Abstract: An actuator control loop for controlling head position in a rotating media data storage system. The invention applies the compensation zero to the PES prior to summing it with the integrator. This scheme reduces transients caused by the integrator initialization step because the zero does not "see" the integrator initialization step. Transients that can result from coupling the integrator initialization to the zero can cause overshoot and ringing in the actuator, increasing settling time and reducing system performance. The present invention also provides a first sample velocity compensation scheme that removes the velocity correction factor from the PES signal in the first sample after a seek. This significantly reduces settling time and improves system performance. In one embodiment, the microprocessor of the present invention calculates a velocity compensation factor based on the PES signal. This signal is then superimposed on the integrator output.