MusicXP.net - Tuning Windows XP for Audio/Music Applications

Hardware Tips

Memory

Microsoft state that XP needs at least 64MB to run, and that the recommended amount is 128MB.

I would recommend at least 256MB for an "entry level" audio system and 512MB if you are considering a more serious setup.Also consider that the memory configuration you set up initially could limit your options and cost you more in the long run. There are only so memory slots in a motherboard and if you buy say, two sticks of 256MB then you've used up two slots. You'd be better considering getting 1 x 512MB stick. Buy your memory carefully and shop around for the best deals and brands.

If you are planning on running lots of memory intensive vsti's e.g. The Grand or HALion/Kontakt loaded up with samples, etc., or lots of audio tracks, then start with 1GB and consider 2GB.

Check your motherboard to make sure you buy compatible memory.

NTFS or FAT32?

I get many emails each day in connection with which file system to use with Windows XP on an audio PC. Some audio users claim that FAT32 is better, whilst others claim better performance and higher reliability when using NTFS.

Many people will recommend FAT32 as the preferred option (probably because they are more familiar with it), but the reality is that both NTFS and FAT32 have their strengths and weaknesses, and the truth is that each will give similar disc performance and reliability when configured properly.

I have tried both, and have detected no noticeable performance difference between NTFS and FAT32 to date. However, I have to say that Windows XP does appear to respond faster and perform disc I/O operations faster with both file systems.

Some Logic Audio users have reported playback delays (>3 seconds) when using FAT32 on Windows XP, which can be resolved by simply switching to NTFS. This is actually a well documented problem. Try doing a search on the Sound On Sound forums for more details on this issue.

The bottom line is that if you are only running Windows XP on your computer, then you should consider using NTFS on all of your discs, as NTFS is the native file system for XP and 2000. NTFS is self repairing and much less susceptible to data corruption, which makes CHKDSK a thing of the past - even with improper shutdowns.

However, if you are dual-booting and have Windows 9x in addition toWindows XP, then you will need to use FAT32 or a combination of FAT32 and NTFS, i.e. so that all operating systems can see all discs (only 2000 and XP are compatible with NTFS).

Another situation where NTFS is better than FAT32 is with larger discs (>32GB). FAT performance tends to decrease with larger discs, whilst NTFS is more consistent. Fragmentation of the disc is also reduced when using NTFS as the XP operating system tries to keep files contiguous.

Converting your discs from FAT32 to NTFS using XP is very straightforward, using the convert command, although be careful as I have heard reports that this can result in cluster sizes of 512 bytes. The process will convert "unmounted" discs (i.e. audio), whilst you are running XP. If you want to convert your XP system disc, then the conversion will take place when you next restart XP.

If you do decide to format your discs with NTFS, then you won't be able to see these discs at all if you boot to DOS. This can be quite confusing at first, especially if you have got into the habit of using FDISK to prepare you discs. FDISK does not work fully with NTFS. Instead, your disc preparation is done as part of the XP install procedure or you can move things around within XP after you have installed it.

You can find further reading on this subject here and also at the Microsoft website.

Processor

As far as processors are concerned, anything less than an Intel PIII-1Ghz (or equivalent) will probably be sluggish when running Windows XP, so consider getting a faster CPU.

Graphics Card

An AGP Graphics Card with 32MB of memory is the preferred option over a PCI graphics card for audio applications. If you think you are having problems with your graphics card, try downloading the latest drivers from the relevant manufacturers website. If this doesn't solve the problem, then try reducing the colour depth to 16 or 24 bit instead of 32 bit. Also consider getting a dual head card, so that you can use two monitors, ie. Matrox G450/550. For example, you could have Cubase SX arrange window on one monitor and the mixer/vsti's on the other.

Hard Discs (EIDE, SCSI or SATA?)

Use a separate hard disc for your system disc and for your audio disc.

Your first choice should be whether to go for IDE, SCSI or SATA.

If you are planning to use your DAW only in a home or project studio, then I would say that SCSI is just too expensive and doesn't really offer any real value for money.

