WAV files and ADSL

O'Prez

I work a lot with WAV files (cleaning, editing, recording etc.) and do a lot of burning too. Now then, when doing so I always disable any programs running in the background (virus protection etc.). Aaaaanyway, I had broadband installed last week so will the fact that the connection is always on have any kind of detrimental effect on my work? Or does it have no real impact on working with audio files at all?!?

SantaHoe

*mind boggles*

davmigil

Don't forget about tiny fluctuations in the powersupply, imperfections in the memory, solar winds, radon gas emissions, vibrations from the hard drive, chaotic eddies in airflow etc.

Don't worry so much! Thinking too deeply will drive you insane

Well I suppose make sure you are behind a firewall anyway on the broadband!

O'Prez

Yeah whatever! What I meant was would it interfere with the quality of what I was doing or slow things down. It did both. Five CDRs thrown in the bin tonight...a "technical support expert" who didn't know how to disconnect the always on connection...so I just unplugged it from the USB port and it was grand. Anyway, thanx for yer incredibley helpful insights.

davmigil

Maybe I was a bit glib with you, but it really shouldn't be interfering with your PCs ability. It certainly shouldn't effect your CDR burning!

With audio/video you will be trying to minimise other applications hogging hard disk access (and memory to some extent). For instance during video capture, inability to write to hard disk may result in dropped frames. If you are running a very low spec machine (e.g. not much memory installed) this will be more problematic.

A broadband connection will not result in that. Are you by any chance using an external USB CD-Recorder connected to a shared USB hub? I imagine that could cause problems! Post your spec and I will have a closer look if you like, promise to be nice

Even with a USB ADSL modem, the overhead by the connection software/driver should be minimal (ditto Firewall). If you have an ethernet port and the modem has an ethernet connection you should use that instead. A router with a built in firewall is the ideal (router acts as DHCP server and maintains broadband connection) and your PC just connects to it.

If you really want to disconnect temporarily, there probably is an icon for the USB modem connection in the taskbar, if you right click it it should have a disconnect option.

All the best,

Dave

O'Prez

If you are running a very low spec machine (e.g. not much memory installed) this will be more problematic.

A broadband connection will not result in that. Are you by any chance using an external USB CD-Recorder connected to a shared USB hub? I imagine that could cause problems! Post your spec and I will have a closer look if you like, promise to be nice



If you really want to disconnect temporarily, there probably is an icon for the USB modem connection in the taskbar, if you right click it it should have a disconnect option.

Howaya Dave! Low spec machine? Pile of sh*te would be more like it. With a 400mhz processor I'm pretty limited to what this machine can handle. Even doing graphix is a sloooooow process! I'm getting a new box in January though so that'll see me safely in to this century.

The burner I use is an LG and isn't external...it doesn't have buffer underrun protection though so I'll be getting a couple of new drives next month too.


And ya, there is an icon for the modem connection in the task bar but with no option for disconnect. Desperate. Yer one at UTV had no clue how to disconnect it either. Right clicking only gives the options for Show Status, Remove Tray and About! So I just disconnected the USB cable from the back of the modem...and things did work decidely better after I did!

My computer is just seriously lacking in power I think. Oh well, roll on January. Thanx for all yer help Dave

davmigil

400Mhz :eek:

How much memory do you have installed? I have seen a P3 500Mhz run Windows XP happily with 512Mb, but have also seen a laptop with a 400Mhz Celeron and 256Mb thrashing badly! I guess you really would need 512MB to have any hope really. If your PC takes SDRAM 100, I am sure you will find somebody who has some spare.

Also Norton are good applications as far as it goes, but they do have a reputation for being memory hogs. I would recommended ditching Norton Anti-Virus and Firewall in favour of AVG 7.0 Personal (its free..see www.grisoft.com ) and windows firewall. Go SP2 also. Alternatively consider Windows 98SE (and fully patching it) if you have it. It mightn't be the world's greatest, but it might give your PC a new lease of life until January (unless you have v.large soundfiles! Maximum FAT32 file size and all that!). Also if you have the inclination a flavour of Linux. Some nice CD-R applications and sound applications and if you use a low resource window manager like IceWM PC will feel alot faster (more memory will help here too though!).

If you have reservations about SP2, consider backing up whats important and re-installing XP followed by SP2 (will take a while on 400Mhz I guess!).

Make sure BIOS flashed to latest version and update all drivers.

All the best,

Dave

O'Prez

Dave! Yer a top notch guy! That's some deadly insights. Check this out...it's actually a 399mhz processor...and, wait for it...124mb ram!!!!! For the amount of audio/video/graphic work I do on this machine it's a wonder it hasn't blown up ages ago! My new processor though will be at least 2.5ghz and 512mb ram! Then I'll be the king of the keyboard...or something like that.

Anyway, I must ask you...I find Norton can be a right pain in the *rse at times and slows things down considerably...so, are you recommending AVG because it's an all round better virus protection application or because it uses less memory?! In the meantime though, I'm off to check out that link.
Thanx Dave,
Sean

Lump

It's all round better virus application and doesn'#t install loads of **** or hog memory.


John

Bass.exe

Lump wrote:

It's all round better virus application and doesn'#t install loads of **** or hog memory.


John

Oh I wouldn't say that. I've had a couple of viruses that AVG has completley MISSED, but that Norton handled in a matter of minutes(There were a LOT of infected files... that's how I realised I had a virus)

But yes, Norton is a memory whore. I keep it off most of the time. Just do a scan every week or two.

Oh, and broadband won't affect your machine at all, unless all that adware from those pr0n-sites is trying to connect out

sci0x

In which case you can use Spybot Search and Destroy

davmigil

Running XP on anything less than 256MB is insanity. If it is reporting 124 it must mean you have 128Mb installed.

Problem is XP uses a lot of memory. When applications need to use some memory, because XP is already using most of your 128Mb, XP will swap some processes in memory to virtual memory - which unfortunately means the hard disk. This is going to play havoc with CD burning and a lot more besides.

Either install at least another 128-256Mb (ideally bring it up to 512, 256 minimum) or install Windows 98SE instead (it will happily run on 128Mb, 64Mb even if needs be!) - your PC will seem to fly on 98SE (just make sure to patch it fully). Your PC probably needs SDRAM 100Mhz. Post Motherboard/Make specs to find out (or use handy tool on www.crucial.com). Before you buy, ask around some friends if they have some spare. Nowadays people have lots of legacy stuff around the house!!

You should get a Blue Peter badge for actually doing sound editing and burning on that spec. with XP!

All the best,

Dave