setups can be arranged in a variety of different ways beyond using off the shelf displays. We can easily use our smartphones or tablets as a second display using apps such as Duet Display or Neyrinck's V-Control. Slate Media Technology offers two Raven touchscreen displays, the MTi and MTX. Both can be run as either single units (main computer displays) or in conjunction with standard computer displays or with multiple Slate Ravens. It is indeed a very exciting time if you are interested in working with multiple displays in your studio as there are many different options available that facilitate touch control.
The question is though, do we need dual displays in the studio? Sure, if you work on Windows laptops or MacBooks then there is a good chance that smaller laptop screens are a bit cramped to work with so a second display will give those guys that work on large sessions some more valuable screen real-estate to work with.
Have Your Say
Truth be told, there's no right or wrong when it comes down to if it's right to use two or more displays in a studio. We're interested in hearing about your experiences using multiple displays in your studios.
Did you use dual displays and stop using them? Do currently use multiple displays in your studio and swear by them or are you somebody that thinks using more than one display in a studio is overkill and utterly pointless?
Discuss...