[linux-audio-user] Re: Update on savihost + Vsti's under wine

On Friday 11 November 2005 15:23, Mark Knecht wrote:
> On 11/11/05, Nigel Henry <cave.dnb@email-addr-hidden> wrote:
> > On Friday 11 November 2005 01:57, Mark Knecht wrote:
> > > On 11/9/05, Nigel Henry <cave.dnb@email-addr-hidden> wrote:
> > > > On Wednesday 09 November 2005 02:03, Mark Knecht wrote:
> > > > > On 11/8/05, Nigel Henry <cave.dnb@email-addr-hidden> wrote:
> > > > > > Hi Mark. Right. Here goes. This is on FC2, not Gentoo. I'll have
> > > > > > a go on Gentoo when I get the time. Wine is version
> > > > > > 0.9-1fc2winehq, savihost is version 1.23. I borrowed mfc42.dll
> > > > > > from my XP install and put it in .wine/drive_c/windows/system32.
> > > > > > Savihost.exe I put in the program files, and also put Lin-Plugs
> > > > > > FreeAlpha synth's .dll in there. Renamed savihosts .exe to
> > > > > > FreeAlpha, and it worked first go. Now FreeAlpha synth has a
> > > > > > separate file for it's patches. it will only use the default
> > > > > > patch that is on the synth But it works. I've been trying a lot
> > > > > > of freebie synths, and notice that they use a lot of cpu. Ksim
> > > > > > is showing, when idle, between 70 & 80% cpu useage, and yet the
> > > > > > synth itself only shows less than 5% cpu useage. VirSyn's
> > > > > > MicroTERA. a free synth uses 100% cpu. Not enough to freeze the
> > > > > > mouse, and even though I did get some sounds out of it, it would
> > > > > > not load the sound bank. Native Instruments Reactor Session One
> > > > > > 4.0, another freebie fully operational synth. When installed,
> > > > > > this has a .exe and a .dll. Running the .exe brings up the GUI,
> > > > > > but the only menu item that works is the one for sample rate, so
> > > > > > cannot connect usb midi keyboard or audio output. The .dll
> > > > > > through savihost works fine, but again at idle, is showing 50%
> > > > > > cpu on Ksim, and the synth is showing about 18.8%. The complete
> > > > > > patch bank is available on this synth. Single notes play ok, but
> > > > > > push the cpu on Ksim to about 95%. Chords push the cpu useage to
> > > > > > 100%+ and become quite broken up. All in all, I'm very happy with
> > > > > > the way this is going. Hardly anything worked on
> > > > > > wine-20041019-1fc2winehq, but 0.9-1fc2winehq has certainly made
> > > > > > more things work. One observation. I tried crystal.dll on
> > > > > > numerous occasions, and it would not open. At that time only
> > > > > > mfc42.dll was in the system32 directory. After installing Reactor
> > > > > > Session One synth, and perhaps something else, more .dll's turned
> > > > > > up in system32. I thought I'd try crystal synth again, and this
> > > > > > time it worked. The extra .dll's are listed below.
> > > > > > msvcirt.dll
> > > > > > MSVCP60.DLL
> > > > > > Msvcrt.dll
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Here are a few of the freebie synths I tried, and which worked ok
> > > > > > with savihost.
> > > > > > Triangle I & Triangle II from http://www.rgcaudio.com
> > > > > > Interruptor Dub Siren from http://www.interruptor.ch
> > > > > > JXPlugins JX220 from http://www.jxplugins.co.uk
> > > > > > LFObia Mocheese from http://www.electronicscene.com/elektracidz
> > > > > > LRsynths Trionimox from http://www.alphastrike.de
> > > > > > Psychic Modulation Pandemonium from
> > > > > > http://www.psychicmodulation.com Tobybear Screamer from
> > > > > > http://www.tobybear.de
> > > > > > LinPlug Free Alpha from http://www.linplug.com
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I'd be really interested in knowing why these synths use so much
> > > > > > cpu when just lying idle. Nigel.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Machine: Aiii-friend 1.3Ghz, 1GB Ram, Audigy2 soundblaster,
> > > > > > Built-in Cyberblade i1 graphics.
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi Nigel,
> > > > > Hey - you've been busy!
> > > > >
> > > > > I had a couple of minutes so I fired up Savihost using Triangle
> > > > > 1 and Crystal to see if I could duplicate your results. For those
> > > > > synths I see (using top)
> > > > >
> > > > > Triangle 1 - 6% usr, 6%sys
> > > > > Crystal - 20% usr, 80% sys
> > > > >
> > > > > This is on an AMD64 3000+ machine.
> > > > >
> > > > > Since Savihost is the main app in both cases (just renamed to
> > > > > the dll name) then the difference has to be something in the way
> > > > > the dll is written. (duh...) How we find that I'm not so sure. What
> > > > > I need is an app that shows CPU usage by thread or process I
> > > > > suppose.
> > > > >
> > > > > I'll ask about that on the Wine lists and see what I find out.
> > > > >
> > > > > Assuming that we do find out something then possibly one day the
> > > > > Wine developers (or kernel developers) can do something about it.
