VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

sdelgo · Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:32 pm Post subject: Tweakin' da 'puter

Not sure if this was mentioned here before... I came across this info today about some tweaks for XP to help the overall audio performance (help eliminate crackles, pops and I guess snaps too) Basically it's turning off some the XP background tasks in order to save CPU usage for audio computations. Hope this is helpful.

http://www.musicxp.net/index.php

Steve
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Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 8:55 pm Post subject:

steve-crossing fingers here ... i really, really hope this helps with the mysteries i've been enduring, working around, and ignoring for a few months.
right now, i'm on a macbook at my sister's, far away from my desktop but look forward to returning to my desktop monday to try it out. thanks!
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2279 Location: Atlanta

I've employed those settings on my laptop XP situation and they helped. The most critical thing with XP however is to disable the motherboards' audio to free up your own sound card's audio. Even if your BIOS claim that they're not in conflict, they really are in most cases.

Before I disabled the motherboard audio, my preamps and mics pretty much all sounded the same. Now they all sound radically different, because they sound more like they were intended to sound.
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Jon Morss · Guest

I would like to add the following links. I used these suggestions and recovered a limping lap-top that was the victim of a teenage girl. The system just smokes now with regards to performance.

http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2005/05/17/xp_tuning.html

http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2004/04/27/pagefile.html

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Gaining-Speed-Empty-Prefetch-XP.html

Lance -- As far as disabling the on board audio, I've read the opposite. You don't want your computer and your recording software to share the same audio device since there may be other applications trying to gain access to the sound device while you are recording. Maybe what I read was wrong, but it seems since I have employed this I have far less issues recording .

Jon

Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 9:08 am Post subject:

jon, thanks for the links. i'm in some serious computer maintenance management mode right now, albeit on the road and with my laptop. but this will be SO helpful for my antiquated desktop.
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Lance Blair · M&M Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 2279 Location: Atlanta

Hi Jon,
I disabled my computer's audio on my XP laptop setup which I use with a Presonus Firebox. On this laptop, the audio control is only accessible via the Device Manager and not the BIOS. Before I had disabled the computer's audio, all the recordings had a slightly smeared quality to them, and a distinct lack of up front presence no matter what gear or voice employed. The recordings didn't sound terrible, but I wasn't getting my money's worth out of my pres and mics, and all my gear sounded rather similar. Now with the computer audio disabled, the Firebox is making some really nice recordings.

However, I can see your concern that disabling the computer audio would often cause more problems than they would solve. It hasn't caused any problems in this particular case.

It's an odd thing: I hear some recordings with average equipment and they sound brilliant, and then I hear people using high end mics and pres in good rooms that sound like mush. The Computer, or should I say the entire business of going from the analog to the digital world, is crucial.
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bobbinbeamo · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:05 pm Post subject:

Steve, Jon & Lance- thanks for sharing your findings and insights here. I already employ a lot of these things, but it's always good to know more. I do regular computer maintenance, and yes I defrag, at least 1-2 times per month! It just feels so good after I've optimized and cleaned up the computer.
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