Guia Para Optimizacion de La Pc Para Grabaciones

7/27/2019 Guia Para Optimizacion de La Pc Para Grabaciones

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Computer Optimization Tips

So you bought an audio recording interface, followed all the instructions, and seteverything up. Now what? A typical PC or Mac recording setup may contain software

and hardware products from a dozen or more companies such as Apple, Steinberg,MOTU, FXpansion, Native Instruments, Akai Professional, and Alesis. Even with a

minimalist setup, getting all the separate hardware and software components to worktogether smoothly can be tricky. One components manual might not pick up exactly

where the other one left off, and there are very few manuals which will discuss how to

optimize your system over-all for the best performance. In this article, we'll cover somemeasures you can take to optimize your system for maximum recording performance,

prevent audio-dropouts, and manage latency.

You cant walk into a car dealership and buy a car thats ready to enter a race. Even high-

performance sports cars come tuned for the road, not the racetrack. The suspension,

gearing, and timing all need to be tweaked before a car is ready to be pushed to theirlimits.

The same is true of computers. While most new computers will perform well right out of

the box, whether you buy a Mac, or a PC, you still have some work to do before youllsee your new computer perform to its maximum potential. Recording and mixing music

is one of the most demanding tasks you can ask of your computer, sometimes more

taxing than professional graphics and video work.

The suggestions below can be used to squeeze more speed, more tracks, and more plug-in

power out of any computer. Before you begin, make sure that your recording software

and your audio device drivers are up-to-date.

1. Dont let your computers boot drive get too full.

Make sure to leave about 20% of your computers main hard disk free for system tasks

and virtual memory operations. This is crucial to maintain system speed. If your main

hard disk gets more than 80% full, it is time to go out and buy a second hard disk, or

either get rid of some files. External USB and FireWire drives are more affordable thanever. Internal drives are even less expensive! While youre at it, buy an extra drive just

for backing up!

2. Get more RAM.

Your operating system can use up to 1GB of RAM all byitself. On a recording computer, youll want to have more

than that so your power-hungry applications have all the

resources they need. 4GB is a great place to start. Ifyoull be using lots of virtual instruments, samplers, and


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other sound generators, youll want to get even morethink 6 or 8GB. Is there such

thing as overkill? At this point, yes, there is. While many of todays computers can

accommodate 8GB or more RAM, even in virtual instrument and sample-heavy projects,its almost impossible to use up that much RAM. For the most part, the only time youll

need more than 8GB of ram is in video and 3D-modeling applications.

3. Record to a second hard disk.

While even the 5,400 RPM drives in most laptops canhandle recording eight or even 16 simultaneous tracks,

you can really improve system performance by

dedicating a 7,200 or 10,000 RPM drive to yourrecording projects. Certain files on your computer change

all the time, such as your email, internet search history,

and bookmarks. Other files stay more or less the same.These include music and photo libraries, amd large audio

files. Your system will perform better and wont have towork as hard if you get a second drive to record on. This

will result in less fragmented drive space, and fasterloading and writing of large files. This is also makes things easier when it comes to

backing up.

4. Use the best ports on your computer for recording

devices.

If you have a desktop or a tower, be sure to connect your

audio interface to a port that is on the back of thecomputer. Generally, ports on the front of the computer,

on the monitor, or keyboard dont perform as well as

those on the back. This can help prevent noise, dropouts

and connection issues. Not all USB ports are consideredequal. If the port on your computer performs poorly, or

your device has problems being recognized, consider

purchasing a new USB card. If you use a USB hub toconnect your device, use a hub that has its own AC

power adapter. If necessary, upgrade to a premium USB cable. If you are in an area that

has a high level of radio or electrical interference, and you experience noise or hum when

using USB audio, upgrade your USB cable to a premium cable with extra shielding and aferrite bead (a cylindrical bump on one end of the cable), which can filter out some

external noise.

5. Optimize Windows XP (Mac users can skip this one)


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Make sure your Windows installation is up to date. Keep in mind that the latest audio

device drivers, and the latest recording software are designed on the most current version

of XP. If your computer isn't up to date, its performance will likely suffer. Go towindowsupdate.microsoft.com to update your system. It may take a few visits to the site

to get all the fixes to the updates (install updates and then do the Windows Update scan

again).

Minimize programs running in the background.The icons at the bottom-right of thescreen, next to the clock represent most of the programs that are running in the

background. This will include virus protection, spyware protection, and more. While

recording, it is advisable to exit from these. Right-clicking any of these icons will bringup a menu. If there is a Close, Exit, or Quit option for any of these icons, choose it so that

you have exited out of any background programs. You can double-check which

applications and processes are running by looking at the Applications and Processes tabsof the Task Manager. (To access the Task Manager, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, and then

click Task Manager.)

Turn off Hard Disk Sleep. Make sure your hard drive is not set to sleep or turn off

after a short amount of time. If your hard drive goes to sleep (stops spinning to savepower) while you are recording, your recording will be interrupted. Click on the Start

Menu at the bottom left of your screen and select Settings, then Control Panel. Open the

Power Options control panel. Set the Turn Off Hard Disks option to Never.

Turn off Automatic Updates. It can be a good idea to turn off any scheduledtasks. The last thing you want is for a 150MB update to start downloading in the

middle of a recording session. Open the Automatic Updates control panel, and select

Turn off Automatic Updates. This means that its up to you to manually check for updates

yourself. All you have to do is either revisit this Control Panel, or go towindowsupdate.microsoft.com.

Turn off wireless networking. Wireless networking can sometimes interfere with

or interrupt recording. Wireless cards in computers automatically scan the airwavesfor available networks. This takes up some of your system resources, and can sometimes

hurt performance. If a removable wireless networking card is being used on a laptop, the

card can simply be removed. If you are on a wireless network, and the card is internal,you can disable the card in the device manager while you record. Its easy to turn back on

when you're not recording.

For additional tips on optimizing Windows XP, check out this excellent article.

6. Optimize Windows 7 and Vista (Mac users can skip

this one)

Disable graphical effects. When troubleshooting or optimizing system performance

issues in Windows Vista, it is often a good idea to disable some or all of Vista's graphical
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effects. While they look nice, these effects can actually be just as demanding, or more

demanding on your computer's system than many professional level programs available

on the market. Performance on even the highest-end systems can suffer if too muchdemand is placed on the processor(s) at once. Disabling these graphical effects is one step

towards getting the highest level of performance out of your existing computer. To

disable the aero effects:

1. Right+click the background picture on your computer's desktop.

2. Select Personalize from the drop-down menu that appears.

3. In the window that opens, click on Window Color and

Appearance.

4. The Window Color and Appearance control panel will open. Click

on Open classic appearance properties for more color options.

