Subject: [linux-audio-dev] Client/Server audio system
From: Stephane Letz (letz_AT_grame.fr)
Date: Mon Mar 13 2000 - 05:59:13 EST
>>1) A new audio I/O API that is similar to ALSA's sequencer API.
> This is the much-debated "replacement for esd". Some heat and not much
> light was generated over on alsa-devel last week about this.
>>3) Standard UNIX IPC-mechanisms (pipes, sockets, etc). These of course
>> work, but are too clumsy for every day use.
> Actually, the two IPC mechanisms you list *don't* work. A Unix pipe is
> 5K long. For decent sampling rates, it doesn't hold enough data to
> handle a couple of context switches between the processes at each
We are currently trying to develop a client/server audio system using the
approach used in MidiShare.
MidiShare is a client/server architecture which provide real-time events
based communication between Midi applications. The whole system is
synchronized by a global clock, event are time-stamped and can be sent in
the future. An efficient scheduler sort events and a dynamically
configurable dispatch mecanism delivers events to the destination
application. Midi In/Out drivers are shared by all clients. More
information on MidiShare can be found at: http://www.grame.fr/MidiShare/
We are now trying to add audio management using the same approach. The idea
is to add audio events that can be managed like regular Midi events.
Real-time audio streams are built as a stream of time-stamped events that
can be sent between different applications. Applications handle incoming
events using a callback based mechanism. By using the same approach for
Midi and audio, we hope to have a uniform system suitable to develop
audio/midi applications.
Any comments?
Stephane Letz
Grame: Centre National de creation musicale
9, Rue du Garet
69001 Lyon
Tel: 04-72-07-37-00
Fax: 04-72-07-37-01
Web: www.grame.fr
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