The World of PC Recording

A Tutorial Guide on Creating, Optimizingand Maintaining Computers for Audio Recording

By Dave Casey, TASCAM Product Specialist

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1. Getting Started With The BasicsTo Build, Or Not to Build……..Understanding The Beast

2. Putting A Shopping List TogetherMotherboardsProcessorsHard DrivesMemoryOperating SystemAGP Graphics CardsSCSI ControllersThe Case and Power SupplySurge Protectors

Hard Drives: SCSI vs. IDEWhich Way Do I go?

3. I’m Armed With A lot Of Knowledge… .Now What?Building A SystemBuying A Pre-Built or Built-To-Order SystemSpec Out A Powerful System

4. I Found It And Bought It…What Next?Putting It TogetherFormatting the Drive And Installing The Operating SystemCustom Installations

5. Maintaining Your System De-Fragmenting the Hard DriveScandiskDisk CleanupBackup

6. Optimizing Your System Disable Write Behind CachingReduce Read Ahead OptimizationReducing Graphics AccelerationMake sure DMA Is Activated For All IDE Disk DrivesTurn Off Auto Insert NotificationIRQs & Not playing nicely with othersDon’t Use PCI slot 1 For your sound cardV CacheWindow’s Cluster SizesUse A permanent Swap FileShutting down Unused USB, Serial, And Parallel PortsMore than one is a crowdThe Computer’s roleHighly accelerated graphics cardsDisplay bit depthScreen Savers and Power ManagementModemsSpecify and simplify

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1. Getting Started With The Basics

Time does indeed march on. This statement is no more relevant or accurate than in theworld of computer technology. The latest and greatest is constantly being pushed aside bythe “newest” latest and greatest. Computing technologies have sky-rocketed to newstratospheric levels of efficiency and speed in the last few years. Who reaps the benefits ofthis ongoing battle between computer component manufacturers to be the top dog inSilicon Valley………? We all do!

To Build, Or Not to Build…. There are a couple of things to consider before making this initial decision. When choosingto either build a system from scratch, or purchase one from a store, you will find clearlydefined advantages with both scenarios.

Advantages to building from scratch:1. Being able to carefully select system elements that are known to perform in the PC

audio world.2. Building your computer will give you increased knowledge of the system that you

create. This is beneficial in increasing troubleshooting chops, and reducing theelement of “fearing the unknown”.

3. The “bang for the buck” ratio is increased when you cut out the added cost ofsomeone else assembling the computer for you.

Advantages to buying a pre-built system:1. Complete system tech support provided2. Convenience of plugging in, and getting the system running with minimal effort.3. No worrying as to whether you have chosen incorrect or incompatiblehardware/software.

This document will help you to understand the different elements of a PC, and allow you tomake a more informed choice when acquiring a system for yourself. Whichever way youchoose to go, the bottom line is successfully recording audio onto your computer.

Understanding The BeastWhether you choose to build or buy pre-built, it will be helpful to understand the basiccomponents of a computer. From the outside, a computer appears to be an incrediblycomplex piece of technology….and it is. But when you break down the components andhow they relate to each other, you will find that it isn’t really as mysterious as one mightthink.

A computer exists and functions much the same way that an automobile does. A car is madeup of specific components that when put together, turn a pile of parts such as wheels,transmission, axles, and engine into a (insert your favorite car here). Look at a computer thesame way. Mastering the basic science of a computer is not that different from learningabout how an automobile works. It is a science of components, and how they rely upon,relate to, and co-exist with each other.

Here are the basic components of an audio specific computer:

MotherboardThink of this as the engine block of any car. Other elements get attached to themotherboard. The speed and performance specs of the computer will be determined by theperipherals chosen.

ProcessorThis is the brain of any computer. The speed of the processor will determine how well theoverall computer will perform.

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Memory or RAMRAM exists to provide a place for ongoing computing tasks to exist. For this reason, themore you have the better.

Hard DriveThink of this as the main storage place for your computer. When you install a program orrecord music, it is stored on the hard drive as data. This is also where your OS (OperatingSystem) such as Windows 98 resides.

Graphics CardJust as the name implies, this is a device that produces the visual display that you see on thecomputer screen.

Sound CardMuch the same way that the graphics card functions, an audio card is your portal to gettingthe music in and out of your computer. There are a number of manufacturers and models tochoose from, and it is up to the end user to determine their price range, and performanceconsiderations.

MonitorConnects to the graphics card to let you actually see what is happening with your computer.Size and quality are a major consideration, since it is what you will spend most of yourcomputing experiences looking at.

CD-ROM (Read Only) or CDRW (Read & Write)One of a number of devices that let you load data (CD-ROM) or store data (CDRW) to andfrom your computer. Software manufacturers typically distribute their programs on CD-ROMor floppy disk.

Floppy DriveEven though the storage size of a floppy disk is very limited (roughly 1.44 Mb), a lot ofmanufacturers will send out updates and small application files on a floppy disk. They alsocome in handy for initial setup of a new system…

Keyboard and MouseThese two inexpensive components allow you to navigate through and control everyfunction of your computer.

Case or TowerThe box where everything is installed

Operating SystemThe basic software platform that your computer will need to function. Windows 98 SE, ME,and 2000 are the most popular and current OS platforms.

