Re: [LAD] [64studio-users] MIDI jitter

On Tue, 2010-06-29 at 23:42 -0700, Niels Mayer wrote:
> I don't know anything about the terratec as I bought my first (used)
> card manufactured by them recently: they're almost mercedes-like in
> their overengineering of things (super high quality circuit board and
> engineering) and the documentation is always sparse... perhaps there's
> a hidden jumper that sets the mode of the header socket?? Just like my
> DMX6Fire has a "digital xtension" socket into which you can plugin a
> waldorf microwave synth module and i'd love to find out the i2s data
> input and output pinouts so as to replace the analog frontend w/ a few
> of these http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/digital/wm8804.aspx and gain
> extra digital ins/outs in place of not-so-great-sounding analog
> front-end (alas using essentially the same components as on the ewx
> 24/96 on the dmx6fire 24/96, essentially terratec's version of
> m-audio's 24/96 and Delta-66). But the built-in, software controlled
> switch (envy24control) between TTL-spdif, optical-spdif and coax-spdif
> all but makes up for the analog front end... as do the two full-speed
> midi ports, one driving my db50xg clone.
>
> http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr01/articles/soundcard.asp
> ## On the circuit board itself is a 16-pin header socket, which connects to a
> ## supplied cable terminating in a dummy backplate and 15-way D-type connector.
> ## Into this you can either plug a standard MIDI soundcard adaptor
> cable, or a proprietary
> ## Terratec phono preamp to help transfer vinyl to CD, both of which
> are optional extras.
>
> > ASUS M2A-VM HDMI... Mounting an additional sound card won't cause an issue because of an
> > additional interrupt?
>
> It shouldn't, or at least it hasn't for me using similar hardware
> (M2N-68VM for example).
>
> > There will be no issues, e.g. for JACK, if I would use the Terratec EWX
> > 24/96 for audio and another sound card for MIDI?
>
> Just be sure you like the sound of the terratec's weak-sounding bass
> assuming it sounds similar to the dmx6fire's using the same parts and
> probably design (which could imho easily be modded back to decency,
> see sound files for comparison at end of
> .http://linuxaudio.org/mailarchive/lau/2010/6/28/170833 )

I don't like the sound of the Terratec EWX 24/96, but it was for
free ;).

> The other card's MIDI devices should just appear as a separate ALSA
> MIDI device. ALSA midi will function independent of whether jack is
> running or not, and independent of which soundcard is used for
> jack-audio. If you need to have jack-audio work across two cards,
> that's another matter entirely:

No no :)

what ever sound card I should get, I can live with using one duplex
stereo. I would be much more comfortable with 16 audio IOs, but that's
not important regarding to the MIDI jitter issue.

Thank you. Ok, IIUC jackd hw:blabla is for audio, but for ALSA MIDI
there would appear all devices?!

> they'd best be the same kind of card,
> and have their SPDIF used-up for syncing between them. And I'm
> ignoring jack-midi entirely , as I don't use it that much; qjackctl's
> patchbay integration of ALSA midi devices makes jack midi a bit
> superfluous for my uses.
>
> Niels
> http://nielsmayer.com

You say I can use my ElCheapo EWX 24/96 with another ElCheapo for audio,
by any other vendor, just by connecting S/PDIF to sync the channels? I
read about this and I also read about some solutions using my 'roof
gutter soldering iron'?

I had a champagne breakfast, hence I didn't read the links, I just was
curious for your reply. Again, thanx, I'll read the links in the
evening.

FWIW, there aren't jumpers on the Terratec and I guess the used MPU by
the two provided by the EnvyChip is broken. For my old mobo's gameport I
soldered an adapter without TTLs and opto-couplers. This cable wasn't
fine for the Terratec, hence I took my BreadBoard and checked several
circuits, without TTLs, but opto-couplers. While I was a professional
using the soldering iron, today I should get glasses. I damaged the
jack, because I wasn't able to see what I did solder, so I might be the
one who killed the Envy's MPU ;). But maybe they do use some exotic pin
allocation. Referring to you, it's more likely that the MPU was broken
or that I did break it, because my arms were not long enough for my bad
eyes.

Ok, I'll get another ElCheapo just for MIDI and solder a usual adapter
with or without opto-couplers, but by using a magnifier.

The USB MIDI still is usable to dump sounds and it was < 20,-€ at
Thomann.

To be continued.
Ralf

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Received on Wed Jun 30 12:15:03 2010