How many of you using XP + SP2 for serious audio production?

tomperson · Post by **tomperson** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 2:17 am

Hi all,
I'll be reinstalling my main DAW soon. Up to now I have it with Windows XP Sp1 and a few updates, because when XP SP2 just got out I heard of so many incompatibilities with it and audio software.

I wonder, is it safe nowadays to install XP with SP2 and use audio apps? How many of you are using SP2 in machines that are for serious audio production?

Thanks guys!

atomic · Post by **atomic** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 3:18 am

My system is sp2 and it is fine for the most part. No abnormal problems I dont think due to windows. But who rely knows mabe render would work better if i did not use sp2.

timothyallan · Post by **timothyallan** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 3:45 am

I just did the move to SP2 a couple months ago. Works like a treat and I use heaps of plugins...

-tim

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:53 am

My router doesn't work with sp2 for some reason - so I'm on sp1, no problems here.

Airbase · Post by **Airbase** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 6:23 am

Never had any troubles with sp2.

Anubis · Post by **Anubis** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 6:38 am

no trouble here either

MrYellow · Post by **MrYellow** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 6:49 am

SP2 is generally a security patch not really an application fix.

My guess is that some of the new features, like the thing that stops buffer
overflows, "could" be hit on CPU, but surely nothing really heavy.

I still haven't installed it as there is a huge list of software that doesn't
work with it and I just don't see the point seeing as u can now get all the
security patches for SP1 anyway.

-Ben

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 7:03 am

I tested sp2 in the performance test for v4, and it did reduce the cpu load from 29 to 27 percent or something.

amo · Post by **amo** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 7:58 am

I do too with no problems.

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:54 am

Yep, been using XP with SP2 since it came out. ABsolutely no problems with it. In fact, with the improved security in SP2 I now rely on the Windows fiewall and have removed ZoneAlarm, which was a system drain. So things are working better here with SP2.

Martin Walker wrote a helpful article in SOS about this, and recommended that there are no issues with SP2.

tomperson · Post by **tomperson** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 12:23 pm

Thanks guys...Exactly, this is why I wanted SP2 because every now and then I HAVE to connect to internet with my DAW, I cannot avoid that, and SP2 has a built in firewall...

THANKS AGAIN!!!

montrealbreaks · Post by **montrealbreaks** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:08 pm

Personally, I'm using SP1, only because things seem to be working... I don't like fixing things that ain't broken.

Whatever works for you though...

Martyn · Post by **Martyn** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 10:28 pm

No probs here either.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Mon Aug 15, 2005 10:45 pm

I've used SP2 for a while, and I've always kept up with the latest critical updates. However, I run my DAW with most services turned off, and tuned with MusicXP and Black Viper settings. Works really well.

However, to respond to your usage, my setup is with two PCs. My desktop is connected to the internet and has a firewall running on it, and it's not the WinXP firewall, which I've heard is crap.

Luckily, my motherboard has two ethernet ports, both gigabit. I run a cat6 cable from the unused ethernet to my laptop which is my DAW. This enables me to grab files off the internet as needed on my desktop and then transfer to my DAW. When I need to, I can internet share my desktop's net connection with my laptop, so I can get for example Ableton updates onto my DAW. And I can also do interesting experiments like Wormhole, FX Teleport, and Systemlink. Not that I do, but it's nice to be able to

tomperson · Post by **tomperson** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 2:21 pm

Yo, what is Black Viper???