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2. Putting A Shopping List Together

Whether you are planning on building from scratch, buying a pre-made system, orevaluating your current system for use in recording audio, it is important to keep in mindthat computer based audio involves huge files. For example, a 4-minute song with 24 tracksof 24 bit audio will require your system to stream approximately 180 megabytes of data perminute. Needless to say, this is very different from just about anything you might ever dowith your computer. Here are a few basic concepts and guidelines that should beconsidered.

MotherboardsThe motherboard is the main hub of any computer. There are a few things to keep in mindwhen choosing a motherboard, or evaluating your current one for audio recording:

1. Try to avoid motherboards with a lot of built on audio and graphics functions. These“conveniences” can actually introduce potential conflicts with recording specific audiocards, and make the process of disabling them for troubleshooting a bit of a chore.

2. Chipset. Every computer purchase, every motherboard upgrade, every CPU buyingdecision comes back to the same thing: the system chipset. If the CPU is the brain of yourPC, the chipset is its heart. It controls the flow of bits that travel between the CPU,system memory, and the motherboard bus. Efficient data transfers, fast expansion bussupport, and advanced power management features are just a few of the things thesystem chipset is responsible for. At one time, most functions of the chipset wereperformed by multiple, smaller controller chips. There was a separate chip (often morethan one) for each function: controlling the cache, performing direct memory access(DMA), handling interrupts, transferring data over the I/O bus, etc. Over time these chipswere integrated to form a single set of chips, or chipset, that implements the variouscontrol features on the motherboard. TASCAM highly recommends Intel chipsets. Thereare a lot of different companies offering a variety of chipsets, and in most homecomputing scenarios any brand of chip should do the job. When dealing with digitalaudio in the computer environment it is generally recognized that Intel chipsets haveproven to be more stable.

3. PCI Buss Speed. If the chipset is the heart of your PC, the PCI Buss and correspondingspeed are certainly the circulatory system. All the data that passes from installedmemory (RAM), through the processor, and through any installed PCI devices (SCSI cards,sound cards, etc.) do so through the PCI Buss. 33mHz, 66mHz, 100mHz, and 133 mHz areall references to how fast the data can stream through the specific motherboard’s PCIBuss. The higher (faster) the number, the more efficiently it will work. For those who areevaluating their current system, a minimum buss speed of 66 mHz is recommended. Foranyone building a system, a 100 to 133 mHz (or higher) buss speed is recommended.Keep in mind that your memory (RAM) speed should correspond to the establishedmotherboard buss speed (e.g., A motherboard with a buss speed of 100 MHz should usea PC-100 memory stick in the user’s chosen megabyte size).

4. Make sure that you purchase an ATX style motherboard. They are the updated versionof the original AT style motherboards. The main differences were improvements inlayout and functionality.

ProcessorsIn the PC audio community it is widely believed that Pentium and AMD processors are mostsuited for digital audio. This is not to say that a Celeron or other manufacturer’s processorwill not perform adequately, but there are particulars to the way Pentiums and AMDprocessors handle caching that give them a distinct advantage. In a high demand processingscenario, these processors are able to buffer or store command information until it can catchup (Caching). This is something to keep in mind when you get 18 tracks with numerousplugins and effects pounding on your processor. A processor with a minimum speed of 400MHz is recommended.

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Hard drivesThe size of your hard drive is important, but not as important as the RPM speed, and accesstime of the drive. When you are playing back audio, and even more so when you arerecording audio, you need a drive that can spin fast enough to write and play back datafrom the surface of the drive’s platter quickly. You will find drives from 4800 rpm all theway up to 15,000 rpm. Most computer audio experts will recommend at least a 7200-RPMdrive speed.

A hard drives access speed is exactly what the name implies…..it is the measured speed thatthe drive’s mechanism can read and write information to and from the drive. Althoughsome drives are able to provide seek times as fast as 3 milliseconds, anywhere from 7-10milliseconds is fine for basic computer audio needs. You will generally find faster listed seektimes on SCSI drives.

Another consideration is the implementation of an application drive coupled with a secondaudio specific drive. What this will allow the user to do is load his OS and programs onto adesignated drive, while using a second audio only drive to record the audio data. There aretwo main benefits to a system utilizing two drives:

1. Your audio application does not have to access the same drive as all of your programsand related data, increasing access speed and in turn the playback and recordingperformance of your system.

2. If your OS on the main program drive becomes corrupt or you have damaged filedirectories, or even worse a damaged drive, your audio data is not destroyed.

MemoryComputers rely on installed memory, or RAM for regular computing chores. Most homesystems do not run applications that are overly taxing to the installed RAM. Internet, Worddocuments and even gaming do not draw heavily upon the system memory. In the world ofdigital audio on a computer, the entire system is taxed much more heavily, and specificelements such as memory do become “make or break” elements to the overall picture.Areas such as editing and mixing with plugins and effects draw heavily upon RAM.Although a system can run with 64 MB and sometimes lower, it is recommended that anaudio system have anywhere from 128 MB to 512 MB or more installed to be able to runeffectively.

