pro audio 9.03: disk caching with ata100, i/o buffer = 512

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I'm currently rigorously testing my DAW. I'm up to
24 tracks of 24 bit 96kHz audio smoothly. I haven't tried beyond 30 minutes worth yet and there was a crackling but upon closer analysis it turned out to be the crackling of a cigarette puff.

Here is the thing: in order to prevent pops/clicks/scratching/etc I have the I/O buffer set to 512(KB) and both read and write caching enabled.

I haven't been able to find details on the I/O buffer. But it is a puzzle as to why I have to enable caching with UDMA 100 Maxtor 7200 RPM hard drives on RAID.

Please respond and thanks,
Jeff
 
i wouldn't think that you would need to enable disk caching for a newer drive. it was always my understanding that enabling caching was for older, slower drives.
 
after going thru http://www.tascam.com/support/faq/pc_optimize/6_optimize.cfm

i can turn off read/write cache! thanks for replying, it reminded me to retest that. maybe this will resolve the remaining main issue of recording continuously beyond 1 hour. the rice crispies phenomenon seems to be the PCI 'graphics accelerator'. in order to bypass it temporarily (only necessary as far as i see now at 24/96) i have to work at 16 colors and 800x600 resolution, keep all meters (24 mono tracks) at no more than peak indication, disable position toolbar, and not screen track view during recording. i'm hoping a proven card in the agp slot will improve the cumbersome interface.

happy recording,
jeff
 
Jeff,

You should be absolutely tinkled pink that you are getting 24 tracks of 96/24 audio running smoothly in Cake 9.03..

I would be grateful if you would let me know what your set up involves ,hardware and software in particularly OS, hard drive types and settings..u mentioned RAID in your setup..am willing to upgrade to that if it will get those type of results..

I am struggling with 12 to 14 tracks at 96/24..so have opted to use 96/24 only for mastering...

My system

PIII 750/ 100
Abit BE6 Rev 2 MB..not overclocked (yet)
this MB has the highpoint Ultra ATA100 controller onboard
512 mb Cas2 ram ( not sure that i have my settings optimized to benefit from this much ram)
ATI RADEON video card
2 audio cards
RME digi 96/8 pst
Motu 2408 mkII (PCI 834 audio card)
TDK VELO CDRW
CDROM
2 Hard drives....a 20g for OS and a 40g for audio only
the audio hard drive is formated with the Z64 deal...

This puter is for production so I dont have a modem or any other software not related to audio....maybe microsoft office...

I directed this question to Jeff but if anyone else wants to chime in ,please feel free

Oh im still using Win 98SE..was waiting to see what XP was gonna look like and i think now i am leaning towards going to Win 2000 instead...

Thanks in advance guys..
 
By the way,

I read the link you posted above after my post..so i suppose any any recommendations in addition to those posted by Tascam would be appreciated..

The vcache deal again..there seems to be a differing of opinions on this setting..i remember seeing it set a quite a bit lower somewhere and maybe twice as high in others

Ive already seen some changes I can make with the tascam link so thanks for that!
 
Hello elbenj, nice to meet you.
I am more than happy to try and help.


ABIT ! I use the ABIT 133 BX RAID
(http://www.abit-usa.com/eng/product/mb/bx133.htm)
The BE6II V2.0 looks nice. ABIT pretested 440BX at 133MHz - the specs don't reflect this for BE6II V2.0 (I'd like to be wrong on that point). I don't think there is any question, assuming good hard drives, that you have sunny upgrade paths which will support 24 tracks of 24 bit 96kHz. As far as plug ins, not 'high plug in density'. Probably 5 individually assigned chorus' amongst the tracks.
What I can do is- use the aux busses, destructive editing, and backups. For my purposes there are many ways to deal with those.
The test I'm in the process of doing now will have taken 24 hours to complete. During this 'operator' mode I'm compiling the info you requested. Off the top though the vcache is at 16000 (max and min) as suggested in the TASCAM documents. But I'm finding a swap file (on the virtual audio drive) of 1GB works best as opposed to the suggested 256MB. In using RAID mode 1 I have to write cache. That may interfere with my obssession to record continously for obscene amounts of time lol so I'll probably go back to mode 0 by this evening.
Jeff
 
Each added track adds 1-2 units to CPU meter and 3 units to disk meter on average. At 24 tracks of 24/96 it operates stably 20-30% CPU and no more than 40% disk. In that range anyway. No dropouts. Unfortunately, there is periodic fizzing in each track.
I hope it is not the Highpoint controller. It's present in a single track recording. I'm very hopeful that it is the graphics card. Do you think a graphics card could really do this?
Part of my setup and all settings (mentioned if they differ from those in Cakewalk defaults and TASCAM optimization documents):

*I/Omagic MagicVideo 3Dep PCI 8MB 2D/3D PCI Graphics Accelerator (uses SIS 6326)

*PIII 1GHz/133, ABIT 440BX 133MHz FSB,512MB ECC 133MHz generic micron memory
*3 40GB 7200RPM UDMA100 MAXTOR drives
(2 54098H8 models, 1 5T040H4 model)
* the 5409s are on RAID mode 1, and the 5T04 is the boot drive
UDMA = 5
Windows 98, Cakewalk: DirectShow Audio: General: defaults,
Advanced: enable write caching enabled, I/O buffer size = 512, wavepipe accel enabled

This combined with other posts is it I think.
 
Thanks for all the info Meta...will try it out
By the way.. I was being very generous with my quote on
track count at 96/24 in Cake 9..Cake 9 didnt like 96/24 on my
system at all...had to go to Sonar to get 9 to 12 tracks and that
wasnt stable...


Gonna see what happens with the info you have provided here ..thanks again!
 
not trying to start an argument...

BUT, I am getting up to 60 (yep sixty) tracks in CWPA 9 with 16/44.
Maybe I've burnt my ears out but I just am not seeing any need to spend more $$$ for more resolution at the cost of # of tracks. To my ear, 24 bit resolution just isn't worth what you give up to get it.

system is:
1 gig Athlon
768 RAM
30 and 40 7200 RPM HD's
XP Pro
SB Live Platinum
IWill mb

http://thestickman.visualops.com/ and click on "Shadow and Rain". That tune was 56 tracks and I wasn't using up 30% of my hard drive and 10% of my CPU.

Just my 2 cents at 16 bits hehehehe
 
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