Even Core Audio Has Its Limits....

[dgatwood]

Before I ship the defective 8Pre back to MOTU, I thought I'd just see how far I could push Mac OS X's Core Audio. Apparently, there actually is a limit, and I have finally reached it. Heheheh. I can't wait to see their reaction when I file this bug....

My PowerMac G5 configuration is as follows:

* Built-in audio: 2 analog inputs, 2 analog outputs, 2 digital inputs (no digital outputs???)
* M-Audio FW1814: 8 analog inputs, 8 analog outputs, 8 digital inputs, 2 digital outputs (S/PDIF so my FIREPOD can sync to it).
* Presonus FIREPOD: 8 analog inputs, 12 analog outputs, 2 digital inputs, 2 digital outputs.
* 3 MOTU 8Pre interfaces: 8 analog inputs each, 4 analog outputs each, 8 digital inputs each, 8 digital outputs each.

For a grand total of:

42 analog inputs, 36 digital inputs, 78 inputs total.
34 analog outputs, 28 digital outputs, 62 outputs total.
5 MIDI inputs, 5 MIDI outputs.

And for some reason, all my audio apps hang when I launch them! Apparently, the third MOTU 8Pre pushes it over the edge....

Just thought you'd like to know in case 34 analog inputs isn't enough for you.

Pictures and screen shots at http://www.gatwood.net/photos/users/dgatwood/42 Analog Inputs/index.php

 

[wheelema]

Blasphemy! Burn the heretic!!

 

[dgatwood]

Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention.... One of the requirements for the test was that every interface I was using had to be hooked up to the computer at the same time---no cheats like hooking up an 8Pre's ADAT output to the ADAT input of a second 8Pre.

So technically, this is the first time I've had more than one 8Pre hooked directly up with both the FIREPOD and the FW1814 all at once, so it isn't 100% clear whether the second or third directly-connected 8Pre pushed it over the edge.

Oh, yeah, and just to be clear, this could be a MOTU driver bug just as easily as it could be a Core Audio bug. I have neither the time nor the inclination to try to track it down more precisely, as this is clearly a configuration that goes WAY beyond anything anyone sane would ever seriously attempt... but either way, I'd pay good money to see the look on Bill Stewart's face when he gets the bug report.

 

[Bulls Hit]

I wonder how that lot would go on a PC

 

[bewildered]

and why would you possibly need that many in's and out's? you plan on having the new york philharmonic over to record in your room?

 

[dgatwood]

and why would you possibly need that many in's and out's? you plan on having the new york philharmonic over to record in your room?

You wouldn't.... I just happened to have a lot of interfaces at the same time for a single evening as the result of a minor hardware failure and having the replacement in my hands before sending out the broken one. I figured it would be funny to see just how far I could push things before something broke.

In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have put four of the five interfaces on a single FireWire bus....