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Version: 0.3.0

DAW Guides

These notes sit on top of the Windows tuning script. The script stabilizes the OS; these tips help you dial in your DAW so it plays nicely on top.

Think of this page as “knobs inside the DAW” – buffer sizes, multiprocessing, dropout protection, and track layout habits.

Studio One

  • Separate presets for tracking and mixing:
    • Tracking: low buffer (64–128), modest Dropout Protection, only necessary plugins.
    • Mixing: higher buffer (256–512+), high Dropout Protection, full plugin stack.
  • Use Native Low Latency Monitoring for tracking vocals/instruments, then turn it off for heavy mixing.
  • Route heavy instruments (Kontakt, orchestral libraries) to bus channels and freeze/transform tracks when done.
  • Avoid running spectral analyzers and real-time visualizers on every channel; keep them on a few key busses.
  • On multi-monitor setups, try to keep S1’s main window on the GPU’s “happiest” display (usually the primary output).

Reaper

  • Enable Anticipative FX processing for playback tracks, but turn it off on:
    • Record-armed input tracks.
    • Live instrument / monitoring tracks.
  • Use different project templates for:
    • Recording – minimal plugins, low block size.
    • Editing/mixing – higher block size, more lookahead/linear phase plugins.
  • Keep plugin GUIs closed when not needed; some GUIs are heavy on the UI thread.
  • Watch the RT (real-time) CPU meter, not just overall CPU – it’s the one that actually causes dropouts.

Ableton Live

  • Freeze / flatten heavy chains on instruments and FX before you start stacking more plugins.
  • Use two buffer sizes:
    • Low for live playing, performance, or recording.
    • High for arranging and mixing, especially with linear-phase EQ, mastering chains, etc.
  • Disable unused audio inputs/outputs in Preferences → Audio to reduce driver overhead.
  • Be careful with complex Max for Live devices while tracking; render them once they’re “committed”.

FL Studio

  • Enable multithreaded generator and multithreaded mixer processing for large projects.
  • Use ASIO drivers (manufacturer ASIO or ASIO4ALL as a last resort), not WDM/MME.
  • Use the CPU load panel to find problematic plugins; consider rendering stems once sound design is done.
  • Avoid very small buffer sizes with lots of real-time visualization and meters open at once.

Pro Tools

  • Use low H/W buffer for tracking, then switch to higher buffer plus more plugins for mixing.
  • Use Commit and Freeze on tracks that are “finished” to free CPU and RAM.
  • If you use Disk Cache, size it to fit your session plus some headroom, not the entire drive.
  • Watch for plugins that aren’t fully AAX-optimized; a single heavy plugin can bottleneck an otherwise good system.

Cubase / Nuendo

  • Adjust ASIO-Guard based on your use:
    • Lower for live tracking with lots of monitoring.
    • Higher for mixing and heavy virtual instruments.
  • Use Render in Place for complex instrument tracks once arrangements are locked.
  • Disable unused inputs/outputs and control room paths to keep the audio engine lean.
  • Consider separate templates for tracking vs mixing with different control room / cue setups.

General habits for any DAW

  • Use separate tracking and mixing templates with different buffer sizes and plugin loads.
  • Prefer one or two heavy “master bus” analyzers instead of 30 small ones on every channel.
  • Group tracks and process busses instead of inserting lots of individual plugins everywhere.
  • When in doubt: print stems, disable original VIs, and keep your active project lean.
DAW Tuner’s script is there to give you a stable floor in Windows. The DAW settings above are how you keep the ceiling high without cracking it during real-time work.