5. A window titled Appearance Settings will open. Under Color

scheme, select Windows Vista Basic.

6. Click Apply.

7. Click OK to close the Theme Settings window.

8. Close the Personalization control panel by clicking on the X in the

upper-right corner of the window.

9. The borders of your windows will no longer be clear, freeing up

system resources for other programs.

To free up even more system resources

1. Right+click the background picture on your computer's desktop.

2. Select Personalize from the drop-down menu that appears.

3. In the window that opens, click on Theme.

4. The Theme Settings window will open. Under Theme, select

Windows Classic from the drop-down menu.

5. Click Apply.

6. Click OK to close the Theme Settings window.


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7. Close the Personalization control panel by clicking on the X in the

upper-right corner of the window.

Minimize Programs running in the background. The icons at the bottom-right of thescreen, next to the clock (mostly) represent programs that are running in the background.

This will include virus protection spy-ware protection etc. While recording, it is advisableto exit from these. Right-clicking any of these icons will bring up a menu. If there is aClose, Exit, or Quit option for any of these icons, choose it so that you have exited out of

any background programs. You can double-check what applications and processes are

running by looking at the Applications and Processes tabs of the Task Manager. Toaccess the Task Manager, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, and then click Start Task Manager.

Turn off Automatic Updates. It can be a good idea to turn off any scheduled tasks. The

last thing you want is for a 150MB update to start downloading in the middle of a

recording session. Open the Windows Updates control panel. Then, on the left-hand sideof the window, click Change Settings, then choose Never check for updates. This means

that its up to you to manually check for updates yourself. All you have to do is eitherrevisit this Control Panel, or go to windowsupdate.microsoft.com.

Turn off wireless networking. Wireless networking can sometimes interfere withor interrupt recording. Wireless cards in computers automatically scan the airwaves

for available networks. This takes up some of your system resources, and can sometimes

hurt performance. If a removable wireless networking card is being used on a laptop, thecard can simply be removed. If you are on a wireless network, and the card is internal,

you can disable the card in the device manager while you record. Its easy to turn back on

when youre not recording.

Set your Power Options to High Performance. In the Power Options, ControlPanel, choose High Performance. Then click Change plan settings button, and set

Put the computer to sleep to Never. Then click Save Changes. For additional tips on

optimizing Windows Vista, check out this excellent article.

7. Macintosh Optimization Tips (Windows users can

skip this one.)

Turn off System Sleep. In the Energy Saver System Preferences Panel, select the Sleeptab, and set the option titled Put the computer to sleep when its inactive for to Never.

Turn off Hard Disk Sleep. In the same System Preferences Panel, uncheck the option

titled Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible.

Turn off AirPort. In the upper-right of the screen,

next to the clock, click the AirPort icon, and select
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Turn AirPort Off. The airport automatically scans the airwaves for available networks.

This takes up some of your system resources, and can sometimes hurt performance. Its

easy to turn back on when youre not recording.

Turn off Bluetooth. In the Bluetooth Preferences Panel, uncheck On, and

uncheck Discoverable. Its easy to turn back on when youre not recording.

Turn off Time Machine. If you use Time Machine to back up your computer

(which is a great idea), turn it off when youre recording. Your Mac may pick someinconvenient times to start a backup. Select the Time Machine System Preferences Panel,

set Time Machine to OFF. Its easy to turn back on when youre not recording.

Turn off unnecessary startup items. In the Accounts System Preferences Panel,

under Login Items, uncheck any items you dont need open everytime your systemboots.

Quit any unnecessary applications. When recording, make sure to exit out of anyprograms unrelated to your current project. This will free up the most memory possible

for your recording apps. You can monitor how much of your computers resources anyprogram is using with the Activity Monitor Utility (located in Applications > Utilities).

8. Know what latency is and how it affects recording.

Every recording program has an options, settings or preferences page in which the user

can adjust the buffer size. Buffer size governs the amount of time the computer is givento respond to requests (for audio processing in this case). The larger the buffer size, the

more time the computer has to respond. Large buffer sizes allow the computer to handle

more work, but at the cost of higher latency. Smaller buffer sizes reduce the overallamount of work the computer can handle, but it can do so with lower latency. Latency

refers to the time it takes the computer to respond to input. If latency is high, signals

routed into the computer and back out to speakers or headphones may be audiblydelayed.

Buffer sizes should be adjusted in increments of 64 (64, 192, 128, 256, 512, 768, 1024

etc).

When is low latency important? A good example of latency is the time it takes for the

computer to output a sound when a key is struck on a MIDI keyboard connected to it. In

this situation, it is important to have low latency so that there is no audible delay betweenthe time the key is struck, and when the note is heard.

Another situation in which it is important to have low latency is when using an amp-

modeling plugin for guitar or bass. The guitarist or bassist plugs directly into the audiointerface, and uses a software plugin to emulate the sound of a guitar amplifier. Any

delay between the time the player plucks a string and the time the note is heard would be

disruptive to the performance.


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In the modern digital studio, these two situations are essentially the only times in which it

is important to have very low latency and buffer sizes. Depending on the computer, a

buffer size of 192, or 128 should result in very low latency suitable for the abovesituations. A properly configured iO|14 or iO|26 can exhibit latency as low as 6ms. The

human ear cannot distinguish delays lower than 20-30ms.

When is low latency not important? All Akai recording interfaces feature zero-latency

input monitoring. This makes monitoring live audio sources like microphones,keyboards, basses, MPCs etc effortless. When monitoring inputs like these, do so using

the audio interfaces zero-latency monitoring feature as opposed to monitoring through

the recording software. This way latency is never a factor.

The Akai EIE and EIE PRO feature a Monitor knob that allows you blend a zero-latency

input signal into your mix. For more information on using zero-latency monitoring on the

EIE and EIE PRO, check out the this article.

The only situations in which it is necessary to monitor through the recording software (asopposed to a zero-latency option) are described above: monitoring MIDI input through a

software instrument, or monitoring guitar through an amp modeling plugin. When using a

zero-latency option for your monitoring, you can set your buffer size to 1024 for

maximum performance. This gives your computer more time to process things, whichtranslates into more total tracks and plugins that can be handled.

We hope these eight steps will have you and your computer on the way to faster, easier,

and better recordings. We take pride in helping recording engineers make better use oftheir tools with the aim of making great music and great recordings. Happy tracking!

Windows XP Optimization Guide

PC Optimization Guide for Windows XP
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Introduction - Getting a PC

Welcome to the Windows XP PC Optimization Guide. Here you will find a comprehensive guide to optimization o

any Windows XP Machine for use as a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

It is important that you read through this documentation as it covers several crucial optimization steps recommendewhen setting up your DAW. Because Windows XP is meant for an entire spectrum of users, by default, the user

interface is designed to have a nice GUI. (Graphical User Interface) Many of these GUI settings are nice to look at

but every visual element comes at a price ? CPU resources.

