- With digital audio,we rely on our computers 有了数字音频，我们依靠电脑
to do an incredible amount of processing. 进行了大量的处理
Sometimes the computer can run out 有时计算机会用完
of one or more resources while trying 一个或多个资源，而试图
to do all of that processing, 去进行所有处理
resulting in slow performance or even crashes. 从而导致性能下降甚至崩溃
A little knowledge goes a long way 一点点知识
to help prevent that from happening. 有助于防止这种情况发生
Let's explore the differences between 让我们来探究
the three main resources that a computer uses 计算机使用的三大资源之间的差异
and how they affect your computer's performance 以及它们是如何影响你的计算机的性能
with digital audio. 与数字音频
I've simplified these into generalizations 我已经把这些简化为概括
and rules of thumb. 和经验法则
The three main computer resources 三个主要的计算机资源
are processing power or CPU, 是处理电源或中央处理器
memory or RAM, and Storage like a 内存或RAM和储存，如
hard drive or solid state drive. 硬盘驱动器或固态驱动器
Let's start with processing power. 让我们从处理能力开始
That refers to how much math the computer 那是指计算机在一定时间内
can do in a certain amount of time. 可以完成多少数学运算
Everything a computer does is math. 计算机所做的一切都是数学
When you move the mouse pointer, 当你移动鼠标
the distance you moves adds or subtracts 你移动的距离增加或减去
numbers to the pointer's coordinates. 指向指针坐标的数字
When you type or read text, 当输入或读取文本时
every letter is represented by a number, 每个字母都用数字表示
and when the computer draws the letter on screen, 当计算机在屏幕上打印字母时
it looks up a bunch of other numbers 它查找一组其他数字
to know what shape to draw. 知道要画什么形状
And when you record and playback audio, 当你录制或回放音频师时
the computer is the traffic controller for 计算机是
thousands or millions of numbers every second, 每秒数千或数百万个数字的流量控制器
and usually doing some kind of math on all those numbers. 通常在这些数字上做某种算数
For example, turning a sound up or down 例如，把声音向上或向下
in amplitude means multiplying or dividing 振幅是乘以或除以
every single sample. 每一个单样本
The computer's CPU or Central Processing Unit 计算机的中央处理器或中央处理单元
is what manages all these numbers. 是管理所有这些数字的地方
Here's what it looks like exposed. 这就是它暴露的样子
A CPU has one or more cores 一个中央处理器有一个或多个核心
where each core can work on a different 每个核心可以工作在不同的
math problem all at the same time. 数字问题在同一时间内
The processor also runs at a certain frequency, 处理器也以一定的频率运行
usually measured in gigahertz meaning 通常在千兆赫的意义测量
billions of cycles per second. 每秒十亿次循环
Each cycle computes part of a mathematical operation. 每个循环计算一个部分或一个数学运算
The CPU's power is partly determined 中央处理器电源部分确定
by the speed and the number of cores, 按速度和芯数
but some models of CPU,especially newer ones, 但中央处理器的一些型号，尤其是较新的
are more efficient. 更有效
That is, the same math takes fewer cycles. 这是相同的数字周期较少
Because of that, different models of CPU 正因为如此，不同型号的中央处理器
can have different amounts of processing power 可以有不同的数量处理能力
even if they have the same number of cores 即使它们的核心数目相同
and the same speed in gigahertz. 和在千兆赫的速度相同
In the digital audio realm,more processing power 在数字音频领域，更多的处理能力
means the computer can handle a 是指计算机能处理
greater number of plugins. 更多的插件
It also allows for effects that are more 它也允许更多的效果
complicated in computer terms, that is. 复杂的计算机术语，就是
For example, a simple effect might be a single echo. 例如，一个简单的效果可能是一个单一的回声
In that case, the computer only needs 那样的话，计算机只需要
to copy samples to create the echo, 辅助样本来创建回声，
divide the copied values to make the echo quieter, 将复制的值分开使回声更安静