Modern ATA66/100/133 EIDE drives and SATA 150 drives are most certainly adequate in terms of performance.

Some EIDE and SATA drives can even match the top SCSI performance for single user machines.

With support for the ATA100/133 interface and ATA 150, the new generation of IDE and SATA drives are extremely fast.

When buying your EIDE or SATA discs, make sure that you go for a spin speed of 7,200rpm and a seek time of at least 10ms. Try to stick to well known brandnames like Quantum, IBM, Maxtor, Seagate and Western Digital.

The other advantage behind EIDE and SATA is that it will mean one less PCI controller card in your PC (if your motherboard doesn't have onboard SCSI).

For a complete assessment and comparison between SCSI and IDE for DAW application follow this excellent link at www.prorec.com

In addition, http://www.storagereview.com/ is an extremely informative website, and is certainly worth reading. In particular, read the "Leaderboard" on this site for informed opinions of the best hard drives in each classification.

There have been some reports of lower than expected disc performance when using XP with Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) hard discs formatted as NTFS. Microsoft have acknowledged this problem and will be releasing a fix in the next service pack. In the interim, they have provided a downloadable solution, which can be found here - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q308219

IRQ's

If you have one of the more modern motherboards with APIC (Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller) capabilities, then it is likely that all of your PCI devices will have separate IRQ's, if you have installed Windows XP as an ACPI computer.

If you have an APIC capable motherboard, then it is recommended that APIC is selected in the BIOS, as opposed to PIC and that you do an ACPI install of XP. Typically, the number of interrupts will increase from 16 (actually 15 as IRQ 2 is reserved for PIC linking) to 24 with APIC and ACPI.

Formatting

When formatting your your hard discs, it is worth knowing that the cluster size can play an important part in the overall efficiency of disc performance (I/O).

Data from hard discs is read one cluster (allocation unit) at a time. This would mean that a disc with 4KB clusters would read 4KB at a time. Therefore, a 128KB file would require 32 separate discs I/O's. If the same file was stored on a disc that had been formatted with 64KB clusters, then only 2 discs I/O's would be necessary.

This is a very general and simplistic explanation of cluster sizes, but as a general rule of thumb if you plan to store many "smaller" files on a hard disc (your system discs), then it is probably better to let XP automatically determine the best cluster size for the disc. On the other hand, your audio disc will probably have fewer "larger" files (WAV files, typically 10MB per minute for stereo 16bit 44.1khz), so it may be better to increase the cluster size and override the assumption that XP makes when formatting.

There are other factors that need to be considered when deciding upon cluster size, so I suggest that you do a search on the internet for further information, and then experiment with your cluster sizes yourself, to find the best setting for your setup.

You may not find the disc performance differences associated with different cluster sizes earth-shattering (if at all), but I believe that everything, however small, can make a difference.

There are a number of ways of reformatting your hard discs in XP, but remember to back up your data first! One way, is to do it via the Administrative tools (Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disc Management). If you right click on the partition you want to format, then a window will pop up allowing you to select the file system and the allocation unit size.

Sound Card

If you're serious about the audio applications on your PC, then you must get a good soundcard. Consider how many simultaneous inputs/outputs you will need. It is also absolutely crucial to get a card that is supplied with very good and regularly updated drivers. Low latency Windows XP ASIO drivers (V2) are something to look out for if you intend to use the card with any ASIO compatible applications in a Windows XP environment.

Network Cards

Some network cards (3Com Ethernet) can cause "crackles" with audio. If you are experiencing problems related to this, then it may be worth disabling the network card. You can disable the network card in the device manager.

It is also an option to consider setting up separate hardware profiles in XP so that you can configure your devices and services according to how the PC will be used.

Defragment Often

As a final thought to this section, remember to defragment your discs frequently (system and audio) to get the best I/O performance. Regularly degragmented hard discs will also take less time to defragment if done frequently.

As previously mentioned, NTFS fragments less with XP than FAT32. However, it is still important to defragment regularly with both file systems.