TechNote (Archived)

Optimize Windows for Adobe Audition (1.5 - 2.0)

Optimizing the system can eliminate compatibility problems that can interfere with audio editing. To optimize a Windows system for Adobe Audition, work through the tasks in this document. To further eliminate problems, simplify the system to include only those components necessary for editing audio.

1. Make sure that the system meets the minimum requirements.

If you use the Multichannel Encoder, make sure that the system also meets the requirements for that.

Adobe Audition 2.0

-- Intel Pentium III, IV, Centrino (or other SSE-enabled processor)

-- Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition, or Windows XP Home Edition, with Service Pack 2

-- 512MB RAM (1GB or more recommended)

-- 700MB of available hard disk space (5.5GB of available hard-disk space recommended for installing optional audio clips)

-- 1024x768 display (1280x1024 recommended)

-- Sound card with DirectSound or ASIO drivers (multitrack ASIO sound card recommended)

-- CD-ROM drive (DVD-ROM drive recommended for installing optional audio clips)

-- CD-RW drive for audio CD creation

-- Speakers or headphones recommended

-- Internet or phone connection required for product activation and Internet-related services

Adobe Audition 1.5

-- 400 MHz or faster processor (2 GHz or faster processor recommended)

-- Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional or Home Edition

-- 64 MB RAM (512 MB or more recommended)

-- 75 MB of available hard-disk space (700 MB recommended for installing optional audio clips)

-- 800 x 600 color display (1024 x 768 display recommended)

-- Stereo sound card (multitrack sound card recommended)

-- CD-ROM drive (a CD-RW drive is required for audio CD creation)

-- Microsoft DirectX 9.0 or later required for video import

-- Speakers or headphones recommended

-- Microphone (optional)

Adobe Audition 1.0

-- 400 MHz or faster processor (1 GHz or faster processor recommended)

-- Microsoft Windows XP, 2000, Me, or 98SE

-- 64 MB of RAM (256 MB or more recommended)

-- 55 MB of available hard-disk space (500 MB recommended for installing optional audio clips)

-- 800 x 600 color display (1024 x 768 display recommended)

-- Stereo sound card (multitrack sound card recommended)

-- CD-ROM drive

-- Speakers or headphones (recommended)

Additional requirements for the Multichannel Encoder in Audition 1.x

-- For multichannel WMA import: Windows XP

-- For surround preview: Microsoft DirectX 8.0 or later and a multichannel sound card that supports a DirectSound driver. Surround sound speaker system recommended.

2.Install the latest version of Adobe Audition and Sound card drivers.

The latest version of Adobe Audition is 2.0. Updates, as they become available, may be more compatible with the operating system and hardware drivers. For update information, visit the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html .

Before you install an update, make sure that the system meets the requirements.

3. Optimize IDE disks.

Enable Direct Memory Access (DMA) to improve the transfer rate of IDE disks and prevent audio from dropping out during recording and playback in Windows XP, 2000, Me, or 98SE. Windows XP enables DMA by default on most IDE devices. For more information, visit Microsoft's Web site at www.microsoft.com/hwdev/tech/storage/IDE-DMA.asp.

To enable DMA in Windows XP or 2000:

1. Log in to Windows with administrator access.

2. Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.

3. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.

4. Click the plus sign (+) beside IDE controllers.

5. Right-click the IDE disk, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.

6. Click the Advanced Settings tab, and select DMA If Available For Transfer Mode.

7. Click OK to the alert about enabling DMA.

8. Click the plus sign beside CD-ROM Drives.

9. Right-click the CD-ROM drive, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.

10. Click the Settings tab, and select Enable DMA. (This option won't appear if the CD-ROM drive isn't connected to the IDE chain.

To enable DMA in Windows Me and 98SE:

1. Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.

2. Click the Device Manager tab, and then click Device Manager.

3. Click the plus sign (+) beside Hardware Controllers.

4. Right-click the IDE disk, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.

5. Click the Settings tab, and select Enable DMA.

6. Click OK to the alert about enabling DMA.

7. Click the plus sign beside CD-ROM.

8. Right-click the CD-ROM drive, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.

9. Click the Settings tab, and select Enable DMA. (This option won't appear if the CD-ROM drive is not connected to the IDE chain.)

