http://musicxp.net

I don't think you can really optimise a computer for recording and use it for the net and stuff.

I have my net, typing computer which is xp, then my recording computer which is and old one with a 400mhz cpu running win 98 and a 10 gig harddrive. It work beautifully.

If you are in the position to get a cheap yet reliable computer like mine then use win 98 to save cpu speed the do so. If not, then you probably shouldn't have read this.

timtu...

The problem with using your computer on the Internet and try to use it for music purposes is really quite difficult. You need to have active antivirus software running. Bad for recording music with. Anything running in the background you see in the lower right hand corner of your screen, bad news for music. Windows XP and it's pretty appearance with menus fading in and out, stealing resources that screw with your recording. If you turn all of these things off, you will be open to attack from the Internet. A hardware oriented router with a hardware firewall would be a better bet so then you could turn off all other crap not pertinent to make music. Also, service pack 2 is not necessarily good for music. Get a used cheap computer for your Internet purposes. Then your beautiful Pentium 4 can fly for music.

5 computer girl
Ms. Remy Ann David

To avoid the pain of "edit", I MUST learn to use the "preview" feature!

Two, two, two machines in one!

Go to the store. Buy two "hard drive drawers"(3 if you have the space), plus enough "extra" "drawer inserts", for any other HD's you have, or may sometime have(They're cheap - $20 US?).

Install ALL your regular stuff on the first HD. OS, Office, Email, photo software, games, printer, scanner, whatever. I call mine my "play" drive.

Install your OS and your audio software on the second HD. NO "devices", no "other" software... I call mine my "work"(Still hoping for some!) drive.

YES! You'll need the internet/AV/firewall, on the second drive, if for nothing else than to get updates for your OS and audio software, but, when you "unplug" your "play" drive and "plugin" your "work" drive and "startup", you can just turn off/disable/exit all this "other" stuff, so it doesn't interfere with your recording(Unless you need to go for updates!).

Now, the "3rd. drive"(Which will normally be in the "second" position - one or the other of your OS drives will be on a shelf), will be your "data" drive and "temp files" drive. You can "share" this drive with either OS drive, no problem. It's just a "formatted" drive with "file folders" on it, which you or your software, and yes, Windows make(Whether you like it or not) for your pictures, your audio .wavs, your audio software "temp files" - which generally like to BE on a seperate, physical drive). Your documents/text/photo files, you MAY transfer(Though they may not take-up too much room leaving them on your "main" drive.) from the main "My Documents/My Pictures" folders, manually, or by "moving" the "default" location of .doc or picture saves. The actual "My Documents"/"My Pictures" folders are best left on your Main drive.

Now. Your ACTUAL 3rd. HD position(I believe we're at EIDE cable position #4, slave - position #3, being reserved for your EIDE "Master" CD/Rom drive - ALL drives being set to "CS", if possible.). This is where you put your 3rd. HD, when you need it! This is where you put your "backup images", for all the other HD's. This physical drive, generally, sits on a shelf, too, while you're not backing up or restoring.

OF COURSE you could use USB/FW HD's for some or all of these things, but that would be more costly, at least... Handy sometimes, but..?

So, there you go.

One OS drive in there, one machine.

Second OS drive in there, a completely different machine! Different devices, different "tweeks", different software. No messy partitions, no goofy dual-boots AND, no crying when a drive(s) go bad, as you've got it all backed-up and "unpluggable", ready to throw out the old and plug-in/restore the new! Also, no having to use an old, piece of crap, "second" machine for anything! You can put every dime you have into ONE great machine! Got a special project(s)? YOU can buy a "special HD" for each and every one's "data"(40/80 gb HD's are smaller, more reliable and cheap!)Everytime you "fireup" you've got the best sound card, video card, keyboard, processor, whatever. Fantastic!

Two, two, two machines in one(Or 3 or 4 or 10).

TG

BTW: Steinberg Wavelab "recommends" a 2.0 ghz, processor "for all functions". Nuendo? On a 1.9? I wonder? Maybe Nuendo 3, is older? In any event, Steinberg has "recommendations"... Likely want quite a bit of RAM and a pretty nice video card, as well(You didn't say..?), as well as a very nice "forum" on their site for just such problems as "too many tiks" - check it out! I am unfamiliar with the "Waveterminal" soundcard(I guess it's a sound card?), so can't help there, though I'll bet Nuendo would make good use of an excellent SC/Interface - which your WT, may be..? I don't know?