Hi folks,
It has struck me for a long time that it should be possible to create a configuration for Windows that is optimized for real-time interactions of a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) while maintaining a reasonably secure environment.
A Windows base DAW typically has a special purpose sound card which features a low latency ASIO driver. The sound card can be connected directly via the PCIe bus, USB or Firewire. The sound card will offer between 2 input/outputs to 24 input/outputs. The DAW moves data from the soundcard inputs to memory and to hard-disk and from hard-disk to memory and the sound cards outputs. In between this, all manner of manipulation is performed on the data streams by DAW. It is very typical that manipulations will be performed on the data stream in real time while the user is listening and or new data streams will be recorded in real time.
One element of a successful DAW implementation is ability to do a lot of these things, simultaneously without experiencing any delay, dropout or distortion of the data as it is reproduced.
Not infrequently, someone on the interwebs will post that they had better performance from their old 6800 based Atari DAW than with a modern multitasking OS. This is probably a true statement but it ignores the fact that today's DAWs offer vastly more capabilities and functionality than the older single tasking OS DAWS.
An example of the current state of the art of Windows 8 performance optimization can be found here:
global.focusrite.com/answerbase/optimising-your-pc-for-audio-on-windows-8
It features two major elements,
1. Get rid of processes that you don't need for audio, including security programs like anti virus, services, visual effects.
2. Change the processor scheduling to Background services
Implementing these changes is challenging for novice computer users and dangerous for everyone since security is disabled.
It is my believe that it should be possible to create a "DAW user" account that would create a relatively secure yet performance optimized environment through the use of login and logout scripts.
As I imagine it the login script would perform the following tasks
1. Disable the network. doing this would first secure the environment. The user can't go online and get themselves in trouble. Once the NIC is disabled the network process can be shutdown since they aren't needed freeing up CPU resources for the DAW. In particular limiting the opportunity of other process to start up and interfer with the DAW. (it is very annoying to get a Windows update message on the screen when you are working in your DAW).
2. Disable the security software such as firewalls, antivirus etc. This leaves a vulnerability bringing data in via USB data key but many people have a computer dedicated to internet access in their studio so the key can be check before putting into the computer running the DAW.
3. Configure power setting for high performance
4. Disable system sounds
5. Disable visual effects.
6. Disable eligible Windows services. This is an area where improved end user documentation provided by Microsoft would be a real benefit since it would reduce the trial and error that currently exists.
The logout script would be the reverse of the login script restoring things to working state so that the user could log into either the administrator account or there usual limited user account with a secure computer and a working network.
That's the situation. I would appreciate any suggestions or pointers to examples that might help me figure this out.
Cheers