DAW Runn'n slow... Here's alil help...

[Noyzi]

I posted this in a thread for a few guys having vst issues and they thought I should offer the insite to everyone. I figured this was normal Daw prep stuff but grab these tips and I'll post more as we go... I hope these tips help....

1. Processor scheduling should be set to background services and not Programs.

Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance Settings > Advanced Tab > Background Services


2. Visual effects should be set to a minimum.

Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance Settings > Visual Effects Tab > Adjust for best performance


3. Switch Off Desktop Background Image

Right Click Desktop > Properties > Desktop Tab > Background None


4. Disable Screen Saver

Right Click Desktop > Properties > Screen Saver > None


5. Disable Fast User Switching

Start > Settings > Control Panel > User Accounts > Change the way users log on or off > Untick Use Fast User Switching


6. Switch Off Power Schemes

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Power Options > Always On > Turn off monitor and turn off hard discs to Never


7. Switch Off Hibernation

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Power Options > Hibernate > Untick Hibernation


8. Disable System Sounds

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Sounds Tab > Sound Scheme to None.


9. Do Not Map Through Soundcard

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Hardware Tab > (highlight your soundcard from the list) > Properties > Audio Devices > (highlight your soundcard from the list) > Properties, and check the "Do not map through this device" checkbox.


10. Disable System Restore

Start > Settings > Control Panel> System > System Restore Tab. Tick the "Turn off System Restore on all Drives"


11. Disable Automatic Updates

Switch off Automatic Updates by going to Control Panel, System, Automatic Updates and ticking the box labelled "Turn off automatic updating. I want to update my computer manually.".


12. Startup and Recovery Options

Right click My Computer and click on Properties > Advanced > Start Up & Recovery Settings and uncheck "Automatically Restart".


13. Disable Error Reporting

Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced TAB > Error Reporting > Click the Disable Error Reporting box (Tick the "But Notify Me When Critical Errors Occur" if you prefer)


14. Disable Remote Assistance

Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Remote > Untick "Allow Remote Assistance Invitations to be sent from this computer"


15. Fixed Swap File (Virtual Memory)

Select the Advanced tab of the Systems applet and then select the Performance settings button. Then select the Advanced page. In here it is possible to customise the Virtual Memory. For custom size, this is often recommended to be 1.5 to 2 times the amount of your total RAM for both initial and maximum size. Set this to a fixed minimum and maximum value according to your existing RAM


16. Speed Up Menus

You can use this tip to speed up the Start Menu in Windows XP. You can customize the speed of the Start Menu by editing a Registry Key. Click Start, and then click Run. Type Regedit in the box, and then click OK. Expand the menu in the left panel and select the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop folder. Scroll down in the right panel and double click on the MenuShowDelay file. In the Value Data box, change to default value for the menu speed from 400 to a lesser number, such as 1. Click OK.


17. Disable Offline Files

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Folder Options > Offline Files > Untick "Enable Offline Files"


18. Disable Remote Desktop

Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Remote > Untick "Allow users to connect remotely to this computer"


19. Disable Internet Synchronise Time

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Date and Time > Internet Time > Untick "Automatically synchronize with an internet time server"


20. Disable Hide Inactive Icons

Start > Settings > Taskbar and Start Menu > Taskbar TAB > Uncheck "Hide Inactive Icons"


21. Disable Automatic Desktop Cleanup Wizard

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Desktop > Customise Desktop > Untick "Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days"


22. Disable NTFS Last Access Time Logging (NTFS Only)

Start > Run > regedit > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CURRENTCONTROLSET > CONTROL > FILESYSTEM Add a new DWORD value - "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate" (without quotes) and set the value to 1. Then reboot to make changes effective


23. Disable Notification Area Balloon Tips

Click Start , click Run , type regedit , and then press ENTER. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced Right-click the right pane, create a new DWORD value, and then name it EnableBalloonTips . Double-click this new entry, and then give it a hexadecimal value of 0 . Quit Registry Editor. Log off Windows, and then log back on.


