Eureka: remote controlled DAW, right under your nose!

http://www.prorec.com/prorec/articles.n ... AA000EC101 this link takes you to an excellent article on the simplest of solutions for anybody who has been struggling with controlling your DAW. If you always wondered how you could best control your sessions, whilst in the vocal booth, this may be the ultimate solution, and what's best: it is not expensive and most of us may already have everything they need right at home. The only caveat may be the presence of a laptop inside the vocal booth. If anyone can chime in on issues such as how this would upset acoustics, please do so.

I like that even better than my plan to wire Cat6 to all rooms and use a KVM extender - with a decent laptop, you should get at least 3 hours of "roamin' remote" on a charge... Acoustics - it could cause some reflections if you weren't aware of the possibility, but that's the cool thing about a floppy top computer, you can always adjust it. BTW, are you really a Guest, or just weren't signed in? And, thanks for the link, it's a likable link I think :lol: Steve

That is a cool solution. My laptop, however, is louder than my desktop when the cooling fans come on, so that would have to be taken into account for a vocal booth. Also, if your DAW software is a Steinberg product it won't work because you have a dongle that has to be hooked up to the computer running the app. Hence, you cannot have 2 computers running the same app at the same time (unless you buy 2 copies or get a hack). Darryl.....

I just saw a wireless remote for daw's advertised in EQ or Mix I believe it is called the Tranzport by frontier an rf tranciever hooks up to a usb port and off you go. Since it is RF it works through walls. It has the usual transport controls and some other nice features. like track arming and a fader. check it out

Darryl, are you sure of that? The description Rip gave sounds like the DAW is the only thing running the app... Steve

DDev wrote:

Also, if your DAW software is a Steinberg product it won't work because you have a dongle that has to be hooked up to the computer running the app. Hence, you cannot have 2 computers running the same app at the same time (unless you buy 2 copies or get a hack).

It should work fine regardless of what DAW software you are using. When you use remote desktop connection you aren't running the programs on the laptop, the laptop is just seeing what the host computer is doing. So the laptop isn't running Steinberg, it is just being used like a remote keyboard, mouse and screen. All should be good.

Michael, thanks for the input; that's what it sounded like to me, but I've not used that particular feature of XP yet, partly because I didn't know about it and partly because the two XP machines I'm using are both XP Home - getting ready to set up a new DAW, however, and it will be XP Pro. could be fun... Steve

Yeah I've got Home edition at the moment as well. There is a similar open source program called TightVNC which I have been using, but that one transfers bitmaps of the desktop and is a bit tempremental. http://www.tightvnc.com

yes, sorry had forgotten to sign in, silly me.

DDev wrote:

Also, if your DAW software is a Steinberg product it won't work because you have a dongle that has to be hooked up to the computer running the app. Hence, you cannot have 2 computers running the same app at the same time (unless you buy 2 copies or get a hack). Darryl.....

thats not correct. the only computer running the software is the DAW computer. The laptop is simply controling the DAW computer. That is why the laptop can be an older, slower computer. the laptop is basically acting as a wireless KVM.

It's now possible to remote control a DAW with a bluetooth mobile phone. You can have the windows screen on your mobile and active mouse etc from the phone with a pen. No need for a whole laptop. ;) cheers john

It's now possible to remote control a DAW with a bluetooth mobile phone. Great; now I gotta add in the cost of copper mesh to my exterior concrete walls... :?

Might be easier just to install a big red button in the tracking room :wink:

yeah, but lets face it. havin a lap top is flashy, and we all know that us engineer types are all about being flasy! :D

Is there a simular soultion for Mac users? :?:

The Cat5 extenders should work with Mac too; not sure about the Remote Desktop thing... Steve

A very effective, simple and cheap alternative is the Contourdesigns ShuttlePro. It connects to your computer via USB. http://www.contourdesign.com/shuttlepro/

Only problem with that is that we were talking about remote control; without another $100+ USB extender, maximum recommended USB cable length is 16.5 feet (5 meters) - when you deduct 6 feet just for getting down to the floor and back up to a desk, that doesn't make for a very long extension. This other stuff is good for several HUNDRED feet, and in a couple of cases it's completely wireless... Steve

Another downside is that your program usually has to support devices like the shuttle, whereas the remote desktop solutions let you use any program and do any function, just like you were at the desktop.

Gee Sam, first and only post, no other info but a link, do you smell spam??!? :wink: