Apple 8 manual Software, Backup

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Audio applications place high demands on the platters and mechanical parts of a hard drive. Regular hard drive maintenance is particularly important for ensuring stable, and consistent, drive operation. This includes de-fragmentation and performance checks.

Frequent de-fragmentation has a positive effect on the life of a hard drive. The hard drive tools that ship with the operating system are a safe choice but these may not detect, or repair, all problems.

Note: As a general rule, the larger the hard drive, the less frequently it will need to be defragmented.

Hard drives are subject to wear-and-tear. Should your hard drive utility detect problems more and more frequently, it might be a precursor to a drive failure. Back up your data and consider replacing the drive before a total failure occurs.

Software

When deciding on software to install on your computer music system, the general rule is “less is more.” Ideally, only the standard operating system plus Logic, and maybe the components required for accessing the Internet, would be installed on your system. In the real world, however, this isn’t always practical …

You should avoid running other applications—unless absolutely necessary—while using Logic. Mac OS X is very good at multi-tasking, but why take away any potential power from Logic? Running that word processor in the background, or leaving your Internet connection “live” could cost you that “one last” reverb you need to finish a track.

Backup

The most important rule when using computers: Always back up your data!

This is particularly true for a computer music system, as you will generate huge amounts of data in a short amount of time—often under demanding conditions.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to back up your most important data on several external storage media—on a daily basis! If this seems a little paranoid, just consider the price of storage media compared to the value of your music. If your computer (or hard-disk) decides to self-destruct, the result is often the unrecoverable loss of important data, and with it, hours of work and inspiration.

If you make your living with a computer music system, you might want to invest in a professional backup solution—see your music/computer dealer for further information and assistance.

Appendix C Optimizing Your Computer Audio System