Often users confuse hard drive size with the amount of memory installed on a system. Agood way to view the difference is to think of a hard drive as a tool cabinet, and theinstalled memory as a workbench. You would store a tool in the tool cabinet until you wereready to use it, at which point you would move it to the workbench for quicker access to it.This is the same way that a hard drive and installed memory work together. A programresides on the hard drive until you “open” it, at which point it gets shifted into memory forquick access.

*Another reminder: Keep in mind that it is necessary to match the buss speed established bythe motherboard when choosing memory sticks. The overall speed of the system buss will belimited to the slowest element…make sure the memory you choose is not the weakest link.

Operating SystemChoosing the operating system is a very important step in the process of setting up an audiocomputer. There are many different opinions regarding the best choice for OS, but you willfind that there are a lot of common ones as well. Most will agree that it is not always wiseto run out and buy the newest OS, the day it comes out. Although software is extensivelytested before release, there are often unanticipated bugs to be be found and fixed, and thebottom line is this…..do you want to be the one discovering bugs while you are working onyour current project? Another consideration is what drivers and software are currentlyavailable for the OS you are considering. A lot of companies don’t offer drivers for really

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new OS platforms immediately, and on the flip side of the coin, most new programs do nothave drivers for really old OS platforms. Most computer audio experts will recommendeither Windows SE, 2000, or ME. All of these operating systems have proven to be stable OSplatforms that when installed on a solid system will reduce the potential for problems.

Another consideration to research is how your computing needs will be met by different OSoptions. Audio will behave differently than video potentially will on different operatingsystems. Do some research and pick some brains. There is a collection of 40 user profiles atthe end of this document to reference.

One final thing to keep in mind regarding OS selection, is the wave of devices utilizing USBprotocols. USB achieved its greatest degree of stability on the PC platform with windows 98SE, so this is something to keep in mind when eyeing that slick looking US-428.

AGP Graphics cardsSCSI controller cards and related SCSI devices, as well as PCI based audio cards tend to pushthe limits of a PCI buss. With this in mind, the last thing you want to do is add morecongestion to the mix. AGP graphics cards were created to allow a computer user to gettheir video graphics off of the PCI buss by creating and utilizing a graphics specific slot (AGPslot). To successfully run an audio workstation, it is highly recommended that your systemutilize an AGP graphics card

SCSI ControllersIf you choose to implement a SCSI device into your system, you will need a SCSI controller. ASCSI controller is a PCI based card not unlike other PCI based devices. It resides on the PCIbuss in one of the available slots. With a SCSI card installed, it allows you to chain devicessuch as hard drives, CD-ROMs, CDRW, or any number of storage devices in internal (insidethe case) or external (outside the case) configurations, on what is referred to as the “SCSIBuss”. This buss exists within the computer’s standard PCI buss as one device, regardless ofhow many things you have attached to it. The SCSI controller works as a secondary buss,allowing the system to run up to 15 additional devices. Each device connected to the SCSIbuss is assigned a SCSI ID number, and it is using these designated device numbers thatallow the SCSI controller to know which device is being addressed by the system. The clearperformance advantage to SCSI is the ability to have a ton of extra storage solutions (harddrives, backup devices) available to the computer audio user, in any configuration theychoose to setup.

The Case and Power supplyWhen choosing a case for your system, there are a couple of things that you need to keep inmind:

1. Make sure that you get an ATX (newer) and not an AT case. The major difference arethe openings on the rear panel for connections to newer technologies like USB that willcome installed on your motherboard.

2. Make sure that you get a case that will fit ergonomically into your work environment.Nothing too big, or too small. But keep in mind the possibility of expansion in thefuture, as new devices become available in the computer world.

3. Make sure that the box has enough front panel slots to accommodate any installed CD-ROM drives, CDRW or other backup devices you may wish to install now or in the future.

Make sure that you install a power supply big enough to not only power your currentinstalled devices, but any future devices you might want to install. 300 watt supplies are notthat much more than 250 watt ones……go nuts and splurge to get one with enoughheadroom to power your system efficiently now and in the future.

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Surge protectorsYou’ve built your brand new rig, and are tracking your generation’s Sergeant Pepper, thenall of a sudden…….POOF! A power surge rushes through the wall socket and into yourcomputer, frying components without prejudice. A simple $15.00 surge protector can be thebest insurance you could possibly ever acquire for your computer. If you can ante up theextra dollars to purchase a battery backup/surge protector, you can even go so far as to giveyourself a couple of minutes to save your work and safely shutdown your system in theevent of a surge followed by a complete power failure.

Hard Drives : SCSI vs. IDE

SCSI

SCSI has long been considered the standard for high data transfer used in audio andstreaming video workstations. There are many advantages to a SCSI based system:

High data transfer rates.With the new wave of Ultra 160 SCSI devices, data transfer speed has been raised to 160 MBper second, providing much needed headroom for recording and playing back high trackcounts

More chainable devices.Modern SCSI busses will allow up to 15 devices, all operating off a single installed PCI basedcontroller. No extra interrupt requests are introduced as the device chain grows.

Bi-directional data bursts. SCSI can read and write information simultaneously, speeding up the transfer of data to andfrom the disk. Perfect for recording and monitoring audio on a DAW.

Buffering. A SCSI hard drive can be sent a group of commands and buffer them sequentially, vastlyimproving the performance of the drive.

