Computer / Software

Is it better to buy fewer gigabytes of faster RAM, or more gigabytes of slightly slower RAM; for example, 6GB of 1066MHz...

My Macbook Pro has run out of grunt for what I'm doing, so I am considering upgrading to the iMac i7. However, I have a ...

I always understood that over‑clocking your computer's CPU could make it unstable and meant you needed noisy fans to cool it...

I have a PC with a Q6600 quad‑core processor running Cubase 4, and despite clicking on the Cubase 'Multi Processing' switch,...

My PC is a few years old now, but I'm keen to try out some recent soft synths and other audio applications. However, I'm not...

If you've switched to Vista, or are about to take the plunge, check out our guide to the Vista audio tweaks that work — and those that don't.

The vast majority of computer-based musicians will need an audio interface, but with so many on the market, it can feel like an impossible task to decide which to buy. You can narrow down the choices significantly with the help of our essential guide.

Very low-cost PCs with apparently good spec are not hard to come by these days — you can even pick one up at the local supermarket. But not all computers will work well for music and audio, so how do you avoid making a big mistake?

I have three Firewire 400 devices, which all run simultaneously, but I only have one Firewire 400 port, so using them all...

Some music applications will completely fail to take advantage of the multiple cores of a modern CPU — but which ones, and why? We find out, and advise on how you can make best use of however many cores your PC has.

Not only are these applications easier to use than commercial packages that can be confusingly feature heavy, they're also extremely easy on the wallet...

Putting your PC in a rack has a number of advantages. Apart from getting the machine out from under your feet, and making it easier to take on the road in a flightcase, there are security benefits too. Here's how to perform the conversion, and potentially make your PC quieter at the same time.

If the transition to Windows Vista is a matter of concern for PC-based musicians, imagine how serious it must be to music hardware and software developers. Our Round Table gives some of them the chance to air their views about the new OS and the problems and opportunities it presents.

I use Sound Forge to record on to my laptop, and until very recently it's been working fine — until an...

My friend has just built a control room at the rear of his house, and he would like to set up a networked remote...

I have just ordered a new PC, which I am turning into a music-only machine, using software from my old workhorse computer....

Your PC may well be the nerve-centre of your studio, so keeping it in top condition is worth a bit of effort. Read on for the SOS guide to inner and outer PC cleanliness.

In your recent article 'Specifying and Building A Dual-core Desktop PC' (printed in SOS February 2007), the RAM chosen was specified for 1.9V. The selected Intel motherboard specifies 1.8V only. Why did this not result in failure to boot up?

Many of us feel compelled to regularly change our PCs in line with the demands of the latest software. But, depending on our requirements, an older PC may still be more than capable of doing a great job, as PC Musician discovers this month.

I'm getting a Core 2 Duo PC with a pair of 250GB Seagate 7200 SATA II hard drives, and I want to know the best way to set...

I have a MOTU 2408 audio interface and I want to upgrade from the PCI 424 host card to the PCIe 424 model, which is a...