24. Disable CDROM Autoplay

One of the very important (and well documented) tweaks in Windows 98SE, was to disable CDROM autoplay (auto insert notification). Disabling CDROM autoplay no longer offers a significant performance benefit in Windows XP, and therefore you do not need to disable it. Just don't insert a CD during a crucial recording.

However, if you really want to disable it then here a few different methods.

Method 1

Start > Run > Regedit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom

Set autorun to 0.

Method 2

Open My Computer Right Click on each CDROM and choose Properties Click on the Auto Play tab In the drop down box you can choose the Action for each choice shown in the drop down box

Method 3

Go to Start->Run->gpedit.msc Computer Config -> Administrative Template -> System Double click Turn off Autoplay Enable it.

[Noyzi]

bumping for my post history...

[logic7]

yeah... nice copy/paste job there...


... However, in 2009, these issues are pretty much a moot point. I can see if you're still using a P3 class processor, or to a lesser degree a P4 class joint, but in this age of multi-core processors, a sh_tload of RAM, and GPU's with more RAM than the average PC did only 5 years ago, none of that stuff even matters any more.

Even with my sorely outdated machine (Athlon XP 2500+), I don't have to do any of that stuff to get good performance out of it.

[WhiteKidsLoveHipHop]

yeah... nice copy/paste job there...

I agree, credit should be given to where he took all that from, unless it was all composed by himself.

[Mr.Bytch Killa]

I can see if you're still using a P3 class processor, or to a lesser degree a P4 class joint,

Exactly...

I fall right int that cagtegory right now....so this info will benefit me no doubt.....

I already did several of the Tips last night and i can tell the difference.....This is just for now though....

I about to start looking for MOBO that will kick azz....


I do agree that if he copy/paste this info....He's out of line....

He could at least put it in his own words.....

Then it would have bee Kool....



I still got some more of the tips too change on my DAW in the making....









Stay Up






BKster

[Noyzi]

i did copy and paste...I helped a guy...he said thx,you should post in a thread...i said... I think i will, people could use this... Now your here...this is for those who might need it. Not everyone is up to date PC wise...I didn't go dual core till this year cause of these tricks I posted in this very thread... it's good to see you like to speak for yourself though... If anyone needs them they'll be there for them man... in all there copy and pasted splender... thx for the mute point

to rewrite is to waist time man... were here to help each other not write a thesis... sorry if I didn't help the right way but if you used them like I did thats whats up... don't thx me, thx google cause I compiled them from various sites and bloggs. I'm no geek but I'm not a lame either... I'm not writing a link section to a thread...you sound like a boozie cat.


Use 'em FP....they work... Or google and refind them all to satisfy your peers ego's...

Please help us Eradicate Pussification....thx

[JimbaFrosty]

this is good information and aplys to all PC systems no matter what ur using smh good job sharing information no matter where it came from

[logic7]

There are problems with this list, even with older PC's. I'll break down the outdated stuff and WHY it's outdated.

1. Processor scheduling should be set to background services and not Programs.

Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance Settings > Advanced Tab > Background Services

NEVER change this setting unless you want your application of choiuce to run a lot slower!

Setting this to "Programs" allocates more of your CPU cycles to the program running in the foreground.

Setting this to "Background Services" equally distributes CPU cycles to the running app as well as background services (print spooler, antivirus, etc).

With this setting on "Programs", your DAW will get more processing power allocated to it. Changing this was NEVER a good idea.

3. Switch Off Desktop Background Image

Right Click Desktop > Properties > Desktop Tab > Background None

No longer necessary.

Back when video cards had 2-8MB, this would have been something you would do to save clock cycles if your video card had crap drivers or offloaded part of the screen redraw back on your CPU. The myth is that it saves RAM. On an 8MB card, your frame buffer was typically 4MB, with the remaining 4MB for texture storage. At a resolution of 1024x768 and 32bit color, your wallpaper image would take up just over 3MB of your frame buffer. This ALSO holds true if you're using NO wallpaper. It doesn't matter what you have displayed, you're going to use the same amount of FB RAM even if you have "no" wallpaper. In some cases, video chipsets had such horrible 2D performance and even worse drivers that redrawing wallpapers could affect overall performance.

