Using VDAT

FrancisHarmany · Post by **FrancisHarmany** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:39 am

I am concidering doing some live mixing using VDAT. Some ideas I have are to load 4 vdats. Each has 4 stereo channels and represents a part of the arangement.

[ GROUP A ] = [ VDAT 1 ] - [ VDAT 2 ]
[ GROUP B] = [VDAT 3] -[ VDAT4 ]

Now, I can setup up Crossfading between GROUP A & GROUP B. As well as crossfading individual channels _within_ GROUP A or GROUP B.

Of course, using Clock2Click & Flexor sequencers you can automate the switching/crossfading. Anyone using VDAT in such ways ???

Or do you all dump the tracks back into the sequencer and do wussy editing with save & undo ? *wink*

I guess what we "really need" is a RAMP synced VDAT which can jump to a locators in a synced manner. And the ability to create several loop areas. That would make it the perfect tiny live audio sequencer for me ...... Sure I can jump to a locator, but that stops the audio! hmmm.....

Summing it all up, "we" need a VCR with:
- Builtin Clock2Click
- Small Buffers for "synced jumping"
- Clock2Click synced locator jumps ( on bar or beat positions)
- Multiple looping areas

I assume the buffers are needed so VDAT can rewind/forward to the choosen locator. I dont know how they do this with the internal looping functions. Maybe that can be used to do synced locator jumps as well ?

It seems possible (IS IT ?!?!?!) , then again I dont have SDK

I am willing to chain myself to Soniccores head office to get the VCR sources

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:59 am

be aware that VDAT most likely isn't SDK graphical code representation, but pure C/C++ on the OS driver level...

I eventually managed to get VDAT running the way I like it - with auto record, auto return, acting as a multitrack looper.
This way I can have (say) a 15 minutes tape capturing all the sound without having to pay attention to it.
When I consider something worth keeping, I unload the tape, copy the respective parts to another set of files and start the fake looper again.

But I had a lot of problems on setting this up - it seems that VDAT is a complete bitch regarding it's sync and interrupts. Dozens of times it simply failed at some arbitrary point in time and quit the record mode. During those tests I had sync problems due to a badly seated card - I assume that IRQ problems will have the very same effect. Possibly that's the reason why the remote controllers are so unreliable.
But some handling looks pretty obscure to me anyway ...

cheers, Tom