PC Musician
Technique : PC Musician
If you've ever been confronted by the
dreaded Blue Screen Of Death, suffered random reboots or faced the
frustration of inexplicable PC crashes, read on for some preventative
measures...
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Using a PC to record, mix down and master your own
music ought to be a streamlined and pleasurable process, and for many
musicians it is exactly that. Indeed, some have run their computers for
months or even years without a single problem. However, others
unfortunately find that many of their initially creative sessions
descend into another round of fault-finding frustration. This month
we're going to explore some measures to help the PC musician minimise
the chances of crashes, reboots and other interruptions, so that they
can simply get on with the most important task — making music!
Fortunately, one of the big improvements gained when
you run Windows XP (and both 2000 and NT) rather than Windows 98 is
that each application runs in its own 'protected area' of RAM. Should an
application encounter problems and crash, you (or, rather, Windows) can
safely shut down that particular application without having to reboot
the entire PC and potentially lose unsaved data from other running
applications. In some cases you can then restart the offending
application, although it's generally safer to save any open files and
reboot anyway, in case any processes started by the application that
crashed are still running.
Despite the above, the dreaded BSOD (Blue Screen Of
Death) can still put in an occasional appearance with Windows XP, 2000
and NT. It signals a non-recoverable condition, and that you've lost all
data that hasn't yet been saved. This blue screen is still one of the
most frustrating aspects of Windows use, since there's absolutely
nothing you can do about it except reboot your PC and start again.
The most common reason for blue screens under
Windows 98/ME was incompatible versions of DLL (Dynamic Link Library)
files, but with Windows 2000/XP blue screens tend to happen because of
driver problems, and when using older versions of applications with the
latest Service Pack. The last, once again, underlines the importance of
either keeping everything up to date or leaving everything well alone.
There's an area in the Windows Startup and Recovery
section (Advanced page of the System applet in Control Panel) devoted to
what happens if a System Failure occurs. Here you can specify whether
or not the event is added to the system log, send an Administrative
Alert (not much help to most musicians, who are already the
administrator of their PCs), or Automatically Restart. It's helpful to
un-tick the last option, since that gives you a chance to read the BSOD.
Further options include various 'Write debugging
information' memory-dump sizes, the choices being None, Small (64KB),
Kernel and Complete (entire physical RAM). I've chosen None, on the
grounds that unless you know how to interpret the memory dump it's not
much use to you, and there's no point in cluttering up your hard drive
with dump files. However, if you're consistently given a BSOD by (for
example) a particular audio interface driver, the manufacturer may ask
you to send this memory dump so that their experts can try to analyse
what's going on.
If your PC ever presents a blue screen, don't force
the PC to reboot immediately: first, note down any file name that may be
mentioned, and/or any error number, and try to remember whether you've
recently installed new software, a driver update or new hardware. Even
if you don't manage to track down the culprit first time, if the blue
screen happens again you may notice a common factor that will help to
solve the problem.
The quickest way to obtain more information on a specific error message is to visit Microsoft's Knowledgebase (http://support.microsoft.com)
and enter the error number that you saw on your blue screen, in the
format 'STOP 0x000000D1'. You should then be provided with a long list
of possible culprits that, at the very least, will give you more ideas
on what might have caused the problem and may point to a specific
application that's known to cause it.
Other related web pages that I've found useful include Windows XP Shutdown & Restart Troubleshooting (http://aumha.org/ win5/a/shtdwnxp.htm) and Troubleshooting Windows Stop Messages (http://aumha.org/ win5/kbestop.htm).
Mains Power Supply Problems
Spontaneous crashes and reboots can be caused by
hardware or software problems (see 'Random PC Reboots' box), but some
are obviously due to mains power problems. A brownout, for example, is a
short-term drop in voltage (your mains light bulbs will dim
simultaneously). Depending on its severity, your PC may survive
unscathed (I had three or four such 'blips' while writing this feature
and my PC didn't grumble at all). However, it depends on how low the
voltage dip is, and how long it lasts. Your PC could suffer a 'frozen
keyboard', a complete lockup or even a spontaneous reboot.
A blackout, as the name suggests, is a complete loss
of power (your lights will go out), and the result is exactly the same
as switching your PC off at the wall socket. All data not saved will be
lost, and as soon as the power comes back on your PC will either stay in
its 'off' state or reboot itself.
Although you can buy a cheap surge-protected mains
distribution board, products such as Furman's PL8 II, shown here
(available in 120 and 240V versions) provide more sophisticated
filtering and surge protection. This one is presented in a compact
rackmounting unit with pull-out lights (very useful on dark stages!).
