Re: Real-time DSP?

["Adam Davidson (from HiTSPACE)" <ad@absolute.hu>]

At 02:24 PM 8/6/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi all, I'm new to this list so I hope I'm not treading on long-worn soil.
>
>I have a PII-500, and can't help but wonder WHY I can't use this monster
>as my looper / effects processor / everything.
>
>In the state of technology today, is there a piece of software (no 
>hardware
>cards or add-ons) that can take a line-in signal and REAL-TIME sample,
>loop, and/or process the sound?
>
>This seems to me to be the next logical step in the evolution of music &
technology.
>
>
>Ken

Hey Ken,

actually there's SOFTWARE out there, but it's half as not as cool (IMHO)
as hardware stuff. 

-> if you plan to bring your computer to stage, think of Billy and his
   reliable Windows operating system. Shortly: never ever try it.
   
-> if you want to use computer for such purpose, you'll have to be
   a computer expert aswell. even if you are already, you'll have problems.
   i mean technical pitfalls that you'll face sooner or later, and it'll 
drive
   you nuts.

-> you wont get a dedicated control surface either

-> the soundcards are still very very much under the hardware equipment.
   even the most expensive ones. 

-> if you want your cool 500MHZ computer to do a little bit of this and
   a little bit of that, it'll simply run out of juice, even if it seems
   to be lightningfast.

-> the latency is a big problem in computers. the windows and the bus 
system
   (and the hardware) not quite optimized for such tasks like audio.
   an example: windows has a timing instability of +/- 100 ms,
   which is comparing to the human ear's 10ms is a bit lame.
   if you want to add some random swinging to your play or sequence, then
   this is the way to go, but probably this is not the case.
   actually this latency is the nature of the protection
   system of the OS. 

so, my suggestion is: get a slower pc (or rather buy a PC for a task 
instead
of buy the fastest pc, and then figure out what you can do with it), save
money, and 
buy hardware instead: in the case you are a professional. 
the pc is good for playing around and learning 
things, and it wont break the bank. (well,except ofcourse if you buy the 
most
expensive hardware). also notice, that your pc will worth only the half of 
the 
current value, which makes it a very very bad investment. it'll always be
like you throwing money out of the window.

anyway, this stuff is based on MY experience, but i can imagine anyone
living happy with his pc and soundcard. we are different, and everyone has
to find his own way of working.

good luck to it, but mind: this world is very imperfect : this case
you'll be in for a surprise never.


a/d