This guide is intended to step you through optimizing your machine in preparation for your new Hardware andSoftware to gain the most out of your system without experiencing the heavy processor loads of poorly optimized

machines.

Deciding on an OS

Although there are several choices for Operating Systems, Windows XP is now the industry standard for any Audio

based machines and applications. For anyone still using Windows 2000, Windows 98 or ME, it is strongly

recommended that you consider upgrading the OS. There are five basic editions of Windows XP: Home,Professional, Media Center Edition, Tablet Edition, and Pro x64.

Home and Professional are the standard accepted editions, and are the two that DAW applications are designed for

They provide the most stable environment, the widest support, and the simplest configuration of the Windows XP

editions. There is more discussion of these versions in the next section.

Windows Media Center is fast becoming the most popular edition on new off-the-shelf PC's. It is based on Window

XP, but be aware that additional applications and services reduce the amount of CPU resources you have. Manysequencing applications are not supported in Media Center at all (see Knowledgebase article #30163), and therefor

only the Home and Professional versions are recommended. When running Media Center, it is always recommendeto reduce the number of visual enhancements to allow for more CPU overhead.

Tablet PC's are also an option. While not fully tested, they nevertheless appear to provide a stable working

environment for DAW applications. Keep in mind, though, that the extra services embedded in the OS can conflict

with processor-intensive sequencers or plugins.

There has also been much discussion lately of 64-bit operating systems. Microsoft currently has one such OS

available: Windows XP Pro x64. This OS is extremely powerful (it utilizes a 64-bit processor and can support up to

128 Gigabytes of RAM), but is not yet universally compatible. Most software is designed for use in a 32-bit OS.Unless you have software that specifically lists support in XP Pro x64 (such as Sonar 5 x64), stick with XP Home oPro.

Windows XP ? Home or Professional?

Assuming you?re going with XP, you?ve essentially got a choice of two versions. For the most part, the difference

between the Home and Professional versions of XP have little relevance to the audio user. XP Professional contain


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much more by way of networking and connectivity, features absent from XP Home. As a basic rule of thumb, if yo

re not planning on using your computer for any network based functions, the Home edition should serve your need

Update or Fresh Install?

Generally speaking, a fresh install on a wiped (full-formatted or brand new) hard drive is the best insurance against

potential problems; leftover registry items and other orphaned legacy files can lurk in your system for months, only

to cause unanticipated conflicts with a newly-installed program or driver at a later date. A fresh install isrecommended.

Here's What You Need to Install and Use Windows XP Home/Professional:

PC with 300 megahertz or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233 MHz minimum required (singl

or dual processor system);* Intel Pentium/Celeron family, or AMD/Duron family, or compatible processor

recommended

128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performancand some features)

1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space

Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor

This is recommended to ensure smooth operation of your DAW:

PC with a 2.0 Gigahertz (GHz) or higher processor clock speed.

1 Gigabyte (GB) of RAM or higher recommended (512 MB minimum supported; this may limit performan

and some features)

80 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space, with drive speeds of 7200 RPM. It's common to see

configurations with an 80GB System drive and an additional 120GB ? 200GB Audio drive for storing

samples and Session data. Super VGA (1024x768) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor

Updates and Service Packs

Microsoft has issued updates and fixes for every operating system they?ve ever released, and XP is no exception. I

pretty much unavoidable with a new OS that there will be some programs and/or hardware that don't function as

expected, and that's what the updates are intended to address.

XP is currently at Service Pack 2, which has no compatibility issues with the LATEST software versions. Keep in

mind, however, that older software may not work. Ensure that all of your software is up to date before deciding to

upgrade to SP2 to avoid any unwanted incompatibilities. Check the software requirements to see if there are any SPrelated requirements.

Mass Storage Devices

A single track of audio for an average song can easily take up more than 20-30 MB - multiply that by 24 tracks and

you can see that larger drives are no longer a luxury. With the price of hard drives dropping almost by the hour, ma


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users are now opting for larger drives and even RAID arrays. Redundant Array Inexpensive Disks protect your dat

by writing simultaneously to more than one drive (when used in traditional RAID format). However, many

professional audio setups also employ RAID arrays in a different mode where multiple physical drives are seen asone large drive, allowing for throughput far exceeding that of a single drive. In the event of a hard disk crash, the d

is replicated on a second or redundant drive.)

Hard Drive File Systems

A file system is essentially a blueprint for storing data. It determines how the data is arranged on a drive. File syste

are often referred to as formats. This is not quite accurate, though; there are many more types of data formats than

there are hard drive file systems. While a file system is technically a format, the two terms are not interchangeable.File system is a specific reference to data arrangement on a hard drive. There are a few choices of file systems on t

PC, the primary ones being FAT32 and NTFS. All DAW applications will perform the best using an NTFS file

system on all drives, and some will actually not work at all without it. See the entry on file systems below for detai

on how to check and/or change your file system.

System Performance Tweaks ? Stuff to Do After Installing

Performance

Under Start > Control Panel > System, select the Advanced tab. Click the Performance "Settings" button and select

the Visual Effects tab. Choose ?adjust for best performance? and then select the Advanced tab. Under Processor

Scheduling, select "Background services" to ensure lowest latency with ASIO-based drivers (ASIO drivers run asbackground services in Windows). Select "Programs" under Memory Usage to ensure that enough RAM gets

allocated to your applications.

Virtual Memory

Windows defaults to setting virtual memory (sometimes referred to as Page Swap or Swap File) automatically. Und

most circumstances this is fine, but for audio it can sometimes be a hindrance to performance. For this reason, we

recommend you disable virtual memory. Go to Control Panel > System and select the Advanced tab. UnderPerformance, click the "Settings" button and select the Advanced tab. Under Virtual Memory, click the "Change"

button. Select "No paging file" and press "Set," then "OK." It's also a good idea to defrag your drive after changing

virtual memory settings (see below for more on defragmenting).

NOTE: In some circumstances, you may need to enable virtual memory. These situations might include errors

related to paging files, not enough physical RAM of an application, or a program that requires the use of virtualmemory. If this is the case, then rather than choosing "No paging file," choose "Custom size" and set the minimum

and maximum values to a multiple of 2 (for example, 128, 256, or 512), to a maximum of 512 MB. Be sure to set tminimum and maximum to the same value. Then, choose "Set," "OK."

