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Keeping your PC in tip-top shape for Production
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| Stephen Wiley |
Sorry for the billion questions lately - If they're bothering you, just don't answer :)
I was wondering if anybody here does certain things, or has knowledge of certain things, that you do to your PC (Windows XP) to keep it performing at tip top shape. Defragmenting, running spyware, and keeping as much free space as possible are no brainers. Any secrets out there that specifically help out performance production? (Ableton) |
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| djandymac |
| i havent used ableton but im guessing there will be an option somewhere to choose to utilise all cores if ur runnin a dual or quad core system. |
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| Acton |
Some tips I have come across over the years....
- Adjust buffer settings to suit.
- Bounce stuff down to audio to free up CPU.
- Check Task Manager to ensure unnecessary programs aren't running (also check to see that unnecessary programs aren't starting up after you turn the comp on, if they are, tell the computer not to).
- Play around with various VST's as some are more CPU intensive than others.
- Go into control panel, performance settings, visual Effects and adjust it for best performance (this alters the visual effects).
- Disable system sounds, screen savers, power management/schemes and even the background if you want to go that far.
That's all I can think of for now, but there are loads more things you can do. |
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| kitphillips |
| Run msconfig from the run under startup menu. Go to the startup programs list. Go to town on anything you don't recognise. |
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| wood0292 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Stephen Wiley
Any secrets out there that specifically help out performance production? (Ableton) |
I read a thread on the Ableton forum once about doing some tricks in Windows to make ableton run on startup instead of explorer.exe and minimizing the amount of other services that run in the background. You would probably need to set up a separate account to actually use windows and other apps. |
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| Stephen Wiley |
| quote: | Originally posted by wood0292
I read a thread on the Ableton forum once about doing some tricks in Windows to make ableton run on startup instead of explorer.exe and minimizing the amount of other services that run in the background. You would probably need to set up a separate account to actually use windows and other apps. |
That sounds interesting. I havn't reached a point where processor power has become a problem, but I have a very proactive personality. I have core2duo and 2 gigs of ram and about 60 gigs free. I've had it up around 70% but no more, but that was just with 44khz/16bit. I want to optimize it and see if I can use 48khz/24bit without a problem. I'd like to produce at that level and have plenty of horse power around if needed. I'll do what you guys said above and see how it goes. |
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| Theran |
| Don't have a internet connection on your studio computer! |
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| brucelee6783 |
| Keep anything important to you (songs, software, pictures, movies) on an external hard drive. Leave only your operating system on C. If Windows starts acting up, or if your computer catches something you can't seem to get rid of, nuke drive C and reinstall Windows (thus leaving your external hard drive unaffected). |
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| Numb |
| quote: | Originally posted by Theran
Don't have a internet connection on your studio computer! |
+1 or get a mac. :tongue2 |
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| atxbigballer1 |
| Dont go to the free porn sites or file sharing stuff on your studio computer also try to not DL and BS programs as well!! :D |
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| owien |
what everybody else here has said. and a good registry cleaner.
having win install on a secondary hard drive with only your daw and some other music apps. without the net pluged in. is def the way to go. |
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| Storyteller |
| quote: | Originally posted by Numb
+1 or get a mac. :tongue2 |
I don't think having internet on your studio pc is a problem, I have that for a couple of years now without any trouble. So a mac isn't necessary at all. However, not having internet is something I would highly recommend as it's way to distracting during production. :) |
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