Hi,
Make sure you setup your BIOs before installing Windows.
Disable the Blue Tooth.
Make sure your OS drive and audio drives are on the Intel controller not the Marvell or JMicron.
Just use the those controllers for external Esata and storage drives.
Only install the latest versions of the UEFI and BIOS flash utility stuff not any of the other ASUS software.

Here is what settings I would use from looking at the manual using the Windows UEFI software. Your best off not settings the memory aggressively. In the long stability will be better then the minor speed jump.

You will need to use the Advanced Menu.

AI Tweaker -

Leave setting on Auto or the default except-
Intel Speed Step = Disable
Turbo Mode = Disable
This will prevent any auto overclocking and under clocking. Stability over speed or power savings.
C1E, C3, C6 states = Disabled

System Agent Configuration

Initiate Graphics Adapter = PCIe/ PCI (Assuming you are using a video card not the on board iGPU. If so the use {iGPU}).
iGPU = 128meg (If you're using the on board video.)

SATA Configuration -

SATA mode - AHCI or Raid. (If you already installed the OS then DO NOT change this or you will need to re-install windows!)
The best performance will be with AHCI.

On Board Device Configuration -
HD Audio Controller = Disabled
Bluetooth Controller = Disabled
Marvel Storage Controller = AHCI mode
JMB Storage Controller = Enabled
Intel PXE OPROM= Disabled
ASmedia USB Battery Charge = Disabled

It also looks from the manual that PCIeX1_2 slot will be disabled. It would seem from the way it is written that AUTO would be the best mode and just use the 3rd 16x slot or either of the 1x slots.

Thanks Chris

Hi,

I think the JMicron is the Esata. Which ever one is the ESATA I would leave on and set to AHCI. The other you can turn off until you need the drive ports.

That is incorrect information. The Intel HD Graphics chip is a video card juts built into the motherboard. It is slower and uses more system resources than a dedicated video card with it's own memory. The current ATI/AMD 5000 and 6000 series card work well for audio and work great with dual monitor setups.
The Intel doe snot work well at all with a dual monitor setup.

I use Paragon Hard Disk Manager Suite for Automatically backing up my OS and a scheduled back of my project drive. To external USB drives. I use 2 drives in Raid 0 for a samples drive.
Switching the drive controller from AHCI or IDE to Raid will most likely mean you will need to install Windows. If you set the drive controller to Raid from the get go you get all the benefits of AHCI as well as being able to create a Raid array at some point if you needed too.

These are newer features on the Z68 chip set. AFAIK they are not effecting audio so i would leave at their default state.

This system should be fast as hell. This will be faster than the single socket Mac Pro.
The z68 is still very new so there are bound to be a few minor hiccups.

Here is the nest resource for installing and tweaking Windows 7 for audio use IMHO.
He has very good advice in general about using and maintaining your computer.
http://www.tweakhound.com/2011/07/27/2460/
http://www.tweakhound.com/windows7/tweaking/index.html

If you will need to use this machine as a home computer as well as an audio system then you will absolutely need to install a Antivirus program and keep it up to date and the real time protection enabled.
Microsoft Security Essentials is the best free AV.
ESET Smart Security is the best paid AV.

Windows 7 already comes with a bunch of useful stuff so pretty much all you need is Adobe Acrobat, Flash and Apple Quicktime.

Thanks Chris

I download all updates etc. with another machine. I never use windows update as it is mostly security updates. I do install the service packs (SP1 for win7)'

Id also like to ask about the behringer ada8000s. Ive been getting some flack about using those in my rig but after putting together my pc and buying the interface, financially that was the only option for converters i could go with. It just seemed like a good way to keep my system easily upgradeable. The Raydat was something that i really wanted to go with and great converters are out of my price range at the moment. Even though, will i still be able to achieve great recordings with them?

I havent setup my whole system yet. I just recieved my ada8000's from ups about 10 minutes ago so im about to start setting up my computer and then the software and hardware. I hope i can get this together without any issues. Im a little nercous since this is my first build. My main concern is getting my computer setup for maximum performance with stability. The build wasnt too bad but now optimizing is going to give me a headache, ha!

If I run my raydat in the pcie 2.0 x16_3 slot (black) on asus p8z68 v pro gen three would that improve the performance of the interface? I really am confused to which slot to use. Wouldn't i want to go with the slot that goes to southbridge so there is no interference?

would that be the the pcie 3.0/2.0 x16_2 slot [grey](at x8mode)?

That's why I'm asking these questions. I was just wondering if a certain slot would have any irq conflicts or if a certain slot would have a faster transfer rate. I have never used pcie before and wasn't sure if any had a faster direct access to the CPU. Just trying to straighten out the the learning curve. Thank you for the help

I leaned towards the CPU's dedicated PCIe lanes (the x16_2 on most SB MoBo's) for the "Feel Good" factor of knowing it (the PCIe interface) hits the CPU directly (not via QPI/DMI and the secondary Chipset).  So: "On-Die" PCIe > CPU > Integrated memory controller > CPU > Back out to the "On-Die" PCIe.  The PCIe traffic only hits the secondary chipset to read/write to the HD (so "realtime monitoring" never leaves the CPU and RAM to hit the chipset that I'm aware).

But as I did mention in my post, I can't really see any PCIe choice as being detrimental since the added latencies involved are magnitudes lower than the base sample rate of digital audio (generally 100MHz).  The trip from PCIe Input > Chipset > QPI/DMI > CPU > Memory Controller > CPU > QPI/DMI > Chipset > PCIe Output is not likely to have any appreciable effect on realtime Audio Latency or system efficiency and scaling, but I would like to do some tests to confirm or dispel this either way (if only I had time).  I believe the higher I/O cards (MADI) would be more likely to show any deviations, but I doubt it will be measurable in the form of more plug-ins or lower latency w/o popping, etc.

Has anyone done extensive testing either way?  I'd love to see some concrete comparisons as proof with some high I/O MADI cards in a busy project using realtime monitoring at 32-Samples ASIO (my usual M.O.).  Sounds like a benchmarking project for Vin :-P

Hi,
They all get installed on your OS drive in their default install locations.
For Addictive drums and EZ drummer you can install the sample content to one of the 1TB drives.

You may also be able to do that with the content from FL Studio.
Al the other programs need to go on the OS drive in their default locations.

One 1tb drive should be for your Audio projects. The other should for sample content libraries and general storage.

Thanks Chris

HI,
Correct.

If they are a standalone utility like DPC latency monitor and do not have an installer then they can go anywhere.

Chris

Hi,
Just follow the advice on the Tweakhounds page I linked to back a few posts and you will fine.

Chris