Power Options

Windows allows for custom configuration of its power settings. This is useful for conserving energy when the


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computer is not in use. It works by automatically powering down or 'hibernating' one or more components of the

computer system when the computer has been idle for a predetermined amount of time. This can pose a major

problem for users who record long session, as the computer may power itself down in the middle of recording! Tooptimize the power setting for audio performance, go to Start > Control Panel > Power Options. Under Power

Schemes, select, in order: "Always On," "Never," "Never," "Never." Also make sure that "Hibernate" is unchecked

You should also allow you peripherals (USB devices and Firewire hard drives) to run off the maximum amount of

power available. To set this up, right-click on My Computer and go to Manage > Device Manager > UniversSerial Bus controllers. On all USB Root Hubs, right-click and choose Properties > power Management, and

uncheck the "Allow the computer to turn off this device..." box. Then, while still in the Device Manager, click the

"+" next to Disk drives. On any Firewire drive, right-click and go to Properties > Policies, and make sure the devicis set to "Optimize for Quick Removal." Click "Okay."

DMA (Direct Memory Access)

There are several different ways in which data on a disk can be accessed. DMA is one of them. This format is thebest and fastest method available, so it is recommended for audio. To make sure you are running DMA, go to your

Device Manager by right-clicking on My Computer and selecting "Manage" and then "Device Manager." Select th

"+" next to IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. Right-click on the Primary IDE Channel and select "Properties." Under tAdvanced Settings tab, make sure that the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Devic

1. Press "OK." Repeat these steps for the Seconday IDE Channel. If there are two of each device listed, do this for a

listed Primary and Secondary Channels. After doing this, do not be alarmed if the Current Transfer Mode is either

"Not Applicable" or "PIO." Some devices are unable to run in DMA mode; the goal is to make sure that DMA is oIF available.

NOTE: There is a third class of controller under the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. In some cases, changing this

listing to "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller" has been known to increase performance. Note, however, ththis is not a known step to optimize your system. It is an optional step that MAY increase performance. For fullinstructions, see the 7-step process in Sweetwater's Knowledgebase article #30047.

NOTE: Intel-based PC's have been known to perform better with updated chipset software. Again, this is only an

optional step, but one you might consider. See Sweetwater's Knowledgebase article #30063 for full instructions.

On-Board Devices

An on-board device is any device built in to the computer. Examples include built-in modems, audio cards, ethernedevices, etc. Most of these are fairly benign, but some have been known to interfere with digital audio software. Th

most offending devices are wireless internet cards and audio cards; we recommend disabling these, at least whileusing your software. On-board wireless internet cards periodically send and receive information when activated, an

these bursts of data transfer can cause audible pops and clicks in DAW applications. On-board audio cards can caudriver conflict problems, and are not as high in quality as professional interfaces.

To disable these devices, go to the Device Manager again and look under Network Adapters. All devices in this

category can be disabled (right-click on the device and choose "Disable") EXCEPT 1394 Net Adapters (1394 is

shorthand for FireWire). If you need the devices again after your DAW application, simply right-click on them and
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choose "Enable." Now look under Sound, Video and Game Controllers and locate and disable your on-board audio

card. Make sure you do NOT disable any of the following: Audio Codecs, Legacy Audio Drivers, Legacy Video

Capture Devices, Media Control Devices, Video Codecs, any other devices that you regularly use.

Virus Protection, Firewalls, and Other Utilities

While virus protection software is almost a necessity for general-use systems, they often run in the background and

can cause problems with audio systems. If you're running a dedicated audio machine with no or a very limitedinternet connection, it's best to not install them at all. If your machine is connected to the web, it's safer to protect

yourself, but try to find utilities that only run when called up. System tune-up utilities are also quite useful in most

circumstances, but some tend to optimize according to the needs of general usage, and can change settings that cancompromise audio performance. A clean, minimal setup is your best insurance.

Firewalls will have a similar effect as virus protection software, but it is more pronounced in computers with Servi

pack 2 installed. SP2 includes a Windows firewall (Start > Control Panel > Windows Firewall) that is best left turn

off (from the General tab). It it must be left on for security and protection, then disable the Firewire firewall. Go tothe Advanced tab and uncheck "1394 Connection" and press OK.

Display Properties

The display properties affect how Windows handles graphics, video, and the overall appearance of the OS. The

processing required to keep the display at its sharpest can interfere with the processing needed to keep audio at its

cleanest. Some of these properties are adjusted with the general performance settings, yet a few other small tweaksmay still be necessary.

Right-click anywhere on the desktop and select "Properties." Set the theme to "Windows Classic" if it isn't already

Screen Savers should be turned to none. Under Appearance, make sure "Windows Classic style" is selected forWindows and buttons; the Color scheme and Font size will not affect performance. Under the Settings tab, adjustyour Screen Resolution to the desired size. Most applications work the best with "1024 by 768 pixels" selected; oth

sizes make make submenus and windows the wrong size for the text within. Finally, your Color quality should be s

to "Medium (16 bit)" (also in the Settings tab), unless you have an application that specifically requires or advises

higher color depth. Also, in the settings tab, click "Advanced" and make sure you are running at 96-DPI (Dots PerInch). Keep in mind that these adjustments are optional settings and will likely not make or break your audio

performance. They are merely suggestions that will nonetheless give you a boost in resources. If you do a lot of wo

with video, then these suggestions can be customized, or even disregarded, as the project requires.

Windows Sounds

Windows XP incorporates a sound scheme in the OS. Essentially, certain functions, such as connecting a device, ar

signaled by a corresponding short sound. While quite helpful (especially for the visually impaired) in distinguishinbetween events, these sounds often interfere with normal audio work. We recommend these sounds be turned off. T

do this, go to Start > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices and select the Sounds tab. Choose "No Sounds" f

the Sound scheme, and press "OK."


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Write Caching

Write caching, or write-behind caching, is a technique that keeps a small amount of data in a cache prior to writingto the disk. While normally a good thing, performance can be increased by writing data directly to the hard drive, i

essence bypassing the cache. Practically speaking, adjusting this will allow your audio to be written immediately tothe hard drive, improving speed while recording. To set this, go to the Device Manager by right-clicking on MyComputer and selecting "Manage" and then "Device Manager." Click on the "+" next to "Disk Drives." Right-click

on a drive and choose "Properties," then "Policies." Uncheck the box that says "Enable write caching..." and press

"OK." Repeat this for all of your hard drives.

File Systems

As stated earlier, DAW applications need to be using the NTFS file system. You can check what file system your

drives are using by double-clicking My Computer, right-clicking on the hard disk drive you wish to check, andselecting "Properties." The file system in use will be listed near the top of this window. If your drives are already

NTFS, skip this step. If you have any drives using the FAT32 file system, you will need to convert them to NTFS.Go to Start > Run, type in "cmd" (without the " " marks) and then press "OK." In the command prompt, type in"Convert C: /FS:NTFS" (without the " " marks) and press "Enter." Close the command prompt when finished.

