Computer / Software

Even if you've cleaned out all references to old hardware from your Windows registry, it's a fair bet that it is not quite as spick and span as it could be. Housekeeping tasks and installations leave behind their own trail of junk, but fortunately it can be removed. Find out how...

Why does software always crash irrecoverably when you are at your busiest? And why are technical support lines unable to help you when you need them most? We offer some advice on how to avoid phoning them in the first place...

It has almost certainly happened to you at some time — a crash or a damaged or deleted file that takes days of music with it. If you don't want it to happen again, read on...

The launch of Mac OS 10.4, codenamed Tiger, is just around the corner, but in the meantime there's the 1.1 update of GarageBand to be going on with. We reveal the improvements, as well as investigate MIDI configuration problems in OS X.

The Harbal EQ-matching program benefits from some worthwhile tweaks. We report them, and discuss some new information about Longhorn: the next incarnation of the Windows OS.

Thanks to the Internet and the generosity of talented programmers all over the world, it's possible to assemble a PC music software suite for no money at all. We round up some of the best download sites and freebie programs.

My PC uses an Abit KR7A-133 motherboard running an Athlon Thoroughbred XP 2400 processor with 1GB of RAM. My motherboard manual says PCI 4 shares an IRQ with the two USB ports, and that PCI 1 shares with the AGP. My Audiophile currently has an IRQ to itself and so I'm not touching it. However, I need the TC Powercore to not share an IRQ. If anyone can explain what to do, I'd really appreciate it.

Apple had some interesting announcements to make at this year's US National Association of Broadcasters show, including improvements to the eMac and portable line-up.

Increasing numbers of musicians want to gig with their computers — but home PCs are fragile and laptops may not always be powerful or adaptable enough. So what are your alternatives, and what measures can you take to protect the centrepiece of your live set?

This month, we find out whether Hyperthreading is hyper-helpful to the musician and discover some new freeware. First, though, it's time to spring-clean that Windows Registry...

I need some way to play a stereo backing track when playing live with my band. I don't want to use a CD player, as they skip, but I'm wondering what other options are there?

Most of the major Windows sequencers now support dual processing, and if you want the ultimate performance, machines like Red Submarine's dual Xeon PC could be the way to go.

If you're suffering from kernel panics, if no one else can help, and if you can find a log file, maybe you should hire (well, read, at least) this month's Apple Notes...

Gmedia continue their quest to render the best of the world's keyboards in software form. But will it give OSCar fans a case of the grouches?

We take a look at a new range of super-quiet power supplies, as well as explaining how to protect your data and settings in case of crashes.

Just what can you expect in a PC system costing £600? Or over £1500? We round up the likely specs and the possible pitfalls.

I'm considering moving over from my current Mac setup to a PC laptop for mobile recording, using Nuendo 2 and either an RME Cardbus interface or one of MOTU's Firewire systems. Can you point me in the right direction? Is a Centrino laptop the only sensible choice for this kind of application?

We take a look at the newest member of Apple's iLife suite and discover that youthful looks, adolescent attitude and long hair are not required to join this GarageBand.

It's been possible to make music on Apple laptops for many years now, but creating a working mobile system is harder than it looks. Fortunately, one SOS contributor has years of experience to pass on...

Although Centrino laptops have advantages in terms of weight and battery life, standard Pentium 4 CPUs still offer the ultimate in performance, and Nu Systems's desktop replacement machine is a processing heavyweight.

This month we not only compare the hard-drive speed performance of USB and Firewire, but also take a look at a MIDI latency-testing utility and see how a handful of MIDI interfaces measure up.