High RPM disk speeds.In the world of huge data streams, speed to and from the disk is the name of the game. SCSIdrives are the only drives currently venturing into the 10K and 15K RPM world. The fasterthe RPM, the faster the drive can write and read the data from the device withoutbottlenecking.

Fast seek times. SCSI utilizes a faster hard disk seek time, referring to how fast the drive can access andretrieve data from the device. SCSI average seek times run from 7-8 milliseconds all the waydown to 3-4 milliseconds on the 15, 000 RPM drives. The faster it can get the data, thebetter the performance.

IDE

In the past, IDE never really came close to SCSI in the performance department, andalthough it has not quite surpassed it – it has closed the gap substantially. The main areathat IDE outshines SCSI is in the price department.

CostThe primary benefit of the IDE hard drive is the price. With IDE closing the gap on theperformance factor with SCSI, IDE drives can offer nearly matched performance specs at alower price, usually 30%-50% less for similar storage capacity devices.

Additional controllers

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Just about all motherboards provide IDE controller connections built onto the board itself.This eliminates the need for an additional PCI controller card, and thus the additional cost. Itis getting hard to find a motherboard that does not offer support for UDMA (Ultra DiskMatching Architecture) which allows transfer rates of up to 100 MB a second.

DMA = IDE S-A-V-I-O-RPrior to the implementation of DMA, the processor was called upon to oversee the transferof data from RAM to the drive. The result of this was additional CPU power being drawnaway from handling other processing chores like automation, plugins, or even screenredraws. This was referred to as PIO (Programmed Input/Output). DMA (Direct MemoryAccess) implemented a system of writing the data directly from RAM to the disk without thedegree of involvement that the CPU undertook in the past. Although not a big deal for theInternet enthusiast, this is a regaining of critical CPU horsepower for the processing hungryDAW maniac.

Which way do I go?The bottom line here is that there is no clear-cut bottom line. The agreed upon facts arethat although IDE is right on the heels of SCSI in the performance department, SCSI stilloffers faster seek times, higher drive speeds, and more efficient drive design. IDE has SCSIbeat hands down in the cost and value department. With the additional cost of a separateSCSI controller added into the already higher price tag of the SCSI drives, the difference inperformance may not be such a big consideration. A person working with 24 tracks or lesscould just as easily utilize an IDE based system as they could a SCSI based system.

If you are a user who plans on running a multitude of additional storage solutions (4 ormore) in either internal or external configurations, SCSI is the only way to go (IDE is limitedto a total of 4 internal devices). A SCSI buss will allow you to run up to 15 devices on a singleSCSI chain in internal and external configurations.

Many users have adopted a system spec that utilizes both worlds. By implementing a lessexpensive IDE drive to hold the OS and any installed programs, they can install an 80-gigdrive for a fraction of the cost of a SCSI drive of the same size. Next, they install a smallerhigh speed SCSI drive to write just the audio data to. In doing this, they benefit from givingthe system a dedicated storage device for the audio data. Inevitably, your budget will factorinto the configuration that you choose to go with.

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3. I’m Armed With A lot Of Knowledge …..Now What?

The next step is to choose whether you want to build a system, or buy one pre-made. Hereare a few suggestions for both scenarios.

Building A System (Some places to look for parts)

Computer SwapmeetsRows and rows of independent parties and large computer vendors selling and tradingcomputer parts. Large vendors attend these shows and sell their products at a much lowerprice to clear out inventory. They realize that a lot of people attend these shows, and theyknow that they will be able to move a lot of product in a short amount of time…usually at afairly discounted price.

Once you have put your list together, you can systematically make the rounds at theseevents comparing prices. Most vendors will take credit cards, but a fist full of cash is hard toresist. Bargaining is a common occurrence at these shows, and there are some great deals tobe had. The best way to find the show closest to you is to go online and search. Anotherway is to drop by your neighborhood computer store and inquire. These stores usually haveany number of computer “geeks” whose sun rises and sets on the dates of these shows. Ifyou know what you are looking for, a show can be a terrific way to find it at a great price.

OnlineShopping for parts online is not all that different from a swap meet, except it is basically anationwide swap meet! There are thousands of computer retailers across the country whopost their goods and prices on any number of websites designed to attract potential buyers.The only downside is the fact that you don’t get the instant gratification that you wouldbuying at a swap meet, considering any purchases must be shipped to you……that, andthose tasty swap meet hot dogs.

Computer StoreAnother consideration is the trusty local computer store. Whether it is a “mega” chain store,or a “mom and pop” shop, you should be able to find what you need if you look around.

Buying A Pre- Built, or Made-To-Order System.

The big computer companiesDell, Gateway, Compaq, and Hewlett Packard are a few of the big name computer suppliers.When you purchase a system from these companies, you are getting a solid system from areputable company. You are also getting access to support for your computer in the eventof a technical problem. This can be handy if you are not an overly technical person.

Your local computer storeThe same way a smaller, local computer store can provide a PC builder with parts for theirsystem, they can also build a custom system for you. If you are specific in the details of whatyou want installed, they can usually assemble and troubleshoot the system for a fee. Thiscan come in handy for the user who wants to control what goes into their system, butdoesn’t really want to go so far as to build it from the ground up.