and then, add the echo shortly after the original sound. 然后，在原声后加入回声。
But to do automatic pitch correction, 但是要进行自动音高校正，
it has to do calculus, trigonometry, 它必须做微积分，三角学，
and other advanced math that uses 和其他高级数学
much more processing power. 使用更高的处理能力。
Besides processing power, the other two 除处理能力外，其它两个
main computer resources are memory and storage. 主要计算机资源是内存和储存
Memory and storage are often confused with each other 内存和储存常常互相混淆
because both of them are places to keep information, 因为它们是保存信息的地方
but they behave differently, 但是它们的行为却不同
and they're used for different things. 它们被用于不同的东西
Memory refers to working short term memory. 记忆是指短时工作记忆
It's very fast to access, but temporary. 访问速度很快，但很短暂
If the computer is turned off, 如果计算机关闭
the contents of memory are lost. 内存的内容丢失
Memory is also referred to as RAM 内存也称为RAM
which stands for Random Access Memory. 代表随机存储器
Adding RAM can sometimes make your 添加内存有时会使你的
computer faster because if you don't 计算机更快，因为，如果你没有
have enough RAM to fit everything you're working on, 足够的内存来适应你正在做的一切
the CPU has to work on one smaller 中央处理器必须工作在一个更小的
piece at a time which slows it down. 部分时间让它慢下来
But if you already have enough RAM 但是，如果你已经有足够的内存
to fit everything, adding more 为了适应一切，增加更多
won't make the computer any faster. 不会是计算机更快
Your DAS documentation will tell you 你的DAS文档会告诉你
it's minimum RAM requirement. 它的最小内存要求
Unlike memory, storage is archival. 与内存不同，储存时归档的
That is, it's slower to access but permanent. 访问速度慢，但持久
Information stays there when the power is off. 当电源关闭时，信息保存。
Storage refers to things like a hard disk 储存指的是硬盘之内的东西
which records information magnetically 记录磁信息
on spinning circular platters, an SSD 旋转圆盘，SSD
or Solid State Drive which uses a 或固态驱动器使用一个
different technology called Flash, 不同的技术，称为闪存，
USB drives, usually using a cheaper version of Flash USB驱动器通常使用更便宜的闪存
optical media like CDs,DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs, 光学媒体，如CDs，DVDs,和蓝光光盘
and of course older technologies 当然，旧技术
like floppy discs and magnetic tape. 如软盘和磁带
The size of the storage medium, 储存介质的大小
the storage capacity,not the physical size, 储存容量不是物理尺寸
tells you how much information it can hold, 告诉你它能容纳多少信息，
measured in bytes. 以字节计量。
Each byte is made up of eight bits. 每个字节由八位组成。
Audio takes different amounts of disk space 音频以不同数量的磁盘空间
depending on the format. 取决于格式。
For example, at 48 kilohertz and 24 bits, 例如，48千赫兹和24位，
audio takes more than eight million bytes 音频需要超过八百万字节
or eight megabytes per minute per mono audio track. 或者每声道八兆字节每声道。
Information on a computer is constantly 计算机上的信息是不断的
moving back and forth between memory and storage. 在内存和存储之间来回移动。
When someone talks about saving a document, 当有人谈论保存文档时，
it means copying it from temporary memory 意味着从临时存储器中复制它
to permanent storage. 到永久存储。
Then you can use that memory for something else 然后你可以用那个内存来做其他事情
or even power down the computer 甚至是关机
without losing what you're working on 不丢失你正在工作的
which is safely in storage. 是存储安全。
Likewise, loading or opening a document 同时，加载或打开文档
means copying it from the slower permanent storage 意味着从较慢的永久存储器中复制它
to the quick, temporary memory 到较快的，临时内存
so the CPU can work with it. 因此，中央处理器可以工作。
This is simple enough with something fairly small 这很简单一些相当小的
like a word processing document 就像文字处理文档一样
where it makes sense to load the entire thing 加载整个事情这是有道理的
