Frustrated by LCD screen failures

[Gerk]

I don't think there's a viable mode for the DM-3200 or 4800's in terms of adding a fan. At least if there is one I haven't heard of them.

 

[B2RPW]

I wonder if my problems are because the mixer is in a desk only really exposed on the top and back. The sides and bottom do not have much room for ventilation. Maybe I should drill some holes in the sides of the desk and mixer just to get some air flow. Do you think that would make a difference? Having to change screens every year is really a drag.

 

[Gerk]

Naw the Argosy desk should be fine, people all over the place are using them. As long as you didn't take the feet off the desk it should be fine for bottom ventilation, and the sides don't need ventilation.

 

[B2RPW]

I replaced the screen today and the new one works perfectly, for now... Its not that its a hard procedure to do the actual placement, the nightmare is the rest of the work around it. For me to get the mixer out of the desk to access the side screws I need to clear everything off the top of the desk, remove the meter bridge, unplug every connection in the back (56 connections), do the procedure, then reset everything and then test all the connections. Its 90 minutes easy, and I had to swallow a fair amount of dust getting under the desk to push the mixer up from underneath. Found $.10, a thumbpick, 3 pens and 12 pencils though

 

[PhilippeH]

B2RPW,

I also used Joe Salvatto to install my studio with a DM4800 and an Argosy desk. I had the same LCD problem and installed a 2seemy which did NOT require to take the desk out of the Argosy as I was able to pass the cables and mount the card with the mixer in position in the desk. A bit tight but doable. As far as desk space, I simply bought a cheap VGA switch box to have my monitor display either my computer or the 2seemy. Now, like you, I am on MacPro for DAW (Logic to DM4800 via FW card) but I actually also have a PC for my guitar switching control, so I put the VGA switch box on the PC monitor. However, I see no reason why it wouldn't work with a Mac monitor, as long as you don't try to run the 2seemy in software mode, but simply as a direct hardware connection to the monitor.
The 2seemy on a 15" monitor is awesome and I tweak my DM4800 much more than I used to. Wayyyyy more powerful than any Presonus (which I know well) and you don't lose the control surface. Not even close...

 

[B2RPW]

Cool PhilippeH, where is your studio, would love to come see it one day. There is no way I can get the 4800 open without taking it out of the mixing desk. The meter bridge won't allow it. Also I dont' have, like not 1 inch, slack in my snake that has all the inputs and send cables so I need to unplug everything. And regarding monitors I'm using an imac, not sure I could use a VGA switch box with it but I don't think so.

One day maybe I'll try the 2seemy but for now I'm making sure my staff shut down the mixer whenever its not in use so hopefully that will allow the LCD screen to last a few years.

 

[cmaffia]

I'm not too far from you. I could install it for you.

 

[PhilippeH]

Well, another option to try then could be to use the 2seemy USB connection and run the display as a PC window on your iMac but you would have to install Parallels and hope that the 2seemy PC software to display the 4800 monitor works in Parallels. If it works, it would be really neat and I'd love to know actually. Maybe others have tried?

 

[B2RPW]

I'm not too far from you. I could install it for you.

Thank you so much, i may just take you up on it if I ever decide to do it. But I'd still be happy to meet up one day and show you the studio. We are just a few minutes apart.

 

[B2RPW]

PhilippeH that is the exact opposite direction I'm heading. As much as possible I have my studio in steady state mode and I don't upgrade anything unless I absolutely have to do it. There is nothing on earth i hate more than troubleshooting incompatibilities between OS's, DAWs, and hardware. I suck at it and don't have the patience for it. Yet I can spend days editing a drum track or getting every last bit of finger squeak out of a guitar overdub. Go figure...

BTW for some weird reason I'm not given an option to quote your last post. bizarre that the forum would remove it for just your last post.

 

[Arjan P]

Interestingly, I see the 'quote' option on all but the last posted message. Maybe a bug?

 

[B2RPW]

You're right Arjan. Now I see the quote option on PhilippeH's post but its not available on your last post.

 

[PhilippeH]

I hear you, fun to debug a music track but not the hardware that lets us do that. It is a pity that you don't have the real estate to go the 2seemy route because it is a game changer for me. I use the EQ libraries and a lot of functionality much more now because I can see the entire screen on a 15" monitor. With a FW card for 32 I/O into Logic and ProTools and a control surface that works for both, you simply can't get that with a Presonus. I installed two StudioLive 16.0.2 and while great for $999, it let me think that the bigger brothers might be quite nice, but simply not in the same league as the DM4800.