Computer / Software

Will you notice a big improvement in software performance if you switch to a multi-core processor? And will performance suffer if you switch to Windows Vista? Find the answers to these and many other questions in this month's PC Notes...

Apple CEO Steve Jobs outlined many visually interesting features this month for the next major version of OS X. However, it's perhaps the features that lurk beneath Leopard's glossy exterior that will prove the most useful to Mac-based musicians and audio engineers.

This month we examine reliable ways of reducing computer boot-up time, so you don't have to wait ages for your PC to let you get started when you want to make some music.

Installing a MIDI interface to work with your Mac should be an easy task, but what happens if it doesn't want to play ball? Apple Notes is here to help.

An AMD-Intel price-cutting war spells savings for the consumer on speedy processors. We consider what you should do now if you're in the market for a new CPU, as well as bringing the latest news from the PC music world.

Despite a slow start to the year with regard to Mac-related news from Apple, there's been no shortage of Mac hardware and software announcements recently.

Cubase 4's new preset-management system falls under the PC Notes spotlight this month, as does an update to a recommended spyware-protection utility and an eye-catching yet cost-effective soft synth...

This month we take a look at Apple's Xserve as a platform for music and audio production, and continue creating a custom music-controlled 'visualisation' with Quartz Composer.

Your much-loved elderly PCI soundcard may be working perfectly, but might still have to go on the scrapheap if you upgrade your PC. Why? It's all down to the PCI specification and the location of your notches...

While Mac users continue to wait in anticipation for new Mac hardware and software, we explore a really neat application you might not realise you even own, which lets you create your own MIDI- and audio-based visual performances.

If you ever have to re-install all your software after a PC upgrade, there are tricks that can save you a lot of time, and also help you to be more organised in the future. PC Notes rounds them up, as well as keeping you up to date on Vista compatibility for musicians.

With little new from Apple for musicians and audio engineers at the recent Macworld and NAMM shows, announcements from other manufacturers will allow Macbook Pro owners to take advantage of more sophisticated audio and DSP hardware while on the road.

As a PC user, one job you're almost sure to have to do at some point is a clean install of Windows, whether because you've built your own PC, as outlined in last month's issue, have suffered a serious crash, or have decided to change to a new OS. Here's what you need to know...

More Vista-related musings, advice on 'boot management' for multi-partition setups and the usual handy tips — all in this month's PC Notes.

We take another look at running Windows on Intel Macs and consider how Apple's latest acquisition will affect their professional video and audio software.

If you haven't yet taken the dual-core plunge, there's an alternative to either buying an off-the-shelf mainstream model that may not be quite right for music or paying a premium for a custom-assembled music PC: choose the components and build your own.

After a long wait, the new Windows Vista OS is actually on the horizon — so should we all be rushing to upgrade?

We take the opportunity of a New Year issue to look back at the 12 months that saw Apple's transition to Intel processors, and to welcome in the new Core 2 Duo-based MacBook Pros and Xeon-based Xserves.

Direct X plug-in support has been dropped from Steinberg's Cubase 4 sequencing software — so what do you do if you have projects that use such plug-ins and you want to upgrade to the latest Cubase? PC Musician offers some solutions, as well as rounding up the latest PC news and information.

With the new Mac Pro offering increased internal data storage, we investigate whether using the software RAID functionality built into OS X has any benefits for audio applications.

From rogue Firewire controller chips to Windows XP Media Center Edition, the strangest things can cause problems with PC audio...