Third Take

Sonar 5 and Windows x64 (full name: Windows XP Professional x64 Edition) are a powerful combination - they allow you to take full advantage of the computing power of the new 64-bit processors from AMD and Intel. Cakewalk claims performance increases of 10% to 30%, on the same hardware, by switching from the 32-bit to the 64-bit version of Sonar 5. When I decided to build a new computer, I wanted to take advantage of this combination. However, not all hardware is supported in x64.

The biggest drawback to Windows x64 is that every piece of hardware needs a 64-bit driver. The drivers that work in Windows XP (the normal, 32-bit version) will not work in x64. Cakewalk has a nice list of compatible hardware that covers audio interfaces, MIDI controllers, and control surfaces. If you’re upgrading to x64, or buying new hardware to go with your x64-based studio, checking that list can save you lots of headache.

My biggest hardware issue was not related to any of my studio gear - it was getting wireless network access. WiFi cards with x64 drivers are very hard to find. PlanetAMD64 is a good place to look, but my final solution was to buy an ethernet bridge. This piece of hardware connects to my wireless network, and then lets me connect to it via ethernet - using the built-in port on my motherboard. My bridge, a Buffalo AirStation, has 4 ethernet ports, and gets such good reception that I disconnected the wireless card on my other studio computer and hooked it up to the bridge as well.

One piece of hardware I have - a M-Audio MidiSport Uno - simply will not work with Windows x64. Like a lot of hardware, the manufacturer hasn’t released 64-bit drivers for it. M-Audio does have 64-bit drivers for the Delta, FireWire, and Revolution series, but they are still “beta.” I have been using them with my Delta 66 for a few weeks, and so far they seem stable.