Is a 4K Monitor suitable with Live?

[redglass]

Hi,

as 4k Monitors geht affordable, I'm wondering if the GUI of Live is ready for 4K.

Anybody tried this?

Bastian

[XSIMan]

Live's GUI is scalable with it being in vector graphics so should be fine just not sure about some third party plugs.

[redglass]

Live's GUI is scalable with it being in vector graphics so should be fine just not sure about some third party plugs.

ok, thanks. I just saw a lot Retina MacBook users here complaining about a lack of compatibility of Live with Retina Displays, that has different resolutions comparded to HD.

HD: 1920 x 1080 (HDMI, DVI)
New MacBook Pro Retina 13": 2560 x 1600
New MacBook Pro Retina 15": 2880 x 1800
4K: e.g. Intel HD Series: 3840 x 2160 (Display Port)

[avart]

I just saw a lot Retina MacBook users here complaining about a lack of compatibility of Live with Retina Displays, that has different resolutions comparded to HD.

HD: 1920 x 1080 (HDMI, DVI)
New MacBook Pro Retina 13": 2560 x 1600
New MacBook Pro Retina 15": 2880 x 1800
4K: e.g. Intel HD Series: 3840 x 2160 (Display Port)

The problem with hi-dpi screens that runs like Apple's "Retina"-screens is how they treat each individual pixel. The retina screen makes 1 pixel consist of 4 pixels resulting in a supersharp 1440 x 900 screen image (15" MBPr) IF the app you are running is optimized for retina-mode. If it's not, it will just be fuzzy and grainy (Live 9 isn't optimized, but people still buys and run Live 9 on Retina screens = complaints galore) You can run Live 9 sharp and clear on a Apple retina screen, but you need to run a hack to get the real 2880 x 1800 resolution and Live will get extremely tiny.... But pixel for pixel perfect!

There's no use for 4K screen to run Live 9, it's NOT suitable as for now - it will just be extremely small and hard to read if you don't scale the res and get fuziness and an unsharp GUI instead. Live 10 will probably handle hi-res screens better.

[redglass]

I just saw a lot Retina MacBook users here complaining about a lack of compatibility of Live with Retina Displays, that has different resolutions comparded to HD.

HD: 1920 x 1080 (HDMI, DVI)
New MacBook Pro Retina 13": 2560 x 1600
New MacBook Pro Retina 15": 2880 x 1800
4K: e.g. Intel HD Series: 3840 x 2160 (Display Port)

The problem with hi-dpi screens that runs like Apple's "Retina"-screens is how they treat each individual pixel. The retina screen makes 1 pixel consist of 4 pixels resulting in a supersharp 1440 x 900 screen image (15" MBPr) IF the app you are running is optimized for retina-mode. If it's not, it will just be fuzzy and grainy (Live 9 isn't optimized, but people still buys and run Live 9 on Retina screens = complaints galore) You can run Live 9 sharp and clear on a Apple retina screen, but you need to run a hack to get the real 2880 x 1800 resolution and Live will get extremely tiny.... But pixel for pixel perfect!

There's no use for 4K screen to run Live 9, it's NOT suitable as for now - it will just be extremely small and hard to read if you don't scale the res and get fuziness and an unsharp GUI instead. Live 10 will probably handle hi-res screens better.

Hi avard, thanks for your information!

[h4nc0]

This is screenshot taken from 1920x1080 hidpi mode.

EDIT: can't figure out how to use imgur. Anyway, Live looks a bit blurry compared to Logic X which supports hidpi.

[chrk]

EDIT: can't figure out how to use imgur.

The link you posted leads to the imgur page.
Klick the "Get embed codes" link and copy one of the BBCode formats from the box.

But damn, that is tooooo huge to embed (I did the preview before posting).

Better URL-Tag to the page: http://imgur.com/StRj1tZ

[h4nc0]

EDIT: can't figure out how to use imgur.

The link you posted leads to the imgur page.
Klick the "Get embed codes" link and copy one of the BBCode formats from the box.

But damn, that is tooooo huge to embed (I did the preview before posting).

Better URL-Tag to the page: http://imgur.com/StRj1tZ

Thanks. It's 3840x2160 on LG 65UB9800 UHD TV off a new Mac Pro, so blurry fonts don't look so bad at the distance.

[mareproduction]

Hello

I have asus laptop with 1920 x 1080 native resolution and Ableton 9.1.5 looks muddy on that resolution. Only on 1366 768 sharp but rest of application looks muddy then
Can this be fixed?

Thanks

[TomViolenz]

Hello

I have asus laptop with 1920 x 1080 native resolution and Ableton 9.1.5 looks muddy on that resolution. Only on 1366 768 sharp but rest of application looks muddy then
Can this be fixed?

Thanks

I think retina support was only introduced in 9.1.6.
So you should probably update Live and then check again.

[legbiter]

On Windows 7 you will find that you can run Ableton at about half of the 4K resolution after that, audio starts to crackle (output problems) and input devices (USB) start to delay (significant latency). Once the problems have started you will have to re-start Windows in order for Ableton to work normally again, i.e.without crackles and latency. Just re-starting Ableton doesn't seem to solve the latency issues. Both of these problems (output and input) seem to be latency issues.

I have tried everything but this seems to be a windows 7 problem. I haven't upgraded to windows 10 yet but according to Chip magazine, it solves the problem because win 10 has a new scalablity engine. What I like about Ableton's architecture is that it allows you to scale. However, I think it uses up valuable cpu resources because everything is relative to the "scale". I noticed this when I re-size Ableton using a 4K monitor, the audio starts to crackle as soon as I get to just over half the reolution. I have increased the audio output buffer size which helps but doesn't resolve the problem entirely. This problem does not happen on 1920x1280 monitors only on 4K.

I'm not sure what to do at the moment (apart from waiting) because I also use NI Komplete and Native Instruments have advised not to upgrade to Windows 10 yet because not all their applications and plug-ins work properly on win 10.

I use 2 screens and that helps me but I purchased the 4k screen just to speed up the Ableton workflow. I think that Ableton would benefit from a multi-window approach where each window could be positioned on a 4K screen. The multi-screen option is helpful but that isn't as flexible as having individual windows for clips, for MIDI, for audio and for the arrangement.

[legbiter]

I have changed the resolution of my 4K screen to 2560x1600. That seems to work much better than 3840x2160. The USB latency issues seem to have disappeared and the audio crackle only appears when I resize Ableton during playback. Now all I have to do is wait for a solution from Ableton and Native Instruments then I'll upgrade to Windows 10 and things should be fine after that.

[Stromkraft]

On Windows 7 you will find that you can run Ableton at about half of the 4K resolution after that, audio starts to crackle (output problems) and input devices (USB) start to delay (significant latency). Once the problems have started you will have to re-start Windows in order for Ableton to work normally again, i.e.without crackles and latency. Just re-starting Ableton doesn't seem to solve the latency issues. Both of these problems (output and input) seem to be latency issues.

I have tried everything but this seems to be a windows 7 problem.

Are you sure this isn't a driver issue or a too weak graphics card? 4k monitors put a heavy load on the graphics card. The fact that you have latency indicates the possibility that the CPU is doing some graphics work, which is the case if the graphics card can't do its job properly.