How Many Screens for Your DAW?

Hah, That's not what it looks like on your avatar. 

Haha, fair enough! That pic was from when I worked in broadcast. You can’t see it but there were actually a total of 5 screens, including a tv.

I've done three screens, and two screens....currently running one 34" Ultrawide at 1440- kind of like two screens.....feel like two might be the sweet spot.

I love having two. One where you're editing on. The other for certain plugins that stay open all the time, limiter, Insight, stuff like that. Not every system I use has 2 though.

32" tv and 24" 4k monitor. Monitor for edit window and tv for mix window.

So, I answered 1 as that's my current configuration--a 27" LED. But, there's a second monitor I used to use sitting there, debating whether I should plug it in (there's not a really great location right now)....and when I use Cubase, it's nice to have. They've improved that---it used to be that you NEEDED multiple screens (and I had them)....but, I also want to throw in a "defense" of the laptop:

When I did that--had the ability to dock the laptop to the 27"....or use the tiny Air screen (it's the bigger one so....13"?)....if I was working on music creation, I liked to leave just the laptop on. Mixing--other way, I'd clamshell it and put the big monitor on--but, I've LONG said that one of the things that's a LOSS in a modern studio is the intentional blindness. The constant barrage of bright colors to the visual cortex is negative. I'f Im being a musician--whether that's singinging or playing an instrument--why do I need to see much of anything? The MCU or TranzPort can do most of the interaction I need until I get the take. So, I digress--but, if you're mixing on an analog desk--the fact that MBAir can play you say 300 tracks of a 96khz audio to however many IO over Thunderbolt means you CAN just live and breathe like the old days largely with a laptop over to the side on a stand/desk....I know LFAC aren't how most of us work....but, even without that, I'm telling you--there's a creative spark to be had from not seeing everything moving and flashing and colorful all the time.

I've actually considered what it would take to get one of those custom button macro controllers and just turn the monitor OFF until mix down. I just turned on the DAW, and I've been fiddling for literally an hour. Why? I dunno--bright lights and buttons are like lighter fluid for ADD. Imagine for a minute that you boot your machine, select the song....and then there are 24 record status buttons....no visuals. That's how I worked for a LOT of years. What did I NEVER do? Load one up and "fiddle with it" for an hour.

Side note: the thing I typically used the second scree for? permanent references: Totamix's mixer....master bus (VU) meters....input (Dourrough) meters big enough to see from the other side of the room....CPU/DSP/ASIO load meter....then when I was using the MacBook (so technically 3 screens) I kept the virtual instrument PC on the little screen that I didn't need to look at often....Logic maximized on the 27"....because OS X's multi desktops that you can literally swipe between means multiple screens aren't that useful BEYOND some specific things like "always on" metering to glance at....Win10 has something similar--and actually seemingly more powerful BUT....there's no Magic Mouse that swipes between them....that's one of those "devil's in the details" things that Apple did really well, I think.

Two screens over here; iMac and an additional monitor. 

http://instagram.com/p/BnJ65yOhCoc

I have a 27" iMac and I just have two desktops and quickly swipe on the magic pad between the two. More screens would be nice, but I don't have the space. Doing the laptop thing is doable but just not fun.

For years I experimented with dual monitors, 14", then 17, then 19", etc. I finally had enough of the fiddling with windows and such and just went to the largest single monitor I could and never looked back. I can flip between docked windows easier than using multiple monitors because it doesn't involved having to reorient myself everytime I look at a new monitor.

2 Screens. Gotta have my two.

During leisure hours the right side small screen is permanently used for foober2000 which is my music player of choice, constantly being used.

With cubase the edit window goes on the big one and the mixer window on the slightly smaller one.

Sometimes some big visual references on the right side as well like others have said. Key plugins, meters, and whatnot.

I'd be interested in trying "one big screen to rule them all" but I have no real reason to switch it up right now.