Is DP 11.22 and Slate Raven MTi2 viable combo in 2023?

[James Steele]

Hi James.

I’ve had a Raven for a while. In fact, I had two for years but sold one when I noticed I really was not using the second that much.

A couple of thoughts:

- I would recommend against using a VESA mount. The monitor is heavy for one, and you really do want it to be on a firm surface.

- It has a pretty wide range at which you can angle it, but I think laying it flat or near flat would prove problematic visually due to perspective and visual distortion. It would also just eat up a lot of desk space. Mine is somewhere around 45 degrees. YMMV

Thanks for your input. Yep... I ruled out using a VESA mount and having it take the place of one of my "wing monitors" early on as holding my arm outstretched to work with it would get tiring quickly as someone else pointed. out.

By complete chance I found the pic below in an advertising email that AudioScape sent to me this morning:

IMG_0030.PNG (410.3 KiB) Viewed 1522 times

My desk below (excuse the mess on the floor... ugh...) is very similar:

mydesk.jpg (133.91 KiB) Viewed 1522 times

I plan to put the Raven MTi2 where the MC Mix and MC Control are in that picture at angle that is very similar. I will still need to raise the center monitor (43" Samsung 4K TV) higher so the bottom part of the screen is not blocked by the Raven. That presents an other ergonomic problem, because if I raise it, the top edge of the Samsung will be higher than eye level when I'm seated. To get around that, I'm going to move the Samsung to my bedroom to use for a TV as it was intended, and replacing it with a 40" Ultrawide *monitor* that will have less resolution (3440 x 14400) but will probably be easier on the eyes and the top edge of the monitor will not extend as high as the Samsung would have.

In fact, the 40" Ultrawide (I had it sitting in my Amazon cart since last night) just went on sales on a "lightning deal" for $399. https://a.co/d/emExHR1 I can return it if it's not that great, but it's getting some decent reviews so crossing my fingers.

- For a long time, Slate required that the Raven be designated as your main monitor in a multi-monitor set up. This may no longer be the case, but I’ve had one so long that I do that now out of habit. Maybe Michael Canavan can verify whether or not this is still required.

That may be the case. I think it's so certain things pop up where the should be.... but I think I can run things where each monitor has it's own space and thus there's a menu bar in each monitor and it shouldn't be an issue for DAW work.

- Remember that you will need to buy a $99 DP license from Slate unless the seller can transfer his to you. As I recall from the time I sold my second one, he will have to be the person to initiate the transfer.

Yep... I've done some research on that. Seller, I'm pretty sure, has a Pro Tools license, not DP. So he will need to initiate the transfer with Slate, plus I will have to pay a $25 fee to iLok for him to transfer that license to my iLok account. THEN... on top of it, I will have to purchase a DP license from Slate for $99. So all together I'm looking at not $500, but $649. But given it's $999 new and this seems to be in good shape and I won't have to be paying tax or shipping, seems like still a good deal. These NEVER pop up on my local Craigslist.

- Learning to use it is a commitment. It’s not hard, but it does require one to change old, really ingrained habits.

This, I'm sure, is true. One thing that I like about my proposed placement of the Raven, is that I will still have my keyboard and mouse in front of me and when I'm in a hurry I can probably opt to work the old way. It's actually going to be an *additional* monitor and nothing else will have changed with my setup except for the MC Mix and MC Control going away. (I'm still going to need to get some sort of TB hub as I've already used up all my TB ports!) I seldom used more than one fader at a time on those, so if all I do is update my Window Sets so DP's mixer window is up full on the Raven at all times, if I want to do a fader adjustment, I should be able to just pull the fader down on the Raven... as well as adjust plugins if I want. Those simple things might be possible without even running the Raven software?

- You will still be quite reliant on a mouse. Some things are just quicker to execute with a mouse instead of touch. Also, some plugin and DAW interface elements are just too small to hit reliably with a finger.

Yep... I expected this, and again, my keyboard and mouse will be pretty much right there where they have always been.

Anyway, a few thoughts from a long time user. If mine suddenly broke. I’d replace it immediately.

Thank you!! I very much appreciate your helpful input!

[James Steele]

One other thing…Slate will enable multitouch channel strip fader control in DP, but you will have to use Slate’s mixer overlay. It’s the same one they use in all other DAWs (except Studio One). It looks quite different, but it is functional and pretty straightforward to use.

