 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Forums - Computer music & technology
Subject: EWS64XL MIDI and ISO Is This A Problem
Viewing all 3 messages - View by pages of 10: 1
Original Message 1/3 26-Mar-98 @ 10:44 AM - EWS64XL MIDI and ISO Is This A Problem
I am presently looking at buying a EWS. My problem is that you can't purchase the card here in New Zealand so I can't test it out and have to purchase one through the internet.
I am planning to use the card for making HD recordings, so I plan for alot of MIDI data and also accustic/electric guitar and vocal tracks. I am looking at purchasing an ASRX(for live work and so I'm not waiting for my PC to crash in the middle of a number.) and a Alesis Quadsynth Piano Plus as a MIDI controller and also computer s/w.
Fistly is this the card for my needs????????????
Secondly a sales rep who is agent for Event is slowly talking me into a Gina and one of his points is that because the EWS is ISO rather than PCI it is slower handeling MIDI data and I presume analoge data as well? Is this true?
If so what other cards could anyone else suggest.
As I want to do this right the first time.
P.S Thanks Kilo for your advice about incorrporating a DAT into my recording set up. Didn't even think about this opotion. Bummer though I'll be in dedt till armagedeon's been and gone.
Thanks great Web Page learn't heaps.
David.
I am planning to use the card for making HD recordings, so I plan for alot of MIDI data and also accustic/electric guitar and vocal tracks. I am looking at purchasing an ASRX(for live work and so I'm not waiting for my PC to crash in the middle of a number.) and a Alesis Quadsynth Piano Plus as a MIDI controller and also computer s/w.
Fistly is this the card for my needs????????????
Secondly a sales rep who is agent for Event is slowly talking me into a Gina and one of his points is that because the EWS is ISO rather than PCI it is slower handeling MIDI data and I presume analoge data as well? Is this true?
If so what other cards could anyone else suggest.
As I want to do this right the first time.
P.S Thanks Kilo for your advice about incorrporating a DAT into my recording set up. Didn't even think about this opotion. Bummer though I'll be in dedt till armagedeon's been and gone.
Thanks great Web Page learn't heaps.
David.
Message 2/3 27-Mar-98 @ 01:23 PM - RE: EWS64XL MIDI and ISO Is This A Problem
sorry thats ISA rather than ISO inregards to PCI......duh ?????
Message 3/3 06-Apr-98 @ 07:05 PM - RE: EWS64XL MIDI and ISO Is This A Problem
Its me again. Obviously, if all you want is digital audio, then you should buy just that.
But the dirty little secret is that MIDI is very slow! It does not require anything faster than an ISA card! No matter how much MIDI you use! Hoever, if you want to use a bunch of MIDI ports, your best, fastest best is to use Mark Of The Unicorn's 8 port midi interface or Opcodes: Music Quest 8PortSe (which I own) which can transmit piles of midi data on different ports. However, one MIDI port is about the same as a slow serial port in your PC: 24 chars/sec to maybe 300 chars/sec (but unlikely). You DON'T need PCI for MIDI!
Another dirty little secret that Event Electronics doesn't want you to know (who makes the Gina & LayLa) is that there is another problem, other than PCI bus versus ISA bus: Your hard disk! Your hard disk is a bigger potential bottle neck than an ISA sound card is, and your CPU is too! If you own a PCI sound card, you WILL STILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM!
The ISA bus can transfer a continuous rate of about
5 MB/Sec (maybe burst rates higher). 16 Bits * 2 Tracks (Stereo) * 48 Khz =
2 Bytes * 2 * 48000 Samples / Sec = 192000 bytes/sec = 187.5 KB/Sec (using the 1024 Bytes = KB method) needed.
187.5 KB/Sec * 4 Stereo Tracks (8 mono) = 750 KB/Sec.
187.5 KB/Sec * 6 Stereo Tracks (12 mono) = 1125 KB/Sec.
So you can see that a normal 5 MB/Sec data transfer rate for an ISA Bus is OK. However, the CPU speed is VERY important. But MOST IMPORTANT is hard disk throughput: If you are using Windows 95 especially: many people say that 11 to 13 tracks is about the most you can ever hope for using a Pentium 133 or faster at 48Khz, 16 bit, stereo (unless you actually have more than ONE hard disk (SCSI) and more than ONE hard disk controller (SCSI). Having multiple Hard disks (each attached to a seperate controller and a FASSST CPU (like a Pentium Pro or Pentium II) will help if you want to exceed 11 tracks in real time. You could always sub-mix some tracks off line to do more tracks.
