My first Windows 8 experience

[Scroobius]

Hey Juan - I have changed my signature I have PA on not invert hope its clear now.

Do you have actualized your signature, don´t you have stops?

Sorry don't understand (its been a hard day sigh!)

Paul

[PeterSt]

Paul, Juan asks whether you are drinking all day long.
Well, that's what I think.



But didn't you have a topic somewhere where you "complained" about stops ? That's what I recall. Maybe it was someone else. But then I

[Jud]

OK, did a little reading on this RAMDisk thing.  (Hope this is not a distraction versus the many other things that are as or more important, but I did want to ask before moving on to those other things.)

Please tell me whether any of the following is wrongheaded or inadvisable:

- I'm supposing the RAMdisk with XXHE needs to be persistent across shutdown and should start up with Windows.

- Have 12GB of RAM.  One or two 1GB RAMdisks shouldn't constrain system memory, should it?

- Why two?  Thinking of copying music into one of the RAMdisks, or putting galleries there.  I wouldn't save the contents of a RAMDisk with full music files, though - would fill up far too quickly.  Galleries maybe - depends on size.  Would one larger RAMDisk or two smaller ones be better for this purpose (XXHE and galleries or music), or no difference?

- NTFS?

Thanks.

[boleary]

Hey Peter, am really puzzled why W7 sounds so much better here than W8. One thing I realized is that in W7 I never updated XXhighend past 9Z8d and in W8 I'm using 9Z 8-1a. Might this have something to do with it? The only other thing which might explain it is that I have spent months building and carefully installing, through trial and error, bass traps/absorption panels at reflection points (walls and ceiling--floor has heavy wall to wall carpet) and diffusors in my man-cave listening room on the 3rd floor. I mean the room has literally been tuned to my W7 version of 9Z-8d; seriously I'd put the sound I'm getting up against anything W8 puts out and W7 wins hands down. Will post some pics in the appropriate spot when I get a chance. I'd sure hate to have to start all over again on my room treatment project, but, of course, I will if it's for the better!

[PeterSt]

Hey Jud,

- I'm supposing the RAMdisk with XXHE needs to be persistent across shutdown and should start up with Windows.

Not really. But it will be convenient. So, envision you changing settings in XXHE which now obviously go to the RAMDisk. Now you reboot without putting it all back and your changed settings are lost.

- Have 12GB of RAM.  One or two 1GB RAMdisks shouldn't constrain system memory, should it?

It will be OK, but will meet limits when the largest buffer sizes are to be used. It still may just go with 10GB. With 8GB (left) it won't. Use the smaller sizes and no problem is to be expected.

- Why two?  Thinking of copying music into one of the RAMdisks, or putting galleries there.

Both should be regarded "strange behavior";
Copying music is provided by the Playback Drive when a separate RAMDisk is made for that, or otherwise goes to the RAMDisk where XX sits when you denote "Copy to XX Drive always".
Putting Galleries there can't be a general good solution, since e.g. mine are 90GB. You can just use them from whereever they are now. Don't look at my sig though (not using them at all currently), which is not representative for any normal situation.

Would one larger RAMDisk or two smaller ones be better for this purpose (XXHE and galleries or music), or no difference?

If you use two of them like I do, this serves the explicit purpose of the Playback Drive and it not interfering with anything else. I just follow that rule because it's easy to setup, and I never checked it for SQ merits. To test this, use a RAMDisk for Playback Drive vs mentioned Copy to XX Drive Always.
Theoretically the Playback Drive should be for the better, because it still follows some (secret) rules which won't be applied to being within the XX RAMDisk. So, memory = memory, but applied rules are not the same.

- NTFS?

This I don't know as it *can* depend on the RAMDisk software used. For what we all used before it didn't matter a thing (it was ignored as far as I could tell). For this IMDisk I am using I did not test it.

Hope this helps.
Peter

[Jud]

Thanks Peter, that helps a lot.  I guess I will probably be wanting more RAM then (probably 24GB as 3x8).

