DAWs and 4k, Pros and Cons

[EnGee]

4k on a small monitor…. Still wouldn’t recommend it. One subjective reason to use it (omg it’s sharper I think) one objective reason, more screen real estate, which most people find they have to scale everything larger anyway and then lose. So many objective reasons against… the cost, the computer resources used, the problem of dealing with older software not made for it. And most people, at that size, and at normal viewing distances wouldn’t notice the difference anyway. My advice with 4k? Go big, or go home to 1080p

Yes, you have nailed it. I don't have a 1080p monitor to compare with, but I think the font is still much clearer when scaled down from 4k to 1080p than 1080p.
In Mac it seems to default to this (like Windows 200% scaling) but the old software looks much better. In Windows however, I'm using the recommended settings which is 150%. The font looks great but the old software looks blurry little bit!

The physical size of 24/27" monitor seems the ideal for small rooms and limited space. I also noticed that the 32"+ monitor is not that comfortable when sitting near! I would never buy 40 or 43" monitor and sitting about one metre away!
I don't know! I don't think I will return it because I don't think 1080p would look the same or better except with the old synths like FM8.

[chk071]

You know what I struggle the most with in terms of finding a decent Monitor for me? The panel tech. IPS panels are great for colour accuracy, but suffer from IPS glow, so, in dark games (I play a lot of those...), the dark won't really be dark, but "overshadowed" by that damn glow, which prevents you from even seeing what's in the dark. Horrible, I had 2 IPS monitors, which I sent back, because, it was absolutely hopeless. VA panels are much better in that regard, and have the best contrast ratio of all panels. But, guess what, there's a downside to that panel as well. The grey to grey, and colour reaction time. In games, when you move the mouse moderately quickly, you have a lot of motion blur, and, in darker scenes, also some smearing with brigher parts of the screen. Which was also not acceptable for me, when I tried such a monitor.

So, I'm still with my trusty old (and cheap...) TN panel. Which has worse colours than the other panels, of course. There's always a downside, isn't there? Still the best compromise for me, though.

[Ploki]

4k on a small monitor…. Still wouldn’t recommend it. One subjective reason to use it (omg it’s sharper I think) one objective reason, more screen real estate, which most people find they have to scale everything larger anyway and then lose. So many objective reasons against… the cost, the computer resources used, the problem of dealing with older software not made for it. And most people, at that size, and at normal viewing distances wouldn’t notice the difference anyway. My advice with 4k? Go big, or go home to 1080p

i run a 21.5" UltraFine 4K, same PPI as macbooks.
obviously, everything scaled @2x, so 1 logical pixel is 4 actual pixels.
most software is already "retina" ready so everything just looks gorgeous and sharp.

[xbitz]

it means 3.5 editable octaves with usable CLA Mixhub (where is the mixer from AL )

so just the instr+sound design effect devices go to the device bar, not much but something

[WasteLand]

it is difficult to get the best monitor setup. i thought about a 4K screen, but i decided, for my main monitor, for 2560x1440, 100% scaling (so no scaling), 27", which works.. IPS, great screen. don't do games, so the glow, indeed VA panels do it better, it doesn't matter to me, also for movies... i have tv screen.... for movies, not for tv...
and the glow isn't visible in normal use. (also not on my tv, that has a blacklight bleed from hell, but because you can set the thing, you don't see it.)

for FM8 and the likes, i have also a 22" 1920x1080 touchscreen, and a smaller resolution screen, i always forget that resolution, second hand monitor, but i will replace i think with my previous main screen (a 24" 1920x1080).
if i replace it with that last monitor, all IPS, which is nice, and quite some real estate...

for SpectraLayers Pro, DeepAudio, and indeed editing of midi, track overview, 2560x1440 gives you plenty.

a 4K of course more. but as i already work with 3 screens, i think i will keep 3 monitor setup. perhaps it is now overkill (well for reason 11 suite, not, 3 screens is perfect..), i will keep it, only deciding or i change the less-resolution monitor, with the bigger monitor.

for how i work, how everything is placed, 3 screens isn't strange...

even if i work with 4K video sometimes, i render it Full HD, i don't need more, i use 4K only for the details, that i can also use parts of it...

o well...

it depends always on your needs, budget, do you the place/room, what is it called.

but i am glad i decided for 2560x1440 and not a 4K, although i also would be very pleased, but it should be at least 32", in that case, and i have the place for it...

and with 2 x 1920x1080 i have a 4K monitor, next to it, haha..

o well, again, o well, not that full of information, again this post, but because i built a new studio desktop, i also thought, a bigger screen, in resolution and size, would be nice.