Spec Out A Powerful SystemIf you choose to let a company build your computer, you may still take an active part in thecreation of your system. Here are 6 system guidelines that will ensure a pre-made audiosystem will perform to the best of it’s ability.

1. Get the fastest Pentium or AMD processor you can afford. A minimum of 400MHzprocessor speed is recommended for reasonable audio performance on your PC.

2. Get the most Ram you can afford. A minimum of 128Mb is recommended.3. Try to purchase a motherboard with an Intel chipset

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4. RPM speed, as well as size of a hard drive is a major consideration in delivering audiotrack playback performance. Try to get a drive with at least a 7200RPM rating.

5. To take advantage of the recent advancements in USB device support, as well as overallOS performance considerations, try to run a Windows 98SE, or newer operating systemplatform.

6. Avoid having extra devices and programs installed on your system. The less you have,the better your system will run. Dedicating the system to only audio applications ishighly recommended.

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4. I Found It And bought It ……What Next??

This section will touch on the steps involving component assembly, and operating systeminstallation. Although it is aimed primarily at the user who is building their system fromscratch, much of this information will eventually apply to someone who already has asystem, or is purchasing a pre-built computer. You may one day need to re-install or updateyour operating system, or just might want to understand the steps involved with putting allof the individual components together.

The actual process of assembling your computer is fairly basic, and includes the followingsteps:

1. Installing the memory and processor onto the motherboard.2. Installing the motherboard into the case3. Mounting the hard drive, floppy drive, and CD-ROM drive into the case, and connecting

them to the motherboard with the supplied IDE ribbon cables.4. Putting your graphics card into the designated AGP graphic card slot, and choosing a PCI

slot to install your sound card into.5. Connecting the power leads to the installed devices.6. Hooking up the monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Just about every motherboard manufacturer will supply you with a manual that will coverthe features and installation procedures for their product in the box, or on their website.The other consideration regarding the setup of the motherboard is to pay close attention tois the setting up of the devices on the IDE buss (hard drives and CD-ROM). Mostmotherboards come with at least a “Primary” and “Secondary” IDE Buss. Your hard mainhard drive will connect to the primary connection, with the CD-ROM drive connecting to thesecondary one.

Any additional devices such as a CDRW or second hard drive will need to be slaved off ofthese primary devices. Setting this up is merely a matter of designating the role of eachchained device by designating it as a “Slave” or “Master”. On the hard drive, CD-ROM, orother IDE device that are installed, there are a set of pins on the rear of the device. Byattaching a set of small jumpers, you are able to designate the specifics (Slave and Master)of how the device will function within the computer. Jumper settings for a drive are usuallyshown on the drive itself. If not, it is always readily available on the manufacturer’s website.Be sure that you pay close attention to how you are defining each installed component. Thisis a common source of problems if it is not done correctly.

Formatting The Drive And Installing The Operating SystemYou’ve got the hardware put together, and now you are ready to install the OperatingSystem or “OS” as it is commonly referred to. Windows 98SE, ME, and 2000 are the mostcommon and most current operating systems for the PC. When it comes to choosing theright OS for your system, it is merely a process of researching the differences and benefitsthat one OS might offer from another. The operating system provides an environment forthe computer to exist and function in…without it, you have a brand new car without anygas in the tank.

To install the OS onto the hard drive, the drive must first be partitioned and formatted.Partitioning will allow you to set the size of the space on the drive by letting you take a 20gig drive and make one 20 gig partition, or two 10 gig partitions, etc. This can beadvantageous if you need to setup multiple OS scenarios on one computer, or if you wantto segregate certain software programs and establish different working modes. Forexample, you could have an audio-only partition set up to run only your audio applications,and a second partition set up on the drive to run all of your gaming, internet, and otherhome computing chores.

Formatting is a process of encoding rudimentary information onto the drive itself to make itavailable for the system to write data to it. It functions much the same way that Adat and

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DA-88 tape formats work. Until you format them with information that the machine canrecognize, they exist as unidentified storage media. Here is a step by step procedure forpartitioning and formatting a drive, and then installing the OS.

1. Put a Windows Startup Disk into the floppy drive of your computer, and power up thesystem. If you do not have a Start Up disk available, one can be created from any othercomputer with a version of Windows installed on it. To create a startup disk on aWindows computer, click on Start/Settings/Control Panel/Add or RemovePrograms/Startup Disk. Insert a blank Windows formatted floppy disk into your floppydrive, and follow the prompts.

2. Put the Startup disk into the system you are installing Windows on. The system willinitiate a boot from the Start Up disk when you power up with the Startup disk in thefloppy drive. Once this process begins, it will ask you if you want to continue with CD-ROM support. Select Yes

3. The necessary files and drivers will be loaded onto the virtual drive D from the StartupDisk. What this means is that since your actual hard drive is not being used, the systemwill create a place to put the rudimentary information necessary to do basic functions inthe installed memory.

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4. At this point you will be led to an “A/>:” prompt. If there is a brand new drive installed,it will need to be partitioned. You should run FDISK at this point:

A:/>fdisk

Fdisk will set up the basic file partition for your system. Think of this as apportioning aplot of land. You are merely telling the system that you want to establish a specificallysized partition for your hard drive.