This is no longer the case, as even a 16MB or 32MB card from 10 years ago can handle this easily, with drivers robust enough that such things won't affect performance at all.

8. Disable System Sounds

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Sounds Tab > Sound Scheme to None.

No longer necessary.

The reason you do this is because you have very limited RAM. Those system sounds are loaded into RAM at startup and they stay there so they can be played instantly. A machine with 2GB RAM has more than enough to spare... Hell, a machine with 512MB RAM has more than enough when running XP.

12. Startup and Recovery Options

Right click My Computer and click on Properties > Advanced > Start Up & Recovery Settings and uncheck "Automatically Restart".

I'm not at all saying don't do this, in fact, I would really like it if M$ did away with this all together. If you ever have a system crash, leaving this checked means you'll never know why. You'll crash and the machine will reboot without you ever seeing the blue screen message. If you crashed due to hardware failure, your machine may end up in a never ending cycle of crash and reboots.


I can live with the rest of the list. Most of that stuff is still necessary when fine tuning your machine.

[Beats_BANG!]

right on for the tips. The virtual memory thing is what I've been needing, Waves Plugins keep crashing Acid Pro, saying there isn't enough virtual memory. wtf?

[Noyzi]

There are problems with this list, even with older PC's. I'll break down the outdated stuff and WHY it's outdated.




NEVER change this setting unless you want your application of choiuce to run a lot slower!

Setting this to "Programs" allocates more of your CPU cycles to the program running in the foreground.

Setting this to "Background Services" equally distributes CPU cycles to the running app as well as background services (print spooler, antivirus, etc).

With this setting on "Programs", your DAW will get more processing power allocated to it. Changing this was NEVER a good idea.




No longer necessary.

Back when video cards had 2-8MB, this would have been something you would do to save clock cycles if your video card had crap drivers or offloaded part of the screen redraw back on your CPU. The myth is that it saves RAM. On an 8MB card, your frame buffer was typically 4MB, with the remaining 4MB for texture storage. At a resolution of 1024x768 and 32bit color, your wallpaper image would take up just over 3MB of your frame buffer. This ALSO holds true if you're using NO wallpaper. It doesn't matter what you have displayed, you're going to use the same amount of FB RAM even if you have "no" wallpaper. In some cases, video chipsets had such horrible 2D performance and even worse drivers that redrawing wallpapers could affect overall performance.

This is no longer the case, as even a 16MB or 32MB card from 10 years ago can handle this easily, with drivers robust enough that such things won't affect performance at all.



No longer necessary.

The reason you do this is because you have very limited RAM. Those system sounds are loaded into RAM at startup and they stay there so they can be played instantly. A machine with 2GB RAM has more than enough to spare... Hell, a machine with 512MB RAM has more than enough when running XP.




I'm not at all saying don't do this, in fact, I would really like it if M$ did away with this all together. If you ever have a system crash, leaving this checked means you'll never know why. You'll crash and the machine will reboot without you ever seeing the blue screen message. If you crashed due to hardware failure, your machine may end up in a never ending cycle of crash and reboots.


I can live with the rest of the list. Most of that stuff is still necessary when fine tuning your machine.

If your system crashes during recording or production then the problem is more than likely due to too much CPU usage. When your making beats...FREEZE your channels as you go and produce the beat at 44100 then change to 48000 or 64000 before you export/bounce your tracks... If your recording vocalz then you need to learn to chain your effect to save on the number of plugins you use... Crashes in DAWs are like changing baby diapers, you just have to deal with it. Making that change is up to whoever but I found it to be not an issue as long as your using something like CachemanXP to monitor your CPU and RAM usage. Running blind is the problem with not being able to avoid crashes, Not necessarly finding out what a blue screen says. Again though, it's totally up to the user ofcoarse but there's blogg after blogg of all that online.