[PlanetCCRMA] Re: Running a Dell Inspiron 8100 on a Planet DAW

Fri May 19 19:20:03 2006

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>
> Thanks for responding Matt. There seems to be very little information
> about Laptops running on a Planet setup. Just a few questions if you
> don't mind...

Hello,

responses below

> So far the only problems that I've faced have been in heavy
> > disk-streaming situations, where I'm playing multiple soundfiles
> > through pd or some such.
>
> What's your definition of "heavy disk-streaming". For instance, do you
> recall aproximatly how many sound files streaming and what
> BitRate/SampleRate? Also, what happened? Was there overruns or underruns?

I think we got a new 7200 rpm disk for the auxiliary port in the front; I
don't remember the details offhand, and right now I'm on that computer so I
can't open it up to look =o)...

Heavy disk streaming has been done almost exclusively from the sfread~
object in PD.  Depending on the amount of processing being done in PD, I
have been able to stream up to 6 or so four-channel soundfiles at 96k/24 bit
at once.  This is with nothing else running (especially gnome -- we're using
fluxbox), and a lot of the daemons turned off in a custom runlevel.  With
lots of processing (taking up, say, 45% of the cpu), we've sometimes been
limited to streaming 3 to 4 such files at once.  Some problems have been
JACK/alsa xruns (using rme multiface at around 4096 for the buffer size in
JACK -- less latency and also less polyphony is possible with lower buffer
sizes).  I suspect some of the problems we've had have actually been in PD,
in coincidental conjunction with some other objects (particularly csound~
and plugin~).  We'll be starting 8-channel playback in the next year on this
machine... I'm expecting less than half the polyphony.

> I'm currently using Fedora Core 3 with the planet setup; nearly
> everything
> > here is slick and enjoyable.  It does recognize the onboard sound here
> > (intel8x0), but it's not the best by far.
>
> How do you mean this? Is there a major problem or is it the just the low
> quality sound that one would expect from a built in sound card?

Yeah, it's a really low-quality soundcard, especially if you want to do some
of the neater things in JACK.  The input and output connections aren't very
good either.  It would be worth it to get something good, but there's
obviously less available for laptop than for desktop.  I can recommend the
multiface, but not unequivocably -- the connection to the laptop pcmcia
interface is very weak, likes to wobble, and sometimes just breaks.  We're
on our third cable because of the poor design.

> In the next couple of weeks I'm going to be helping a buddy install
> > FC3 on his 8100, so I can let you know how it turns out
>
> Great, I'm very excited to hear the results!!!
>
> > -- on the 8200, I remember having to install in text-mode
> > because the xorg drivers for the video card (nvidia) didn't
> > work during the install.  I can't remember if they worked
> > after the install, but the nvidia drivers work great.
>
> Are you saying that you downloaded the nvidia drivers from somewhere and
> had to install/configure them? If so, was it pretty strait forward or
> does this require a higher level of understanding about X and configuring
> X?

Yes, I had to install in text mode, and I can't remember but I suspect I had
to start the computer in text mode (runlevel 3)  after the install, grab the
nvidia installer from the net either in lynx or via scp from a local box on
the network, and install the drivers.  The nvidia installer is relatively
painless unless you're using the very newest kernels... you need to know how
to either start up in runlevel three, or switch to runlevel three.  You run
the installer, and then edit your xorg.conf file.  That's about all you have
to do to get it to work in FC3, and that only if you have a dell with an
nvidia card.  It may be something different completely.

 Good luck.

Matt

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<div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> Thanks for responding Matt. There seems to be very little information about Laptops running on a Planet setup. Just a few questions if you
 don't mind...</blockquote><div> Hello, responses below </div> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> &gt; So far the only problems that I've faced have been in heavy
 &gt; disk-streaming situations, where I'm playing multiple soundfiles &gt; through pd or some such. What's your definition of &quot;heavy disk-streaming&quot;. For instance, do you recall aproximatly how many sound files streaming and what
 BitRate/SampleRate? Also, what happened? Was there overruns or underruns?</blockquote><div> I think we got a new 7200 rpm disk for the auxiliary port in the front; I don't remember the details offhand, and right now I'm on that computer so I can't open it up to look =o)...
 Heavy disk streaming has been done almost exclusively from the sfread~ object in PD.&nbsp; Depending on the amount of processing being done in PD, I have been able to stream up to 6 or so four-channel soundfiles at 96k/24 bit at once.&nbsp; This is with nothing else running (especially gnome -- we're using fluxbox), and a lot of the daemons turned off in a custom runlevel.&nbsp; With lots of processing (taking up, say, 45% of the cpu), we've sometimes been limited to streaming 3 to 4 such files at once.&nbsp; Some problems have been JACK/alsa xruns (using rme multiface at around 4096 for the buffer size in JACK -- less latency and also less polyphony is possible with lower buffer sizes).&nbsp; I suspect some of the problems we've had have actually been in PD, in coincidental conjunction with some other objects (particularly csound~ and plugin~).&nbsp; We'll be starting 8-channel playback in the next year on this machine... I'm expecting less than half the polyphony.
 &nbsp;</div> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> &gt; I'm currently using Fedora Core 3 with the planet setup; nearly 
everything &gt; here is slick and enjoyable.&nbsp;&nbsp;It does recognize the onboard sound here &gt; (intel8x0), but it's not the best by far. How do you mean this? Is there a major problem or is it the just the low
 quality sound that one would expect from a built in sound card?</blockquote><div> Yeah, it's a really low-quality soundcard, especially if you want to do some of the neater things in JACK.&nbsp; The input and output connections aren't very good either.&nbsp; It would be worth it to get something good, but there's obviously less available for laptop than for desktop.&nbsp; I can recommend the multiface, but not unequivocably -- the connection to the laptop pcmcia interface is very weak, likes to wobble, and sometimes just breaks.&nbsp; We're on our third cable because of the poor design.
 </div> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> &gt; In the next couple of weeks I'm going to be helping a buddy install 
 &gt; FC3 on his 8100, so I can let you know how it turns out Great, I'm very excited to hear the results!!! &gt; -- on the 8200, I remember having to install in text-mode &gt; because the xorg drivers for the video card (nvidia) didn't
 &gt; work during the install.&nbsp;&nbsp;I can't remember if they worked &gt; after the install, but the nvidia drivers work great. Are you saying that you downloaded the nvidia drivers from somewhere and had to install/configure them? If so, was it pretty strait forward or
 does this require a higher level of understanding about X and configuring X?</blockquote><div> Yes, I had to install in text mode, and I can't remember but I suspect I had to start the computer in text mode (runlevel 3)&nbsp; after the install, grab the nvidia installer from the net either in lynx or via scp from a local box on the network, and install the drivers.&nbsp; The nvidia installer is relatively painless unless you're using the very newest kernels... you need to know how to either start up in runlevel three, or switch to runlevel three.&nbsp; You run the installer, and then edit your 
xorg.conf file.&nbsp; That's about all you have to do to get it to work in FC3, and that only if you have a dell with an nvidia card.&nbsp; It may be something different completely. &nbsp;Good luck. Matt </div></div>

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