What do you use for a computer monitor for your Helix?

[DugT]

I'm wondering what I should get for a computer monitor for tweaking my Helix. I was using an old 18" notebook but it died and its screen seemed a little too little. Also, do you use a touch screen or mouse or both? A touchscreen would be convenient but the details displayed are small so maybe a mouse or a touch pen would be better. I'll probably buy or build a small computer just for this.

Thanks!

[waymda]

I've used 11" and 15" laptop screens that worked fine - they have touch finctionality but I don't use it - seems way too hard for me, but I'm a long term mouser

Definately a mouse - but thats just normal ergenomics for me

Desktop I use a souped up desktop with a 34" screen split so HX edit is on one 'side of it'

Screen real estate will depend on resolution available as much as screen size and what works for you wil be different than for others

Basic CPU/Memory requirements don't seem to be available anywhere but I'd suggest any modern PC/Laptop will cope - one of the laptops I use is at least 5 years old

Not sure why you would buy a computer just for HXedit

[DugT]

Thanks for the suggestions, Waymda.

I'm considering getting a computer just for the Helix for a few reasons:
*I play guitar in an area that is away from my desk where I have a big desktop computer that I use for video games and photo editing.

*Since my 18" notebook screen seemed too small, I think the next step up is a desktop monitor.
*I would buy another desktop computer because they are cheaper than notebooks and easier to service/repair/upgrade. 
*A low performance computer would due for me because I don't record. It would just be for communicating with the Helix.  

[DunedinDragon]

I have two Helix floor units.  One is in my studio and that's attached to a fairly powerful desktop unit with a 23" screen primarily for working with Ableton Live, Kontakt and some other screen hog programs.  I also use that system for designing drum tracks for the Beat Buddy which is used with my live performance Helix.  In my live setup area where I do most of my dialing in of patches, practice and rehearsal I use a 10 year old high end gaming laptop with a 17" screen which I previously used for video editing.  Neither has a touchscreen as I prefer using a mouse.

The reality is I only rarely use HX Edit on either computer on the Helix.  I generally prefer to dial in my tones using the hardware interface rather than HX Edit since that's what I'd have to use were I to need to make modifications to any patches at a live event.  in the studio I do use the Helix as my primary sound card and audio interface on in my live rehearsal area I typically use the laptop for configuring my Morningstar MC8 MIDI controller setup and managing backups, imports, exports and firmware updates on the Helix but it's typically connected to my mixer through the XLR output directly from my Helix.  I also have the two computers networked together so I can easily share files and printers between the two computers.  Both computers also have Ableton Live and Kontakt loaded and used on them.

[DugT]

11 hours ago, DunedinDragon said:

I have two Helix floor units.  One is in my studio and that's attached to a fairly powerful desktop unit with a 23" screen primarily for working with Ableton Live, Kontakt and some other screen hog programs.  I also use that system for designing drum tracks for the Beat Buddy which is used with my live performance Helix.  In my live setup area where I do most of my dialing in of patches, practice and rehearsal I use a 10 year old high end gaming laptop with a 17" screen which I previously used for video editing.  Neither has a touchscreen as I prefer using a mouse.

The reality is I only rarely use HX Edit on either computer on the Helix.  I generally prefer to dial in my tones using the hardware interface rather than HX Edit since that's what I'd have to use were I to need to make modifications to any patches at a live event.  in the studio I do use the Helix as my primary sound card and audio interface on in my live rehearsal area I typically use the laptop for configuring my Morningstar MC8 MIDI controller setup and managing backups, imports, exports and firmware updates on the Helix but it's typically connected to my mixer through the XLR output directly from my Helix.  I also have the two computers networked together so I can easily share files and printers between the two computers.  Both computers also have Ableton Live and Kontakt loaded and used on them.

Thanks for the input! Your setup is very impressive.
You said you used an old gaming notebook. My notebook that died is a ten year old Alienware M18X. Other than that, we are at opposite ends of the spectrum. I just play at home and prefer to use a computer to interface with my Helix. I should get Helix Native for fine tuning tones but I'm not into recording, (I don't even know how to.) so I haven't taken that step toward being able to use Native. I just want to know what monitor works well ergonomically for editing tones. My 18" notebook worked ok but I suspect a bigger screen would be better and the only disadvantage of a touchscreen is cost. But, if the controls are too small for a finger unless I use a huge screen, I shouldn't get a touchscreen. 

[DugT]

I connected my Microsoft Surface tablet to the Helix to try a touchscreen interface and it sucked. I think a 20" or 22" 1080p monitor will work well. 

[MusicLaw]

I use a Dell XPS 15" 4K Touchscreen laptop. It serves quite well for Helix Edit. However, I do keep it at ultra near field so that it's touchpad is easily within fingertip reach. When used at a greater distance, I'll patch it into a much larger screen and use a Logitech trackball. Either way it has plenty of processing power to run HX Edit and much more....

[DugT]

I tried a track ball and mice are faster and easier for me. 

I just realized that my Helix is close enough to my desktop computer to connect it to a separate monitor, keyboard and mouse for editing Helix presets even though it is several feet away.  My gaming monitor and keyboard will still be connected to the computer too. My computer can work with 3 monitors at the same time. When I don't want to edit Helix resets I will just turn  off the Helix monitor. Multiple mice and keyboards can be connected to a computer simultaneously so that will be ok too.

[MusicLaw]

Each their own... I use a wireless Logitech Laser Trackball. The beauty of it is that the unit need not be repositioned to accomplish any cursor repositioning. Simply the balls rotation accomplishes everything I need. Been doing so for years, even before the wireless units were introduced. The red w/ tiny black dot balls works perfectly. This only when not using the laptop's touchpad.... YMMV. 

[DugT]

1 hour ago, MusicLaw said:

Each their own... I use a wireless Logitech Laser Trackball. The beauty of it is that the unit need not be repositioned to accomplish any cursor repositioning. Simply the balls rotation accomplishes everything I need. Been doing so for years, even before the wireless units were introduced. The red w/ tiny black dot balls works perfectly. This only when not using the laptop's touchpad.... YMMV. 

 

My trackball is a Logitech M570 and I believe it is a quality trackball. I used it for several months before switching back to a mouse. The mouse is so much faster for me. I can move a mouse with my arm and hand much faster than I can spin a trackball with my thumb and with a mouse I can get it precisely on target faster too.

An advantage of a trackball is they need less real estate but a mouse needs less than a square foot. That isn't a problem. A trackball is ergonomically better regarding carpel tunnel but I don't use a mouse enough for that to be a concern. Trackballs are all thumb so maybe my thumb doesn't have trackball DNA.

[DugT]

50 minutes ago, MGW-Alberta said:

I don't tweak my tones on the computer.  I tweak them on the unit because I play mine through a guitar amp using 4CM.  Most of what I do on the computer is rearranging things, updates and housekeeping.  I will sometimes very quickly build a new preset by inserting all the correct blocks in the correct places and I will quickly adjust some blocks to approximate known settings as I add them in but the actual tone tweaking happens plugged into the amp.  

 

That said, my computer monitors are Yamaha HS8

 

By computer monitors we mean the visual display or LCD connected to the computer, not the speakers connected to anything.