I apologise in advance if this is a stupid question but I've never used a touchscreen monitor so I'm totally ignorant. My old desktop PC is dying so I'm considering buying a mid-to-high spec desktop PC replacement and I'm curious how well these separate touchscreen multi-touch monitors really work.
I love my macbook pro and I'm not getting rid of it but I can buy a pretty powerful desktop PC for about £1000 and if I can add a genuinely usable multi-touch monitor (lets say 20-24 inch sort of size) for a few hundred extra and it really works well for Bitwig then I'd be very tempted.
Any feedback about experience with this would be great. I have a few midi controllers and the tactile knobs and faders are always great but I am very curious about removing the "abstraction" of having to map different controls to different parameters etc. Instead I just move a fader or a knob on the screen and launch clips directly.
If the experience is going to be something similar to an Ipad i.e. very responsive and immediate, then I'm curious.
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Multi-touch monitors on Windows - do they really work well?
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- KVRist
- 174 posts since 16 Sep, 2005
I have a 28" touch screen w/ windows - and i must say i never use it after all.. working with the mouse is just much faster if you are used to this way of working for a long time. Also take note of the thickness of the glass on the screen if you look for a touchscreen.. the thicker the glass the more clumsy and less responsive it will feel. Also when you want to use the touch screen your arms get tired very fast. I think having something like a surface book on your lap would be more comfortable tho. Also prefer turning real knobs instead of swiping on a screen.
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- KVRAF
- 6305 posts since 9 Dec, 2008 from Berlin
I personally plan to at one point get a secondary, smaller touch screen (around 20"-22", my main screen is 30") that I would position in a relatively flat angle to the side and use it mainly like/as a controller for Bitwig.
I found the touch-keyboard in Bitwig very responsive when I tried it at a Bitwig-Party and since I so far haven't found a MPE controller I really like, this may be my solution (just missing pressure...). Phase-4 and the other instruments that now have large screens should also be fun and mixing should be good too.
I can't at the moment imagine me doing much detail editing this way, as well thought out as the touch layout looks.
As irtimid wrote, I wouldn't want to use a vertically upright touch monitor in front of me for more than 5 Minutes.
Cheers,
Tom
I found the touch-keyboard in Bitwig very responsive when I tried it at a Bitwig-Party and since I so far haven't found a MPE controller I really like, this may be my solution (just missing pressure...). Phase-4 and the other instruments that now have large screens should also be fun and mixing should be good too.
I can't at the moment imagine me doing much detail editing this way, as well thought out as the touch layout looks.
As irtimid wrote, I wouldn't want to use a vertically upright touch monitor in front of me for more than 5 Minutes.
Cheers,
Tom
"Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there." - Rumi
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- Banned
- 11467 posts since 4 Jan, 2017 from Warsaw, Poland
Touch with Windows works great and Bitwig's implementation - although probably the best of the DAWs - is almost there, so read this topic with that in mind: it's awesome, but not yet perfect:
viewtopic.php?f=259&t=491743
viewtopic.php?f=259&t=491743
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- KVRAF
- 5803 posts since 27 Jul, 2001 from Tarpon Springs, Florida, USA
I mostly use the touch screen as a midi keyboard controller. I still prefer to do editing with a mouse. So for me the DAW need not be multi-touch. The mixer however is useful to be multi-touch friendly. It is the plugins that I prefer to touch.
My studio photo.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7760&p=6718002#p6718002
Using touch and mouse at the same time does not work or it works poorly. Here is the thread I started to explain it. Multi-touch finger touch and mouse pointer incompatibility! Weird! viewtopic.php?p=6865204
My studio photo.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7760&p=6718002#p6718002
Using touch and mouse at the same time does not work or it works poorly. Here is the thread I started to explain it. Multi-touch finger touch and mouse pointer incompatibility! Weird! viewtopic.php?p=6865204
My Studio: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7760&p=7777146#p7777146
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- KVRAF
- 9576 posts since 16 Dec, 2002
Yes but it needs to be positioned well for comfort. Ive got my 23in at a fairly low elevation, angled at roughly 45° and had to lower the desk i use it on. Basically i removed the top layer of the desk and use the slidey out draw beneath which is now exposed. At normal desktop height it gave me arm ache.
Amazon: why not use an alternative
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1921 posts since 15 Nov, 2003 from London, UK
Thanks for the feedback, plenty of food for thought here.
