Re: [proaudio] Real-Time for audio playback?

[Mark Knecht <markknecht@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 10:17 AM, Grant <emailgrant@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>> <SNIP>
>>>>>
>>>>> But in the end, there's really no way to know, right?  From what I
>>>>> gather, jack can add another buffer and report on it, but it's the
>>>>> sound card buffer that determines whether there are problems or not,
>>>>> right?
>>>>
>>>> No, I think Jack does know.
>>>>
>>>> In non-Jack apps the application pumps out data. If the buffers
>>>> overflow or run empty it's just a 'system problem' and the system has
>>>> failed.
>>>>
>>>> In Jack apps all audio is moved by Jack. All Jack apps are callback
>>>> based. Jack itself issues a demand for data from the application, then
>>>> if the application supplies it then everything works correctly. If the
>>>> app doesn't supply the data then we know where the problem is and we
>>>> can fix it.
>>>
>>> Here's how I understand it.  In a system without jack, there is
>>> communication between the system and the sound card.  With jack, there
>>> is communication between the system and jack, and also between jack
>>> and the sound card.  It sounds like jack can report on problems with
>>> communication between the system and jack, but we are still left in
>>> the dark as far as communication problems between jack and the sound
>>> card.
>>>
>>
>> I don't think so. Jack will report if it had trouble delivering the
>> data to the card. It's just another xrun.
>
> Is that enough information to be sure the card's buffer never runs dry?
>

I believe it is. Probably you could address really specific questions
to the implementers for more confirmation, but I'm operating as if it
is.

>> <SNIP>
>>>
>>> Was it the Asus motherboard?  Did it take anything else out with it?
>>>
>>
>> Asus A8N-E. The crash took out the motherboard, the power supply and
>> possibly a disk drive. At least I cannot get the drive to spin up and
>> it was a new SATA drive that was the main system drive before the
>> machine died.
>
> I'm really sorry to hear this.  I hope you were able to resuscitate
> the drive.  Did you choose a reliable motherboard to replace the Asus?
>  If so, I'm interested to hear how you made a reliability
> determination.  How's temperature in the case?
>
> - Grant

So far the drive is apparently really dead. I haven't done anything
more. I figure I'll contact WD but it's hard to blame it on them. The
power supply seems to have been the culprit. It took out the
motherboard and a cheap ATI VGA also so almost everything in the box
seems pretty dead. I don't know yet whether my HDSP9652 was harmed,
nor have I tested my TI 1394 card, but at least the new system
recognizes them and loads drivers so one of these days I'll hopefully
get on top of that.

I have more pressing issues right now so those will have to wait a while.

Thanks for the concerns and interest though.

Cheers,
Mark