what updates specifically are you referring to?

Most of the updates are more security oriented for networking and silly updates that have no bearing on DAW usage...most of the times they cause more havok than help anything..the old saying goes...
IF IT AIN'T BROKE....DON'T FIX IT!!!!!!
Stay away from the updates is my reccomendation!
Opus

Thanks Opus and Dan
I asked about updates because i have a Tascam US428 and on the Tascam forum users were saying something about stuttering audio being cured by an XP update. It is a specific update that's required and i have to research exactly which one it is. I'm doing this in advance actually. I haven't even set up the Tascam yet! I'm trying to be prepared just in case.

Thanks for the tip Opus!

Michael...
If you follow my tweak guide to the "T" I can almost gaurantee you won't have that issue...I don't..since you have the exact setup as I do you should be good to go...trust me! Read my tweak guide Notes at the bottom of the page and you'll see I got ready to do the patch but didn't need it...I looped a heavy song(32+tracks + tons o wave plugins) no stuttering, no skipping at all! Worked flawlessly! Go for it...again, do ALL of the tweaks like I did and it "should" be fine!
let us know
Opus

I hereby dub thee....Saint Opus of Los Angeles.

Thanks GB. I have your tweak guide from my initial installation. I did follow a fair bit of it until the regedit section whereupon my eyes started to roll back into my head at the sheer techiness of it all...eeeek! I will give it a real close look now. After all, you didn't create it and release it publicly for nothing did you.

Whether or not this is a good indication, but I have been busy in ACID with one project at least 30 tracks and i haven't had a problem with ssssstuttering audio...maybe i'll be okay?

Thanks again. You're the embodiment of the all the good things about the Internet.

Originally posted by michael c:
Thanks Opus and Dan
I asked about updates because i have a Tascam US428 and on the Tascam forum users were saying something about stuttering audio being cured by an XP update.

It depends upon which version of the 428 driver you have as to whether you want the update or not?

One of the updates offers the ability to adjust the buffers setting (v3.0), which wasn't there originally. Others allow the ability to disable audio. Check your version once installed. ONLY if you have a problem should you update.

aaarrrgg....people!!! There's too much mis information brooding about here!!!
It doesn't not matter what version driver you have for the 428...the issue is XP, plain and simple, XP has a problem with the MSN Messenger and audio...the update if you look closely has to deal with isynchronous transfer from XP in relation to the messenger program taken a piece of the audio priority...yes version 3.09 of the 428 driver does allow you to kill the audio of the unit but that is only if you use it for a control surface and don't want it to use all the bandwidth of the USB port!
Trust me on this one...I've been a 428 user since the thing came out...in fact was on the beta testing team shortly after it came out as well!
Just thought I'd clear things up here!
Opus