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

[the19thbear]

Cant wait to hear more:)
-Im in denmark, and would happely test something for you (i have 2x 6 dsp cards).

[thehe]

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 (205.82 KiB) Viewed 9047 times

and
7 Masterverbs + Bluesynth + Midi + Luna SP/DIF

7masterverbs.jpg (209.12 KiB) Viewed 9047 times

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

[thehe]

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?!

[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....

[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.

[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 !!!

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.

[bosone]

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!

[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...

[the19thbear]

cool!

[bosone]

go on!

[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

[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?

[garyb]

something like 18, but for most systems, 10 or 12 is pretty good.

[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?!

[garyb]

pulsar1?

5-7 tops.

[thehe]

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?

[garyb]

for a pulsar1? yes, plenty good.

[thehe]

IRQ-Table:
see attachment...

looks nice, too...

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

[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!:)

[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... )