Buffer problems with vista playback engine

[Phil Bradbury]

when using ProTools LE 7.4 with my new Dell Studio laptop I have to disable some hardware and only use the Microsoft service tools and dissable everything else. I still get abrupt stops in my recording with error messages that suggest increasing my buffer size in the playback engine setup. After increasing the buffer size I get error messages suggesting that I reduce the size of my buffers in the playback engine. I think that there must be something else running in my system that I havent disabled. Anyone have a blueprint for setting up this computer for protools. Thanks

[jotte2]

Yea the same thing is happening to me and i have a desk top pc. I havent found anything to fix it and ive been running it for six months. I wish i knew wat to tell you.

[majormusic]

What buffer did you place it as 1024?

[Phil Bradbury]

If the message says to increase and it is at 1024 I go to the next higher, it it says to decrease it I go one smaller. It wll sometimes play completly through the song several times then stop the next time right in the middle and give the stupid error message.

[majormusic]

Tell me everything you enabled and disabled before doing the initial installation. How much RAM do you have, and what PROCESSOR are you running?

[Phil Bradbury]

My laptop has an Intel Core 2 duo with 3 gb of Ram. I did not dissable anything prior to loading ProTools. Since I use the laptop for work too I do the following when I am going to use ProTools:
NOTE: I use a stand alone 320 gb hard drive for all my ProTools music files.

Hardware: I dissable the Firewire Port

Software: I go to RUN: MSCONGIG and only load the Microsoft Services

Is there something else that I should disable? Thanks, Phil

[majormusic]

Originally Posted by Phil Bradbury

My laptop has an Intel Core 2 duo with 3 gb of Ram. I did not dissable anything prior to loading ProTools. Since I use the laptop for work too I do the following when I am going to use ProTools:
NOTE: I use a stand alone 320 gb hard drive for all my ProTools music files.

Hardware: I dissable the Firewire Port

Software: I go to RUN: MSCONGIG and only load the Microsoft Services

Is there something else that I should disable? Thanks, Phil

Enable DMA for any IDE hard drives.

1. Choose Start > Control Panel.
2. Launch System.
3. Click Hardware tab
4. Under Device Manager, choose Device Manager
5. In the Device Manage window, double click IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, then double-click the Primary IDE Channel for your IDE hard drive.
6. Click the Advanced Settings Tab.
7. For each device, set the Transfer Mode to "DMA if available" click OK
8. Repeat steps 5-7 for any additional IDE Channels.
9. Close the Computer Management Window.

Disable System Standby and Power Management

1. Choose Start > Control Panel
2. Launch Power Options


WAIT BEFORE I CONTINUE DID YOU SAY YOU'RE ON VISTA?

[Phil Bradbury]

Yes, I am on Vista,

[majormusic]

Read this. It's not compatible with Vista.
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?...626&langid=100

[tolo]

Boy Phil - you sound like you know what you are doing!!

I have the same problem as major music. But on XP.

I have just upgraded my DAW - and moved over to PT8.

I keep getting memory error messages - telling me my Cache is too small - or my buffer needs increasing......but memory should not be a problem.

Here are my DAW stats....

Mainboard : Asus P5Q3
Chipset : Intel Corporation
Processor : Intel Core 2 Quad QX9650 @ 3000 MHz
Physical Memory : 4096 MB
Video Card : Nvidia Corp GeForce 8500 GT
Hard Disk : SAMSUNG (1000 GB)
Hard Disk : SAMSUNG (1000 GB)
Hard Disk : WDC (640 GB)
Hard Disk : WD (500 GB)
DVD-Rom Drive : Optiarc DVD RW AD-5200A
Monitor Type : Maxdata Computer Bel2230S1W - 22 inches
Network Card : Realtek Semiconductor RTL8168/8111 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC
Network Card : Ralink Technology Corp RT2561/RT61 rev B 802.11g
Operating System : Microsoft Windows XP Professional 5.01.2600 Service Pack 3
DirectX : Version 9.0c (March 2006)
Fast Track Ultra

Can you please tell me how I should be set up to record stuff without constantly being told by PT that I can't do anything!!

Much appreciated Phil.