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Is it possible to auto-load the StartupProject.pro but to close the SFP.exe application *without* losing the routing that I've set up? 99% of the time, I'll never need to edit the routing now I have it configured (and can always run the SFP application should I need to), but I appear to have to keep SFP.exe running or the routing disappears. I'd assumed that once the DSPs were initialised, there'd be no need to keep the SFP environment open (30-40MB memory taken to do nothing!).

you need to keep SFP running or the card gets initialized on closing SFP.

Thanks - how stupid.

welcom!
also: I never use it anymore, but there was something called 'Pulsar in the bacground project', but then SFP still is open

_________________
Let There Be Music!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: hubird on 2004-02-01 14:32 ]</font>

On 2004-02-01 14:01, kperry wrote:
Thanks - how stupid.

not stupid
the SFP isn't a remote control software for the DSP board.
In fact the board has to communicate constantly with the computer's mobo RAM, otherwise you wouldn't be able to record or provide drivers for other applications - and for effects like reverb and delay the main memory is used as a scratch area.

Something must be running to keep control and 30 MB aren't much in days where a GB is sold for $200 - though it may look not very smart at first glance.

cheers, tom

Also your pulsar is MUCH more than a simple audio card where you set up a static 'mix' routing. You should explore the tools available!

I'm not using it just as static routing, but for monitoring/multiple headphone mixes for musicians etc. And - as I said - once it's set up, it's set up and doesn't need to change, so why should the whole GUI (which is memory intensive) be required?

A soundcard driver can communicate between buffers on the card and RAM without needing to have an application loaded, so there is no reason why SFP can't work similarly: 30MB may be small compared to a 'standard' 512MB sized machine now, but that's not an excuse for wasting memory when it's not necessary to.

I was hoping that XTC mode (which I've managed to get working with SONAR, which is meant to be difficult) would solve this, but you then lose anything other than static routing that you've set up. It's a really pwoerful system but someone hasn't joined the dots properly...

if you want a customized card - buy it

that thing you complain about has to fit the needs of several hundred thousand users(hopefully).
your application might cover not even 0.1% of the possible uses, so what's the deal ?
It is not theoretically perfect ?
Maybe, but it's more simple and reliable to allocate a block of memory once and lock it instead of shoveling the stuff back and forth for the sake of a few bytes.

cheers, Tom

Incidentally you can achieve what you want but it is NOT a normal operation of the card NOR do I suggest this as a regular thing to anyone else.

With the SFP interface loaded & the appropriate routing loaded (project fully open) make sure that SFP is visible on the desktop (not minimized to tray) and then go into Task Manager's PROCESS tab, find SFP.exe and right click, choose "End Process". This will kill SFP without giving it time to prompt you to save the project or unload its dsps.

Personally I would prefer to keep SFP running so I can monitor levels and get access to the tools that are available on the Creamware platform, but this should achieve what you want. How an ASIO program will react to this is another matter.

Incidentally my RME card has its routing app "totalmix" loaded on startup as well, so SFP is not unique in this regard.