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Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 12:41 am
by the19thbear
Cant wait to hear more:)
-Im in denmark, and would happely test something for you (i have 2x 6 dsp cards).
:)

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 12:56 am
by thehe
bosone wrote:i will be just happy to have 2 or 3 PCI S|C cards connected to my PC without losing PCI performances as i'm experiencing now with 1366 socket (5 masterverb). moving to 4+ cards is maybe not so worthwile....
you guys are all totally strange...
you are buying intel - you pay a lot for the name...

here is a screen of a REALLY cheap 2008 ABIT-board with an AMD Phenom X4 (first model) and 8 GB Ram,
Luna II + Pulsar I - Software 5.1, windows 7 x64...

6 Masterverbs + Bluesynth + Midi + Luna SP/DIF
6masterverbs.jpg
6masterverbs.jpg (205.82 KiB) Viewed 7485 times
and
7 Masterverbs + Bluesynth + Midi + Luna SP/DIF
7masterverbs.jpg
7masterverbs.jpg (209.12 KiB) Viewed 7485 times

What's the point to buy the intel-things?!!?

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 12:57 am
by thehe
the19thbear wrote:Cant wait to hear more:)
-Im in denmark, and would happely test something for you (i have 2x 6 dsp cards).
:)
if we can't get enough information to do this project from sonic-core, we proberbly need to do a flashmob at their office?! ;)

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 1:17 am
by garyb
S|C can't do it. plenty on the plate right now....

thehe could do it.

there's a limit to how many chips can talk to each other as well, btw....

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 1:42 am
by the19thbear
thehe could really bring life back to our good old cards!
I can run 6 or 7 masterverbs on a single 6dsp card, then i get pci capacity limit.. but most importantly, i cant run pro tools because of my intel motherboards poor pci performance and my scope card (at least i think!)
GO thehe!!!
Cant wait to hear a price range though... i would love to see at least 2 versions, in 2 different price ranges.

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 3:22 am
by HUROLURA
What I just wonder if the max DSP limits that seemed to be reached with 3x15 DSP systems is an overall limit.
Then using Thehe stuff to build systems using a set of 3/4/6 DSP cards would do sense.

Just imagine what you could get from a 10 x 3-DSP cards with adat expansion or LUNA 2496 expansion system in term of I/O.
You could even compete with Avid Protools HDX new stuff !!! :D

I just think it could be a good idea to recycle some old PCI cards, especially in case one needs lot's of I/O.
Else, if you want more DSP power, the Xite-1D and Xite-1 have a PCIe interface. :)

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 5:02 am
by bosone
thehe wrote:
bosone wrote:i will be just happy to have 2 or 3 PCI S|C cards connected to my PC without losing PCI performances as i'm experiencing now with 1366 socket (5 masterverb). moving to 4+ cards is maybe not so worthwile....
you guys are all totally strange...
you are buying intel - you pay a lot for the name...

here is a screen of a REALLY cheap 2008 ABIT-board with an AMD Phenom X4 (first model) and 8 GB Ram,
Luna II + Pulsar I - Software 5.1, windows 7 x64...


What's the point to buy the intel-things?!!?
i have bought a gigabyte because it was one of the two with 1366 chipset (i wanted a very fast pc!), triple channel and, most important, 3xPCI slots.
then i learnt that the PCI performances was extremely poor both on 1366 and 1155 chipset. i should have bought a 1156 with 3xPCI! now i do not have time and money to change the PC: it works fine with win7 and sonar 8.5, and i can manage the PCI bandwidth limit even if can install just 2 S|C card (the third, for some strange reason, is not recognized!)
but if i could improve by spending a relative low amount of money and also install the other S|C card i have then it will be good! :)

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 6:17 am
by thehe
I JUST GOT RESPONSE FROM SONIC CORE ENGINEER:

He says that the maximum number of cards CAN BE 6 with a modified Software..
Where to get it, what the modifications are and where the technical limit is really (PCI vs. DSP vs BUS) is currently un-answered.

You CAN drive four (4!) Scope/SP with each 15 DSP without problems and SUPPORTED!
(4x 15 DSP --> 60 DSPs!)

So. If we are able to use the external enclosure with 4 Scope/SP - it will be great.

I asked the engineers some more details and hopefully get an answer - especially regarding the Z-Link-Specifications.
Z-Link is no more built and supported by Sonic-Core and Ferrofish...

I think about a Z-Link to MADI Converter ;)

Let's the what will happen...

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 7:09 am
by the19thbear
cool! :)

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 7:25 am
by bosone
go on! :)

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 11:22 am
by thehe
Good news,

it works! Just connected PCIe/ExpressCard with PulsarI and Luna ;)

At the moment only 6 MasterVerb-Instances work stable in this configuration - the Controller-Vendor says, that a special driver (I will get it tomorrow) can increase the PCI-Bandwith to ship around this problem...

COOL!

Greetings,
Robin

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 11:40 am
by the19thbear
Great to hear!
cant wait to hear if you get better performance!

What is the max number of masterverbs anyone had back in the good old days of proper PCI bus support?

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:41 pm
by garyb
something like 18, but for most systems, 10 or 12 is pretty good.

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 2:04 pm
by thehe
are you sure, that a old pulsarI + Luna on Scope 5.1 combo can handle 10-15??

In two different maschines with total compliant pci2.3 busses, i actualle have the magic number of 7 (6 in 100% stable) masterverbs...
both maschines >8gb ram, win7 x64...

strange?!

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 2:50 pm
by garyb
pulsar1?

5-7 tops.

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:05 pm
by thehe
garyb wrote:pulsar1?

5-7 tops.
ok.. so... Results:

Machine 01 native: 7 Masterverb (little buggy... HARD LIMIT!)
Machine 02 native: 6 Masterverb - 7 unusable
Machine 01 PCIe: 6 Masterverb
Machine 02 PCIe: 6 Masterverb
Laptop ExpressCard: 6 Masterverb

All with Pulsar1 + Luna with a STDM made of old floppy-cables ;)

Sounds good?

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:55 pm
by garyb
for a pulsar1? yes, plenty good.

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:31 pm
by thehe
IRQ-Table:
see attachment...

looks nice, too...

so... GO GO GO for a good case design ;)

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 9:05 pm
by the19thbear
Great!
You just need to find a used pulsar2 somewhere and test to ser if you get more masterverbs, and then you are ready to go!
Cant wait to see some pictures/prices!:)

Re: Question: Do you want 4x scope on ExpressCard/PCIe?

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:54 pm
by bosone
yes! :)
anyway, trying a masterverb test with a pulsar 1 is not the best, since the board had limited PCI performance even in the top motherboard.
the luna could be better, but only if it is the second generation. however, i do not know how to discern between first and second generation...
the best would be to try with a scope or a pulsar 2.

anyway, it's great to hear about this development! :)
can't look forward to more tests and price (even without a case... ;) )