System Restore

By default, Windows saves several 'restore points' at periodic intervals. These can be used to revert back to aprevious image of the OS should anything happen to it, such as a file corruption or a virus infection. Under normal

circumstances, using this feature is a smart idea, but unfortunately, it can pose problems for audio applications. The

restore process, when activated, is run automatically. It also takes a fair amount of processing to update the restorepoints. This surge in processing can be enough to crash an application, and thus, ruin a take. To disable System

Restore, go to Start > Control Panel > System, and select the System Restore tab. Check the box next to "Turn offSystem Restore on all drives." The best solution to maintain a restore point is to image your hard drive using anindependent disk imaging application (such as Acronis TrueImage or Ghost). These applications work by creating

image of the entire system drive and saving it either a CD, DVD, or an extra partition on the hard drive. In the even

the OS must be restored, the image will completely overwrite the entire system drive, restoring the OS to the

condition it was in when the image was created. One downside is that anything saved or installed after the image wcreated will also be erased. It is a good idea to install everything and make sure it is working before imaging a driv

that way, you will not have to reinstall all of your applications after a restore.

Startup Services/Applications

By default, Windows pre-loads applications and services from installed programs and deposits icons in the systemtray. The goal is to both decrease load times and provide easy access to a variety of programs. While very helpful itheory, these partially launched applications are a CPU drain. Disabling them helps Windows allocate more resourc

to running applications. Windows will also load faster, since it is not pre-loading every application during startup.

disable these applications from loading on startup, do the following.

CAUTION: Make absolutely sure you follow the directions EXACTLY as printed below. Startup configuration is


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powerful stuff, and if used carelessly, can cause problems. Follow the directions, DO NOT treat this section lightly

and you will be fine:

Go to Start > Run, type in "msconfig" (without the " " marks) and press OK. When the System Configuration Utili

comes up, click on the Startup tab. Press the button to "Disable All." Click on the Services tab. Check the box at thbottom of the window to "Hide All Microsoft Services." Press the "Disable All" button, but only AFTER hiding th

microsoft services. Press "OK," then "Restart." When Windows boots back up, check the box next to "Don't show

this message..." and then press "OK."

NOTE: After pressing "Disable All," Pro Tools users must re-check "MMERefresh" in the Startup tab and"Digidesign MME Refresh Service" in the Services tab. GigaStudio users must check "msg32" in the Startup tab,

even if GigaStudio was installed and then uninstalled later. All users will notice that the system tray is now empty

very close to being empty). If there are certain applications that you would like pre-loaded on startup (and thus bacin your system tray), simply go back to the utility and re-check them. Be advised, though, that each application that

checked (and loaded) will draw CPU resources away from your audio applications.

Audio Streamlining and File Management - Things to Do to Keep Your Computer Running

Smoothly

Now your computer is ready for the intense demands put on it by audio processing. There are still a few things to

remember so your system stays in optimal condition. These steps will allow you to work efficiently without having

reconfigure your computer.

Defrag Often

Defragmenting your hard drives is recommended in all Windows OS's, and particularly in systems running and

editing large audio and multimedia files. Defragmenting your disks places the data for files next to each other (raththan fragmented throughout the disk), which speeds up reading from and writing to the disk, and increases system

stability. In Windows 2000 and XP, regular defragging offers even more benefits. XP and 2000 monitor the files th

are used when the computer starts up, and when your most-used applications start. By monitoring those files the Ocan 'prefetch' them; which means data that is expected to be requested is read ahead into the cache. Prefetching is

improved if the files are located next to each other on the outer edge of the disk, and XP/2000 optimizes the locatio

of these boot and application files while the computer is idle. This optimization is done in the background and lastsonly a minute or two, but even this activity can cut into audio performance if Windows decides the system is 'idle'

the wrong time. The defragger will run this task during disk defragmenting instead, so Windows won't decide to do

while you're working. If you have access to a third party defragging utility (like System Suite, Disk Keeper, etc.), i

preferable to defrag with it, rather than Windows defrag utility, which doesn't do a true reorder of the swap file.

Defragmenting should be done about every 2-3 months.

Driver Modes

Windows essentially utilizes three driver modes: MMe, WDM/KS, and ASIO. Of these three, ASIO provides the

most stability and least latency (delay). Some older audio cards may not have ASIO support. This should be OK,

provided you do not overly tax your CPU. When possible, it is always recommended you use ASIO as your primar


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driver mode. For more information on the benefits and shortcomings of each mode, see Sweetwater's Knowledgeba

article #29827.

GigaStudio, however, uses its own driver mode called GSIF. If you are planning on using Giga, make sure you get

interface that has GSIF capability.

Plug-in Resources

Plug-ins can take the form of inserts (reverb, compression, etc.) and virtual instruments (synths, rewire application

etc.). Both types can consume large amounts of CPU resources when instantiated. It is a good idea to use as fewinstances of each plug-in as possible. Reverbs, typically the most hungry kind of plugins, can be inserted to auxilia

tracks, and audio can be bussed to these tracks from multiple sources. Similarly, multiple MIDI tracks can send to a

single virtual instrument. Both methods conserve resources by loading the plug-in, and thus the CPU load, only onAdditionally, analog emulation plugins can take up a large amount of CPU resources. Rather then inserting a

modelled compressor on, say, 7 drum tracks, create a group channel for your drums and only insert it once. With th

method, you still get the sound you want on the drums, but you save your CPU six instantiaitions of a plugin.Limiting the amount of active plug-ins has the added benefit of keeping your session smaller and more streamlined

To monitor how your computer is utilizing it's resources, right-click in an empty space on the bottom task bar

(somewhere between the Start button and the clock). Select Task Manager. The Performance tab will give you a

fairly accurate idea of the average load put on your CPU. This meter takes into account everything that is running.Keep in mind that it can be a little jerky; what you are looking for is an average measurement over several seconds

Try to keep the processor at an upper limit of 70-75%. Higher loads than this cause stuttering, dropouts, freezes, an

crashes. If the load is too high, you can remove plugins or applications. If this still doesn't help, then the solution vwell could be to increase the amount of RAM installed in your computer.

Saving and File Management

The preferred setup for all audio computers makes use of at least two hard drives. One drive, the system or C: drive

will only have the OS and all applications installed on it. All data will be saved to other drives. This prevents the C

drive from becoming too full and/or fragmented. Full system drives run much slower than their clean counterparts

because there is less data to search through when trying to find system or application files. It is strongly advised tosave everything (sessions, downloads, documents, EVERYTHING) to a second (or third) hard drive. The general

principle is that things you INSTALL go to the C: drive, while things you SAVE go to a different drive. External

hard drives are becoming very popular because the data can be easily transported to a different computer. Whichevtype of hard drive you opt for, make sure that it has a minimum speed of 7,200 RPM (revolutions per minute). Driv

running at 10,000 RPM are ideal, especially when running large sessions (over 24 tracks). Slower drives may not b

able to keep up with the demands of recording and streaming audio.

