[linux-audio-dev] Re: Akai's MPC4000 Sampler/Workstation Open Source Project

[Renich Bon Ćirić]

James Courtier-Dutton wrote:
> Renich Bon Ćirić wrote:
>> Well, everybody's telling me that Akai's OS is something else. 
>> Realtime stuff and 2 or 3 engines and DSPs to manage. Besides, we 
>> have to support akai's native file formats, like PROGRAM, MULTI and 
>> Sequence.
>>
>> I really don't know why... I'm just hearing what everybody says. You 
>> think it shouldn't be that hard to port Linux and develop the effects 
>> and stuff, and to support Akai's native format? Would you give me 
>> some arguments and reasons?
>>
>> Thanks for the input!
> The datasheet you posted it nice a detailed. We would need 
> documentation regarding the file formats, so we could implement 
> support for them.
> I think the biggest problem you will come up against will be getting 
> the equipment and the open source developers together.
> Unless you donate the kit to each developer, nothing will happen. The 
> kit is far too expensive for a developer to purchase out of good will.
>
> James
>
Is the kit totally necesary? Can we build an emulator out of the service 
manual? An emulator would be a natural step, i think. In any case, I 
have some questions about a post a friend of  mine made to the forum 
where it all started. You can check it for yourself at: 
http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=54825&start=60  but I will 
paste it here. Can anybody comment on it?

> Guys,
>
> Linux as it is ordinarily distributed is not a small-footprint 
> real-time operating system. You will notice that your cell phone does 
> not run Linux. There is a reason for that. There is also a reason that 
> the MPC4000 is a zero-latency device whereas a PC, even one running 
> Linux, is not a zero-latency device; it requires audio buffering and 
> latency compensation and all that sh*t that drives people to work on 
> an MPC in the first place.
>
> If you haven't designed a real-time embedded application before -- 
> e.g., the software that controls a piece of machinery or electronics 
> -- then you are not in a good position to offer advice about how best 
> to do this.
>
> There are public-domain RTOSes available that are suitable for this 
> task. To those, you can add drivers for USB and FAT32. Without an RTOS 
> to give you hard real-time scheduling, you have no chance to achieve 
> the rock-steady timing that the MPC currently has.
>
> -illiac

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