1 Topic by dankast (edited by dankast 2011-02-16 18:31:45)

  • Registered: 2010-10-28
  • Posts: 10

Topic: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

Hello friends,


    These days I was trying to build a new DAW and I've discovered a lot of issues regarding DAW configurations, like compatibility of hardware, OS, and many others.
So I´ve decided to ask everybody in this forum to share their DAW specs and describe if it works fine, or not.

    That way, everyone that needs to upgrade their DAW will have a database to a good start.

    I'll compile all the users specs and will make a database of the best systems. So I'll need that everyone describe their system as detailed as possible. Like Mobo; Processor; RAM; video card; audio card; OS; recording and mixing software; PCI audio cards; etc.... everything that you think it's important in your DAW. And the most important if the system is good, or it has some issues.

   I'll start with mine:

FF800
Processor:AMD  Athlon 64 X2 2,21Ghz
MOBO: ASUS A8N-SLI Premium
RAM: 4GB kingston
Video: Nvidia 6600GT
OS: Win 7 64 bits
Software: Cubase 5

   My DAW was good, but now it has a lot of problems with DCP latency. I'm having a lot of drops, clicks when recording so I want to change it. Running it on WIN XP 64 I've got better results.

       I'll appreciate if everybody, that's reading this forum, share their specs. It will be very usefull for everyone (everybody will upgrade their DAW one day). I don't know why RME forum didn't do it before.

Thanks a lot!!!

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,776

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

I've recently set up a W7 64 system with an Intel DP55KG board, an i7 870, 4 GB RAM, and a fanless ATI Radeon 5450 graphics card. Only tested the FF400 so far, but it works very well, even when setting up multitrack projects with a CPU load close to 100% :-O
Using the internal TI based FW connection as-is, i.e. without switching to "legacy".

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2010-10-28
  • Posts: 10

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

Thanks Daniel for your prompt answer.

I hope more users can reply this post.

I'll be very helpfull if RME forum make some kind of post like that on the Tips ans Tricks. So when someone wants to upgrade their DAW, they can choose from some PC configurations that really works!!


Thanks again.

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

The most prominent culprit are the NVidia drivers for several of their cards. These cause audio dropouts. Next comes things like (W)LAN, USB and whatnot. Last but not least several DAW applications still use wrong CPU priorities and thus compete with W7 Aero/DWM for the same priorities.

It's also a generally good idea to get rid of any Speedstep like power-saving mechanisms or at least test their impact.

All too much and complicated? Either stay with your working rig/OS or pay an expert to configure these things for you. tongue

  • Registered: 2010-10-28
  • Posts: 10

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

Thanks Timur for your advice. It's not complicated I can handle, but I need some expert advices.

Unfortunately we musicians and music lovers expend our value time handling with DAW configurations problems and a lot of stuff insted off our music. I prefer expend my time doing my music than researching for a DAW that works.

It's a big pain in the **** when you want to simply record and the stuff doesn't work.

So, I really need your  expert advices.

About the video card do you think that radeon it's a good choice!??
Which DAW apps that you were referring off??

And Timur, how about your DAW specs??? Can you share it???

Thanks again.




Now I want to buy a new DAW and I'm asking everyone to share their experience. Because I want to buy at least something that works well.

  • Registered: 2010-10-28
  • Posts: 10

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

Can't believe that no one have posted in this topic!!!!!

I don't understand!!!!

Everyone, someday, will need to upgrade their DAW and I thought that everybody will post, because in the future they will may need to use this topic to help them. But it seems that they don't care at all.

I'm very disapointed...

Hope that people can change their minds and start posting their DAW specs.

7 Reply by kasaudio (edited by kasaudio 2011-02-16 01:14:33)

  • Registered: 2007-06-16
  • Posts: 214

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

Ok, I'll be the first.

