What does the DSP Meter mean?

valis · Post by **valis** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 10:08 pm

What does the DSP Meter mean? Especially the numeric figures below (Sync & Async).

I know when it's full, there's no ignoring that (the popup that is).

However, in an attempt to figure out how to build the lightest, most modularized window I can I was playing around with things and watching my dsp go hither & tither. So, in an effort to understand what I was seeing better, I started checking out the dsp hit that diff. Devices give, and documenting it for future reference.

As an example, I made a project with all my default hardware & software i/o included (asio2 24bit), and wrote down the results. I then proceeded to add 4 Dynamicmixers and connected everything up as I normally would sans effects and additional devices (4 channels/PhaseComp enabled) and wrote down the result from that. Removed the Dynamicmixers and replaced them with Micromixers (again 4 channels, PhaseComp enabled). Below is a table of my results (3 sets of tests).

# Base Dyna Micro
1 71/0 71/0 887/0
2 342/0 1114/7 633/2
3 129/0 892/2 903/0
4 71/0 71/0 71/0
---------------------------------
Total 613/0 2148/9 2494/2 (Sync/ASync)

# Base Dyna Micro
1 71/0 71/0 500/0
2 342/0 1146/6 1022/4
3 129/0 1005/3 903/1
4 71/0 71/0 71/0
---------------------------------
Total 613/0 2293/9 2496/5 (Sync/ASync)

# Base Dyna Micro
1 71/0 363/0 500/0
2 342/0 893/2 1023/4
3 129/0 1005/4 903/1
4 71/0 71/0 71/0
---------------------------------
Total 613/0 2332/6 2497/5 (Sync/ASync)

I know that DynamicMixer is dynamic according to what's connected to the mixer, but it's awfully dynamic here even when the same loading order is used for the same connections. Still, in all 3 cases it uses less dsp than Micromixer. I'm more curious what the Sync & Asynch values mean though, so as I continue to evaluate devices I know what I'm seeing.

j9k · Post by **j9k** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:45 pm

sync refers to virtual audio signals running arround in the card. the reason they are synchronous is that the values are calculated for every sample of the the set sample rate 44.1k 48k .

the async has no aparent sample rate and only reacts to values it recieves or better description is that the values are actually scanned an active fader might be scanned more. buttons, faders, text, knobs, and other thigs all generate asynchronous signals. you should almost never have to worry about async in the dsp meter though.

valis · Post by **valis** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 5:16 am

So what's the limit on Sync, or in general, for the sharc dsps that the creamware cards use? From what I've seen I'm guessing about 1200 per dsp?

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 5:30 am

Get the % value to get a better idea. 95% works nice, 100% is the limit. Should be like 1150 points or something.

valis · Post by **valis** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 6:25 am

OMG it's been so long since I've 'played' around with the gui pushing buttons I forgot that green icon did anything =]

Thanks atomic...btw I too have started using a lot of mixers...though in almost every case I'm finding Dynamixer uses less dsp than the micro and it's more flexible to boot. The Direct outputs are great for a bit of side processing...

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 7:07 am

If you want to calculate values for devices go to http://www.planetz.com/forums/viewtopic ... orum=22&12 . Also check out the whole DSP usage section here at planetz for % values of some of the devices. Unfortunately since I added a Scope SRB to my Pulsar2 all the values in the meter dart around too much and I haven't been able to add any more device values as its difficult to get a sensible figure.

Tony R

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: TonyR on 2002-10-19 08:08 ]</font>

valis · Post by **valis** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 3:53 pm

Thanks for that link clarifies the formula nicely =]

In the case of the Dynamicmixer it (seemingly) uses different amounts of Dsp depending on what is connected & enabled, AND when I was testing one at a time i noticed the values were varying so I started using 4 (which gives sort of an average across them). Using all my default i/o gives me something to connect to =].

Anyhow I can basically take the formula in that link and apply it to the numbers I posted/4 and get a realistic picture of what Dynamicmixer is using for me...

Also, in the case of certain synths (hummel Saturn for example) I'm noticing that options such as chorus (and the other effects on the right) are impacting dsp as well as voicing.....which i think is obvious anyway but it's something I'm accounting for in my notes here.