What’s the best way to keep your DAW separate to your internet/ email PC etc. I want to keep it completely off the DAW but how do I do software updates and more importantly what’s the best way to receive files like OMF’S and send files to clients between your DAW and internet connected PC?

  • We might be able to give better advice if we knew why you wanted to maintain such a separation. Are you trying to avoid malware? Are you worried that internet access might hurt your productivity? Why would you want to do such a thing? May 2 '12 at 0:56

There is no productive way to keep the DAW away from internet.

I have 2 OS installed, both on a separate harddrive: 1 for Audio and 1 for everything else. But both systems are connected to the internet. The Audio system only by activating WLAN, but it is connected (and has to be).

By the way, i use Mac OS X and Carbon Copy Cloner, in case of software trouble it just needs 28 minutes to a fresh installed, perfectly running Audio System (but it takes some time to keep the images updated and tested).


Both my work and home DAW's are connected to the internet and have had zero issues, to be honest it speeds up my workflow. If I need an update or a specific application, plugin, etc I just download and install. As Nils points out I think the important part is backing up all your work and constantly mirroring your OS to insure no time lost if something does happen. Good luck!


Well..you can just keep airport -or similar in other OS- deactivated and activate it when you believe its time for an update?. Safer yet, you could keep airport forever off, and utilize an ethernet cable to connect, again, only when you believe necessary.

You can also connect both computers with an ethernet cable, and they can share files between them.



Yeah, as sort of pointed out in the previous messages, the idea that a computer that's used for "productive" work should be disconnected from the internet is at most psychological, or then it's pseudopractice.

The common concern around has been that software updates (mainly full OS updates or something related to audio/media drivers) may break audio software and then prevent one from completing work. But to avoid that risk, one simply doesn't install any OS updates or any updates at all (unless sure that nothing will break). And doesn't use the newest (non-stable) versions of audio (or any) software. And if the person understands anything about computers then there's a very small subset of programs that may mess up stuff (mostly on Windows systems, or Linux in a beginner's hands).

Another concern is that using internet causes "garbage" to pile on the computer, which is not accurate. Yes stuff is cached, but it has no connection whatsoever to other applications. And the data doesn't take up that much space.

Even computer viruses are predominantly a Windows thing.

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