Hi to everybody.
I'm completing my tests about Vienna Istruments used via FX Teleport.
A short description of my system is necessary to better understand my test results.
You can see here my setup:
http://www.soundcube.it/images/setup.jpg">http://www.soundcube.it/images/setup.jpg
As you can see, I'm working on a Master PC, based on Intel Core2Duo E6600, and 6 XPC mini X100 HA by Shuttle.
All computers are interconnected via Ethernet Gigabit LAN.
They are configured through FX Teleport for audio/midi streaming.
They are also configured through KaVoom! for keyboard/video/mouse switching (KaVoom! is a software KVM).
These are my computers:
- 1 x Master PC (Intel Pentium Core2Duo E6600 2.13 GHz, 2 GB RAM)
- 6 x Shuttle XPC mini X100 HA (Core2Duo T5600 1.83 GHz, 2 GB RAM)
FX Teleport could work with a latency of just 264 samples (corresponding to 6 ms at 44.1 KHz). I work at 528 (exactly the double value) to be sure not to load too much all the systems. So I have a latency of 12 ms.
I installed Vienna Instruments on every Shuttle as follow:
1. Solo Strings
2. Harps & Chamber Strings
3. Orchestral Strings I & II
4. WoodWinds I & II
5. Brass I & II
6. Percussion
Obviously, on each Shuttle other VST plugins are installed (Symphonic Choirs, Atmosphere, Trilogy, Stylus, BFD, etc.).
Shuttle 1 and 2 manage Altiverb as well for the entire setup (via the Master PC).
My first results are astonishing.
For example, Shuttle 2 in able to play 12 instances of Vienna Instruments and 5 Altiverb effects eating just 15-20% of CPU and 5-6% (!!!) of Gigabit bandwidth during playback...
No clicks, no crackles, no audio interruptions at all.
The only actual limit is the system RAM, without any doubt.
CPU and LAN could provide enough room to load other instances of Vienna Instruments, but the RAM doen's allow to do it.
The most relevant advantage in using FX Teleport is the possibility to have all the audio streams visible into the host mixer (I work on both Nuendo3 and Cubase4). In this way you don't need to remember where each library is installed because you can load them directly into the Host Application.
To better know what library you are loading, I renamed the Vienna Plugin DLL files into eahc Shuttle, correspondigly to the library managed.
For example, I renamed "Vienna Instruments.dll" into "Solo Strings.dll" in the Shtulle 1. Into "Harps Chamber Strings.dll" in the Shuttle 2. Into "Strings.dll" in the Shuttle 3 and so on.
Doing that, when I installed every plugin into the Master PC through the FX Teleport, I could see the actual name, instead of the generic DLL name.
So I see the actual name of the plugin in the Host Application as well.
Then, when I load a "Solo Strings" plugin I know what I'm loading and FX Teleport knows where to load it.
I think that it could be better to expand the number of slave PCs to 8 or probably 10, just for the RAM limits that I mentioned above.
I'm completing the mix of my first orchestral project. As soon as I do that, I will post it here to know what do you think about it.
Hi.
Luigi.
I'm completing my tests about Vienna Istruments used via FX Teleport.
A short description of my system is necessary to better understand my test results.
You can see here my setup:
http://www.soundcube.it/images/setup.jpg">http://www.soundcube.it/images/setup.jpg
As you can see, I'm working on a Master PC, based on Intel Core2Duo E6600, and 6 XPC mini X100 HA by Shuttle.
All computers are interconnected via Ethernet Gigabit LAN.
They are configured through FX Teleport for audio/midi streaming.
They are also configured through KaVoom! for keyboard/video/mouse switching (KaVoom! is a software KVM).
These are my computers:
- 1 x Master PC (Intel Pentium Core2Duo E6600 2.13 GHz, 2 GB RAM)
- 6 x Shuttle XPC mini X100 HA (Core2Duo T5600 1.83 GHz, 2 GB RAM)
FX Teleport could work with a latency of just 264 samples (corresponding to 6 ms at 44.1 KHz). I work at 528 (exactly the double value) to be sure not to load too much all the systems. So I have a latency of 12 ms.
I installed Vienna Instruments on every Shuttle as follow:
1. Solo Strings
2. Harps & Chamber Strings
3. Orchestral Strings I & II
4. WoodWinds I & II
5. Brass I & II
6. Percussion
Obviously, on each Shuttle other VST plugins are installed (Symphonic Choirs, Atmosphere, Trilogy, Stylus, BFD, etc.).
Shuttle 1 and 2 manage Altiverb as well for the entire setup (via the Master PC).
My first results are astonishing.
For example, Shuttle 2 in able to play 12 instances of Vienna Instruments and 5 Altiverb effects eating just 15-20% of CPU and 5-6% (!!!) of Gigabit bandwidth during playback...
No clicks, no crackles, no audio interruptions at all.
The only actual limit is the system RAM, without any doubt.
CPU and LAN could provide enough room to load other instances of Vienna Instruments, but the RAM doen's allow to do it.
The most relevant advantage in using FX Teleport is the possibility to have all the audio streams visible into the host mixer (I work on both Nuendo3 and Cubase4). In this way you don't need to remember where each library is installed because you can load them directly into the Host Application.
To better know what library you are loading, I renamed the Vienna Plugin DLL files into eahc Shuttle, correspondigly to the library managed.
For example, I renamed "Vienna Instruments.dll" into "Solo Strings.dll" in the Shtulle 1. Into "Harps Chamber Strings.dll" in the Shuttle 2. Into "Strings.dll" in the Shuttle 3 and so on.
Doing that, when I installed every plugin into the Master PC through the FX Teleport, I could see the actual name, instead of the generic DLL name.
So I see the actual name of the plugin in the Host Application as well.
Then, when I load a "Solo Strings" plugin I know what I'm loading and FX Teleport knows where to load it.
I think that it could be better to expand the number of slave PCs to 8 or probably 10, just for the RAM limits that I mentioned above.
I'm completing the mix of my first orchestral project. As soon as I do that, I will post it here to know what do you think about it.
Hi.
Luigi.