4. Verify that device drivers are compatible with Windows.

Verify that all device drivers are compatible with the version of Windows you are using. Device drivers are files that allow Windows to communicate with devices such as sound cards, video display adapters, SCSI cards, and disk drives. Contact the device manufacturer to make sure that you have the latest driver for it.

To verify that device drivers are compatible with your version of Windows:

1. Open the System Control Panel:

-- In Windows XP, choose Start > Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, and click System.

-- In Windows 2000, Me, and 98SE, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel, and double-click System.

2. Open Device Manager:

-- In Windows XP and 2000, click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.

-- In Windows Me and 98SE, click the Device Manager tab.

3. Click the plus sign (+) to the left of each device type.

4. If a device appears with a black exclamation mark (!) in a yellow circle, do the following:

-- In Windows XP, right-click the device, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.

-- In Windows 2000, Me, or 98SE, double-click the device, and then click the General tab.

5. Note the properties for the device:

-- Check the Device Status field: If the device isn't working properly, information in this field can help you troubleshoot the problem.

-- If the Properties dialog box has a Driver tab, click it. If the Driver tab doesn't indicate the driver provider, click Driver Details. If Microsoft is the provider, a generic driver is probably installed; contact the device manufacturer to obtain the most recent driver they provide.

5.Run Adobe Audition while no other applications are running.

Some applications may cause problems when running concurrently with Adobe Audition. Before starting Adobe Audition, disable other applications, including startup items (items that start automatically with Windows).

To disable startup items:

1. Exit from all applications.

2. Choose Start > Run, and type msconfig in the Open text box. Click OK.

3. Click the Startup tab, and select Disable All.

4. Deselect any startup items that are essential for testing the problem. If you are unsure if an item is essential, leave it selected.

5. Click OK, and restart Windows.

6. Right-click to close or disable any items in the Notification Area (called the System Tray in earlier versions of Windows).

Note: For more information about msconfig, see the documentation included with Windows.

6. Optimize the video display.

Video display acceleration and other display options can conflict with sound card drivers, resulting in a system error, and screen savers can interrupt the flow of data when you record audio, causing unusable audio files. In addition, display options use system resources, decreasing resources available to Adobe Audition. You can resolve these problems by disabling video display acceleration and by optimizing display options.

-- To disable video display acceleration in Windows:

In Windows XP and 2000:

1. Open the Display Properties window:

-- In Windows XP, choose Start > Control Panel, click Appearance and Themes, and then click Display.

-- In Windows 2000, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel, and double-click Display.

2. Click the Settings tab, and then click Advanced.

3. Click the Troubleshooting tab.

4. Move the Hardware acceleration slider to None.

5. Click OK to accept the new setting, and then click OK to close the Display Properties window.

6. Restart Windows.

In Windows Me or 98:

1. Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties.

2. Click the Performance tab, and then click Graphics.

3. Move the Hardware Acceleration slider to None or one notch above None, and then click OK.

4. Restart Windows.

-- To optimize display options:

1. Open the Display Properties window:

-- In Windows XP, choose Start > Control Panel, click Appearance and Themes, and then click Display.

-- In Windows 2000, Me, or 98, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel, and then double-click Display.

2. Change the desktop pattern:

-- In Windows XP, click the Desktop tab, and select None for the Background.

-- In Windows 2000, Me, or 98, click the Background tab, set the Wallpaper and Pattern options to None, and then click OK.

3. Click the Screen Saver tab, select None from the Screen Saver scroll box, and deselect the Energy Saving options.

4. Click the Settings tab, choose High Color (16 bit) or True Color (32 bit) from the Color Palette pop-up menu, and then click OK.

5. Click Yes if prompted to restart the computer.

7. Defragment hard disks.

Defragment all hard disks, including system and non-system disks, on a regular basis to optimize performance in Adobe Audition. If you use external disks for video, you can reformat them instead. Keep in mind that reformatting a disk erases all information on it.

To defragment hard disks, choose Start > Program > Accessories > System Utilities > Disk Defragmenter. For more information, see the documentation included with Windows.

8. Verify that the sound card is set up correctly for Adobe Audition.

One common cause for audio-editing problems is a sound card that's set up incorrectly for Adobe Audition.

To verify that the sound card is set up correctly for Adobe Audition 1.x:

1. Choose Options > Device Order, click the Playback tab, and make sure that the installed sound card is listed in the Multitrack Device Preference Order box. Make sure that it is in the position that you need it to be in for both playback and recording (usually the first position).