[chk071]

it is difficult to get the best monitor setup. i thought about a 4K screen, but i decided, for my main monitor, for 2560x1440, 100% scaling (so no scaling), 27", which works.. IPS, great screen. don't do games, so the glow, indeed VA panels do it better, it doesn't matter to me, also for movies... i have tv screen.... for movies, not for tv...
and the glow isn't visible in normal use.

Yeah, you surely won't notice it in "normal use". I noticed it the most in dark games, or with pictures with much dark content.

[MuzikFreq]

Hi there,

I have just replaced my monitor today. I had an excellent AOC 32" 1440p 144hz monitor that I replaced today with Dell 27" 4k monitor, which also seems excellent

4k at 27" is really a dumb move imho. I mean unless you are sitting super close I would have kept the 32 1440p screen

[WasteLand]

it is difficult to get the best monitor setup. i thought about a 4K screen, but i decided, for my main monitor, for 2560x1440, 100% scaling (so no scaling), 27", which works.. IPS, great screen. don't do games, so the glow, indeed VA panels do it better, it doesn't matter to me, also for movies... i have tv screen.... for movies, not for tv...
and the glow isn't visible in normal use.

Yeah, you surely won't notice it in "normal use". I noticed it the most in dark games, or with pictures with much dark content.

yes indeed. quite true. i do play games, some are quite dark, strangely i don't noticed, or i am used to it, on an old 40" (i believe) tv screen, that in game mode, well, GLOWW....

but for my studio, even for video, no probs. but they aren't very dark, the programs yes, but you don't notice that.

as i said, it is real problem, with IPS, glow. the user case can be so different that it isn't a real problem. still don't like it, when a screen starts... and you see it... but while i work no probs...

but indeed for dark games, my tv is also on some distance of course, and i am not that of a gamer, so it isn't thát important for me.

TN panels are much better these days, by the way. for every, as you already mention, technique their is a downside, even with OLED.... (or is that solved, burn-in... and life-span).

and perhaps reaction time for OLED, i don't know anything about that... there aren't OLED monitors, me think, perhaps some niche monitors.. but in that size? perhaps... i think my smartphone has an OLED, o an AMOLED.. it is an old thing, but still fast, and got it free, haha. galaxy s6.
strange big resolution for a smartphone, as high as my 27"... don't really need it...
or strange, the pixel race, isn't always necessary.. a samsung a42, bigger screen, less resolution, even 720p. looks also nice, even when you use it all day. i don't. i know someone...

o well. it is indeed difficult to find the right monitor, but i am very pleased with what i have got, only the touchscreen is difficult to manage, i do it via the videocard, not a great IPS screen, or perhaps it is, but is callibrated very badly.. i can change with gamma, a lot, so it looks much better now.

but even before, i could used it, it is only for plugins (and bitwig/ableton), then, again, if you can see all well, it is good enough. and as a touchscreen great, and now is also the image quality reasonable. o well, it also, that every monitor, shows different colors, although, the differences are smaller now, very small...

[EnGee]

Hi there,

I have just replaced my monitor today. I had an excellent AOC 32" 1440p 144hz monitor that I replaced today with Dell 27" 4k monitor, which also seems excellent

4k at 27" is really a dumb move imho. I mean unless you are sitting super close I would have kept the 32 1440p screen

You need to read what's written before jumping in with your advice.

The 27" 4k by default is 150% scaled in Windows, and it said "recommended" beside it. In Mac (m1 air), the default is 200% scaled. I don't think there is someone runs 27" 4k monitor by 100% scaled.

Well, regarding the colours and side effects of the kind of panels. The text looks sharper with IPS panels. So, Cubase, S1, Live, Bitwig really looks nicer and sharper as result. The colours are better especially in S1, the dark areas look darker! There is more contrast than in my previous VA and TN panels.

In games, anything will do for me the colours look darker yesterday in Tomp Raider! Amd strangely the PS5 was quiet! Maybe with the previous panel it tries to lock in 120 fps because the monitor supports 144hs?! Anyway, the Switch also looks better with the 4k, I think it's because easier to scale down from 4k to 1080p rather than 1440p to 1080p (I read that somewhere).

[jonljacobi]

4K, or 5K in my case, all the way. Far easier on the eyes. Any DAW that scales has no issues. Most others have high DPI modes. Some older plugins may be tiny.