A word on saving: Often, when creating a new session, it is easy to choose the default name and location providedBe careful NOT to do this! The default settings are usually to name the session "Untitled" and save it somewhere in

the C: drive. You will soon get a full C: drive and too many "Untitled" sessions to tell which is which! Use the sam

amount of care with file management that you do when recording.
http://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/ts/detail.php?Index=29827&keyword=pc%20guidehttp://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/ts/detail.php?Index=29827&keyword=pc%20guidehttp://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/ts/detail.php?Index=29827&keyword=pc%20guide


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Archiving

Even when taking care to save to a second (or third) hard drive, you can still run short on space. This is especiallytrue if there are many sessions (complete with audio files) on the same drive. A good idea is to archive these sessio

Archiving in this sense means either burning to a removable disk (CD or DVD), or transferring to a backup drive.DVD's are the preferred method of removable storage because they can hold over 5 times more data: 4.7 Gigabyteson a DVD versus 800 Megabytes on a CD. If you archive to a backup hard drive, make sure to access the drive

frequently (every 6 months to ensure smooth operation). Also, keeping a hrd drive in a freezer tends to extend hard

drive life. Make sure to thaw it out prior to firing it up!

Another reason to archive is to prevent data loss. An entire drive full of sessions can be lost at any time due to a hradrive crash. Having all of your sessions backed up on removable media will allow you to maintain a copy that can

copied back onto a drive. Removable media has the added bonus of being impervious to data loss; unless you

physically lose or damage the disk, your data will not be lost (translated = CD's and DVD's don't crash).

The Manual is Your Friend

All audio applications are complicated; it's the nature of the beast. However, they all include extensive help files, a

in many cases, thorough tutorials. The vast majority of operational questions can be answered from the manual. Wstrongly advise that you read at least the introductory sections, if not the entire manual, before you attempt to use

your software. This will allow you to understand where key tools and menus are, give you insights into what you ca

and can't do, walk you through HOW to do things, and ultimately will increase efficiency when making music. Ifthere's a section you don't understand, read it several times. Walk through the procedure step by step as you read it

Repeat this as many times as you need. Use the index and table of contents to find the section in the manual.

Enjoy your PC!

At this point, your computer is fully optimized. You also have all the information necessary to keep it running

smoothly. We hope that this guide has been helpful, and that you are getting the most out of your PC. Enjoy making

music!

The Sweetwater PC Team


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Windows Vista Optimization Guide

Introduction: Getting a PC

Welcome to the Windows Vista PC Optimization Guide. Here you will find a comprehensive guide to optimizationof any Vista computer for use as a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).

It is important that you read through this documentation as it covers several crucial optimization steps recommende

when setting up your DAW. Because Vista is meant for an entire spectrum of users, by default, the user interface isdesigned to have a very nice GUI (Graphical User Interface), plenty of security, a pleasing set of sounds, and sever

other features. Some of these are not the ideal settings for dedicated DAW users, though. This guide is intended to

step you through optimizing your machine in preparation for your new hardware and software to gain the most out your system without experiencing the unnecessary heavy processor loads of poorly optimized machines.

Vista: Update or Fresh Install?

Generally speaking, a fresh install on a wiped (full-formatted or brand new) hard drive is the best insurance against

potential problems; leftover registry items and other orphaned legacy files can lurk in your system for months, onlyto cause unanticipated conflicts with a newly-installed program or driver at a later date. A fresh install is

recommended. However, as many programs still do not offer Vista compatibility yet, a dual-boot system may be

called for. In this case, it is still better to install Vista on a newly formatted partition rather than as an overwrite oradditional on an existing one.

Choosing an Edition

Windows Vista is not just one operating system. It is a collection of several editions, each designed for a specific

function and user base. Complete side-by-side comparisons can be found on Microsoft's website, but for our

purposes, the editions and major differences relevant to a DAW user are as follows.

Home Basic: 512 megabytes (MB) minimum required RAM; maximum 8 gigabytes (GB) RAM in 64-bit

edition; Aero interface not supported.

Home Premium: max. 16 GB RAM in 64-bit.

Business: 128+ GB RAM support in 64-bit; Windows Complete PC Backup.

Ultimate: 128+ GB RAM support in 64-bit; Windows Complete PC Backup; BitLocker drive encryption.

Enterprise: 128+ GB RAM support in 64-bit; Windows Complete PC Backup; BitLocker drive encryption;

simultaneous multi-language support.

While any of the editions will be sufficient for most DAW users, these difference may come into play when choosi

an edition (especially the 64-bit editions). Keep in mind that DAW applications will be able to support all Vista

editions, unless specifically stated otherwise in the system requirements.


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o Start . Control Panel > Device Manager.

Performance

These adjustments are some of the more sweeping optimizations in this guide. They address the visual aspects,

processor handling, and DEP for the Vista OS. One of the most highly-touted aspects of Vista has been the newvisual effects, or "eye candy." As impressive as they are, Aero effects do take a significant amount of systemresources. These are valuable resources that can instead be devoted to your audio software. If you do have a power

enough video card, then it will assume all video processing; in that case, it is more than OK to leave Aero enabled.

Processor scheduling determines which types of processing are given a higher priority by Vista. The default setting

to devote more to your programs. This seems good on the surface; however, audio drivers run in the background, aNOT as separate programs. In order to get the most performance from AUDIO gear, it is best to set your processor

handle background services first.

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a set of hardware and software technologies that perform additional checks on

memory to help prevent malicious code from running on a system. This is a technology originally developed inWindows XP that is now a part of Vista. While great in theory, DEP can sometimes see audio applications as

"malicious code." Leaving it on to prevent attacks on essential Windows files is preferable.

To make these adjustments, right-click on Computer > Properties > Advanced System Settings > Performance >

Settings, and select:

Visual Effects > Adjust for best Performance (this disables all Aero effects).

Advanced > Processor Scheduling > Background Services.

Advanced > Data Execution Prevention > Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only.

Press OK when done. This will disable the Windows Aero theme. If you would like to enable it again,

rightclick on the desktop and choose Personalize > Theme > Windows Vista. Resource usage from the Visttheme is negligible. See the section on Personalization for more details.

Power Options

Windows allows for custom configuration of its power settings. This is useful for conserving energy when the

computer is not in use. It works by automatically powering down or 'hibernating' one or more components of the

computer system when the computer has been idle for a predetermined amount of time. This can pose a majorproblem for users who record long sessions, as the computer may power itself down in the middle of recording!

To optimize you power settings for audio performance, go to Start > Control Panel > Power Options > choose "Hig

Performance." Click the "Change plan settings" button, and make sure both options are set to "Never."