2. Check that the installed sound card is selected as the Edit View [EV] Device (that is, the device name is followed by "[EV]"). If it isn't, select the device and click Use in EV. Click OK.

3. Choose Options > Device Properties, and choose your main device from the pop-up menu on the Wave in and Wave Out pop-up tabs. If you use Windows XP or 2000, select Try as WDM on both the Wave In and Wave Out tabs.

To verify that the sound card is set up correctly for Adobe Audition 2.0:

1. Choose Edit > Audio Hardware Setup, click the Edit View tab, and make sure that the installed sound card is listed in the Audio Driver Menu. If your soundcard is not listed you either need to install the card's ASIO driver, or if no ASIO driver is available, choose Audition Windows Sound. For more information refer to the Adobe Audition User's Guide and 332220 - Setup Audition 2.0 Audio Hardware Drivers (ASIO and Audition Windows Sound).

2. Set the Default Input and Default Output ports to match your audio hardware setup.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the Multitrack View and Surround Encoder tabs.

9. Optimize Windows virtual memory settings.
By dedicating a fixed amount of space on your hard disk for virtual memory (or swap file), you can decrease skipping or stuttering problems in Adobe Audition and improve overall performance.

To optimize virtual memory for Adobe Audition:

1. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel, and then double-click System.

2. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Performance Options.

3. Click Change under Virtual Memory.

4. Select the drive on which you would like to store the swap file.

5. In the Initial Size text box, enter 1.5 times the amount of RAM on the system. Enter the same value in the Maximum Size text box.

6. Click Set, and then click OK.

10. Change the Wave Cache settings in Adobe Audition.

Changing the Wave Cache setting increases performance in Adobe Audition.

To change the Wave Cache setting in Audition 1.x:

Choose Options > Settings > System, and then enter one of the values from the table below , depending on how much RAM is installed on your computer.

To change the Wave Cache setting in Audition 2.0:

Choose Edit > Preferences > System, and then enter one of the values from the table below, depending on how much RAM is installed on your computer.

Installed RAM Wave Cache setting
up to 512MB 32MB

1GB 64MB

Higher than 1GB 128MB

Note: As you reach higher Wave Cache settings, you start to get diminishing returns, so you should try various settings to see how they work for you.

11. Set Adobe Audition temporary directories to drives that have adequate free disk space.

Adobe Audition stores temporary files in its Primary Temp Directory when recording. . Make sure that the Primary Temp Directory is set to the drive that has the most free space of the drives that you want to record to. You should also create a folder just for Adobe Audition temporary files. By creating a folder for the temporary files, you can find the files easily should you need to delete them.

To create and set the location of the Primary Temp Directory in Audition 1.x:

1. Create a folder at the root of the hard drive where you want the "Primary Temp Directory" (e.g. folder name "AuditionTemp").

2. In Audition choose Options > Settings > System tab.

3. In the Temporary Folders section enter the path (or browse) to the folder created in step 1.

Note: When configuring the temporary directories, set the Reserve Free value between 20 MB and 100 MB. The Reserve Free value is the amount of free disk space that Adobe Audition can't access. Setting aside disk space this way prevents Adobe Audition from filling the hard drive with recorded audio files. You need to have some space left for Windows to use as virtual memory.

To create and set the location of the Primary Temp Directory in Audition 2.0:

1. Create a folder at the root of the hard drive where you want the "Primary Temp Directory" (e.g. folder name "AuditionTemp").

2. In Audition choose Edit>Preferences>System tab.

3. In the Temporary Folders section enter the path (or browse) to the folder created in step 1.

Note: In Audition 2.0, recording in Multitrack View stores files directly into a subfolder within the folder of the current session (example: For a session called "Untitled.ses" a folder called "Untitled_Recorded" will contain all the files recorded for that session).

Putting the Adobe Audition temporary directories on separate hard drives can improve performance. If you have two hard drives, consider setting one of the two temporary directories for Adobe Audition on each of hard drives. You should put the Primary Temp Directory on the hard drive that doesn't contain the Adobe Audition program files, and the Secondary Temp directory on the drive that does. If you have three hard drives, put the two temporary directories on the hard drives that don't contain the Adobe Audition program files.