[chk071]

I think the (recommended) scaling factor in Windows is dependant on the size of the screen. No need to scale things on a 40" screen, I think.

Example: On my desktop PC, scaling is set default to 100%, on a 24.5" full HD display. On my laptop's 15.6" full HD screen, scaling defaults to 125%.

There could be information in the displays themselves, to tell the OS which scaling to use. Actually, I'm pretty sure that that's the case, because, other information is being delivered to the system from the display as well.

[EnGee]

Yes we have smart OSes nowadays Unfortunately, my Ubuntu Studio is not smart in this There is no scaling in it (I couldn't find and searching the net resulted in no solution). It is either the very tiny native resolution or just blurry bigger one.

Anyway, I love the scaling in Windows! This 150% is perfect! It is like the clarity on my phone! Small text but absolutely readable and comfortable to the eyes! All the four DAWs I'm using (Well, I use mostly three now, Bitwig, Cubase and Live) look really great! The only drawback is old synths They look blurry with any scaling. I can still use them, but they are not inviting. Oh well, it is time to use specific synths and instruments and let go the old friends

I took a screenshot, but it doesn't reflect what I'm really seeing! FM8 looks better in the screenshot than in reality! So, you have to take my word on it Anyway, notice how Invader2, Knifonium and Bitwig devices look sharp while FM8 and Monark are blurry. I see them more emphasized in reality, so the sharp is sharper and the blurry is blurrier, than when you enlarge the image. I couldn't insert a whole screenshot because it is more than 1 mb in size.

[MuzikFreq]

Hi there,

I have just replaced my monitor today. I had an excellent AOC 32" 1440p 144hz monitor that I replaced today with Dell 27" 4k monitor, which also seems excellent

4k at 27" is really a dumb move imho. I mean unless you are sitting super close I would have kept the 32 1440p screen

You need to read what's written before jumping in with your advice.

The 27" 4k by default is 150% scaled in Windows, and it said "recommended" beside it. In Mac (m1 air), the default is 200% scaled. I don't think there is someone runs 27" 4k monitor by 100% scaled.

Well, regarding the colours and side effects of the kind of panels. The text looks sharper with IPS panels. So, Cubase, S1, Live, Bitwig really looks nicer and sharper as result. The colours are better especially in S1, the dark areas look darker! There is more contrast than in my previous VA and TN panels.

In games, anything will do for me the colours look darker yesterday in Tomp Raider! Amd strangely the PS5 was quiet! Maybe with the previous panel it tries to lock in 120 fps because the monitor supports 144hs?! Anyway, the Switch also looks better with the 4k, I think it's because easier to scale down from 4k to 1080p rather than 1440p to 1080p (I read that somewhere).

For starters, must have been a garbage bod quality VA panel you had as mine is sharp and clear with excellent contrast next to my ips panel
I run with a 32 1440p 165hz VA, 24, 1080p ips, and another 15 1080p ips cintiq.
None of them run scaling as everything is crisp and clear across all 3.
Needing scaling at 150% says you would have been better off saving a buck and resources going 1440p still.
4k really only gets good with 40+ inch screens. I do have a 4k 50" tv which with stuff scaled properly, to see the detail that is added I have to be right up on it.

[ShawnG]

The 27" 4k by default is 150% scaled in Windows, and it said "recommended" beside it. In Mac (m1 air), the default is 200% scaled. I don't think there is someone runs 27" 4k monitor by 100% scaled.

and this gets to the heart of the issue. if you have a 4k screen that is 200% scaled, what you have is a 1080p monitor that costs a ton, and requires a beefier cpu/gpu to run properly.

[EnGee]

The 27" 4k by default is 150% scaled in Windows, and it said "recommended" beside it. In Mac (m1 air), the default is 200% scaled. I don't think there is someone runs 27" 4k monitor by 100% scaled.

and this gets to the heart of the issue. if you have a 4k screen that is 200% scaled, what you have is a 1080p monitor that costs a ton, and requires a beefier cpu/gpu to run properly.

I have the choice in Mac, but I liked the 200% scaled screen there while in Windows I like the 150% and with games I use 4k (with PlayStation 5), so I'm not using it just as 1080p monitor but as 1080p, 1440p and 4k monitor depending on where I am. All with great clear results. So, I'm paying for a good flexibility (it has the same price as my previous 32" 1440p monitor).