5. Once the basic partition has been established, you will need to format the drive for use.

A:/>format c:

C is always designated as the primary computer hard drive in a single hard drive system.Be careful when formatting multiple drives…it is very easy to format, and in the processDESTROY information on other hard drives!The system will ask you to confirm your action, do so if you are certain that you areformatting the correct drive. Be sure of the desired drive letter before you initiate aformat command.

6. Initiate the OS installation by first putting the OS disk into the CD-ROM drive. Next, youneed to tell the system where you want it to look for installation information. Usually,the CD-ROM is designated as the E drive. At the A:/> prompt, merely type E: and pressEnter to switch to an E:/> prompt. To initiate the setup process:

E:/>setup

Pressing enter will start the installation process. From here merely follow the OSinstallation prompts.

Custom InstallationsWhen doing a clean install of an operating system (OS), it is usually recommended that aperson planning to use the system for audio recording purposes do a “custom” install of theOS. When the install process has been initiated, you will be asked if you want to do astandard, portable, compact, or custom install. A custom install is recommended. If youchoose a custom install, it is safe to not include:

Handicap Accessibility (unless you need it)AccessoriesAddress bookCommunicationsGamesOnline ServicesMultimedia (You may choose to keep some or all of the elements within this header,highlight and then click Details to look at what is included in this folder)

Excluding these extra “features” will reduce the size of the OS installation, further reducingthe extra “fat” that is not necessary on a lean, mean, streamlined machine. One final thingto remember is to always update your system’s hardware element drivers (graphics cards,SCSI controllers, sound cards, etc.) from the company’s website. There are always updatesand improvements ongoing with these critical elements of your system.

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5. Maintaining Your System

Defragmenting the hard driveAs data is written and retrieved from the hard drive, data fragmentation can become asystem-slowing problem. Think of your hard drive as a giant cupboard, filled with a varietyof canned goods. The way a hard drive accesses the information is much the same way wewould choose a specific can from a pantry. The system issues a command for a specific pieceof data, at this point the hard drives stylus scans the disk to locate the data…much the sameway our brain would issue a command to retrieve a specific can of corn from the cupboard.Since writing and retrieving data is an ongoing process, often pieces of data can becomeseparated from similar data clusters. The result is a slowing down of the retrieval processbecause the retrieval device must scan the entire disk surface to locate the needed data.Think of computer defragmentation as a re-organizational process, not unlike the process ofgrouping similar canned goods in a cupboard. By putting the corn with corn, beans withbeans, etc. you can reduce the amount of time it takes to gather the necessary elements tomake that 3 bean casserole. The windows disk defragmentation tool can be accessed in:

Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Disk Defragmenter

Get into the habit of doing this at least once a week, as it will make a big difference in yoursystems performance.

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ScandiskDrive errors are usually minor problems that affect a tiny area of the hard drive preventingthe storage of data in that location. Bad sectors (unable to hold data), lost clusters(clusters on the hard drive that are perceived as being used, but aren’t), and cross-linkedfiles (two or more files that are trying to use a single cluster) are the most common errorsthat one might encounter on a hard drive. These errors are usually minor and can be easilyrepaired by running a simple disk management utility such as Windows Scandisk. RunningScandisk on a regular basis (once a week) will help to maintain the hard drive health andperformance as well as reducing the risk of a complete disk failure. To access Scandisk inWindows:

Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Scandisk

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Disk CleanupA disk loaded with unnecessary data will reduce the overall performance of the drive itself.Often, a hard drive gets loaded down with deleted or forgotten files that can collectivelycause the hard drive to work harder accessing the needed data. Running a disk cleanuputility will allow you to visually assess the drives content and select what does not need tobe kept on the hard drive. To access Windows disk cleanup utility:

Start/Program Files/Accessories/System Tools/Disk Cleanup

Navigating through the various cleanup options will allow you to not only clean outtemporary files, but also allow you to view the currently installed program files, and allowyou to delete and regain some disk space by clearing out what you don’t need or useanymore.

Back UpOne of the most overlooked and under considered facets of the computer world is back up.Nothing is worse than losing an entire project of songs in the blink of an eye, and althoughrecording audio with a computer has empowered the user with a whole new level of muscleand flexibility, it has also left the careless extremely vulnerable to disaster. There are somany cost efficient backup solutions available (CDR, Jaz, DVD RAM, ORB, Magneto Optical,Data Dat, Zip) that anyone recording data on a computer should be able to find a solutionthat will work for them.

In addition to the standard process of backing up, technology has also provided softwarelike Dantz’s Retrospect which will allow you to create a perfect copy of your hard drive init’s current functioning state. This is handy to restore your system back to its previous

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functioning condition if you experience corruption of Windows files or other extreme filefailure. There are a number of these utility programs available, so do some investigating.

Developing a backup routine is a discipline that is well rewarded the first time youaccidentally delete a group of tracks from a project or discover that an entire projectdirectory has become corrupt. Be smart, back up!

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6. Optimizing Your System

There are a number of optimization tips available for PC users, here are a few that aretested and proven. Obviously, with so many different configurations of PC systems in theworld, some of these tips will help tremendously, and some might not make a noticeabledifference. Try some experimenting to see which ones help you and your system.

