STS5000 Sampler and 64 Voices

Gregory · Post by **Gregory** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 8:48 am

I have a 10 DSP system and it's impossible to get 64 voice polyphony without PCI overflow. I assume that 1 Scope board would handle this comfortably, but before I think about spending $2500 I would just like to confirm this.

I'm on a G4 Mac by the way.

jupiter8 · Post by **jupiter8** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 10:07 am

Your getting PCI overflows with STS 5000 alone or together with reverb?
What model of G4 do you have?

Gregory · Post by **Gregory** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 11:13 am

A G4 400 Mhz PCI Graphics Mac.

The STS5000 alone with absolutely nothing else in the window and no programs loaded will give me that message when I try to go to 64 voices.

Neutron · Post by **Neutron** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 11:20 am

PCI graphics? just as an experiment try reducing your resolution/color depth.

I do not know much about macs, but if there is a way to change the priority of various PCI bus devices, or reduce the "acceleration" of the graphics card try that as well.

jupiter8 · Post by **jupiter8** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 12:18 pm

I have a G4/400 with AGP grapics and i can run a STS 4000 with 64 voices.No problem.
A Scope card would'nt solve the problem.
You'll have to invest in a new Mac (ouch).
The newer the better as they got better and better PCI performance the newer they got.

Gregory · Post by **Gregory** » Thu Mar 07, 2002 1:15 pm

Thanks, you saved me spending dollars in the wrong direction.

Gregory · Post by **Gregory** » Fri Mar 08, 2002 7:50 am

My original message was a little incorrect (which is why I'm just aspiring to Pulsar Geekdom). I actually didn't get PCI overflow when I tried to achieve 64 voices, I simply got the "out of DSP" power message. But I guess my G4 being a PCI Graphics still had something to do with it running out of power since AGP G4 400 Mhz Macs will achieve 64 voices on a 10 DSP system. I ran out of DSP power at 52 voices. So I guess if I had an extra XTC board I should be okay with the STS5000.

eliam · Post by **eliam** » Fri Mar 08, 2002 8:48 am

52 voices on a STS5000=10 dsp load???? How can this be?

subhuman · Post by **subhuman** » Fri Mar 08, 2002 10:36 am

Maybe he has a bunch of other devices in the project.

Gregory · Post by **Gregory** » Fri Mar 08, 2002 11:32 am

Nope, no other devices. Just load the STS5000, go to the top bar and type in 52 or more voices and I'm out of DSP power. I'm working in thousands of colors on my Mac but reducing to 256 colors has rarely done anything positive.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Gregory on 2002-03-08 11:33 ]</font>

jupiter8 · Post by **jupiter8** » Sat Mar 09, 2002 12:26 am

That is strange as i can run 64 STS 4000 voices and my DSP load is around 50 % on a Pulsar II (6 DSP)
I have'nt upgraded to 3.0 though, i'm still runnuing 2.04.
I believe they are more DSP effiecent 'cause of the filters.
But still you should get 64 voices, no problem.

dbmac · Post by **dbmac** » Sat Mar 09, 2002 9:07 am

I've got 10 DSP (PI + PIISRB). With just an STS5000 loaded my DSP maxes out at 56 voices. With STS4000, 64 voices only uses 70% of 10 DSPs.
The STS 5000 is 50% more dsp hungry by my calculations.
/dave

eliam · Post by **eliam** » Sat Mar 09, 2002 3:27 pm

I believe that you can disable the time stretchformant shift functions if you don't work with them. Have you done this?
You say that a STS4000 at 64 voices of polyphony takes 7 dsps? That seems a lot to me... Anyone else want to share the dsp requirements of their STS so we can compare notes?

dbmac · Post by **dbmac** » Sun Mar 10, 2002 9:31 am

On 2002-03-09 15:27, eliam wrote:
I believe that you can disable the time stretchformant shift functions if you don't work with them. Have you done this?

I'm not aware of any option to disable functions. An empty (nothing in program, keygroups or pool) STS5000 in an empty project will only allow 54 voices on 10 dsp. No way I can improve this.

You say that a STS4000 at 64 voices of polyphony takes 7 dsps? That seems a lot to me... Anyone else want to share the dsp requirements of their STS so we can compare notes?

I'd like to see other users' numbers on STS dsp usage. Jupiter8 says he gets 64 voices on a STS4000 with only 50% of 6 dsp. If I build a project with STS4000, Pulsar midi source and analog dest, 64 voices pushes the DSP meter to about 60% of a 10 dsp system.
I wonder why my performance is half as efficient? Something to do with a Pulsar 1 board?
Anyone else like to post numbers?
/dave

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: dbmac on 2002-03-10 10:39 ]</font>

darolek · Post by **darolek** » Sun Mar 10, 2002 11:45 am

On 2002-03-09 15:27, eliam wrote:
Anyone else want to share the dsp requirements of their STS so we can compare notes?

Hi !
I've done a little test on my 10 DSP system (Pulsar II + Pulsar SRB). I've loaded into the project:
PulsarMixer (connected to Analog Dest)
3x STS3000 (every connected via MainOut to stereo PulsarMixer's channels and every with 32 voices)
Midi Source (connected to Sequencer Dest)
3x Sequencer Source (every connected to other STS3000)
http://www.toya.net.pl/~darolek/pics/sts.bmp
My result: about 90% used power of 10 DSPs (with 96 samplers voices at 44.1kHz/13ms).
My system:
Mobo - Intel D815EEA
Chipset - i815E
Proc. - PIII 866/133
RAM - 512MB (PC133)

jupiter8 · Post by **jupiter8** » Sun Mar 10, 2002 1:10 pm

I run Pulsar 2.04.
The STS 4000 has less filters (only 1) then the Pulsar 3, so it probably takes less DSP.
I am going to upgrade soon, hopefully this week, so i'll see if things change.
I'll let you know as soom as i know.

eliam · Post by **eliam** » Sun Mar 10, 2002 4:58 pm

IMO, a few more filter options should not increase drastically the dsp load.

On my side, my STS3000 at 31 voices fills my Luna's 3 dsps. This means that around 30 voices take about 2 1/2 dsps (thet rest is for the OS, mixer and connexions).