However, no matter HOW FAST or HOW GOOD somebody's hard disk recording sound boards are or how good their converters are, you will still be limmited to the number of tracks that you can record (unless you use multiple hard disks & hard disk controllers: use Ultra Wide SCSI controllers & hard disks.)
Another dirty secret is that it is not fair to compare the GINA to TerraTec: Here is why: GINA allows 20 bits recording or playback out of the box, and the TerraTec is limmited to 16 bits. You probably need a PCI slot for working with 20 to 24 bits that the GINA allows! While if you work with 16 bits on a TerraTec and are satisfied with this, it will work well! Also the GINA doesn't come with balanced ins or outs, and even though the EWS64 doesn't, you can use an external ADC to sample stuff for it.
20 Bits * 2 tracks (stereo) * 48Khz =
3 Bytes * 2 tracks * 48000 = 288000 Bytes =
281.25 KB/Sec:
1125 KB/Sec for 4 Stereo Tracks (8 mono tracks).
1687.5 KB/Sec for 6 Stereo Tracks (12 mono tracks).
But the dirty little secret is that MIDI is very slow! It does not require anything faster than an ISA card! No matter how much MIDI you use! Hoever, if you want to use a bunch of MIDI ports, your best, fastest best is to use Mark Of The Unicorn's 8 port midi interface or Opcodes: Music Quest 8PortSe (which I own) which can transmit piles of midi data on different ports. However, one MIDI port is about the same as a slow serial port in your PC: 24 chars/sec to maybe 300 chars/sec (but unlikely). You DON'T need PCI for MIDI!
Another dirty little secret that Event Electronics doesn't want you to know (who makes the Gina & LayLa) is that there is another problem, other than PCI bus versus ISA bus: Your hard disk! Your hard disk is a bigger potential bottle neck than an ISA sound card is, and your CPU is too! If you own a PCI sound card, you WILL STILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM!
The ISA bus can transfer a continuous rate of about
5 MB/Sec (maybe burst rates higher). 16 Bits * 2 Tracks (Stereo) * 48 Khz =
2 Bytes * 2 * 48000 Samples / Sec = 192000 bytes/sec = 187.5 KB/Sec (using the 1024 Bytes = KB method) needed.
187.5 KB/Sec * 4 Stereo Tracks (8 mono) = 750 KB/Sec.
187.5 KB/Sec * 6 Stereo Tracks (12 mono) = 1125 KB/Sec.
So you can see that a normal 5 MB/Sec data transfer rate for an ISA Bus is OK. However, the CPU speed is VERY important. But MOST IMPORTANT is hard disk throughput: If you are using Windows 95 especially: many people say that 11 to 13 tracks is about the most you can ever hope for using a Pentium 133 or faster at 48Khz, 16 bit, stereo (unless you actually have more than ONE hard disk (SCSI) and more than ONE hard disk controller (SCSI). Having multiple Hard disks (each attached to a seperate controller and a FASSST CPU (like a Pentium Pro or Pentium II) will help if you want to exceed 11 tracks in real time. You could always sub-mix some tracks off line to do more tracks.
However, no matter HOW FAST or HOW GOOD somebody's hard disk recording sound boards are or how good their converters are, you will still be limmited to the number of tracks that you can record (unless you use multiple hard disks & hard disk controllers: use Ultra Wide SCSI controllers & hard disks.)
Another dirty secret is that it is not fair to compare the GINA to TerraTec: Here is why: GINA allows 20 bits recording or playback out of the box, and the TerraTec is limmited to 16 bits. You probably need a PCI slot for working with 20 to 24 bits that the GINA allows! While if you work with 16 bits on a TerraTec and are satisfied with this, it will work well! Also the GINA doesn't come with balanced ins or outs, and even though the EWS64 doesn't, you can use an external ADC to sample stuff for it.
20 Bits * 2 tracks (stereo) * 48Khz =
3 Bytes * 2 tracks * 48000 = 288000 Bytes =
281.25 KB/Sec:
1125 KB/Sec for 4 Stereo Tracks (8 mono tracks).
1687.5 KB/Sec for 6 Stereo Tracks (12 mono tracks).
Viewing all 3 messages - View by pages of 10: 1
There are 3 total messages for this topic
Reply to Thread
You need to register/login to use the forum.
Click here to Signup or Login !
[you'll be brought right back to this point after signing up]
Back to Forum