User Account Control

The new User Account Control in Vista is among the more controversial features. It is beneficial for preventing

unwanted changes to the system, and especially for protecting against unauthorized installations and file executionHowever, the constant prompts asking to allow or deny access can interfere with overall workflow; all activity is


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Virtual Memory and ReadyBoost

Virtual memory (or paging files) is a technique that involves using a dedicated section of the hard drive as though iwere additional RAM. The downside is that hard drive invariably process data slower than RAM, so using paging

files does decrease performance. This can be beneficial for low-performance, high-data applications, where lots ofmaterial is loaded into RAM, but does not process extremely quickly. With audio applications, this is not a goodidea. As they are very demanding on system resources, using a lower-speed hard drive is not a viable solution.

However, some applications may require the use of a paging file, for one reason or another. If this is the case, then

make sure to set all of your buffer sizes in your audio application as high as possible to compensate for the hard

drive's latency.

Right-click on "Computer" (either from desktop or Start button) > Properties > Advanced System Settings. This wi

bring you to the Advanced tab in the System Properties window. Under the Performance section, go to Settings tab

and select Advanced, the press the "Change" button under Virtual memory. Uncheck "Automatically manage pagin

file size for all drives." For each drive listed, click on "No paging file" and "Set." You will be warned that a crash f

may not be recorded if you have no paging file. Choose "Yes" to this message. Once all drives have been modifiedchoose "OK." Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

If you do need to enable a paging file, for whatever reason, it is usually best to use a multiple of 2 for the size.Examples would be 256 MB, 512 MB, 1024 MB, etc. There is no need to exceed the amount of physical RAM

installed for a paging file. If you find yourself continually needing to increase the paging file size, it is probably tim

to upgrade your system RAM.

One alternative to paging files is a new Vista technology called ReadyBoost. It essentially uses a USB flash drive aa high-speed paging file. Not all flash drives will work, though. A device must have the following minimum

specifications:

The device must be at least 64 MB

The device must be USB 2.0

It has to be able to read at 3.5 MB/s

It has to be able to write at 2.5 MB/s

To activate ReadyBoost on a USB flash drive, go to Computer > right-click on the drive > Properties > ReadyBoos

> select "Use this Device" and choose the amount of space you wish to dedicate to ReadyBoost > "OK" when

finished. As with paging files, it is best to stay with multiples of 2.

Hard Drive Performance

Vista has an option to boost the normal performance of ATA and SATA drives by enhancing write caching. Oneproblem with this is that if power is interrupted to the hard drive, then the risk of data loss or corruption is greatly

increased. However, if you use a battery backup or some other type of uninterruptible power, then you should not

have anything to worry about. To speed up your dives, navigate to the Device Manager. Click on the "+" next to DDrives, then right-click on the drive you wish to change and choose Properties > Policies > check the box next to

"Enable advanced performance."


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There are several different ways in which data on a hard disk can be accessed. DMA is one of them. This format is

the best and fastest method available, so it is recommended for audio. To make sure DMA is enabled on your hard

drives, go to the Device Manager > IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers. You will see one or more ATA Channels. On eachannel, right-click and choose Properties > Advanced Settings > make sure "Enable DMA" is checked > press

"OK." There is another type of device beyond the ATA Controllers. In some cases, changing this listing (whichvaries according to the motherboard) to "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller" has been known to increaseperformance. Note, however, that this is not a required step to optimize your system. It is an optional step that MA

increase performance. If you choose to do this, then right-click on it and choose "Update Driver Software..." >

"Browse my Computer..." > "Let me pick..." > "Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller" > Next > Close. You

have to restart your computer for this change to take effect.

There are also two other drive properties to consider. These can be accessed by going to Computer and rightclickin

on the drive in question, and:

Under the General tab, make sure "Compress this drive..." is unchecked.

Under the Quota tab, you have "Do not limit disk usage" selected, but nothing else.

Indexing Options

Another feature in Vista is its ability to automatically index all the files in the Start Menu, user profile folders, and

files setup for offline access. Too many files in these locations, especially when the files change often, causes theindexing service to add to the overall CPU load. While this change speed up your overall performance, it will also

adversely affect your searching speed in those locations. However, with a good file management strategy, this will

irrelevant for the DAW user. To adjust your indexing options, go to Start > type in "indexing options" > press Ente

> Modify. In the "Change selected locations" window, uncheck everything except for the Start menu, located in C:ProgramData > Microsoft > Windows.

On-Board Devices

An on-board device is any device built in to the computer. Examples include built-in wireless adapters, audio cards

web-cams, etc. Most of these are fairly benign, but some have the potential to interfere with digital audio software

and hardware. Historically speaking, the most problematic devices are wireless internet cards and audio cards; wetypically recommend disabling these, at least while using your software. On-board wireless internet cards

periodically send and receive information when activated (even without an internet browser open), and these bursts

of data transfer take CPU cycles, to the point of causing audible pops and clicks in DAW applications. On-boardaudio cards can cause driver conflict problems, and are not as high in quality as professional interfaces. Additional

they are often selected as the default driver in most DAW applications, forcing you to manually select your primary

interface instead.

In the Device Manager, you can right-click on any device and choose "Disable." This will essentially turn that devioff, releasing its drivers and stopping any resources from being used to run it. Internet and other wireless cards are

typically found under the "Network Adapters" category. On-board audio cards and webcams will be found under

"Sound, video and game controllers."


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Windows Sidebar

Windows Sidebar's gadgets provide some very useful information. They also take up some very useful CPU cycles

For the serious DAW user, it's best to have Sidebar disabled, at least while working on audio. This will not onlyallow for extra CPU power, it will also clear the desktop to make room for applications to be seen. If Sidebar is

active, double-click on the icon in the system tray and uncheck "Start Sidebar when Windows starts." Click "OK."

will be disabled the next time you reboot.

Personalization

Like all previous version of Windows, Vista allows for a high level of customization, allowing users to configure th

OS to look and sound almost any way they want. Unfortunately, some of the popular settings can interfere withDAW workflow. Under the Personalize window (which can be accessed by right-clicking on the desktop), here are

some settings to look out for:

Screen Saver. When screen savers become active, DAW users lose all sense of what is happening in their

system (for example, visually monitoring recording levels). For this reason, it is better to set your screen sa

to "none."

Sounds. As certain events happen, Vista notifies you by playing a sound. This can be problematic while

recording, since the sound may cause a driver problem by trying to access the driver currently in use. For threason, it is usually best to set your sound scheme to "No sounds."

Using the Aero theme usually does not cause any problems. Since Vista outsources visual processing to

your video card, it will not take up any additional resources. If your video card is robust enough for Aero'seffects, then leaving the theme enabled will not cause any problems. If you do not have a dedicated video

card, or have one that is underpowered, then it may be better to use the Windows Classic theme instead, but

switching to the Vista theme should not use any more resources.

