Linux Audio the way to go!?

[1audio]

Free Windows RTA that works pretty well: SynRTA near the bottom of the page. It might work under wine?

[UnixMan]

Originally posted by 1audio
Free Windows RTA that works pretty well:

another one, which does work quite well: Visual Analyser

it even works under wine!

I really miss a native Linux application like that and/or like RMAA.

[phofman]

I have been thinking about a networked linux audio player with minimum EMI/RFI, with quality output. The standard PC technology produces a lot of electrical noise.

Something like this:

* a very low power solution, e.g. Asus WL500G Premium
* 5V linear power supply, no SMPS (I know there is a step-down SMPS onboard but there is probably no way around and I could not find a linux-capable board without the step-down SMPS)
* debian http://wpkg.org/Running_Debian_on_ASUS_WL-500G_deluxe
* 24-bit MPD + alsa, long latency to keep CPU load at minimum

Now the sound part. The router has one miniPCI slot. I could not find any miniPCI quality sound card. But there is supposed to be a simple miniPCI to PCI adapter http://www.costronic.com/Ev09mp.htm, no idea about price. I would prefer the model with the short flat cable as it allows placing the PCI card (e.g. Juli, Onky etc.) to a separate shielded compartment. It would even allow powering the card with a separate linear power supply, the required soldering should be rather straightforward. Timing of the PCI circuits of the card is not critical (as long as the communication works), the audio part is clocked by a separate crystal.

Another adapter is at http://www.getcatalyst.com/adapter_m...i2mini3-3.html costs 125USD, rather expensive for a PCB with two connectors.

I am aware the price would approach dedicated audio solutions (Squeezebox Duet, etc), OTOH the quality could be substantially higher.

[soundcheck]

Originally posted by phofman
I have been thinking about a networked linux audio player with minimum EMI/RFI, with quality output. The standard PC technology produces a lot of electrical noise.

Something like this:

* a very low power solution, e.g. Asus WL500G Premium
* 5V linear power supply, no SMPS (I know there is a step-down SMPS onboard but there is probably no way around and I could not find a linux-capable board without the step-down SMPS)
* debian http://wpkg.org/Running_Debian_on_ASUS_WL-500G_deluxe
* 24-bit MPD + alsa, long latency to keep CPU load at minimum

Now the sound part. The router has one miniPCI slot. I could not find any miniPCI quality sound card. But there is supposed to be a simple miniPCI to PCI adapter http://www.costronic.com/Ev09mp.htm, no idea about price. I would prefer the model with the short flat cable as it allows placing the PCI card (e.g. Juli, Onky etc.) to a separate shielded compartment. It would even allow powering the card with a separate linear power supply, the required soldering should be rather straightforward. Timing of the PCI circuits of the card is not critical (as long as the communication works), the audio part is clocked by a separate crystal.

Another adapter is at http://www.getcatalyst.com/adapter_m...i2mini3-3.html costs 125USD, rather expensive for a PCB with two connectors.

I am aware the price would approach dedicated audio solutions (Squeezebox Duet, etc), OTOH the quality could be substantially higher.

Perhaps you should think about something like the EMU USB 0404 instead of the PCI-Card.
It is much less hazzle and you're more flexible.
(We would need to fix the driver first for 24bit )

What I don't like about these mini-pcs are the limitations which come with them. 100MBIT/ethernet, limited ram, limited performance ( try to run brutefir on such a system), limited graphic performance ( no way to play Hi-Rez movies), asf.
However, it really depends what you want to use it for.

Cheers

[soundcheck]

Hi Ubuntu folks.

I just installed the latest 2.6.28-rc6-zen1 kernel with ZEN-gaming options, CFS scheduler, ALSA 1.0.18a.

I could even use the Ubuntu kernel .config.

To me it seems that the system became lightning fast. It's no longer the system slowing
down your productivity.

The great thing for Ubuntu Intrepid and ATI users.
With a very small kernel patch you get fglrx to work quite easily.
The Ubuntu dkms autoinstaller will actually install fglrx by itself, if the patch has been applied
to the kernel.


If somebody is interested in more details, let me know.


Cheers

[ackcheng]

hello soundcheck

I thought intrepid has problem with real time kernel patch?

[phofman]

Originally posted by soundcheck
Perhaps you should think about something like the EMU USB 0404 instead of the PCI-Card.
It is much less hazzle and you're more flexible.
(We would need to fix the driver first for 24bit )

My personal reasons for avoiding USB (as of now):

* Incomplete drivers - with very little positive perspective for the future as USB cards with proprietary protocol are very secretive and generally poorly supported in alsa.

* USB isochronous itself puts much more load on CPU than PCI.

* Some quality PCI cards use well-documented chips and I can learn exactly what the card does. I do not like black boxes.

Originally posted by soundcheck
What I don't like about these mini-pcs are the limitations which come with them. 100MBIT/ethernet, limited ram, limited performance ( try to run brutefir on such a system), limited graphic performance ( no way to play Hi-Rez movies), asf.
However, it really depends what you want to use it for.

I understand your points very well. In this setup I am talking (really just talking ) about a networked audio player. Many people rightly complain about the level of noise within regular PCs. Some even claim that top quality audio playback from PC is impossible. Even with external PSU there is a powerful switched-mode converter onboard for the CPU. True, even low-power non-x86 boards carry a similar converter too, but with very low currents. I do not need CPU power for 192/24 PCI playback (unless upsampling/equalization is required).

It was just an idea

[soundcheck]

Originally posted by ackcheng
hello soundcheck

I thought intrepid has problem with real time kernel patch?

Yes, you are right. If you don't watch out you smoke your PC! (E.g. on my
machine it is not shutting down properly)

The Ubuntu-rt-Kernel still has some problems. It seems that there are
just limited resources assigned to it.

I am actually talking about the Zen-kernel, which has always been much better
performing than the Ubuntu rt-kernel.

Perhaps somebody wants to try the Ubuntu-WIKI. ( see link in my signature)
I just updated it ( I am not the owner of it!).
Would be nice to see if the Wiki description somehow works, or if I missed something.

Advise: Please do not go for the automatic/script installation path offered in the Wiki!

Cheers

[ackcheng]

So zen is even faster than rt kernel! Interesting. I am still learning my way through ubuntu. May be I will get to the stage where I can compile the new kernel.

[soundcheck]

phofman:

John Swenson referred to this cutie at audio-asylum:

http://www.fit-pc.com/new/whats-new.html


USB audio:

The EMU 0404 USB card works asynchronous.
I also own the M-Audio Tranist.

I tried both feeding my TAS5706 FullDigiAmp via "Toslink-passthrough".
I know there is more to it than the USB connection. ( The Transit is fed by PC power)

However - comparing soundquality showed a huge difference between
both of them.