Poor mans HD rig with PT 7 (revisited)

[nikki-k]

Drawing one up today

Sorry for the analogy...it was all I could think of that quickly.

OK- RTAS...and Audio, Aux, Master, Instrument tracks...
The ONLY time a voice is used is when audio is entering or exiting thru the PCI buss. Period.

RTAS requires the host CPU for it's DSP, therefore the audio to be effected must either A) already be in a path/buss of the host computer (streaming from hard drive), or B) leave the TDM mixer. Both situations require the audio to return/enter the TDM Mixer, via the PCI Buss (into the HD Core). In scenario A), the audio was already outside, being streamed in. Any RTAS applied BEFORE entering the TDM Mixer do not require extra voices, as the audio entering is already using a voice. Scenario B) requires an "exit" for the audio to leave the TDM Mixer and thus be effected by RTAS (using the host CPU for DSP), and then re-enter the TDM Mixer, using a new entrance. Each entrance and exit to/from the TDM Mixer is a voice. Think of voices as one-way, one signal only doorways in and out of the TDM Mixer.

One signal= one audio stream. An Aux may have several audio files bussed to it, but the signals are combined in the Aux, and thus it equals ONE audio stream at the insert and send points. Audio tracks are the only ones to have audio stream from the host (hard drive), therefore all others must use 2 voices for RTAS: door out, door back in.

Like I said- I will draw up a flowchart with explanation later today to try to illustrate the generalisms with TDM. It all actually makes sense, and is quite ingenius IMO. The only other system (utilizing a host computer system to...well, host it) similar is (was) PARIS...that I know of at least.

[Shan]

Thanks for the further info. After further reading and sketching this out myself it makes sense now. Hopefuly I havent missed anything. Looking forward to your chart.

The only question I have at the moment is that when a voice is used, does it take it from the playback voices or recording voices or the total combined playback/record voices?

Shane


Just answered my own question in the Reference guide.

[gerax]

It would be interesting to know how Zboy handles this voice allocation issue on his Quad Opteron HD1 rig...according to his posts he is able to run sessions of 60/70 tracks with loads of plug ins with no issues...and it was on PT6.9...

L.G.

[nikki-k]

In case anyone missed the thread I started, or someone finds this thread and is curious, I made the flowchart, and have also begun a series of articles. They can be found here:

Flowchart

Article One

Hope someone finds it all useful

[zboy2854]

It would be interesting to know how Zboy handles this voice allocation issue on his Quad Opteron HD1 rig...according to his posts he is able to run sessions of 60/70 tracks with loads of plug ins with no issues...and it was on PT6.9...

L.G.

Haven't run any scientific benchmark tests as of yet, but everything is running smoothly in 7.0 with my rig. I don't really think too much about the voices thing, since I keep my voice allocation to maximum number of voices, and use whatever power is left on the Core card for TDM plugs, then start going to my RTAS plugs (plus I have a UAD-1 card).

When I get some down time in between projects in the near future I'll run some benchmark tests. What should I go with, the DaveC test?

[Shan]

Haven't run any scientific benchmark tests as of yet, but everything is running smoothly in 7.0 with my rig. I don't really think too much about the voices thing, since I keep my voice allocation to maximum number of voices, and use whatever power is left on the Core card for TDM plugs, then start going to my RTAS plugs (plus I have a UAD-1 card).

When I get some down time in between projects in the near future I'll run some benchmark tests. What should I go with, the DaveC test?

Great to hear Zboy. I am in the process of putting together a Quad Opteron myself. It will be based around the new Tyan Tiger K8WE mother board. So far this MB looks like it was made for PT and very affordable.

Just to let you know, that after I tracked down Dave C and stalked him he updated the Davec test. He will also be creating a bunch of new benchmark tests for PT 7 and beyond.

Looking forward to seeing some benchmark tests between both of our mother boards. I will also have 2 x 265 Opterons.

Shane

[nikki-k]

bumper cars

keepin this one alive

[Brain Digger]

In case anyone missed the thread I started, or someone finds this thread and is curious, I made the flowchart, and have also begun a series of articles. They can be found here:

Flowchart

Article One

Hope someone finds it all useful

Just read your article Nikki and saw the flowchart......awesome....really helped me alot.

Any new info on this TDM-RTAS system Shane now that PT7 is out?

PS you guys rock ...I always learn something new on the DUC.

cheers,

dave

[Shan]

Any new info on this TDM-RTAS system Shane now that PT7 is out?

dave

I am still waiting for that Tyan Tiger K8WE board to be released. I actually did pay for it, and then the computer store I was dealing with refunded my money because they could get no word back from Tyan on an exact release date. It was suppose to be last week.

Once I get everything going I will post back.

Shane

[Brain Digger]

Shane,

Maybe in the not so distant future, there will be many more of us LE'ers posting here in a..........TDM forum such as this....hee hee..... seriously .

cheers,

dave