Disable Write Behind CachingGo to the Control Panel and choose the SYSTEM icon. Next, click the Performance tab, thenthe File System. Now choose the Trouble Shooting tab. Select the last option, “Disable WriteBehind Caching For All Drives” and click OK. This forces Windows to write data immediatelyto disk rather than holding it in memory and writing it later. By disabling this function, youcan increase your performance a great deal, because the data is not being buffered beforegoing to the disk. This feature could be helpful if you have a very slow RPM hard drive, inthat it could buffer the data until the slower drive was able to “catch up”. The flip side tothis data buffering is a greatly increased processing delay.

Reducing Read Ahead OptimizationWhen the hard drive is accessing and retrieving data, it is able to grab some “extra”information that it views as sequentially necessary…basically, it figures you will need thenext packet of information in addition to the specific data you asked for. This can be helpfulif you are running only one application, but in the world of computer audio recording, youconstantly need a variety of information from different areas of the disk. If the system isretrieving data that it thinks you need, but don’t, this can slow your system downtremendously.

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Go to the Control Panel and choose the SYSTEM icon. Next, click the Performance tab, thenthe File System. Now choose the Hard Disk tab. Decrease the slider to the smallest setting.

Reducing the graphics acceleration. Right click “My Computer”, go to “Device Manager”, choose “Performance”, click on“Graphics”. You will find a sliding scale that will allow you to reduce the amount ofprocessor power dedicated to your graphics. Most audio programs do not require intensegraphic support, so you might try some experimenting here. Try moving the slider to theleft, if there is no improvement in your audio performance, slide it back to where it was setoriginally. Be sure to restart after making changes.

Make sure that DMA is activated for all IDE disk drivesRight click on “My Computer”, and go to Device Manager. Click on the + sign next to diskdrives. This will show you all of the IDE drives in your system. Double-click on each one, clickthe Settings tab, and check DMA. Doing this will activate the Direct Memory Access (DMA).If your hard drive supports DMA, activating this will make a huge difference.

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Turn off “Auto Insert Notification”When activated, this feature will automatically launch the contents of a CD-ROM when it isloaded into a CD-ROM drive. Convenient for most, but in the audio world this drawsunnecessary system resources away from the audio application by repeatedly checking theROM drive for newly inserted disks. Right click on “My Computer”, and go to DeviceManager. Click on the + sign next to CD-ROM. Double click on each device, and click theSettings tab, unchecking Auto Insert Notification.

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IRQs & Not playing nicely with others …….A PC uses a system of ID’s for all of the devices that function within the system. Each deviceis given an Interrupt Request number, or IRQ number. This is how the processor addresseseach of these elements. Occasionally, certain installed devices will end up with the same IRQ(IRQ sharing). A lot of the time this is not a problem, but certain devices require a lot ofattention…and simply cannot share.

Sound cards are usually the most problematic when they share IRQ numbers. They will bemore susceptible to IRQ related mayhem when they share numbers with 1. TV cards 2.Graphics cards 3. SCSI or additional IDE controllers 4. Internal modems or ISDN. There are afew ways to remedy IRQ sharing on a PC. The first, and less complicated of which is tophysically shift the installed PCI devices. When SCSI, sound, and other PCI cards are firstinstalled, Windows scans the PCI buss and assigns IRQ numbers automatically. By physicallymoving the cards, and rebooting, Windows will re-assign IRQ numbers. This procedure maytake a few tries to achieve the desired number allocation, but it is by far the least technicalsolution to basic IRQ conflicts.

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Although some devices can live harmoniously sharing IRQs, it is best to try andavoid it.

Don’t Use PCI slot #1 for your audio card.An AGP graphics slot will often share the same IRQ with the PCI slot next to it on themotherboard, as will the ISA slot. The rule of thumb here is to not put any high throughputcards (SCSI or audio cards) in the first or last PCI slot.

VcacheGo to your C drive, open the Windows folder, find SYSTEM.INI and double click on it. Scrolldown the listed information until you get to “MaxFileCacheSize” and “MinFileCacheSize”.The amount of Vcache is usually set higher than most audio applications need, and anexceptionally high amount of Vcache will actually slow your application down. Change thissetting to 16,000 for both the minimum and maximum values.

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Window’s Cluster SizesWhen you perform a standard FAT 32 partitioning of a drive, it will set up the directory with4K clusters. Using a program like Partition Magic will allow you to re-build the cluster sizesinto larger 32K chunks without losing data already on the drive. What this means in basicterms is, Windows will process information from the drive in larger portions. This translatesinto an increased amount of data that can be written to/from the drive with less effort fromyour system. Compare this adjustment to filling and emptying a 3 gallon bucket 1 ounce at atime instead of 12 ounces at a time.

Use a permanent Swap File.A Swap File, or “Virtual Memory” was created as a way to extend the limits of the installedRAM. When a system’s available memory is used up, Windows implements a system ofbuffering the oldest commands to a section of the hard drive, effectively allowing them totemporarily be “housed” until they are accessed again. The process of juggling thecommands from virtual memory to active memory is where the Swap File got its name.

Windows automatically allocates the amount of hard drive space dedicated to VirtualMemory. It creates what is referred to as a “Dynamic Swap File”, meaning that no dedicatedspace on the drive is allocated for the Swap. The benefit of this is that you will have moredrive space available for storage overall, but the bits of information that get put into theswap file can quickly become scattered all over the drive. Since Windows is putting this datawherever there is available space…it is actually increasing the amount of effort and time ittakes to retrieve this data.

