Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] [OT] Digital mixing console and soundcards
From: Paul Davis (pbd_AT_Op.Net)
Date: Fri Mar 08 2002 - 22:19:40 EET
>Sorry that this is a bit off topic, but I think there are some people here
>who can give some advice.
>I want to build a digital mixing console, using a Pentium and a soundcard.
>The PC won't run an OS, so I can optimise I/O (there won't even be a
>monitor connected to the PC).
i've said it before, i'll say it again: this is a mistake. there is no
reason not to run an OS. absolutely no reason. you are going to make a
lot more work for yourself by doing this. probably a lot more than you
can imagine.
>To save me the troubles of building my own audio I/O cards, I want to use
>a multi channel soundcard.
>My questions are: Is it possible to achieve extreem low latencies in this
>situation? Are companies willing to give me some specs for such a project
>(there are no 'open source "problems"')? What soundcard do you advice to
>use?
ALSA contains the source for every driver it supports. The RME series
cannot go below 64 frames per interrupt. Some people have said that
those based on the ice1712 chip (e.g. delta 1010) can. No PCI card can
go below a 16 frames per interrupt (assuming 4 bytes per sample -
ie. 24 bit samples packed into a 32 bit word), because the minimal PCI
bus transfer size is 64 bytes.
Linux+lowlatency+ALSA can support the 64 frames per interrupt setting
with very little effort.
--p
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