Windows has been designed for a wide variety of applications. Unfortunately that means that, out-of-the-box, it works correctly for office or entertainment applications, but for DAW applications, several settings and features have to be fine-tuned.
Native users should also refer to this page for additional recommendations.
Windows 10 Fall Creator (1709) : Pyramix 11.0.6 / Ovation 7.0.6 / VCube 7.0.6 / AMR 11.0.6 required
Windows 10 Spring Creator (1803) : Pyramix 11.1.4 / Ovation 7.1.4 / VCube 7.1.4 / AMR 11.1.4 required. (MassCore mode : RTX64 3.4 version)
Windows 10 October 2018 (1809) : Pyramix 11.1.6 / Ovation 7.1.6 / VCube 7.1.6 / AMR 11.1.6 required. (MassCore mode : RTX64 3.6.2 version)
Windows 10 May 2019 (1903) : Pyramix 12.0.5 - Pyramix 14.0 / Ovation 8.1.5 - Ovation 10.0 / VCube 8.1.5 - VCube 10.0 / AMR 12.0.5 - AMR14 required. (MassCore mode : RTX64 3.7 version)
Windows 10 November 2019 update (1909) : Pyramix 12.0.5 - Pyramix 14.0 / Ovation 8.1.5 - Ovation 10.0 / VCube 8.1.5 - VCube 10.0 / AMR 12.0.5 - AMR14 required. (MassCore mode : RTX64 3.7 version)
Windows 10 May 2020 (2004): Pyramix 25th Hotfix 3 - Pyramix 14.0 / Ovation 9.0.6 - Ovation 10.0 / VCube 9.0.6 - VCube 10.0 / AMR 13.0.6 - AMR14. (MassCore mode : RTX64 3.7.4 version)
Windows 10 Fall 2020 (20H2) : Pyramix 25th Hotfix 3 - Pyramix 14.0 / Ovation 9.0.6 - Ovation 10.0 / VCube 9.0.6 - VCube 10.0 / AMR 13.0.6 - AMR14. (MassCore mode : RTX64 3.7.4 version)
Windows 10 May 2021 (21H1) : Pyramix 25th Hotfix 3 - Pyramix 14.0 / Ovation 9.0.6 - Ovation 10.0 / VCube 9.0.6 - VCube 10.0 / AMR 13.0.6 - AMR14. (MassCore mode : RTX64 3.7.4 version)
Windows 10 October 2021 (21H2) : MassCore : currently not compatible - Native : validation pending
Merging highly recommends you "defer feature updates" in Windows 10, see Updates section below.
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Merging recommends you disable the auto updates on Windows Apps, for better performance.
Open Windows Store, and click on the profile icon on the top right corner and select settings (On Spring Creator, click on the ... icon)
Set “Update apps automatically” and show products on tile to offor "App updates" (depending on your Windows Store version).
OneDrive configuration / uninstall
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In both case, Merging recommends you disable updates from other computers (your computer can receive, but also send updates directly to other computers, costing computer resources and network bandwidth) .
Go in Windows Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced options > Choose how updates are deliveredDelivery Optimization.
“Updates from more than one place”“Allow downloads from other PCs” should be set to off. The second option will be automatically disabled.
DPC LATENCY CHECK
To handle real time application, the CPU gets a defined amount of time to perform the required tasks.
If those tasks are delayed, the result is usually drop-outs in the signal.
A common tool to verify if your computer is able to handle real-time audio was DPC Latency Checker, but the reported values are false in Windows 8 and 10.
The alternative solution is to use the LatencyMon tool,
Download the tool and install it on your computer.
You can start the test by clicking on the Play icon on the top left corner.
To get useful results, the tool should run for quite some time (10 minutes minimum).
The driver or process using the highest DPC or ISR is clearly stated in the main window.
If you have too high values, you can get more detailed information in the Processes or Drivers tab.
Don't pay too much attention to the hard pagefault resolution time (last indicator)
If you have higher values, you will have to search for the driver/ device that is causing the issue by disabling them one by one.
Remember that some devices cannot be disabled, proceed with caution.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LAN specific (usually ndis.sys),USB devices, on-board audio, PCI / PCIe devices are the common culprits.
On laptops, the ACPI battery driver is also a common problem (ACPI.sys), you can try to disable (do not uninstall!) the "Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery" and "Microsoft AC Adapter" listed under Batteries in Windows Device Manager (but pay attention to not disable any other ACPI device listed under System devices, your computer may not start anymore !)
Note on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth : If you have DPC issues related to Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth, not only the driver might be the culprit, but also the stability of the Wi-Fi network (if the signal is not stable, the Wi-Fi adapter constantly have to work which will introduce DPC latencies) or the Bluetooth devices connected to your computer. Therefore this means that if Wi-Fi does not cause DPC issue in one place, it could in another place with unstable Wi-Fi. Same applies to Bluetooth, it may cause DPC issues with certain devices only.
Be careful if you want to use Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth on your computer.
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