The alternative is to set up a “Permanent Swap File”. This involves determining a setamount of hard drive space in a specific location on the drive, and putting the overflowdata there. Although you might not actually use all of the dedicated space for Swap

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functions, the drive will only have access a smaller, specific region of the drive…increasingthe overall performance of the drive, and subsequent Swap File function.The first step is to clear out the current Windows Virtual Memory settings. To access yourSwap File, go to:

Start/Settings/Control Panel/System/Performance/Virtual Memory

Check “Let me specify my own virtual memory settings”. At this point, click “Disable VirtualMemory”, next click “Ok”. At this point windows will give you a warning message, click“Yes” (This warning is there for those who accidentally change settings without knowingwhat they are doing). Select “close” to exit System Properties. At this point you will need toreboot your system.

Before new Swap files can be recognized and implemented, your drive must be de-fragmented:

Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Disk Defragmenter

After you have de-fragged the drive that the Swap File resides on, re-enter:

Start/Settings/Control Panel/System/Performance/Virtual Memory

At this point, uncheck “Disable Virtual Memory”. Now that you have cleared the system ofthe old Swap File settings, you must define the new settings. Set the minimum andmaximum size of your swap file to fixed values based on these calculations:

64 MB installed RAM = 128 MB Swap File128 MB installed RAM = 192 MB Swap File192 MB installed RAM (or higher) = 256 MB Swap File

*Note: Set the minimum and maximum to the same value.

An advanced trick used by many PC users, is to set up the Swap File on the outer portion ofthe hard drive’s surface, where the drive’s stylus can read up to 60% more information on a

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single rotation of the platter. Watch an LP spin on a turntable, and see how far the needletravels on the outer portion of the record vs. the inner section…a hard drive works exactlythe same way.

No USB, Serial, or Parallel Port devices? Shut Em’ Down !.If you are not using any devices on your USB, serial, or parallel ports in your setup, go to theBIOS and disable the them. If you don’t currently use them, closing them down will reduceadditional IRQ assignment and unnecessary accessing by the system buss. In many cases, thisis an easy way to resolve IRQ conflicts.

More than one is a crowdTurn off any programs that are set to load upon bootup. Often Windows will activate avariety of programs on startup (anti-virus, system monitoring, etc.). While convenient forthe standard PC enthusiast, this will draw extra processing power away from your audiorecording/playback. Go to Start/Run/ open MSCONFIG, and then select the Startup tab.Uncheck everything except for your System Tray. For reference before you do this, right clickon My Computer, choose Properties, and click on the Performance tab. Note your availablesystem resources before the preceding operation, and then when you have completed theprocess. It will more than likely result in the reclaiming of 10%-40% of your systemsavailable resources, resulting in a faster bootup, and improved performance.

The Computer’s RoleBy default, Windows will set the role of your computer as a “Desktop” computer. This is asafe, all encompassing setting for a general windows based computer. In dealing withdemanding hard disk I/O functions, and the huge audio data streaming through the system,it is necessary to shift a bit of the system’s muscle to handle this specific need. To changethis setting, right click on “My Computer” and choose “Properties”. Select the

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“Performance” tab, and next choose the “File System” tab. There is a box that will allowyou to change the role of your computer, change this to “Network Server”.

Highly accelerated graphics cardsUnlike modern 3D gaming, the computer audio world does not rely upon highly acceleratedgraphics. This being the case, it is not only unnecessary, but often detrimental to the overallperformance of your system due to the high demands of the card on system timing. Unlessyou are doing graphic intensive A/V production, going with a less accelerated graphics card(4-16 Mb of onboard RAM) will actually improve the performance of your audio specificsystem.

Display Bit DepthReducing the bit depth you are utilizing on your system will free up additional processingmuscle. Most audio programs do not need to be running 32 bit True Color, so try running 16bit High Color, or 24 bit True Color settings. As always, see what works and looks the bestfor particular situation. Right click anywhere on your desktop, select “Properties”, thenselect “Settings”. You will need to re-start after making changes.

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Screen savers and power managementAs a rule, don’t implement screen savers and power management functions. These featureswill consume resources at the most inopportune times. In general, try to avoid havinganything running in the background that can draw processing power away from theprimary objective…recording audio. This includes not only screen savers and powermanagement, but also virus protection and system monitoring.

ModemsHaving a modem on the PCI buss, especially a voice modem, can lead to conflicts andconfusion within some programs which may attempt to recognize the device as a soundcard. It is generally recommended that if you must have a modem on your DAW, that youutilize an external one that takes advantage of a serial connection. Another solution is todisable the device in the Device Manager when it is not being used.

Specify and SimplifyIf it is at all possible to set up a dedicated “audio only” system, this is most definitely themost preferable option. By limiting and controlling what goes into the computer hardwareand software wise, you will reduce the potential for conflicts and simplify the process oftroubleshooting any problems or conflicts that do arise. Many times hardware and softwarespecific to audio recording will not “play nicely with others”, and usually prefers to be theking of the sandbox. If it is at all possible, leave the gaming, Internet and other “homecomputing” needs to a separate system.