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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Hi All,
I'm thinking of changing my OS from WinXPPro to Windows XP Professional x64 Edition to use more of HW resources on my DAW. I plan on "dedicating" this PC exclusively for DAW software & tasks, minus A/V & Firewall to protect when downloading Drivers & SW.
Q. Anyone experienced in making a similar change? Good Idea? Not? I'd like opinions.
FYI: PC has AMD Athlon X2 64 Dual-Core 4200+ CMP on Asus M2N4-Sli MoBo & 4GBRam (Board max). Under WXPP32, PTP12, when using "Mixer Sub-Groups" tends to abend frequently. (Less often w/o Sub-Groups) but does still happen). I use 7200RPM SATA Hdd & have GBs of available Virtual storage.
Note: I expect to move up to PTP 2010 or BIAB 2010 in near future. Any opinions & experience is appreciated. Thanks.
-Mo
"Everyday-Life changes, Sets get rearranges, & ALL the players change their costumes", Geo Benson's "New Day" (Shakespeare Paraphrase) * "Is all that we see or seem but dreams within dreams?" -Poe
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Since Win XP64 was the first really available edition of a 64 bit OS from Microsoft for consumer use, I would find it extremely ill-advised to go that route. What I would suggest instead is that you use Windows 7 64 bit.
You would require to have drivers for all of your hardware for x64, and since that was the first 64 bit OS, there is very little driver support for it. On the other hand, there is a substantial, and growing number of drivers for hardware for Windows 7.
I do not believe that you will find any significant advantage in going to a 64 bit OS, since PowerTracks Pro Audio doesn't really support a 64 bit OS.
Look up all of your hardware, including your mobo, and see if there is support for x64, versus Windows 7. This is especially true for sound cards, video cards and MIDI interfaces.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Hi Gary, Thanks for your response. U gave good food for thought.
- Check my Audio Card (EMU 1212M PCI) & other HW for 64-bit/Win7 compatibility
- Check other SW for 64-Bit/Win7 compatibility.
Until now, I merely thought of my CPU & MoBo. Both R XP64 compatible, but did not check for Win7.  According to AMD & ASUS FAQs, with WinXP32, I am not able to use more than 3GB of RAM even though my PC MoBo has more installed & it registers at BIOS boot. They advise to use more RAM, under WinXP, I must go 64-Bit. Of course if Win7, it's another story. I was assuming since XP64 is older, more compatibility would have been established by now. I didn't think that maybe OEMs have ignored XP64 & moved on (They ignored Vista like they did ME, I think.) Saw PTW2010 is Vista/W7 ready. I assumed it was tweaked for 64-bit processing & that 64-bit ability was backwards compatible. For now, I'll stay @ XPP32, check my Win7 compatibility issues, and then decide. Tnx!
"Everyday-Life changes, Sets get rearranges, & ALL the players change their costumes", Geo Benson's "New Day" (Shakespeare Paraphrase) * "Is all that we see or seem but dreams within dreams?" -Poe
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Mo,
Because of the 32 bit limitation of the software, you can not access the full 4GB of RAM you have installed. You'll get about 3.5GB or so, but more than enough for a WinXP install.
x64 was the first 64bit OS to be released for general users, and not too many people got on board, because most people were still using 32 bit processors, and there wasn't really any applications written for it. Then, Vista 64 bit came along, and more and more people started using it, but it still took a lot to get drivers and applications for it to run properly. With a huge difference between XP and Vista as far as the core kernel, most of the stuff written for x64 wouldn't work with Vista. The same applies to Windows 7. However, today, since most computers are shipping with 64 bit CPUs, you'll find that almost every computer that is shipping today is shipping with Windows 7 64 bit OS, and the drivers reflect that. Interestingly enough, the 'current' drivers for the Emu do indeed support x64, but were written in 2008, and don't support Windows 7. However, that's Creative for you.
I still think that for $100, you can buy an OEM version of Windows 7 and get a better solution. But, that's me.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Quote:
Mo,
Because of the 32 bit limitation of the software, you can not access the full 4GB of RAM you have installed. You'll get about 3.5GB or so, but more than enough for a WinXP install.
Yeah, I do not have much faith that going 64-Bit (as opposed to 32-bit) would be a dramatic enhancement for my apparent "resource aborts" by PTW12. I really won't know the culprit until I complete cannibalizing & building my other "non-DAW-stuff" PC. PC#2 will have all my Desktop publishing, Web Development, and Misc DataBase stuff on it (which currently, is on my DAW [PC#1].).
Quote:
Interestingly enough, the 'current' drivers for the Emu do indeed support x64, but were written in 2008, and don't support Windows 7. However, that's Creative for you.
I still think that for $100, you can buy an OEM version of Windows 7 and get a better solution. But, that's me.
Gary
Re-checking the Specs/features of my Athlon X2 & Asus M2N4-Sli, I believe, I will experience better system performance with a 64-Bit OS, but I'm still searching Asus for Info on this MoBo & Win7. They list Vista 64 only. I am concerned about the EMU Driver too. I've finally learned to use most of it's features that work with my systems. I've fallen in love with the card. I hope Creative Labs gets their Win7 Driver soon.
At least I won't have to wait for compatibility to upgrade to either PTPv2010 OR BIAB v2010! 
