| It's entirely feasible - but there is always the problem of latency on a
standard PC. The use of DirectX minimises it, but still does not remove
it entirely. Hence the XTCsound project from Analog Devices, which runs
on a SHARC dsp chip, and uses the host RAM for samples, and can output
over six channels. It works pretty well, but, as a soundcard, not really
well enough yet. I am told that DirectCsound running on a 450MHz
Pentium II can beat it soundly. ADI worked very hard to get full MIDI
support for XTCsound, and not all of that has been able to be duplicated
in public Csound because it is proprietary (also, the card has mor
direct hardware contact with the MIDI port, so the extra overhead of a
PC MIDI driver is avoided).
Frank Hund of Creamware was keen on the idea of a port of public Csound
to the PULSAR/SCOPE system (4 and 15 SHARCs respectively, extensible),
and if the ADI project doesn't pick up pace soon (and give more weight
to the soundcard implementation per se) that remains an attratcive
alternative route, in the longer term.
Richard Dobson
SONICMAN wrote:
>
> Dear Csounders,
>
> I have never found the "perfect" synth so I've just about decided to
> build my own. Yes I know all the cons, but I wan't to take them on and
> build my dream synth. Believe it or not I really am not interested in
> making an analog synth. I wanted to base my creation loosely on the
> Ensoniq TS-10/12 series synthesizers. Especially the listable Hyperwave
> rom loop engine and I wanted to take this even further.
> My question is, how feesable is it to base a hardware synth on
> csound? My knoledge of eproms and such is limited but I study the full
> spectrum daily. I have a book on the way called "Digital projects for
> musicians", from PAVO tech. inc.
> Any other must have synth building books, remember I want to end up
> with a digital synth with a rom library as well as a synth engine maybe
> based on Csound.
>
> Thanks,
> SONICMAN-out
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