As I continue to use (test) this Podium System gear (configuration), I recently discovered a strange phenomenon... If you look back at my post #114, I described a problem with Mouse Without Borders where the lack of a physical mouse attached to the backup Intel NUC PC caused the shared mouse pointer to be larger on the backup PC than on the host, and the pointer was also NOT on top, so it appeared to be behind menus and dialog boxes. In my post #121 I resolved the problem by attaching a Bluetooth mouse to the backup computer (but a USB mouse would work as well). Without some kind of mouse, no mouse driver is activated on the backup computer, and thus you get the weird oversized mouse issue with the shared mouse.
However, I had to use the Bluetooth mouse elsewhere, so when I started using my Podium System gear and started up the computers, the backup PC had no mouse attached. I discovered that if I temporarily switched the DDJ-T1 over to the backup computer (using the 2 port USB switch), it fixes the oversized mouse problem. My guess is that it works because the DDJ-T1 has a scrolling device of sorts built into the Browse/Scroll knob, but don’t know for sure if that’s why it works.[emoji1] I guess I’m just gonna accept that it works, since I now don’t have to worry about attaching ANY kind of mouse to the backup PC. The mouse stays the correct size even when I switch the DDJ-T1 back to the main/host PC. I always carry a spare (wired) USB keyboard and mouse in my PC bag just in case my wireless keyboard and/or mouse fails, so if I ever need to hook up a USB mouse, I can.[emoji4]
I must say, I continue to be impressed with my PreSonus StudioLive AR-8 mixer. It’s MORE than I expected. Is it better than my Allen & Heath ZED-10FX???... Well... NOPE.[emoji1] Except for the built-in Bluetooth and the ability to record to an SD card, the ZED-10FX has more features. I can’t hear any difference in the audio quality. The AR-8 is smaller (by about 2 channels). Having only 8 channels allows for the narrower box, so it’s a better size if I put it beside the controller on my table or podium top, but now I’m wondering if that’s even practical. The combined width of my DDJ-T1 and the AR-8 is almost 40 inches. The ZED-10FX wouldn’t make much difference. Having ANY mixer on the podium top is not gonna leave me any space to put anything else on the top (drinks, agendas, paperwork, etcetera). The other thing I DON’T know if I can adjust to is the WIRES. That darned ole OCD crap.[emoji1] The reason I have racks with everything wired INSIDE (and outta sight) is I don’t like the look of all the exposed wires. There’s no good way to hide them with this type of mixer. With my Denon DN-410X, all the wires attach to the back, but the Denon (from a feature perspective) is nothing like either of the mixing boards discussed here. So where does that leave me???... I don’t know. I think I’ll redesign the podium so that the mixer can be placed on a shelf underneath the podium top. That will hide the wires, and I can make it so the mixer can be pulled out like a drawer, or slid back in when not in use. With that design, I could use either the ZED-10FX OR the AR-8. If I use the ZED-10FX, I can always ADD a Bluetooth receiver, just like I did in my Small System (although that adds another power cord, more audio cables, and another device). It would take up two channels, but that still leaves eight. The Bluetooth in the AR-8 uses channels 7/8, so that leaves only six. I can make-do with 6, but 8 is better... (we’re talkin’ channels here).[emoji1]