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Spikes and surges are sudden momentary increases in
voltage, either caused by nearby equipment being switched on or (more
often) off, or (in more serious cases) by a nearby lightning strike.
They can cause catastrophic hardware damage, often burning out
motherboards and connected devices. A strike to telephone lines can also
easily result in a burnt-out modem if it's connected to them, and can
damage the rest of your PC at the same time. I heard of one case where
the PC itself was physically unplugged from the mains outlet but its
modem was still connected to the telephone line. An incoming transient
not only took out the modem, but also the motherboard it was connected
to, the processor and most of the other devices, plus all the data on
the hard drives.
Many musicians switch off their PCs as soon as they
hear a rumble of thunder or notice the first flash of lightning, then
physically unplug it and their modem from the wall sockets. Better
still, if, like many musicians, your mains wiring is all connected via
distribution boards to a single mains socket, pull these plugs from the
wall so that all your gear is protected. However, surges can happen at
any time, so although PC power supplies generally have integral mains
filtering to deal with incoming RF interference, it's sensible to fit
some sort of external surge protection for all your gear, to cope with
more vigorous influxes. There are lots of mains distribution boards
available that are fitted with surge-protection devices, and even a
cheap one is better than nothing. However, if possible, avoid those with
'sacrificial' MOV (Metal Oxide Varistor) components that are partially
or completely destroyed in the event of a strike, or at least pay a
little more for one with indicators that show when the MOVs have failed.
Lots of suppliers stock the respected Belkin range
in six and eight-way versions with added protection for telephone and
modem, in various configurations, for under £25. These are far better
than the anonymous 'under £10' products you tend to find in DIY centres,
but for even more protection look for products such as those from
SurgeX (www.surgex.com).
The next step up from a surge-protected board, to be considered if you
suffer from brownouts or regular surges, is a power conditioner, which
has the totally different function of filtering out mains noise, as well
as stabilising and regulating the output voltage. Stand-alone units are
available from companies such as APC (www.apc.com) from about £75. Power conditioners from companies such as Furman (www.furmansound.com)
also offer more advanced MOV surge protection that's claimed not to
degrade. Models such as their 1U rackmount PL8II E, with 10 IEC outlets,
are available from about £170. The more sophisticated AC Line Regulator
models can also deliver a constant output voltage of 120/240 volts AC
wherever you are in the world.
Surviving A Power Cut
The ultimate protection for any computer system
would allow it to carry on regardless even if the mains disappeared
altogether. Given the rarity of power cuts in many countries, most
project studio owners just swear if all the lights go out and they lose
whatever PC data they were working on, while waiting for the lights to
come back on again. However, if you live in a part of the world where
power blackouts are more commonplace, regularly suffer from spikes and
brownouts that crash your PC, or have a commercial studio where it's
simply not an option to risk your clients' data, investing in an
Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) is a wise move. It's also vital for
anyone involved in broadcasting, running Internet servers or any other
applications where you just have to keep on trucking!
Anyone who owns a laptop PC will have seen the
principle of the UPS in action. While the laptop is plugged into the
mains, its internal battery is trickle-charged. If the power fails, or
if you unplug the laptop's mains power supply, the battery instantly
takes over to provide a smooth continuation of power for as many hours
as the battery's charge allows. Some Intel Centrino models can manage
four to five hours when running non-demanding office applications, while
'desktop replacement' laptops may only last for an hour or two when
running a sequencer and lots of plug-ins and soft-synths.
A bona fide desktop system with multiple
drives and expansion devices consumes even more power, making it largely
impractical to fit integral batteries for backup purposes. Instead,
you'll need a stand-alone UPS, rated such that it can supply enough
power to keep your gear going for the required length of time. Some
people may be content to protect their PC for just a few minutes (enough
to save whatever they're working on), while others may want to keep
their entire studio powered up for the remainder of a session.
At the very least, computer hard drives should be
allowed to power down gracefully, as modern hard-disk controllers tend
to cache data that may be lost in the event of a power loss, causing
possible file corruption. Failure to boot after a power cut is usually
caused by such corruption or a damaged hard drive. UPS devices usually
come with software that communicates with your PC via a serial or USB
cable and guides it through an automatic controlled shutdown (generally
the cheapest way of avoiding damage or data loss). Several computers can
be controlled from one UPS by this means, and for more ambitious setups
it's even possible to manage a UPS via an Ethernet network.
The UPS may instruct your PC to enter its Shutdown
state, or go into Hibernation. In the latter state, the entire contents
of RAM are saved as one big file on your hard drive, and when power
returns the system reloads this file and carries on from where it left
off. A Standby state is also a possibility (the PC drops into a
low-power mode with the monitor and some other devices powered down, but
able to quickly resume when power returns). The musician may need to
consider these options more carefully than most users, particularly if a
Firewire or USB audio interface is being used (see 'The Show Must Go
On' box for more details).
