How to get Windows 7 ready for home audio production

Fortunately, Windows 7 is easily good enough to banish outdated bad memories about Vista. It's also much slicker and easier to set up than a Windows XP machine.

These tips should help improve your PC's audio recording and playback performance. It's not always easy to tell what works, though. Much of the evidence to be found on the Web is anecdotal, such as whether a given machine and software combination performs better and crashes less often. In addition, you may find that a particular tip doesn't apply to your situation, or runs contrary to what your favorite software package vendor recommends; in that case, feel free to disregard that tip.