Safe to use XP SP2 now with T2?

[LBN]

I'm having no problems with SP2 here. I'm currently working on a project that is 24 tracks -- about half audio and half VSTi. I'm doing lots of rendering to disk and layered effects. No glitches at all except when I start to overload the processor. Then I freeze a track or two and everything is good again. However, I did install SP2 during a fresh XP installation so this probably helped things.

Tangent:
I'm appreciating Tracktion 2 all over again recently. The project I'm working on is a collaboration between a few people and I'm hoping to get some "real" guitar and vocals in on it in a week or two but it has allowed me the opportunity to work under Cubase SX 2.2 and Sonar 4 as well as Tracktion 2. I'm familiar with Cubase but not so much Sonar. I can appreciate that both of those programs are powerful but getting things done in each one seemed to require 3-4x the steps as they do in Tracktion. Just adding instruments or effects to tracks require going through several subwindows and pop-up menus. I Tracktion's filter paradigm. It's so fast to work with. If Tracktion's MIDI editor is refined a little bit more (event editing?) then it will be everything to me. Well, maybe folder tracks too. I do like that feature from Sonar. Yeah, energyXT's MIDI editor and Sonar's folder tracks. And a cup holder.

[pHz]

Yeah, energyXT's MIDI editor ...

powers that be ... you listening ??? its not JUST me ...

slainte rob

[Lunch Money]

Mmm... folder tracks...

[dvonae]

One word to the wise, though, Lee-- almost any problems people have had with SP2 (with regards to Cubase in particular, but also with other setups) have come from installing SP2 well into their established setups.

I upgraded into an existing SP1 install, but I made sure to install all the HP-recommended updates for my system first. Then I want through and turned off just about everything; anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware, etc, etc... before doing the actual SP2 upgrade. Everything went fine. But my system is only moderately tweaked and DAW work is just a side hobby, so your mileage may definately vary...

Although SP2 should be fine in most situations, I only TRULY feel comfortable recommending ANY major OS upgrade as part of a fresh install. If you're like me, you probably hate doing fresh installs very often, but this is one thing I'd do right from the beginning.

1. Install XP, whatever version you have
2. SP2
3. The rest of your shite.

This is still the best method if you have the time. Especially if you have noticed major problems with performance or system reliability prior to doing the upgrade. Simple rule: Don't apply major service packs to flaky systems -- re-install.

[adventurepants]

The best thing to do is to create a 'slipstreamed' installation of XP SP2. You can google for information on how to do it. This means that you install SP2 as part of the xp installation process. Then enable updates, download ALL security updates. If you then want to disconnect your pc from the network, then tweak to your hearts desire. We are having many many problems around here with SP1 machines on the network getting flooded by viruses in the last couple of weeks. If you bring anything into your DAW at all through CD's, floppies and usb drives, you must be receiving regular security updates and running current antivirus. OR, have a very strict backup and imaging regime so that if anything goes wrong, you can load up a fresh image and be on your way in 10 minutes. no more formats.