Startup Service and Applications

By default, recent versions of Windows pre-load applications and services from installed programs and deposits

icons in the system tray. The goal is to both decrease load times and provide easy access to a variety of programs.

While very helpful in theory, these partially launched applications are a major CPU drain. Disabling them helpsWindows allocate more resources to running applications. Vista will also load faster, since it is not bogged down b

pre-loading every application during startup. To disable these applications from loading on startup, do the followin

CAUTION: Make absolutely sure you follow the directions EXACTLY as printed below. Startup configuration is

powerful stuff, and if used carelessly, can cause problems. Follow the directions, DO NOT treat this section lightlyand you will be fine:

Start > in the search box, type in "msconfig" > press "Enter."

in the Startup tab, choose "Disable All."

In the Service tab, check the box near the bottom of the screen to "Hide all Microsoft services." Then choos

"Disable All."


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Plug-ins can take the form of inserts (reverb, compression, etc.) and virtual instruments (synths, rewire application

etc.). Both types can consume large amounts of CPU resources when instantiated. It is a good idea to use as few

instances of each plug-in as possible. Reverbs and hardware emulators, typically the most hungry kind of plugins,can be inserted to auxiliary tracks, and audio can be bussed to these tracks from multiple sources. Similarly, multip

MIDI tracks can send to a single virtual instrument. Both methods conserve resources by loading the plug-in, andthus the CPU load, only once. Additionally, analog emulation plugins can take up a large amount of CPU resourceRather then inserting a modeled compressor on, say, 7 drum tracks, create a group channel for your drums and only

insert it once. With this method, you still get the sound you want on the drums, but you save your CPU six

instantiations of a plugin. Limiting the amount of active plug-ins has the added benefit of keeping your session

smaller and more streamlined. To monitor how your computer is utilizing it's resources, right-click in an empty spaon the task bar (somewhere between the Start button and the clock). Select Task Manager. The Performance tab wi

give you a fairly accurate idea of the average load put on your CPU. This meter takes into account everything that

running. Keep in mind that it can be a little jerky; what you are looking for is an average measurement over severaseconds. Try to keep the processor (there will be more than 1 processor window on a multi-core CPU) at an upper

limit of 70-75%. Higher loads than this are known to cause stuttering, dropouts, freezes, and crashes. If the load is

too high, you can remove plugins or applications. If this still doesn't help, then the solution very well could be toincrease the amount of RAM installed in your computer.

Saving and File Management

The preferred setup for all audio computers makes use of at least two hard drives. One drive, the system or C: drivewill only have the OS and all applications installed on it. All data will be saved to other drives. This prevents the C

drive from becoming too full and/or fragmented, and allows for faster transfer rates for your audio files, thus

increasing track counts. Full system drives run much slower than their clean counterparts because there is more datto search through when trying to find system or application files, and fewer open spaces to write files. It is strongly

advised to save everything (sessions, downloads, documents, EVERYTHING) to a second (or third, fourth, etc.) ha

drive. The general principle is that things you INSTALL go to the C: drive, while things you SAVE go to a differedrive. External hard drives are becoming very popular because the data can be easily transported to a differentcomputer. Whichever type of hard drive you opt for, make sure that it has a minimum speed of 7,200 RPM

(revolutions per minute). Drives running at 10,000 RPM are ideal, especially when running large sessions (over 24

tracks). Slower drives may not be able to keep up with the demands of recording and streaming audio.

A word on saving: Often, when creating a new session, it is easy to choose the default name and location providedBe careful NOT to do this! The default settings are usually to name the session "Untitled" and save it somewhere in

the C: drive. You will soon get a full C: drive and too many "Untitled" sessions to tell which is which! Use the sam

amount of care with file management that you do when recording.

Archiving

Even when taking care to save to multiple hard drives, you can still run short on space. This is especially true if theare many sessions (complete with audio files) and sample libraries on the same drive. A good idea is to archive the

sessions. Archiving in this sense means either burning to a removable disk (CD or DVD), or transferring to a backu

drive. DVD's are the preferred method of removable storage because they can hold over 5 times more data: 4.7Gigabytes on a DVD versus 800 Megabytes on a CD. If you archive to a backup hard drive, make sure to access th

drive frequently (every 6 months to ensure smooth operation). Also, keeping a hard drive in a freezer tends to exten


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hard drive life. Make sure to thaw it out prior to firing it up!

Another reason to archive is to prevent data loss. An entire drive full of sessions can be lost at any time due to a har

drive crash. Having all of your sessions backed up on removable media will allow you to maintain a copy that can

then be copied back onto a new drive, if necessary. Removable media has the added bonus of being relativelyimpervious to data loss; unless you physically lose or damage the disk, your data will not be lost (translated = CD's

and DVD's don't crash).

The Manual is Your Friend

All audio applications are complicated; it's the nature of the beast. However, they all include extensive help files, a

in many cases, thorough tutorials. The vast majority of operational questions can be answered from the manual. W

strongly advise that you read at least the introductory sections, if not the entire manual, before you attempt to useyour software. This will allow you to understand where key tools and menus are, give you insights into what you ca

and can't do, walk you through HOW to do various tasks, and ultimately will increase efficiency and reduce stress

when making music. If there's a section you don't understand, read it several times. Walk through the procedure steby step as you read it. Repeat this as many times as you need. Use the index and table of contents to find areas in

which you need to brush. Never assume that will know every feature in any piece of hardware/software. Always re

your manual.

Ready...Set...Record!

Now that your system is optimized and you have the tools to keep it that way, there is nothing preventing you fromgetting the most out of your gear. If you do get stuck, do not hesitate to use all available support channels to get ba

up and running.

We hope this guide has been helpful.

- The Sweetwater PC Team

Sources:http://www.microsoft.com

http://www.vistaultimate.com/tips.htm

http://www.tweakvista.com

http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=432&model2=439&chart=171

Para Windows 7

Ahora hay una solucin fcil que le permitir cambiar entre IDE y AHCI en el BIOS yWindows se iniciar sin ningn problema. La clave es permitir que el controlador AHCIen Windows antes de hacer el cambio de configuracin en la BIOS.

Para la mayora de los usuarios de este punto:

Abra el Editor del Registro y navegue hasta HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM

CurrentControlSet Services msahci.
http://www.microsoft.com/http://www.vistaultimate.com/tips.htmhttp://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=432&model2=439&chart=171http://www.microsoft.com/http://www.vistaultimate.com/tips.htmhttp://www.tweakvista.com/http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=432&model2=439&chart=171


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Guia Para Optimizacion de La Pc Para Grabaciones

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