I don't know exactly how long it took my PC--old install of XP Home, 1.8 GHz AMD Athlon processor, five-year-old 40-Gb drive and 4 Gb RAM--to start, but I used to use a calendar to time it.
It now takes the "new" DAW--same mobo and all, but a brand-new 160-Gb Western Digital Caviar Blue 7,200 RPM main drive and a just-broke-the-seal install of XP Pro--45 seconds to boot from a cold start and 1:15 to reboot.
Oh, my.
I'll have plenty of questions about how to keep it that way--or improve on it--but I wanted to share that.
R.
It's nearly impossible to keep a PC running as fast as when you first get it, or set it up, unless you never install anything else.
For some of us, the difference between a PC and a DAW is something more like this:
DAW - has a sequencer and other specialized music software and hardware
PC - has a network connection and loads of non-music related software
My XP DAW still boots in under 45 seconds. That's complete - no hourglass or flashing drive light. Ready to go.
Its about 4 years old. The key, as Matt said, is to not load stuff on it that starts running processes when the system starts. Using prudent install rules you can keep it this way and not slow it down.
Don't put anything internet on it (no browser or antivirus)
If you install any graphics or camera stuff go through the processes so they don't load anything at startup; only when needed (manual start in the computer management - services list)
Hopefully you have a nice big clean partition for the Temp Audio Stream in the audio preferences area that is separate from the main drive XP runs on..
Keep your RB/Backup or PT/Backup folder clean before defragging every so often.
These tips have served me well for stability and quick startup over the last few years.
One of my instructors tells me I can shorten the start up time more by using a few registry edits that keep the windows prefetch list small, etc. I'm happy the way it is; "if it ain't broke don't fix it"
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Hopefully you have a nice big clean partition for the Temp Audio Stream in the audio preferences area that is separate from the main drive XP runs on...
Please say more. I get conflicting reports on partitions, but most say don't bother. Where, how big, and why?
thx,
R.
Conflicting reports? Meaning?
Different partitions/harddisks for better performance and safe backups.
Better performance: while your windows and programs run from one, your audio can run from another disk(best solution). This prevents audio to "wait" for seeking time on the harddisk that your programs/system during the process will require.
Safe backup: When windows need reinstalling e.g., having more partitions or disks, keeps your audio/midi/movies/pictures and so on, save, since you would only reinstall on your systempartition.
How big? Depends on what you got and how much programs you install. I got my system partitions (I got 3 diferent partitions for multibooting) set at 30 Gb each on 3 different disks. My "safe" partitions/disks vary. For movies and audio I got very large partitions, for my ghostbackups mediumsized and for other stuff smaller ones.
For tweaking your system you might want to look into a website of "blackviper" (just google it). He has got a lot of good tweaking advices, also for the services that were mentioned in the replies.
Ryszard
i assume you have a one drive system.
and the caviar is your new one drive ??
for 80 buks get yourself a dedicated drive to record to ,
7200 rpm 32 mb cache.
its a no brainer.
if running vista slap some extra ram in and see if this helps things.
if you have more buks check out raptor drives sometime.
lots of big studios use em, you might find a deal.
if you want fast boots use google // contact drive manufacturers
for more info. drive manufacturers are a good source for assessing how much impact
different drives have on boot times.
just be carefull over spending cos a whole new raft of drive tech
is prolly coming to work with the new i7 intel processors
which offer a big step up in performance.
particularly for people running real time fx plug ins.
a word of warning..lol
dont start looking at i7 performance for a daw...
you might just fall in love.
this is a serious processor...but pricey.
Use the first logical partition of that second drive to point your recording programs to. Typically they default to Temp on C or the like. You can find this setting in the programs' Preferences or whatever they call it, usually something there like "Temp Audio Stream" or the like with the url next to it and changeable by the user.
--Mac
I've spent a day and a half installing and updating Windows and all my music software. Reboot time is up from 1:15 to 1:21. Dang.
Any thoughts for or against installing Winamp? It is for many reasons by far my favorite player for streaming media, but I have one friend who won't allow it on his DAW. Eventually I'll have my DAW and 'Net machine side by side with a KVMA switch, but until then I likes ta listen when I'm not recording.
Thx,
R.
i have a
page i maintain that has links to info on configuring a pc for audio
just found out about
nLite is a tool for pre-installation Windows configuration and component removal at your choice. Optional bootable image ready for burning on media or testing in virtual machines.
I read over on an EMU hardware forum that one should disable RESTORE.
Has anyone here any thoughts on this?
Glenn
Well that's an old overused IMO tip that holds less and less weight with newer and faster computers and drives. Stop using it and you'll never miss it till you need it.
But you can tidy up your drive through Disk Cleanup...and remove all the minor restore points that have accumulated, leaving only the last point. A good practice is to create a restore point when everything is fine...then do a Disk Cleanup and remove the rest.
Another tip....Install CCleaner and use it. It cleans up everything in 1 click.
Then defrag. (I have a simple batch file I wrote that calls Windows Defrager and defrags only the partitions I specified in the file WITHOUT the Windows defrag app appearing on the desktop. This all happens in a dos box and the advantage is that I click an icon and it starts defragging immediately and closes when it's done. It's very fast this way)
Citaat:
I read over on an EMU hardware forum that one should disable RESTORE.
Has anyone here any thoughts on this?
Glenn
Ya, I never use it. So it is one of the first things I disable. As soon as my system is running smoothly, I make a ghostfile, and if ever in trouble or if once in a certain amount of years, I think I need a fresher setup, I run the ghost back to my system drive.
Citaat:
Any thoughts for or against installing Winamp?
Not really against or for, I don't use it as I don't use windows media player either. I use mediaplayer classic. Very light, plays everything I want to play, supersmall and needs no installing at all. Allready a happy user for many years...
Anything can play "media". I like Winamp because of Shoutcast radio. Is there any reason NOT to use Winamp, and/or is there anything that will do streaming audio (specifically, pick up as many channels) as well as or better than Winamp?
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I read over on an EMU hardware forum that one should disable RESTORE.
Has anyone here any thoughts on this?
Glenn
Having Restore points has saved me from EMU problems as well as others. I leave it on.
--Mac