from storage into memory. 从存储到内存中。
But audio projects are quite a bit larger and more complex. 但是音频项目是相当的大，更复杂。
Much of the time, when recording and 很多时候，在录音的时候
playing back audio tracks, the audio files 播放音频文件，音频文件
are streamed more or less directly 或多或少地
to or from the hard disk. 从硬盘中地流出
That means that the speed of your hard drive 这意味着你的硬盘速度
or solid state disk is a big factor 或者固态硬盘是一个很大的因素
in determining how many audio tracks 确定有多少音频轨道
you can record or play back simultaneously. 你可以记录或播放同时回来。
Storage and memory come into play 存储和记忆发挥作用
for virtual instruments too, but in a different way. 对虚拟仪器也一样，但以另一种方式
Some virtual instruments use samples. 一些虚拟仪器使用样本。
For example, a sampled piano where 例如,一个采样钢琴
each time you press a key, it plays back 每一次你按下一个键,它回放
a recording of a real piano playing that note. 真实的记录了钢琴演奏。
Long term storage, especially a spinning hard disk 长期存储,特别是一个运转的硬盘
is often too slow to find and play back 发现和回放的速度太慢
those samples in time to respond to your key presses. 这些样品及时地对你的按键做出反应。
Especially if you're hitting a lot of piano keys at once. 特别是如果你立马击中很多钢琴琴键。
In that case, it makes much more sense 在这种情况下，它更有意义
to load all those samples into RAM 将所有这些示例加载到随机存取存储器中
so that the computer has instant access 这样计算机就可以立刻通过它
to them at any time. 在任何时候给我们
Some software instruments use clever tricks 一些软件工具巧妙的使用方法
to play parts of the samples from disk 从磁盘中播放一些样本
but in general, the amount of RAM you have 但总的来说,内存的数量,
determines how many different sampled 决定了有多少不同的采样
instruments you can have actively playing at once. 仪器你可以第一时间精确的额使用。
Not all virtual instruments use sample recordings. 并不是所有的虚拟仪器都使用样本唱片。
Instead of playing back prerecorded sounds in RAM, 而不是在RAM中回放预先录制的声音
those instruments synthesize their 那些仪器合成
sounds from scratch using math 听起来从头开始使用算法
which means that instead of using 这意味着代替使用,
memory or storage, they use the CPU's processing power. 内存或者存储,他们使用CPU的处理能力。
One last note about storage. 最后一点关于存储的问题。
It's possible for a computer to have 电脑有可能
more than one hard drive or SSD. 不止一个硬盘驱动器或固态硬盘
In that case, it makes a difference 在这种情况下，它会产生影响
how you spread the work across drives. 你把工作分散到硬盘上。
For example, if you have two drives, 例如，如果你有两个驱动器，
it would be most efficient to put your 把你的东西放在
audio recordings on a different drive 不同驱动器上的音频记录
from your libraries of sampled virtual instruments. 从你的虚拟仪器库中采样。
Keep in mind, using two partitions on one drive 记住，使用两种方法分区一个驱动器
doesn't count for this. 不要计算它
Only separate physical drives. 只有单独的物理驱动器。
Let's summarize how the three main 我们来总结一下这三个主要的
computer resources affect a DAS performance. 计算机资源影响数据收集台的性能。
Your CPU's processing power determines 你的CPU的处理能力决定了
how many effect plugins or mathematically 有多少效果插件或数学合成的仪器
synthesized instruments you can use at once. 你可以马上使用。
RAM determines how many different 随机存取存储器决定了多少种不同的
sampled software instruments can be playing at once, 采样软件工具可以同时播放，
and with storage, the speed of the drive 通过存储，驱动器的速度
determines how many audio tracks 决定了你可以
you can work with at once, 同时处理多少音频轨迹
and the size determines how much it can hold. 大小决定了它能容纳多少
With an understanding of the three 了解了这三种主要的计算机资源
main computer resources you can make 您可以根据您的具体需要
informed decisions about computer 对计算机硬件
hardware based on your specific needs. 做出明智的决策。