It hadn't even occurred to me about the arm discomfort that could be caused by reaching across to the screen but it makes perfect sense now I've read it. I'd have to consider the monitor placement carefully. I have a standing desk and a monitor arm that is fairly flexible but I doubt it would be able to get into a sensible position that would work for any length of time. I can't imaging that staring downwards at a monitor that is virtually laying flat is good for your neck either. It's bad enough just using a laptop on a desk.
I also did a bit of research about these apps that turn my Ipad mini retina into a touch-compatible second screen for the macbook but it doesn't sound like they are particularly good. I'm tempted to try it for £10 but if it doesn't work well that's still a waste. I'm basically thinking that if I can trigger loops, adjust the volume faders and tweak a few knobs then that's great but I have no idea if it'll work and if there is any lag at all then it'll be useless
It hadn't even occurred to me about the arm discomfort that could be caused by reaching across to the screen but it makes perfect sense now I've read it. I'd have to consider the monitor placement carefully. I have a standing desk and a monitor arm that is fairly flexible but I doubt it would be able to get into a sensible position that would work for any length of time. I can't imaging that staring downwards at a monitor that is virtually laying flat is good for your neck either. It's bad enough just using a laptop on a desk.
I also did a bit of research about these apps that turn my Ipad mini retina into a touch-compatible second screen for the macbook but it doesn't sound like they are particularly good. I'm tempted to try it for £10 but if it doesn't work well that's still a waste. I'm basically thinking that if I can trigger loops, adjust the volume faders and tweak a few knobs then that's great but I have no idea if it'll work and if there is any lag at all then it'll be useless
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- KVRist
- 174 posts since 16 Sep, 2005
Have the ipad app called Duet too. Totally unuseable, dont waste ur money or time.quincy wrote:Thanks for the feedback, plenty of food for thought here.
It hadn't even occurred to me about the arm discomfort that could be caused by reaching across to the screen but it makes perfect sense now I've read it. I'd have to consider the monitor placement carefully. I have a standing desk and a monitor arm that is fairly flexible but I doubt it would be able to get into a sensible position that would work for any length of time. I can't imaging that staring downwards at a monitor that is virtually laying flat is good for your neck either. It's bad enough just using a laptop on a desk.
I also did a bit of research about these apps that turn my Ipad mini retina into a touch-compatible second screen for the macbook but it doesn't sound like they are particularly good. I'm tempted to try it for £10 but if it doesn't work well that's still a waste. I'm basically thinking that if I can trigger loops, adjust the volume faders and tweak a few knobs then that's great but I have no idea if it'll work and if there is any lag at all then it'll be useless
Take a look at ergotron lx for your multitouch screen - best articulating lcd screen holder one can find, you can put ur screen in any position u want with ease.
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- KVRist
- 315 posts since 12 Jul, 2015
Hi ,i do music on touchscreen.
i bought the Dell P2418HT .
first i read sometimes that it's faster with a mouse or that it is exhausting to work with a touchscreen because of your position etc... yeah if you don't setup your desktop correctly and you work like if you worked on a normal screen... it's exhausting . switching between mouse and keyboard and touchscreen is exhausting. .. but you don't have to.
FIRST you need a touchscreen that can be inclinable ... then you can put your arms on the table while you use the touchscreen and it's so confortable . Most of people who says the position is exhausting is because they use the touchscreen perpendicular to the table and have to maintain their arms up to touch the screen or because they use it planar on the table .
that's the way i work with. Using a touchscreen make you to re-learn the way you work. Of course if you have habits and you don't want to change the way you work , don't use touchscreen . But if you do, you will see that touching is really faster than pointing and clicking . it's more natural to. the thing is that Bitwig made things half the way. all is not integrated for touchscreen for now in the daw but a lot is . i don't know how mutch it's faster to copy past, or create a note with a touchscreen rather than the keyboard mouse or the opposite. but it's a new feeling, the way you move object on the screen , the way you build your song etc. it's more natural to , like if you have a direct interaction on a sheet of paper.
But the real interaction for me is with instruments and effects . I found the best compromise between Hardware and software, no more need to find the perfect controller . i can touch and control all knobs, faders, xy without configuring anythings on the screen. And that is priceless for me. you gain so mutch time just by putting your delay in the chain then moving the feedback of delay then the time and then mix than having to configure that on a controllers to use it or drawing it on automation line . And you see directly what happen on the screen. it's intuitive.