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Random PC Reboots
Spontaneous reboots can occur as a result of viruses or using elderly
driver versions. However, more common reasons are hardware-related.
Faulty RAM is one possibility, especially if it wasn't handled carefully
during installation. The easiest way to test your memory, to eliminate
this possibility, is to run a freeware utility such as Memtest86 (www.memtest86.com) or the two memory benchmarks from Sisoftware's Sandra
Burn-In Wizard for at least several hours. Alternatively, temporarily
remove or replace the RAM to see if the problem goes away. RAM timing
could also be an issue, so avoid overclocking and try reducing the
memory speeds in the BIOS.
A poor-quality power supply (or one that's running
near to 100 percent capacity) is another possibility, as is overheating,
particularly of some CPUs, so check internal temperatures in your BIOS
or with a suitable Windows utility to make sure. Even bad contacts can
be a cause, so rule this out by re-seating your expansion cards, RAM,
CPU and so on, and unplug/re-plug all the internal cables, which should
help to clean all the connections.
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Specifying A UPS
Although there's not really such a thing as a
'typical' power cut, 90 percent are said to last under five minutes and
99 percent less than one hour, which may make it easier to choose a
suitable UPS. Deciding on the VA (Volt-Ampere) rating you will need your
UPS to have is simply a matter of deciding which of your gear needs
protecting and then totting up the VA ratings that you should find
somewhere on the equipment rear panels. Many PCs will be happy with
about 500VA, although it's safer to over-specify if you can afford it,
as computer and audio gear can draw significantly greater peak currents.
It can be a confusing business trying to find the
most suitable UPS, as there are several basic types. The cheapest type
is the Standby (off-line) device that makes no attempt to regulate the
mains supply while it remains within certain pre-defined limits, and
which only switches its inverter (the circuitry that converts DC from a
battery into an AC output waveform) on-line after a short break, of
typically several milliseconds, in the mains supply, or if the voltage
varies significantly from its nominal value. Its normal output waveform
is often a square wave. Such UPS supplies are available for loads
between about 350VA and 1kVA, and are ideal for keeping your PC going
during a power cut if you don't want to spend too much money.
An uninterruptable power supply with power
conditioning needn't be expensive. This line-interactive Riello Galatrek
Plug Dialog 350 model could supply the average PC for several minutes
in the event of a power cut, for under £50.
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The next step up is a line-interactive UPS. This
type of device offers some 'conditioning' of the mains supply, to
provide a clean, stable output voltage, free of spikes and electrical
noise, that is normally either a sine or stepped wave. Again, this type
of supply switches to its inverter circuitry only on mains failure,
after a few milliseconds. They're available with power ratings from
500VA to to 5kVA and are suitable if you regularly notice your lights
dimming, you suffer from incoming spikes, or you want to prevent your PC
from crashing because of poor mains quality or power cuts. However,
their output waveform may not suit high-quality audio gear such as power
amps, if you want to use such a UPS to power your whole studio, and you
may hear an audible click during the change from mains to battery
power. Prices for off-line and line-interactive supplies range from £50
to £300, depending on power rating and battery duration.
The ultimate solution (and, therefore, the most
expensive, starting at about £350) is an on-line UPS, where the inverter
circuitry is permanently in circuit, powered either by the mains or
from the battery when mains power isn't present. No audio changeover
clicks will be heard and the output waveform is a true sine wave, mostly
cleaner and more stable than the incoming mains supply, and regulated
to much closer tolerances. This type of UPS is normally the only one of
the three that offers an automatic bypass in the event of a fault
condition, so your gear should carry on regardless to the end of the
session, when you can arrange to get the UPS repaired. It can also be
used for 50/60Hz frequency conversion when powering foreign gear. An
on-line UPS is the only type of UPS I would recommend for powering
studio audio gear as well as your PC. They're available with power
ratings of between 700VA and 800kVA.
The length of time for which a particular UPS can run when the full rated power is being drawn from it is, of course, dependent on battery capacity and thus varies greatly from model to model, although some have optional extra battery packs that can extend the nominal time. Recommended UPS manufacturers include APC (www.apc.com), Emerson-Liebert (www.emerson-ups.co.uk), MGE (www.mgeups.co.uk) and Riello Galatrek (www.riello-ups.co.uk), all of whose products can be bought from a variety of computer and electrical suppliers. One of the best suppliers I've come across is UPS Systems (www.upssystems.uk.com/ acatalog/index.html), who specialise in supplying standby power and can provide advice, service and support.
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