PreSonus Forums

Lokeyfly wroteMy prism came in. Actually, in my case, the 120 deg. Prism is perfect as my FP8 sits back with my laptop on a slightly elevated shelf. I haven't created any side barriers as you guys have yet, but I stuck a sharpie pen to get the angle I need. It's perfect, for my needs, and where I've placed the Faderport, it is now crystal clear, and it's completely enhanced the meter view to now something usable. Awsome!

When I get some time, I'll create some positioner to prop the prism to the pitch I need without using a pen. I agree. Possibly for most, the right angle prism will provide a more suitable view but in my case, it's not needed. The prism is of excellent quality.

I am happy, now when it comes to viewing the FP8.

pics plz!

The pic's look like the ideal solution - maybe Presonus should include a prism in the box!

Form follows function.

One week into using this. I am really pleased with the use of a prism. It's made an already great control surface something really viewable. It's like I have this dynamite meter bridge now. I can see the meter detail literally as good as if I were looking directly down at the meters, which was just not ever going to be a usable angle.

Its getting a lot of use. Very clear! Contrast, brightness, clarity totally a non issue. I haven't even thought of adjusting it in any way.

@Wonder6oy:
What size/kind Magnetic tape did you use as I'm gonna copycat you !!
I got the prisms and it looks great at the right angle's.
Now I just need to know the thickness and how broad the tape/kind was to do it right.

Using a prism is a very good and cheap solution. I thought about that but ended up taking the thing apart
Se my previous post for pics.

I wrote this "howto" for another forum:

Take the thing apart and make sure you remember which screws goes where. The displays (two) are attached with four screws. De-solder the display lugs from the circuit board and be careful not to bend them. Solder four thin leads (about 1.5 inch long) to the motherboard and connect them to the display lugs Cut out the metal in between the display segments in the top plate with a Dremel (or something of that sort)You need to widen the opening by about 5 millimeters to fit the display. I then glued the two displays together and positioned them in the opening. I made a bracket to hold it in position but I didn't bother making a cover for it. If you plan moving your FP8 around, you probably should. Good luck.It's worth the effort

Go for it, Klypeman.

I should note, with my pictures, there's some parallax error, from the ends, that look as though they are not "Head on" when viewed. This is not the case when actually viewing without a camera. There is also a tad of barrel distortion that come from pictures, and obviously that is not the case when viewing.

I'm a bit of a shutterbug, but I wasn't going to break out the big guns for photos. Took the image with my cell phone, like the other guys.


All in all, very clear however one chooses. For any newcomers, just don't buy an 8 inch (20.32 cm) or it will be too large to fit where necessary.


I'm going the easy road and using the Bic Pen.

Glad you're seeing the benefits.

klypeman wrote@Wonder6oy:
What size/kind Magnetic tape did you use as I'm gonna copycat you !!
I got the prisms and it looks great at the right angle's.
Now I just need to know the thickness and how broad the tape/kind was to do it right.

Hey guys. The stuff I used was from the local Lowes hardware store and I ended up using both 1/2" and 3/4" varieties. I attached the 1/2" stuff to one side of each prism, then used superglue to create pairs, join pairs together, then assemble the two halves. I used a straight line on a sheet of paper to align the prisms while assembling. One tip: rather than applying a bead, use an extremely thin coat of the glue and spread it evenly with the applicator before attaching. A bead will go on uneven and ooze out the sides, and trust me - you don't want that with superglue. The tape can then be trimmed however you like using a simple razor. After positioning the prisms at the angle I liked, I then held it in place while attaching the 3/4" tape on each side, effectively creating "legs" to hold the prism upright at the correct angle. Then I razerbladed the edges of the side tape strips into a design that I liked. Once I was sure I loved it (and I DO!), I secured it to the Faderport with E6000 glue - a tough but rubbery glue that (hopefully) shouldn't damage the hardware should I remove it later.

I wanted to use it a while before coming back so I could relay whether or not it was worth the effort, so here's the verdict; I LOVE THIS SETUP!! It's so difficult to show it with a camera, but I can't stress enough how much easier it is to read the displays now. Not to mention I no longer have to tilt the unit while in use, which I can say I definitely prefer.

Was it worth the effort? Absolutely!!

A couple more pics...

Can't believe one has to go through all this trouble to get the display to work the way it's meant to. I have the FP8 and hoping to go to the 16 but this display issue is a major turn off. I left my MCU to use the FP but I'm so tempted to go back because of the display. I'm sure this has been asked, but who thought out the design excluding what seems to be one of the most important things of a DAW controller. easy to criticize without knowing how much trouble they went through to put the FP8 out.

Outside of the display, the FP8 is amazing. I can't wait to get my FP16.

I honestly don't understand what the issue with the display is in the first place. As far as I'm concerned it works just fine as is.

I don't have an issue with it either. I have a nice little tilt up stand which angles the FP perfectly for me. Others obviously want to see it differently and that's fine too.

Yeah dif'rnt strokes and all. I can see if the FP8 isn't the centerpiece of your workstation but is off to the side or pushed back behind something else like a qwerty or musical keyboard it might be a difficult angle to see clearly. For me it's front and center so not an issue at all. I even gave up on tilting it... just seems more natural sitting flat where I have it.