Crew,

I recently upgraded my DAW (SONAR XL 2.2 to SONAR4); & the new version is a heavily graphic laden CPU hog, which causes operation to be, well...very sluggish. I was told by another upgrader that I may be able to help the problem a great deal by running the program off a dedicated partition.

I was looking through some Windows XP documentation; & learned that I can create a new Partition on a Basic Disk (from unused space); & a new Volume on a Dynamic Disk.

How do I determine which type of disk I have (Basic or Dynamic)?

& which is a better way to go (if possible to have either one)?

Thanks,

mark4man
Dell Dimension 8250
Intel 850E Motherboard/Chipset
Intel P4 2.53GHz CPU (512 KB L2 Cache, 533 MHz FSB)
1024 MB PC1066 RDRAM
Ultra 60GB Primary HD (OS, Apps, Files/Folders.)
Maxtor DiamondMax 9+ 80GB Secondary HD (Audio Data only)
Nvidia 64MB GEFORCE4 MX420 AGP
Echo Audio Layla 24/96 PCI Audio Interface
Universal Audio UAD-1 DSP Plug-In System
SONAR XL 2.2
SONAR4
WaveLab 5

You make the changes in WinXP from its Disk Management Console (RClick MyComputer == Manage == Disk Management). RClick on the relevant drive and if its a basic drive there will be an option to "convert to dynamic disk".

There are more varied options under Win2K, if memory serves, than under WinXP but you should be able to setup a software raid or span multiple physical drives and such like should you so desire. Getting back from dynamic to basic isnt so straightforward. Also the best time to do this is right at the very start of a clean installation.

I woudn't recommend it for your situation since I think you will take a performance downturn rather than an increase since you are just adding layers of software complexity and what you want is the best possible seek times and transfer rates while recording a session. You could certainly partition your main drive "normally" but it would be even better to have a dedicated hdd (or hardware raid-0 or sata or scsi) for the purpose of setting up a hard drive recorder - even if you only used one partition on that drive for such recording.

Paul,

Thanks. Found "Disk Management" in "Computer Management"; & they're Basics.

So...what is it that you wouldn't recommend...I'm not following you. You don't think I'll get any performance benefits from installing the DAW on a dedicated partition (created from unused space on my primary drive)?

If you take a look at my specs...my audio software has always been on my primary drive & my audio data has always been on my secondary drive, for optimum system efficiency. If I then isolate my audio software to it's own partition...I won't gain anything?

Let me also ask you this. Since it's (primary drive) a Basic Disk; & since the partition will be created from unused space; & nothing else will be on that partition except for the audio software...if it doesn't work, can I delete that partition afterward?

Thanks again,

mark4man

I wouldn't recommend you converting to dynamic disks - because it adds an additional layer of software between you and your system.

Yes to creating a dedicated partition; better still to a dedicated partition on a dedicated drive; better a dedicated drive on a dedicated channel.

If by audio data you mean archive files - then it doesn't really matter a great deal where they are stored; if you mean a recording track then the more dedicated you make it the better. I'm also not quite sure I know what you mean by sluggish; the visuals or the audio component.

Any partition created can just as easily be deleted and the space added back as required. The apps mentioned can non-destructively resize partitions and I recommend you create/delete and resize as separate actions rather than using "composite" splitting and merging options by such applications.

Paul,

Thanks.

if you mean a recording track then the more dedicated you make it the betterYes...the recorded tracks. For optimum system efficiency the digital audio multitracking program runs off one drive & records (& plays back) on another.

I'm also not quite sure I know what you mean by sluggish; the visuals or the audio componentIt's the overall operational performance. Seems like every successive software release is more CPU intensive than it's predecessor (from Cakewalk, anyway.) In SONAR4 for example, I hit the Play button; & playback is delayed for a full second or more (& this is with multitrack projects created in SONAR 2.2...which also play right on time in that version.) Other normal functions are slow as well...scrolling, navigation, etc. The whole program seems to perform redraw slower...the heavier graphic design making normal functionality sluggish.

Thanks again,

mark4man