Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] diskless x-terminals (was kernel in ram partition)
From: Jörn Nettingsmeier (nettings_AT_folkwang-hochschule.de)
Date: Sat Nov 03 2001 - 19:18:35 EET
Malcolm Smith wrote:
>
> In message <3BE39AE3.1AD85876_AT_folkwang-hochschule.de>, Jörn
> Nettingsmeier <nettings_AT_folkwang-hochschule.de> writes
> >Daniel James wrote:
> >> So the theoretical system might be:
> >>
> >> 1. diskless workstation with eg. 1 GHz processor (liquid cooled), 1GB
> >> RAM, Gigabit ethernet, multi-channel soundcard.
> >>
> >> 2. Conventional NFS server outside studio, also with gigabit ethernet
> >> or whatever.
> >
> >nfs is dead slow. you won't even be able to saturate a 100mb link
> >with nfs, so you can go cheap with the network hardware.
> >but don't even think about playing back or recording 32 channels of
> >digital audio via nfs.
> >
> Do you mean the actual Network File System itself, not the Ethernet
> 100BaseT link? Any rough guess how many 16bit 48kHz tracks one could get
> safely?
i think "safely" is entirely the wrong concept when talking about
nfs :)
the problem is you never know what you will get. sometimes you get
stalls, which means it's not usable for audio.
even if you're lucky and you see nice throughput, you won't get a
guarateed latency.
nfs may be good for playing mp3s for entertainment, but it's not for
recording.
> >i'd say forget it.
> >AFAICT, the only viable solution is to have external a/d in the
> >recording room, go digital to a server in the machine room (which
> >has a hammerfall or something like that), and control the machine
> >with a diskless x-terminal.
>
> I found this while searching for the maximum ADAT cable length:
>
> http://www.merging.com/products/onouris.htm
>
> A box to convert plastic fibre to glass fibre for better transmission
> over long distances up to 1000 metres (!). I'll try and find out the
> price. Looks perfect for the Hammerfall, except you need TWO boxes per
> ADAT cable.
or if you can have the machine in an adjoining room, put the a/d-box
close to that wall and you'll be fine.
in the recording room, extra audio cable metres are not half as bad
as in the electro-magnetic mayhem of a machine room...
> >this might even be possible for analog soundcards, but for pro
> >studios, the extra cable length is probably not acceptable.
> >
> Anyone using long ADAT cables successfully? I think the Alesis spec is
> for 6m, but 10m quoted elsewhere. This box may solve such issues.
>
> How far can BNC wordclock reach?
hmm, i never set one up myself, but i know they have a master
wordclock running all over the electronic studio at our hochschule
(5 rooms), and i'm not aware of any special repeaters or stuff like
that. should be quite robust. but then i never used it.
-- Jörn Nettingsmeier home://Kurfürstenstr.49.45138.Essen.Germany phone://+49.201.491621 http://spunk.dnsalias.org http://www.linuxdj.com/audio/lad/
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