Two Monitors ? Options

[jimmynitcher]

Seems like a good idea - I've increased screen resolution and I'm getting a headache.
I've heard you can use a seperate screen for plugins or have them work as one....as you can see I have no idea
and what are the connections..?
anybody have any experience of this ?
J

[filarion]

first off, you need to check if your current video card supports two displays (a feature called "dualhead") - the geforce 2mx, for instance, does. the connections are pretty straight forward - I'm using a 19" monitor together with my Powerbook's screen and it's a real advantage, especially in Logic (you can really spread out your screensets). Really easy to do, no biggie setting this up.

[Mr.T]

If your Mac doesn't already have a DualHead card (as mentionned in the previous post), there are basically two ways to get that Twin View you're looking for:
-via a PCI card (Radeon...), this will take one of your PCI slot and can, in some cases, cause "PCI too busy to communicate reliably with hardware" messages depending on what audio/video interfaces and cards your using,

-via an AGP card (Promax DH Max) that will replace the stock graphic card of your mac.

This last solution is more expensive than the first one, but that's the one I've chosen (no more room in the PCI slots + didn't feel like taking the risk to get the "PCI too busy..." message).

Check: Radeon, Matrox, Promax...

[Teiwaz]

For anyone with a DAE/TDM rig who suffers from the "pci bus too busy to communicate reliably with the audio hardware" message:

I get that message occasionally with my profools TDM rig, and I have a quicksilver 867mhz host with the stock nvidia monitor card that came with it, in the agp slot. The PCI slots are taken up with four notools cards.

It drops me out of record from time to time along with the message. Most unpleasant. I actually believe it's a core card and/or DAE code flaw on dodgydesign's part. I never got this message with the cards in my older 9600, but why would I want to carry on with that computer?

Dodgydesign don't have a fix for this error. It would appear that certain "audio/video" cards do produce this, erm..error...



Their tech support were aware of the problem, but could offer no solution to it. Their advice was to say the least, rather thin on the ground and totally ineffective. Hardware problem? ho hum. Lazy coders? DAE has always been a little 'shaky' considering it's supposed to be the defacto audio engine for the most widespread "pro" audio workstation out there!

hmmm

In stark contrast, I never get this "dropping out of record" or "busy pci errors" with my MOTU 2408/dual gig system. Better audio engine code, I presume.

[jimmynitcher]

Excellent tips folks,
I have a Miromotion DC30 pci card plus which from your posts sounds like it might cause error messages - something I never get now i'm on Logic 5.3 so I don't want them back again !
Is connncting an AGP card straightforward and what sort of prices are we looking at here ?
Thanks again
J

[jimmynitcher]

Oops, sent that by mistake - ie before I discovered I have the G Force MX that supports two monitors ! Oh praise be ! I'm in luck for once...!
Now I'm using the VGA port so I guess I'm looking for a monitor with an ADC connector no ?
Thanks in adv
J