customising a laptop for Ableton Live

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
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disco judas
Posts: 324
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:24 am

customising a laptop for Ableton Live

Post by disco judas » Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:30 am

Hi,


I just got a new PC laptop for music production.
I have decided to not install any other apps than Live8 suite on it.
Someone told me I should use a "limited" version of XP. Is this recomended? I can still use SP3?

If I decide to get the computer online, how much do I need to install on it? Is enough with a antivirus (which is least hazzle?) and quiktime movie.

I need to get all the performance/stability/speeed I can possibly get.

I have a 320gb 7200rpm harddrive. Will my computer start to slow down when its less than 25% free space left.

I have also decided to swith from usb (edirolUA-25) to firewire (RME fireface 400) for performance and stability. Good move?


Thanks!

cenik11
Posts: 153
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:55 am

Re: customising a laptop for Ableton Live

Post by cenik11 » Tue Jul 28, 2009 1:26 pm

One thing you'll want to consider is optimizing your OS. Here is a good guide (c/o Native Instruments) with which to start:

11. Optimizing your Computer
The following chapter collects some “tuning” tips that may help to improve your computer’s
performance. While faster computers may not need any of these tips, they can be essential
for getting good results on a computer with technical specifcations on the lower end of
the system requirements.
11.1 Windows XP Optimization
This chapter collects tips for tweaking the performance of a Windows PC.
11.1.1 Processor Scheduling
Open Start > Control Panel and double-click System.
Choose Advanced.
Under Performance, choose Settings.
Choose the Advanced tab.
Under Processor Scheduling, select Background Services.
11.1.2 Visual effects
Open Start > Settings > Control Panel and double-click SyStem.
Choose Advanced > Visual Effects tab.
Choose Adjust for best performance.
11.1.3 Turn off desktop background image
Right-/ Ctrl-Click Desktop > Properties > Desktop.
At the top of the list under Background, choose None.
11.1.4 Disable screen saver
Right-/ Ctrl-Click Desktop > Properties > Screen Saver tab.
Drop down the screen saver menu and choose None.
11.1.5 Disable Fast User Switching
Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > User Accounts.
Click on Change the Way Users log On or Off and unselect Use Fast User Switching.
11.1.6 Switch off Power Schemes
Choose Start > Control Panel > Power Options.
Set Power Schemes to Always On.
Drop down the menu for Turn off Monitor and select Never.
Drop down the menu for Turn off hard discs and select Never.
11.1.7 Turn off Hibernation
Open Start > Control Panel and double-click PoWer oPtionS.
Choose the Hibernate tab and unselect Enable Hibernation.
11.1.8 Disable system sounds
Open Start > Control Panel and double-click Sounds and Audio Devices.
Choose the Sounds tab.
Drop down the sound scheme menu and select None.
11.1.9 Disable System Restore
Open Start > Control Panel > System.
Click on the System Restore tab.
Select Turn off System Restore on all Drives.


disco judas
Posts: 324
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:24 am

Re: customising a laptop for Ableton Live

Post by disco judas » Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:01 pm

Rave wrote:Or sell the laptop and get a MAC :P
Yeah, a 2,53ghz quadcore Mac laptop...

moxie38
Posts: 70
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:53 pm
Location: sacramento
Contact:

Re: customising a laptop for Ableton Live

Post by moxie38 » Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:26 pm

sell the laptop AND your house, and get a Mac
:lol:

just a joke. I work on both platforms
WE are the music makers and WE are the dreamers of dreams!
-Willy Wonka

evolwizard
Posts: 122
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2009 12:22 am
Location: Springfield, Ohio

Re: customising a laptop for Ableton Live

Post by evolwizard » Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:13 pm

Rave wrote:Or sell the laptop and get a MAC :P
+1
...to the prelevator....
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
=======================================================
17" macBook pro 2.93ghz 8GB RAM OSX 10.6-APC40-Axiom 25-Trigger Finger-Fast Track Ultra-MicroTrack II
Ableton Live 7 Suite Boxed-Reason 4

hurlingdervish
Posts: 1242
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:06 am
Location: The New England Colonies

Re: customising a laptop for Ableton Live

Post by hurlingdervish » Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:36 pm

take a loan and get a mac

and then diss PC's only to justify your expensive purchase...not because you have any real basis :D

outershpongolia
Posts: 2230
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 8:40 am

Re: customising a laptop for Ableton Live

Post by outershpongolia » Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:11 pm

hurlingdervish wrote:take a loan and get a mac

and then diss PC's only to justify your expensive purchase...not because you have any real basis :D
Me: "Hey have you heard of Ableton Live?"

Clueless Second Party: "No dude, my Mac came with Garage Band! You should get a Mac!"

disco judas
Posts: 324
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:24 am

Re: customising a laptop for Ableton Live

Post by disco judas » Tue Jul 28, 2009 8:50 pm

evolwizard wrote:
Rave wrote:Or sell the laptop and get a MAC :P
+1

I will buy a mac laptop when they get powerful enough.

No quadcore mac laptop yet....

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