Dell Latitude E6500 for pro-audio applications

Just got an E6500 as my new music workstation. Have latency/audio glitches issues but managed to take down the problem after reading the forum. In return I hope I can contribute here for those seriously considering getting the Latitude for pro-audio work.

<Critical tweak>
- Install Intel matrix storage manager 8.8
- Disable Nvidia power management in regedit: Find \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Video\***variable string***\0000\PerfLevelSrc, change value from 3333 to 3322 (AC only) or 2222 (both AC and battery). (Refer to http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=261929)
- Download and install “System Tools” from Nvidia website. In Nvidia control panel (performance tab), reduce core clock (suggest 50%) to eliminate trace of background glitches.
- Disable unnecessary services (in particular “Superfetch”), or set them to manual (in particular “WLAN autoconfig” and “Firewall”)
- Disable LAN and WLAN device

<Minor tweak to minimize the DPC latency >
- Disable eSATA (BIOS) when not used
- Avoid disabling “credential vault device” (strange but it helps)

Side note:
To access internet, for example via WLAN, you may create a batch file on desktop to start “Base Filtering Engine”, “Firewall”, “WLAN autoconfig” services (and something else), and enable WLAN device (need to install Devcon.exe from Microsoft). Create another batch file to stop and disable.


I use Ableton 7 +soft synths. Very clean at ~11ms latency setting. Waiting to install a 2nd HD. I highly recommend this notebook

 

Good tips! Most of the headache can be avoided just by getting the Intel X4500 graphics chip instead though. It doesn't require any tweaking and comes with good latency by default (although you obviously give up graphics performance by going Intel instead of Nvidia).

 

I also have an E6500 w/Nvidia, which I use for pro audio recording and editing (Sonar 7 + M-Audio Fast Track Pro). I'll post my tips here, since my method is fairly different than yours--I'm running XP, for one thing.

THE GOAL

I wanted a laptop that could function both as a normal, internet-ready system and as a portable DAW. My E6500 really disappointed me at first, because DPC latency spikes caused the ASIO drivers to constantly, irrevocably glitch, destroying any recordings I was doing.

THE SOLUTION

First, I used Partition Magic to create a new partition on my HD. On that partition, I installed a second instance of XP. Now I'm dual-booting two versions of XP: one, the normal one that came from Dell; the other one, a specially customized DAW version.

STEPS:

1. Partition HD.

2. Install a second version of XP (I used TinyXP SP3, b/c it's more lightweight and already has RAID drivers slipstreamed).

3. In BIOS, disable e-SATA port.

4. Install all music software, audio device drivers, etc on DAW partition.

5. Use the information at http://web.archive.org/web/20070118152213/www.musicxp.net/tuning_tips.php to customize DAW XP.

6. Use the tips at http://www.blackviper.com to strip Windows down even further--I used the SP3 configurations to disable all unnecessary services and processes, and am basically running the Bare Bones config.

7. In the hardware system properties, disable all networking devices, security devices such as fingerprint and smart card readers, and all other unnecessary devices.

So now I basically have two systems in one--I can boot my e6500 up as either a normal internet/business machine, or as a rock-stable DAW.

 

Yes tubby it's true that the video card is often the culprit of bad audio performance. Good that you've avoided that Before I disable the power management of the Nvidia card, I get audio interrupt when I move around my mouse in Ableton. I think there may be some association between directdraw and powermizer.

 

Yes go back XP is a solid solution. So you don't have trouble with the video card in XP? That's why people still getting away from Vista... I like dual boot too but I solely use my notebook for audio so just try out in Vista that comes with it. Luckily it works great. Before this I had a really hard time in another notebook with vista and ATI card.

 

i am considering purchasing this laptop for music production, either e6500 or e6400, or possibly the precision models.

can anyone that has had success or failure elaborate on your setup? what e6500 configuration? what audio interface, what daw software, how many tracks can you work with comfortably, how many vsts, what kind of latency.

i hope at least the two of you that have reported success already will see this... Scudder, what kind of latency do you get with your fast track pro, and TC-Seraph, what interface are you using?

i have read through the dsp latency threads here and elsewhere, and am fairly confident thats been fixed... but i have not read many reports of what can actually be done on this laptop in specific audio production terms...

 

Thanks, all, for the DAW tips. I am just now re-attempting integration of E6400, REAPERx64, and a Line6 Pod X3 Live (via USB). My recent clean install seems to have addressed the major latency issue... now just have a rare spike that I will try to mute by shutting things down. But I do have a new problem... squealing feedback over USB and out connected amp when charger is connected. Have tried moving AC connections/grounding, turning off charger circuit, but only goes away when charger is disconnected. I don't recall this problem earlier when wrestling with previous install and huge latency, so I'm wondering where it came from... failing charger?, BIOS A14?, firmware update on Pod?... I will have to isolate the cause somehow since need full power/performance to record. I'm not the artist/guitarist nor a recording engineer!

GK

 

Well, it seems my E6400 generates a noise potential on the system chassis/shield/ground (yours, too!). It is present on the USB shield and finds a path through the connected Pod and guitar amp to the house AC supply ground. The result is a ground loop and noise/buzz/hash on the amp speaker. I can OFF the amp and use headphones on the Pod... no amp power, no noise... headphones are clean since the noise emanates at the amp. I can disconnect the ac/dc adapter and run on notebook battery... no loop, no noise (perhaps no noise source). I can connect the ac/dc adapter to an unplugged UPS on battery... no loop, no noise. Finally, I can remove the ground prong on the ac/dc adapter supply... no loop, no noise... and very easy to do with one of those grey plug adapters, but is this not a good idea? Comments, anyone?

GK

 

I called Dell... the grounding prong on the ac/dc adapter is not required... just customary. Even if that is not 100% accurate, it's good enough for me to proceed with temporarily removing the ground prong to break the ground loop and stop the noise when using the E6400 as a DAW. Also note that some other adapters like the travel adapter only have a 2-prong AC plug.

GK

 

Great topic. Very Useful, thank you