I'm trying to get something like that going myself, using a fanless "NUC" pc, linux, a MCHstreamer board, some dac boards and Camilladsp. Current concern is getting multichannel operation of the mchstreamer in linux that is accessible in Camilladsp. Can't see the multichannel olayback devices in linux ALSA device list, hoping that ASIO can be usef to get that, and that Camilladsp can deal with ASIO. (If not, I guess I can go back to Windows, but am not fond of the idea of M$ f!!king around with my installation with undesired "updates".
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New: Hang Loose DSP Processor
- Thread starter Keith_W
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I'm trying to get something like that going myself, using a fanless "NUC" pc, linux, a MCHstreamer board, some dac boards and Camilladsp. Current concern is getting multichannel operation of the mchstreamer in linux that is accessible in Camilladsp. Can't see the multichannel olayback devices in linux ALSA device list, hoping that ASIO can be usef to get that, and that Camilladsp can deal with ASIO. (If not, I guess I can go back to Windows, but am not fond of the idea of M$ f!!king around with my installation with undesired "updates".
Did you install the correct firmware? Some firmwares only have 2 channel USB support.
Using the drault firmware, which is supposed to be toslink+I2S.
I think that one is stereo only.
not according to MCHstreamer docs. 8 channels I2S, 2 channels Toslink, both capture and play. But if I get nowhere, I'll try to reload firmware
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Hi @Naturlyd thank you for your interest. The hardware specs for HLP should be up on the web site in a few days and will circle back here with an update. Meanwhile, testing is going well but an audio board change was required. Unlike making s/w changes that can take a few hours or days, a h/w board change is an 8 week turnaround. I should have the production audio board shortly to finish testing and more information will be available on the web site. Thanks again for your interest.
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Some updated info on the stereo version of Hang Loose Processor (HLP).
3ll3d00d
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Can you explain a bit about the internal architecture? For example it has a sharc dsp, a cm5 and an FPGA. It says the 1 cm5 is for dsp so what is the sharc there for? Is the FPGA there just to handle hdmi or something else? HDMI supports hdcp or that has to be stripped upstream?
welwynnick
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Thanks Mitch, that's absolutely fascinating.
It answers a lot of questions, but unfortunately it opens the door to many more, which I will try to resist, and remain patient.
I was curious about the FPGA as well. So far, audio processing solutions have been software based, and here is something that uses firmware. It's a leap for anyone who's experience is in software, but it seems to me it's a great solution for relatively straightforward number crunching. However, is that what the FPGA is used for? I think audio should use open standards rather than expensive proprietary solutions, so I was delighted to see the website say this:
But that must mean the DSP is done in software - meaning the AD Sharc rather than the FPGA.
Yes, not bad, but you can get a very good PC for that (which I don't fancy using at all) plus the multi-channel version will be more, and this just does convolution, so you would still need decoder, renderer and converters. Deliberately ignoring Storm, Hyperion & miniDSP for now, the realistic alternative is Trinnov ALCI.
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3ll3d00d
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It says the cm5 is dedicated to dsp and the fir support surely must be done there given the filter length supported so seems unlikely but then what is it there for if the cm5 has the horsepower?
welwynnick
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That as well, but the point was that DSP appears to be done in software rather than firmware.
I think we're going to have to be patient and let things unfold in the fullness of time rather than jumping to quick conclusions on a partial picture.
OP
Keith_W
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I have lived with a PC based setup for more than 10 years. I can tell you that I am sick of it. Every time Windows notifies me it's going to update, I worry a little. And every now and then, when I want to listen to music and boot the PC up, something might randomly stop working and I have to find out what happened. This sometimes happens at the worst possible moment, e.g. when I have friends over and we want to listen to music. The last thing I want to do is try to fix my PC whilst drunk and my friends making comments about how their turntable doesn't require Windows updates.
And then there's no remote control for the PC. I use BubbleUPNP to change the remote on JRiver. It works, but it's clunky and unreliable.
It is also difficult to use more than one source. Suppose you want to take input from a DVD player. You connect your DVD player to the ADAT or AES input on your interface. Then you have to configure your convolver to accept input from ADAT/AES. You have to do this every time you switch sources. I would prefer a physical switch or a simple button on a remote to switch sources.
And if you want your PC to work as an audio device, you will also need an 8 channel DAC + microphone input (i.e. an interface). That's another $1k for a Motu Ultralite Mk.5.
It's true, you can spend $1k for a PC, $1k for your interface, and maybe a couple of hundred $ on software and you can get a more powerful computing solution which is more versatile, more flexible, and probably cheaper than this processor whilst delivering the same audio quality. In fact that's what i'm doing. If I bought this processor, I would actually lose some functionality because my PC also runs JRiver and stores my music locally. But I would gladly give all that up for something that just works every time I turn it on.
welwynnick
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That made me smile. That's why I said "(which I don't fancy using at all)" because I also want something that just works.
My intentions were probably a bit different though. I've no wish to use a PC as the source, or decoder, or input selector. I'd use a Meridian HD621 or VanityPro or Nuprime H16 or Hyperion DPR-16 as the front end, and only use the PC for DSP. I'd use a separate box for streaming, even if it was a separate PC. I figure the DSP PC could be stand alone, off-line, and wouldn't need continual updates.
My intentions were probably a bit different though. I've no wish to use a PC as the source, or decoder, or input selector. I'd use a Meridian HD621 or VanityPro or Nuprime H16 or Hyperion DPR-16 as the front end, and only use the PC for DSP. I'd use a separate box for streaming, even if it was a separate PC. I figure the DSP PC could be stand alone, off-line, and wouldn't need continual updates.
EJ3
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Or you can just NOT have an F'N PC in your audio system AT ALL. Which IS THE POINT of many of us.
And not have to learn Linux, too.
I thought that it would be good and unfortunately put it on one of my laptops, fully expecting to be able to play Blue Ray & 4K disks (my laptop was capable of that with Windows 10 (which I unfortunately had deleted) out of my HDMI port.
But I have yet to find a good way to play Blu Rays & 4K disks with LINUX. So, for me LINUX sucks because all it caused was for me to have hate for Windows AND now Linux.
Stability issue: I just block the Windows from updating until I want to update it. But, I had been assured by Linux folks that I could play those disks. The Linux programs that supposedly will (at least that I have tried) has serious issues and won't.
If you know of any Linux programs that actually do work to play Blu Ray & 4K, please let me know.
I was really gung ho about getting out of the Windows Universe but became severely disappointed instead.
I'm so happy that I did NOT change my desktop or my other laptop tablet computers so that they could not play these disks, either.
EJ3
Master Contributor
I've never heard that a MAC can internally play Blu Rays or 4K's??Another reason to use a Mac for audio.
So I could have a Mac with an internal drive that can do that??
My windows Laptops (all have internal drives could [and can]) do that.
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