Digi 002 Firewire. What are the limitations?

[Swaphappy]

Originally posted by WheelSpoke:
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> I don't know if anyone has considered this, and I don't know the answer. How much parallel audio/MIDI/automation/controller data can you cram through a Firewire cable. Maybe they
would have given us more I/O options if they could have. Think about it, 18 channels of concurrent audio, controller automation data w/ display data and the fact that this thing does the D/A
- A/D conversion at the controller. Any ideas?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I have considered this and yes I do have questions. Can a Digi Tech answer this? I work as a systems admin and deal with firewire in a file serving and backup environment. Firewire works tremendously for Streaming Data but I to am curious... Thats a lotta data being passed through one firewire port!.

What are the test results when hanging an 002 of a single FW port and then hanging your 100 gig Fw drive off of the 002 and recording, lets say, 10 tracks or so? Any performance issues there?

Donovan<hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">These are some good questions.
You see the Digi 002 had two firewire ports on the back and it's possible to daisy chain other devices off of the second port like a drive to store sessions.
What happens?
Does the track count get reduced?
How much can she take?

[WheelSpoke]

bump, bumpity bump, bumpity bumptiy bump, bump [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[minimoog]

theoretically, IEEE1394 has a throughput of up to 400Mbps - enough for many more tracks than PTLE currently offers.

[English Jim]

"1394 has some processing overhead relative to PCI-based products like the 001. However, the overhead is roughly a fixed number of cpu cycles. So, on faster computers, the overhead becomes a smaller and smaller percentage of the total CPU cycles available per processing period.

Using the fastest machines available right now, the overhead we've measured is about 5-10%. So, if you got 10 plug-ins with the 001, you'd get 9 plug-ins on the 002. However, as machines get faster, you'll see the plug-in performance delta continue to shrink (to the point of being insignificant)."

Kenn LeGault
Administrator (for Digi)

[Swaphappy]

I'm going to have to study up on this.
Not familiar enough with specs.

[WheelSpoke]

"1394 has some processing overhead relative to PCI-based products like the 001. However, the overhead is roughly a fixed number of cpu cycles. So, on faster computers, the overhead
becomes a smaller and smaller percentage of the total CPU cycles available per processing period.

Using the fastest machines available right now, the overhead we've measured is about 5-10%. So, if you got 10 plug-ins with the 001, you'd get 9 plug-ins on the 002. However, as
machines get faster, you'll see the plug-in performance delta continue to shrink (to the point of being insignificant)."

Kenn LeGault
Administrator (for Digi)

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Thanks Jim,

Do you reccommend FireWire HD's to be used with the 002 or would SCSI drives still be better?

D

[yavuzj]

Digi 002 includes two modes of operation: Pro Tools mode, described above, and Standalone mode. With the
push of a button, your Digi 002 unit enters Standalone mode and becomes an 8x4x2 digital mixer, complete
with EQ, dynamics, delay, and reverb with snapshots. Pro Tools LE is disabled in this mode, and your
computer is no longer needed for Digi 002 to operate.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">If this is true, 002 must have some processing power.
However, It is not clear if this power can be used for any built in EFX in PT LE mode.

[WheelSpoke]

oops, should-a-said "thanks Kenn". [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Swaphappy]

Here's something interesting:
IEEE 1394 and the Windows Platform

I don't know if Digi is using 1394a or b
but to get the higher speeds above 100Mbps
you need optical fiber cable.

IEEE 1394b
Higher speeds and longer distances
Completely compatible with IEEE 1394a
800 Mbps to 3200 Mbps data transfer over 4.5 meters copper
100 Mbps over 100 meters Category 5 UTP wiring
400 Mbps over 100 meters plastic optical fiber
3200 Mbps over 100 meters glass optical fiber
Easier to integrate into chipsets than IEEE 1394a

[gabriel_p]

I'm not sure about that digi comment (no pun intended), but I think I remember our ex-fellow-duc-er Mark Knecht explain to us that Firewire didn't require CPU power (at least insignificant) but if for every 10 plugs in PCI you loose one in Firewire , then (in terms of comparing it to PCI)it taxes more on the CPU. [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] right?