> > > > >
> > > > > Note that in both cases above I ended up using the OSS seting in
> > > > > winecfg. The Jack interface doesn't work at all and the Alsa
> > > > > interface seemed to have an awful lot of noise. The kernel is
> > > > > 2.6.14-rt6, Ingo's latest and the machine is Gentoo based.
> > > > >
> > > > > I have the Alpha demo downloaded but I haven't installed it yet.
> > > > >
> > > > > I think we need to work on a way to report this info, and maybe
> > > > > a place to store it online. I can see a Wiki where we all can enter
> > > > > numbers as being of value, assuming it starys clean.
> > > > >
> > > > > Cheers,
> > > > > Mark
> > > >
> > > > Hi Mark. A Wiki is the best option for keeping this info. As you say
> > > > it needs to be kept clean, and I'd suggest registration to add or
> > > > make alterations to pages in it. I wish I could help to set it up,
> > > > but have no idea how to go about setting up a Wiki or a webserver. My
> > > > Apache webserver I've tried out once with my son, but on dialup it's
> > > > a bit of a no-go anyway.
> > > >
> > > > The kernel I am using is from planetccrma. 2.6.10-0.4.rdt.rhfc2.ccrma
> > > > (32bit). Having finished playing with vst apps a while back, I went
> > > > to start qjackctl. It doesn't want to know, throwing back "the
> > > > capture device "hw0" is already in use. A bit confused I run ps auxw,
> > > > and this shows 5 active pid's for wine. I have, pid 4288 for
> > > > /usr/bin/wine-preloader /usr/bin/wine-pthread C:\Program
> > > > Files\Native. Also, pid 4291 for /usr/bin/wineserver, and the rest
> > > > are using /usr/bin/wine-preloader /usr/bin/wine-pthread
> > > > /home/djmons/.wine/driv. Kiliing these and running ps auxw again
> > > > shows the same pid's still there, but with the comment "defunkt" .
> > > > Normally you kill a pid, run ps auxw again and the pid ids gone.
> > > > Qjackctl still won't start jack. I had to do a windoze style reboot
> > > > to clear this stuff. Thank you by the way for "top". I havn't used
> > > > this before. Right. I've rebooted, and go to wines program files.
> > > > Start up Crystal through savihost with top running. Ksim at idle
> > > > shows an average of 26% cpu. With top, wineserver is showing an
> > > > average of 10.5%, and wine-preloader an average of 7.6%. Playing
> > > > Crystal pushes the cpu up to about 50%. I mean. This ain't too bad.
> > > > Wine-preloader has gone up to about 13.3% cpu and is staying there
> > > > after a few minutes. Wineserver has stayed at the same cpu level.
> > > > Closed Crystal and now lost wineserver and wine-preloader from the
> > > > top output (which is as it should be). Cpu now running at an average
> > > > of 3%. Start Triangle I . Wineserver's cpu about the same as Crystal.
> > > > Wine-preloader up a bit, 8.6%. Playing Triangle I pushes the cpu to
> > > > about 53% max. Closed Triangle I, and lost wine pid's from top. Tried
> > > > qjackctl and starting jack, and no problems. Right. Last try, as I
> > > > don't want to use synths that you don't have. Start FreeAlpha. No big
> > > > difference here. cpu useage about the same as the others. FreeAlpha
> > > > being polyphonic surprisingly only max'd at about 41% cpu when
> > > > played. None of this seems too bad. I still can't understand why I
> > > > had 5 pid's still running for wine in ps auxw. the only other bits
> > > > I'd run from the wine program files were, a pdf manual, and a MS word
> > > > .doc through open office for another synth manual. Now I recorded a
> > > > bit on one synth and saved it as .wav. But the next question is. How
> > > > do I port the output from a VSTi running under savihost and wine, to
> > > > an app like Ardour? Thats a whole new ball game. Nigel.
> > >
> > > Hi Nigel,
> > > Maybe you can check this out on your end. Run 'winecfg' and change
> > > the audio driver from the default OSS driver to the Alsa driver. Exit
> > > winecfg and now run Crystal using Savihost. On my end it no longer
> > > uses 100% CPU.
> > >
> > > I'm off for dinner now. I'll check back in later to see if anyone
> > > else gets the same results.
> > >
> > > I have no idea what the everyday usage implications would be of
> > > using Alsa directly vs. using the OSS driver. I guess we can talk
> > > about that.
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Mark
> >
> > Hi Mark. I have been using Alsa from the beginning of these tests, and
> > the most recent results are above. One VSTi, virsyns Microtera, still
> > uses 100% CPU, but you can't expect everything to work OOTB. Nigel.
>
> Nigel,
> I understand that you are using Alsa, but are you are using the
> Wine's Alsa driver or wine's OSS driver? The Alsa driver is not the
> default audio driver in Wine-0.9. You would have changed this
> intentionally before starting to work with Savihost.
>
> Please let me know when you get a chance.
>
> - Mark
Mark, I'm using Wine's Alsa. Nigel.
Received on Fri Nov 11 20:15:07 2005