-Larry
"Everyday-Life changes, Sets get rearranges, & ALL the players change their costumes", Geo Benson's "New Day" (Shakespeare Paraphrase) * "Is all that we see or seem but dreams within dreams?" -Poe
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Aug 2006
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I have used the same PC for several years now it had word processing, e-mail, and every thing else under the sun along with my DAW. I can not believe what a difference it made to format and install a clean windows XP Pro, and just my DAWs. The old gal rocks.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Quote:
I have used the same PC for several years now it had word processing, e-mail, and every thing else under the sun along with my DAW. I can not believe what a difference it made to format and install a clean windows XP Pro, and just my DAWs. The old gal rocks.
B4, I invest in more 'upgrade' hardware, I will try the same. I do have the entire Office Pro Suite, Entire Open Office Suite, FrontPage and Extensions, MS Visio (Graphic designs), Google Sketchup (3D Cad-Cam), FP Extensions w/IIS hosting running. My DAW is doubling for my Tech support services my wife & I do for spare change.
When, I'm doing HBVS (Home Based Virtual Studio) I go to the Services MMC & "disable" & "Stop" as many services as possible (Indexing, IIS, etc). Then, run my DAW stuff.
I'm thinking, though stopped, there may still be resources (fragmented RAM segment:offsets, Hooks, Handles, etc) that don't recover..."memory leakage". Yeah, a lot of stuff installed on this PC#1 though, not in use. Something, I can try B4 I go HW upgrading.
In the interim, I'll be running a compatibility tool to see how much my current HW IS compatible to Win7- just in case I go that route later on.
Tnx for sharing the experience.
"Everyday-Life changes, Sets get rearranges, & ALL the players change their costumes", Geo Benson's "New Day" (Shakespeare Paraphrase) * "Is all that we see or seem but dreams within dreams?" -Poe
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: May 2000
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Some services (like indexing) actually help some PGMusic features perform better. Category effects won't work without it, as far as I know.
It's not always best to shut off *everything* but certain things may make a lot of difference.
The joys of setting up a DAW. It's what makes me so reluctant to change!
That said, I am also in the process of researching a DAW set up for 64 bit. Possibly two of them for two locations. Research as much as you can. I can't report results because I haven't done it yet. Still lurking where I can.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Quote:
Some services (like indexing) actually help some PGMusic features perform better. Category effects won't work without it, as far as I know.
I didn't know that. in the mean time, I'll start leaving that running. 
Quote:
That said, I am also in the process of researching a DAW set up for 64 bit. Possibly two of them for two locations. Research as much as you can. I can't report results because I haven't done it yet. Still lurking where I can.
Just got my Microsoft Windows Upgrade Advisor (WUA) report back. Looks like if/when, I do upgrade my OS to Win7, I'm not in a HW problem except of my EMU 1212M & my Canon Flatbed scanner. I'll sit on the Win7 upgrade till after I clean of my PC#1.
Rharv, What's your motivation to go 64-Bit...hard to get older software now and anticipating the future? Or something else?
-MoBuc
"Everyday-Life changes, Sets get rearranges, & ALL the players change their costumes", Geo Benson's "New Day" (Shakespeare Paraphrase) * "Is all that we see or seem but dreams within dreams?" -Poe
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Getting harder and harder to find a system that is not 64 bit.
It's where things are headed.
Plus the processing is much quicker, and I do like Win 7. Very stable for a new OS.
For DAW machines I tend to try to buy modern (future proof), stable, bare bones, and set it up once, expecting it to be running for a few years. My DAWs do not run internet, office or anything but audio/video. 64 bit multi-processor system is MUCH faster for audio/video processing.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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I am seriously considering a Mac lappy next time. I can't even believe I'm typing that - but it's true.
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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Quote:
I am seriously considering a Mac lappy next time. I can't even believe I'm typing that - but it's true.
I've flirted with the idea too. Some say, Mac has it's own share of issues (Variety, compatiblity, & even security). Do you think there is a real advantage of Mac over PC? Is it cost effective?
MoBuc
"Everyday-Life changes, Sets get rearranges, & ALL the players change their costumes", Geo Benson's "New Day" (Shakespeare Paraphrase) * "Is all that we see or seem but dreams within dreams?" -Poe
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PowerTracks Pro Audio
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I was going to say that usually you'll pay a substantial amount of money more for a MacBook. However, I can't say that anymore. I just went to PC Connection, and looked up pricing on laptops with the Intel i7 chip. There are a lot of good deals on PCs, but for the same CPU and same RAM, the pricing is not that much more for a MacBook Pro, and in some cases, the MacBook Pro is substantially less. You can get a MacBook Pro with a 2.66GHz CPU, 4 GB of RAM, 500GB Hard drive, and 15" display for under $2000, after MIR. That's actually not a bad price.
Be ready to learn an entirely new OS if you don't know MacOS, although it shouldn't be that hard to do. For music production, obviously you'll still be able to use Band In A Box, but depending on what you use for your DAW, you may need to switch to another program, due to lack of Mac support. Of course, there are programs that are for Mac that aren't supported on PC, so you should find one that is supported on both platforms.
If you're thinking about it, do your research and make sure you can do everything you want to, now, and in the future.
Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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