Here's something I thought of after posting above, just to drive everyone crazy: So when using a RAMdisk as a playback drive, how would block ("sector") size on the RAMdisk interact with SFS, etc., for sound quality, if at all?

[PeterSt]

It will or should. But this is exactly what I tested with that tool we all used before, and it wasn't influenceable. Like "ignored". So, you can format it like you want, but there wasn't a single difference in performance (tests). This tells me something.

With IMDisk I should test this just the same, just in case it matters here, because then it should be explicity addressed.

Peter

[christoffe]

The only other thing which might explain it is that I have spent months building and carefully installing, through trial and error, bass traps/absorption panels at reflection points (walls and ceiling--floor has heavy wall to wall carpet) and diffusors in my man-cave listening room on the 3rd floor.

Hi Boleary,

Room treatment is related to acoustics. A simple definition is "acoustics deals with what sound does in a room" (see "Acoustic Design For Home Studios" by Mitch Gallagher, chapter 1)

The room treatment is the physical basis (controlling reflections and reverberation, bass traps etc) for a superb sound.

Joachim

[stefanobilliani]

Well , I am trying to understand how to "build 2" ramdisk(s)(dataram) . Superb sound by the way ,with the "ram" folder , but seems the system is not allowed to minimize for now . It says contat Phasure for that ... mmmmh

s

Edit , it looks like , from the support page , that with RAMdisk (dataram) only one instance is possible .

[Scroobius]

I have just put on Gilles Peterson "Havana Cultura" an old fave that I have not heard for a while. OH WOW does it sound good via W8. A singer standing in front of me, instruments spread around my conservatory (behind the speakers). Sounds popping out of the air, I hear voices and look around to see who is calling - the imaging is by far the best I have ever heard. The little strands of music that I could not hear before, the absolute clarity of the human singing is breath taking.

Crikey

 

But I know it can be improved further - there is just a hint of edge so back to work - but just for now I would rather listen to music.

ARrrrggh forgot to switch the network have now that's better

[stefanobilliani]

Well , I am trying to understand how to "build 2" ramdisk(s)(dataram) . Superb sound by the way ,with the "ram" folder , but seems the system is not allowed to minimize for now . It says contat Phasure for that ... mmmmh

s

Edit , it looks like , from the support page , that with RAMdisk (dataram) only one instance is possible .

Well from now ready with 2 Ram disks . One of them is im disk ....

[stefanobilliani]

OH WOW does it sound good via W8. A singer standing in front of me, instruments spread around my conservatory (behind the speakers). Sounds popping out of the air, I hear voices and look around to see who is calling

 

Yeah I remember that aswell :-)

[PeterSt]

Well from now ready with 2 Ram disks . One of them is im disk ....

To put another variable in the equation ...
hahahaha
Oh boy.

[stefanobilliani]

Well from now ready with 2 Ram disks . One of them is im disk ....

To put another variable in the equation ...
hahahaha
Oh boy.

Of course , dataram ramdisk already uninstalled . The difference is that dataram was seen as a pen drive ( don't know if that was selectable ) . But it looks imdisk(s) are much faster .

jajajaja
oh lady .

[Jud]

Quick question:

Doesn't seem the 24GB is economically priced.  16GB is, which should be enough.

Crucial Ballistix 16GB DDR3 1600 is on sale at Newegg for $90 ($20 off).  Timing is 8-8-8-24.

There are also Corsair 16GB DDR3 1600 for $5 more at 10-10-10-27, and G. Skill 16GB DDR3 1600 again for $90 at 10-10-10-30.

The speed isn't critical.  Could probably raise or lower it a little, depending on the CPU speed, in accordance with Peter's non-resonance theories.

I would think to the extent there's anything to choose between these, the lower latency (8-8-8-24) might be better.  Some people, I've found, don't particularly like Crucial, though I've had it and it's been fine.

Any thoughts (particularly Peter, if you have any experience with memory latency numbers as they affect sound)?