Originally Posted By: Jim Fogle
+++ Zoom Audio - Maker of The R20 MultiTrack Recorder +++ has a May 2021 document titled, "How to optimize Windows 10 PC settings when using a USB audio interface with a DAW".

The document walks the reader through steps required to minimize the possibility Windows will disrupt DAW recording, playback or mixing operation.

It is the next to last pdf file from the bottom on the webpage linked above.



As with most of the "optimize Windows for audio" guides, this one starts off with having you change the power management settings.

On most new laptops, the power setting is locked by the manufacturer to something like "Balanced". You are not able to change it. For a really good reason. Laptop designers have to walk a very fine line between performance and heat management.

When I tried to change the power management setting on my new ThinkPad P17 to Bitsum's Highest Performance profile that I'd used on my previous DAW (a desktop), I found out that the profile was locked. After a bunch of web surfing, I found out that the previous model, the P73, had some well-documented heat management problems. I decided that the risk of trying to circumvent the locked profile wasn't worth the marginal gain in performance. The better approach with a laptop is to buy one with sufficient processing power to begin with. My P17 is a real master blaster that I've had no problems with when running audio apps, so changing the power profile turned out to be a non-issue.

On devices where you can change the power profile to a higher performance mode, there's still a downside...additional fan noise (which I experienced on my desktop). That's not a big issue unless you're trying to record via a mic in the same room (voice, acoustic guitar, etc.). Then you'll have additional audio cleanup tasks to perform.

My $0.02.

Last edited by TheMaartian; 03/27/22 07:22 PM.
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