Re: Optimizing Windows for looping

["Krispen Hartung" <khartung@cableone.net>]

Totally agreed, Per. When I got my new ThinkPad T60p, I got obsessed with 
trying to tweak it so that I could be confident all possible power and 
memory was going to my software/looping rig. In the end, I could not tell 
any difference.  I used to disable the networks, wireless, etc, but now I 
don't even do that.  I even have Norton AntiVirus, which is a huge memory 
sucker (just look at what it consumes in the app manager), and now I don't 
even deactive it.

I would mess with things ONLY if there is a problem with your audio 
software...in short, go with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" 
approach. 
I once had a major issue with my Digidesign mBox on an older XP machine. 
ProTools would crash when recording, but only at some venues. It took me a 
week to realize that it was caused by the wireless being on, yet there not 
being any access point for it to connect to. I disabled the wireless, 
rebooted, and the problem went away. But if there had not have been a 
problem, I wouldn't have touched anything.

All this being said, and to Rick's question, knowing what I know now, I 
will 
never by a PC again for music. My next laptop will be a macbook pro. All 
positive PC user experiences aside, I hear less about issues with mac 
users 
than with PC users, regarding compatibility, drivers, clicks, etc.

The quads are out now, right?

Kris

----- Original Message ----- 

> On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 1:35 AM, Charlie Milkey <pilotcp@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> You don't have to go into system tweaks for a stable XP audio rig.
> Back in the days when Windows XP was new, many people looked into
> system tweaking just by old habit, since that had been the trick for
> making Windows 98 a much better audio system. My XP laptops for audio
> are stable and this is all I do to them:
>
> - Deactivate CD/DVD burner.
> - Deactivate all network hardware.
> - Turn off screen saver.
> - Turn off energy saving programs.
> - Set the "skin" to the least CPU intensive ("Classic" with no 
>animations 
> etc)
>
> Do not upgrade Windows. Do not install any other software than the
> applications you need for the music rig. If some music software needs
> an online authorization I temporarily activate the network port to do
> this.
>
> -- 
> Greetings from Sweden
>
> Per Boysen
> www.boysen.se (Swedish)
> www.looproom.com (international)
> www.myspace.com/perboysen
> www.stockholm-athens.com
>