Crashing PC on stage

Laura_Live · Post by **Laura_Live** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:37 pm

Hi there,

yesterday my computer crashed in front of 2500 people.

What do you people do to prevent this?

Cooling spray
Cooling pad

Getting a mac is a marketing lie in my oppinion

Please help

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:40 pm

For me - a Mac, a backup Mac (which I haven't needed yet), and two iPod backups. Also plenty of rehearsal seamlessly transitioning between backups.

There are plenty of folks with reliable PCs, though. But whatever you use, IMO some sort of backup is essential, especially if you're a professional and your job relies on it (or you just don't like looking stupid in front of lots of people... been there... done that...

)

The Mysterious Flying Pum · Post by **The Mysterious Flying Pum** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:40 pm

Wow shit !
What's your computer?
What did you do?

3dot... · Post by **3dot...** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:41 pm

a cd player

Laura_Live · Post by **Laura_Live** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:43 pm

Vaio Fs 195 XP

1 GB Ram

1,7 GHz centrino

Blue Screen of Death

in a LARGE concert hall

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:45 pm

I'm sorry to hear that.

Fact of the matter is that many have bought vaios believing them to be the high-end of pcs, only to find out that they are definitely not the most stable of computers.

iPod backup thing and a synth... any synth... hooked up straight to the front of house.

Laura_Live · Post by **Laura_Live** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:48 pm

What are the best and most reliable PC notebooks then? I just have to buy a new one. cause I am going on tour soon/

andydes · Post by **andydes** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:52 pm

Ten quid says the next person to reply says mac.

pepezabala · Post by **pepezabala** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:57 pm

Maybe you should check a little on the conditions that made your machine go blue.

Did you use a new combination of software, drivers, hardware ?

I heard about computers freaking out due to vibrations. Some stages are built on subwoofers, that might be a reason.

pepezabala · Post by **pepezabala** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:59 pm

andydes wrote:Ten quid says the next person to reply says mac.

ten quid?

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:06 pm

Mac... PC... irrelevant, really.

It's more how you use it and the backup you'll use when it invariably crashes live!

RibbedSauce · Post by **RibbedSauce** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:09 pm

from experience the one thing i learned about pcs and music production

NEVER connect the pc to the internet

it all goes downhill from there

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:12 pm

RibbedSauce wrote:from experience the one thing i learned about pcs and music production

NEVER connect the pc to the internet

it all goes downhill from there

Might I ask what decade that was in?

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:14 pm

There are a lot of things that can influence reliability:

Computer:
model and O/S
amount of RAM (more is better, of course)
HD speed (7200 rpm / 8 or 16MB cache is better)
stability of drivers for audio and MIDI interfaces
System settings such as processor idling/networking/virus scanning etc. (turn them off)

Live related:
stability of VSTs and VSTi's
size of Live set (total size of clips / total CPU draw of plugins)
no. of clips played simultaneously (i.e. disk load)

Other factors:
Too much MIDI sent from controllers can choke Live/OS/drivers/interface
Stability of the AC supply
HEAT!!!!
HUMIDITY!!!!
VIBRATION!!!
Out-of-it punter (stage invasion)
...and a little thing called operator error

The thing to do is get your set as you want it for gigging and then torture-test it to destruction: find out the limits of the no. of clips you can play simultaneously, the maximum no. of plugins etc. If you are using a MIDI controller, play stupid amounts of keys/knobs and try to make it crash.

Once you have your system stable, LEAVE IT!!!! No OS updates, RAM expansions, software installs, or new bits of kit just prior to the gig - you'd be amazed how many people I've seen get bitten by this - me included!

Tips: Render as many CPU-hungry FX as you can into audio, especially reverbs.
Make submixes of multiple tracks into one track where possible.
Remove un-needed VST's and VSTi's from your VST folder for gigging.(just have a second, minimal VST folder for gigging)
Try to keep your CPU load in the 60 - 70% range if possible

Take for granted that your computer WILL crash sometime, they just do, get used to it, and have some kind of emergency plan to get you thru while you re-boot. A CD/MD/vinyl/iPod/cassette/anything cued up.

We use 2 laptops on stage (one plays bass and drums, the other the instruments). Each laptop has a muted track playing a ruffmix of what the other computer is doing for any given scene. If one machine goes down we can un-mute this track and "fly on one engine" while re-booting the other lappie with a minimum of grief.

RibbedSauce · Post by **RibbedSauce** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:22 pm

Machinate wrote:
RibbedSauce wrote:from experience the one thing i learned about pcs and music production

NEVER connect the pc to the internet

it all goes downhill from there
Might I ask what decade that was in?

this decade

it was 2 years ago, i was all up and running, nice specs, cost alot

, and i thought id be ok, a fews months of internet surfing down the line, all sorts of "updates" from microsoft, updates to my firewall, anti virus other software etc and it just got slower and slower and slower

formatted the whole thing never took it on the net, it was fine

then i moved to apple which ive had no problems with so far