[LAU] Finally found the outer limits of my hardware

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This atrocity represents an unscientific attempt to discover the absolute maximum my hardware can handle:

http://restivo.nfshost.com/misc/gearwhore-0.2.ogg

Enjoy. I'll have to take this track down after a while because of copyright issues-- I can't remember where I obtained the vocal sample and I doubt I'd be able to obtain the rights to it, but it is inspired by Fons's .sig, which aptly summarized the project in which I was engaging.

What you are hearing is, all running at the same time:
        ams --poly 4, running a variation on Atte's "moving overtone" patch
        jconv
        phasex
        whysynth, running an async granular pad
        several fluidsynths
        specimen
        ardour
        pure data running the amazing "outer space" patch
        seq24
        several LADSPA effects

With all that, I was FINALLY able to get over 60% CPU on a 2.33Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo. Surprisingly few glitches, but it was acting rather flaky under those extreme conditions, and I was able to get JACK to disappear.

I've noticed something strange. I have been running more than this many softsynths and effects, simultaneously, for months, and have never been able to get it past 30% CPU. But what I did here is add lots of tracks-- some of which weren't connected to anything-- and also lots of sends and busses (also which weren't connected to much). And that chewed up a lot of CPU.

Everything you hear is synthesized "live" (looped from MIDI) except for the "outer space" patch, which was recorded to disk and then embedded in ardour and streamed back.

The background hiss white noise that sounds like A/D aliasing noise, is coming from jconv. I've no idea why. It does that sometimes when I insert it into Ardour.

What sounds like dust on an old analog LP record, was WhySynth losing its mind, trying to run an async granular patch on a max'ed-out CPU.

The "Outer Space" PD patch is an excellent torture-test in and of itself. With 128 voices running, it was able to max out the CPU and cause crackles with nothing else running.

OK, that's enough of that vain delirium.

- -ken
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Received on Sat Sep 22 04:15:33 2007