FF800 x 2
HP EliteBook 8730w
procesor: intel centrino duo T9600
graphics: nvidia fx27000m
ram: 4GB
FW controler: Ricoh
OS: XP 32 bit, win7 32 bit
Software: Custom made, asio based

XP:

Till yesterday I used win XP. Perfect performance, but it took half a year to achieve it. Flawless audio streaming @ 48kHz & 96 samples. Wlan, bluetooth, etc. enabeld while running FF800.

win 7:

Trying hard over a year to get the system properly running with win 7. It seems I somehow succeeded. Legacy driver should be used. Poor DPC performance compared to XP but it seems it does not affect ff800 a lot. Had a lot of problems with wlan (windows update installed old driver, with the latest much better) and graphics. But with legacy driver for FW no problems with nVidia anymore. So after all it's working. Who will know... Time will show.

Everyone, someday, will need to upgrade their DAW and I thought that everybody will post, because in the future they will may need to use this topic to help them. But it seems that they don't care at all.

I'm very disapointed...

I agree with you. People don't care, if they don't see immediate profit.

  • Registered: 2010-10-28
  • Posts: 10

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

Thanks kasaudio.

You proved to me that there are still good souls in the world, people who really make a difference.

I think that people don't post because maybe they are lazy, or in a hurry.

I hope more good souls, like you, may post their specs.

Thanks again,

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

I'm using a Macbook Pro 17" both with OS X and bootcamped Windows 7 64-bit. The main culprit is the NVidia driver with this specific GPU (330M). I cannot recommend ATI as a whole branch, because I don't know if there are problematic driver<->GPU issues or not with ATI.

That's why people like ADK audio earn their living with setting up these things.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,776

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

Timur wrote:

That's why people like ADK audio earn their living with setting up these things.


Can't stress that enough...


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

11 Reply by Khazul (edited by Khazul 2011-02-16 23:20:11)

  • Registered: 2010-07-11
  • Posts: 47

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

System: custom built PC:
RME audio interface: Using on-board firewire port (TI chipset) to RME UFX, have had an FF400 on here as well in the past.
OS: Windows 7/64 bit
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X58a-UD3R
Memory: 6GB 1600Mhz memory (cant remember the make - one of the good ones - patriot maybe) ?
CPU: intel i7/930 @ 4GHz (Quad core + HT - 8 virtual cores).
Hard discs: WD velocity raptor (300GB 10,000 RPM, SATA 2 to onboard SATA 2 port) for OS and applications, WD caviar (1TB 7,200 RPM, SATA 3 to onboard SATA 3 port) for audio projects and sample data etc. Bunch of other internal drives for short term backups and other stuff.
Main audio applications/tools: Ableton Live 8.2.1, Cubase 6/32 bit and Cubase 6 64bit, Reason 5, Record 1.5, Traktor Pro
USB: onboard intel USB2 + onboard non-intel USB3.
GPX: Saphire Vapor-X ATI Radeon 5770 - only worthy of a mention for those who might need fast quiet graphics.
Creative X-Fi pci-e card for windows audio / media etc.
Other connected stuff -
NI Audio 8 DJ and NI Audio 1K connected via USB - both work great at low latency as well as allowing Live and Traktor to even share channels (not just share on different channels wink).
Virus TI via USB.
Edirol UM880 via USB.

Couple of teething issues with the UFX (only arrived day before yesterday), but its done a full day of production today with no hiccups, so looking good.

Machine is used for daily office hours production and been completely reliable for several months now - and very very fast smile

  • Registered: 2010-10-28
  • Posts: 10

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

Thanks Khazul,

You made a excellent job describing your DAW!!!!

One question: why do you installed the 32 and 64 versions of cubase 6??? To use some plugins that doesn't load on 64 version?!?!

thanks

  • Registered: 2010-07-11
  • Posts: 47

Re: Building a DAW database (share your DAW specs)

Sorry - keep forgetting I need to actively subscribe to topics here smile

I had a few wierd instances were the 32 bit plugin bridge shutdown in Cubase 6/64 (in particular when enabling control room feature, so might be normal behaviour?), so decided to install the 32 bit version as well just for reliability as I dont allways need the extra memory that 64 bit yields unless running alot of memory hungry sample players (Kontakt/Omnisphere/Trillian etc).

Both of them seem happy to be installed - the only thing to watch for is making sure that each version only has the right version of plugins enabled, for example with fabfilter you might end up with 4 of everything (VST2, VST3 and 32 and 64 bit version of each), so I had to go through diabling the VST2 versions and making sire only the 64 bit version was enabled in C6/64.