I'll try that. Oddly enough, perhaps, I rarely find myself moving multiple faders at once, preferring to sort of "touch up" tracks one a a time like back when I had an Alpha Track. Even with my current MC Mix and MC Control, I tend to just move one fader at a time. So I might end up not using the overlay most of the time... just have the DP's Mixing Board opened full on the Raven (except for enough area at the bottom for Raven's on screen transport controls, etc), and just adjust faders one at a time and plugins as well. Assuming you don't HAVE to use the overlay if you don't want to.

It'll be interesting for sure.

[James Steele]

Plot thickens:

Seller sounds like really nice guy on the phone, but all I have is a first name and a cell number... don't even have a real email yet. He says it hasn't been hooked up in like 6 months. I wrote back that I'd like to at least see if he can hook it up so I can verify everything is working as it should be. I know it's a good deal at $500, but still....

He gets back to me that it's a hassle to hook it up and he wants me to meet him at the Home Deport parking lot near him. I understand not wanting strangers over to your home, but I also understand not wanting to fork over cash to someone for a complicated piece of gear and then placing faith in them that they will follow through with transferring ownership with Slate, transferring iLok license... AND... after that finally happens and I can download the software and get it running... WHAT IF THERE'S A PROBLEM??

I pointed this out to him and that just because he says it was working when he unplugged it and put it back into the box six months ago, doesn't mean it's going to work when I take it home and plug it in. I just am having a really hard time buying a piece of gear as sophisticated as this without seeing it even power up before I fork over cash for it in the parking lot of a Home Depot.

I emailed him back suggesting that I understand his concerns and maybe anonymity is the problem and I gave him my full name, address, phone number, main email... and several links to my social media, this website, etc. I even attached a scan of my drivers license and a picture of my own home studio so he understands I'm not a crackhead that wasn't to break in and steal his gear. I know what it's like to be concerned about selling things online.

Oh well... pending what he comes back with, I may call the whole thing off. If I had not been burned in the past, I would probably do it. But I've learned the hard way that if you buy something used, and there's an issue with it and the seller decides to "ghost" you... having a first name and a phone number isn't worth a bucket of spit.

[nk_e]

Sounds a bit iffy to me. I also sent you a PM.

[James Steele]

Sounds a bit iffy to me. I also sent you a PM.

Thanks. And you made a good point. Too late though. I’ve shown him I’m a reputable person. He needs to either do the same or hook it up and let me see the unit working in his studio or I’ll probably have to walk away from the deal.

A friend suggested having him sign a informal contract that I had 24 or 48 hours to test it and return it if any problems arise.


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[James Steele]

Well the Raven deal is a bust. I just got really tired of dealing with the seller who refused to demo it for me, whined about it would be a hassle to connect up to his studio and he didn't want to "mess with his system." He initially told me the unit was about two years old, so I told him to look up the date then because the Raven has a 2 year warranty and if it was still covered than there's no problem at all. THEN he comes out with "It's definitely older than two years." Okay, fine.

At first he wanted me to meet him at a Home Depot parking lot and pay cash for the unit and then he would promise to transfer everything over to me. Again, I said I'd need to demo it.... that nobody would buy an expensive piece of gear like that without even seeing it powered up. He responded he's done that lots of times. Well, good for him. I won't.

We tried to hash out a compromise involving part up front, I could take it home, test it and pay the rest afterward, but to do that he would have to transfer Raven to me via Slate support, then he said he'd already "removed his licenses from Slate and iLok" so he didn't need to do anything on his end. That sounded fishy. I said he need to submit a ticket... the he complained about it was not worth his time and finally I just said "I'm done."

Anyway... no Raven for me at this point. Something was starting to smell bad about that whole deal and on top of it I was developing a dislike of the seller already.

[labman]

.... a Home Depot parking lot

the place where all the greatest gear deals are made now?

[James Steele]

.... a Home Depot parking lot

the place where all the greatest gear deals are made now?

I know right. I think it's the place near a guy's house who understandably is concerned about unsavory characters coming over to his home. I totally understand that concern. That's why I sent the guy my personal info, scan of my drivers license, and links to my social media including this site to prove that I'm not some tweaker that's going to try and burglarize him. It came down to the fact that he didn't want to be bothered to demo it, plus getting him to comply with the transfer of ownership became a problem. I walked away. Ugh.