Then Yes , all is not done for now to let you use your touchscreen , cause lot's says "it's not that , it's not this" and then that's not a priority. I just say, i will never get back with a mouse and a keyboard to control an instrument or an FX.
i bought the Dell P2418HT .
first i read sometimes that it's faster with a mouse or that it is exhausting to work with a touchscreen because of your position etc... yeah if you don't setup your desktop correctly and you work like if you worked on a normal screen... it's exhausting . switching between mouse and keyboard and touchscreen is exhausting. .. but you don't have to.
FIRST you need a touchscreen that can be inclinable ... then you can put your arms on the table while you use the touchscreen and it's so confortable . Most of people who says the position is exhausting is because they use the touchscreen perpendicular to the table and have to maintain their arms up to touch the screen or because they use it planar on the table .
that's the way i work with. Using a touchscreen make you to re-learn the way you work. Of course if you have habits and you don't want to change the way you work , don't use touchscreen . But if you do, you will see that touching is really faster than pointing and clicking . it's more natural to. the thing is that Bitwig made things half the way. all is not integrated for touchscreen for now in the daw but a lot is . i don't know how mutch it's faster to copy past, or create a note with a touchscreen rather than the keyboard mouse or the opposite. but it's a new feeling, the way you move object on the screen , the way you build your song etc. it's more natural to , like if you have a direct interaction on a sheet of paper.
But the real interaction for me is with instruments and effects . I found the best compromise between Hardware and software, no more need to find the perfect controller . i can touch and control all knobs, faders, xy without configuring anythings on the screen. And that is priceless for me. you gain so mutch time just by putting your delay in the chain then moving the feedback of delay then the time and then mix than having to configure that on a controllers to use it or drawing it on automation line . And you see directly what happen on the screen. it's intuitive.
Then Yes , all is not done for now to let you use your touchscreen , cause lot's says "it's not that , it's not this" and then that's not a priority. I just say, i will never get back with a mouse and a keyboard to control an instrument or an FX.
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- KVRian
- 512 posts since 22 Aug, 2014
I'm using a multi touch monitor laptop.
I think a Multi touch + On Screen Keyboard + Mouse is most useful controller.
I think a Multi touch + On Screen Keyboard + Mouse is most useful controller.
VST Mappings for Bitwig
--Bitwig 5/ Live10 Suite/ Maschine/ HP X360 8Core--
--Bitwig 5/ Live10 Suite/ Maschine/ HP X360 8Core--
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- KVRian
- 1481 posts since 19 Aug, 2009
I do use touch on my hybrid laptop (single screen) and it can complement m+kb very nicely.
In the BWS beta 2.3 video from music radar you can get some idea how it should be working it one.
http://www.musicradar.com/news/namm-201 ... -announced
In the BWS beta 2.3 video from music radar you can get some idea how it should be working it one.
http://www.musicradar.com/news/namm-201 ... -announced
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- KVRAF
- 9576 posts since 16 Dec, 2002
This only works with small screens, which is what you appear to have.zengel wrote: FIRST you need a touchscreen that can be inclinable ... then you can put your arms on the table while you use the touchscreen and it's so confortable . .
Or you have long forearms
My screen is inclinable but your scenario doesnt work with my screen size.
My solution was to have it lower than the usual desktop height and is a far superior method to yours IMO
Amazon: why not use an alternative
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- KVRist
- 51 posts since 3 Mar, 2015
I'm using old Dell Xt-3 with TouchScreen and BWS works great 
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- KVRist
- 315 posts since 12 Jul, 2015
Yeah , my touchscreen is 24'' , you think about screen like slate ? That are 27'' .VariKusBrainZ wrote:
This only works with small screens, which is what you appear to have.
Or you have long forearms
My screen is inclinable but your scenario doesnt work with my screen size.
My solution was to have it lower than the usual desktop height and is a far superior method to yours IMO
The size is not so important i think, just how you fell confortable . The "perfect configuration" depend from each one. I tested before figuring out what is better for me . Certainly i will test more later but for now it's good to work with
.Could you send me a photo of the configuration you suggest . I don't see really what you mean "lower than the actual desktop height" and i would be interested to test it -
- KVRist
- 64 posts since 29 Jan, 2018
I tried an app called spacedesk today, which creates a second screen in windows that goes with the network to an android tablet. I don't recommend it though, quite unusable for touch, no multitouch, etc ... .
But one question pops up. With a real extra touch monitor, and bitwig in studio/touch mode, does the mouse pointer also go to the touchscreen when you touch it or does it stay on the 'main'/studio screen?
But one question pops up. With a real extra touch monitor, and bitwig in studio/touch mode, does the mouse pointer also go to the touchscreen when you touch it or does it stay on the 'main'/studio screen?
