Re: SoundMeister

[andrep@balboa.eng.uci.edu (Andre Prellwitz)]

In article <1993May30.054400.6222@actrix.gen.nz> dempson@swell.actrix.gen.nz 
(David Empson) writes:
[stuff thoughtfully nuked]

>Not true.  The SoundMeister PRO has onboard RAM, which is uses for
>fast stereo digitizing.  It is unclear from the descriptions I've seen
>as to whether the SoundMeister (non-pro) uses the DOC's D/A converter,
>or has its own one.  The Pro version definitely has its own D/A (two
>of them). 
>
>In answer to the original poster's question: no.  The RAM on the Pro
>version can only be used for digitizing, not for swapping sound into
>the DOC.  The card only interfaces with the analog (sound) side of the
>DOC - there is no way to intercept the digital side without modifying
>the motherboard.
>
>If the card does have any on-board registers, they will only be used
>to control the digitizing.
>
>The RAM is used as a digitized data queue, allowing a lot of data to
>be digitized at high speed without having to load down the CPU.
>Apparently this will be fast enough to digitize in stereo at a high
>rate and write the data to the hard drive at the same time.

Well, _if_ the SM does DMA, then it would be possible to load its RAM with the
soundwaves, and then have IT do the RAM swapping at ~1 Mb/sec (theoretical)
which is MUCH faster than having the GS CPU do it.  I believe this is what the
designers had in mind from the get-go.  Also, if the PRO has dual D/A
converters, where does it get its D?  Does it digitize the output of the DOC,
demux, and then convert back to analog?  Seems silly to me...

email at: andrep@balboa.eng.uci.edu
---
The University of CA, Irvine probably does not agree with me :)