[linux-audio-dev] Re: [linux-audio-user] KX Audio capabilities for Linux EMU10k1 [was Plans/Roadmaps for 2005?]

[Lee Revell]

On Sat, 2005-01-08 at 10:17 +1100, Shayne O'Connor wrote:
> Lee Revell wrote:
> 
> >On Fri, 2005-01-07 at 15:40 +0100, Florian Schmidt wrote:
> >  
> >
> >>i'm writing this email, because i'm interested in what plans the
> >>different linux audio developers have for the year 2005 Any new
> >>revolutionary applications planned? Major changes to some of the
> >>existing apps? So let us know. What are your roadmaps for 2005? What are
> >>you guys up to?
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >I plan to get my patch adding multichannel support to the emu10k1 ALSA
> >driver merged, then work on a real hwdep mixer app (probably by
> >extending ld10k1/qlo10k1).  As many of you know I'm a big fan of these
> >cards, they are extremely cheap and (with good driver support) perfect
> >for an entry level DAW, like a portastudio or something.  Anyone who has
> >used the kX drivers on Windows knows how much potential this device has,
> >and unfortunately the Linux support is still a joke compared to the kX
> >driver can do.  But, that is all about to change, as the two crucial
> >features (the DSP patch loader and "kX ASIO", aka the full duplex
> >multichannel/low latency PCM device) now exist on Linux.
> >
> 
> oh my god, are you serious? i was using the kx drivers when i was on 
> windows, and i gotta say they were the best thing since sliced bread!!!  
> it turned my soundblaster live platinum into a BEAST of a music machine 
> (well, compared to what it was) ...
> 

Heh, I still use them, all the time.  I have to admit when it's time to
make music I still use Windows.  This is actually what got me interested
in Linux audio, as soon as I realized how far ahead the kX project was,
I quit my day job (was sick of it anyway) to work on this project.  Now
it's 6 months later, I'm a lot poorer, but it works dammit!

> when i switched to linux, one of my biggest dissapointments was the 
> dismal support for the emu10k1 .... especially lack of multi-channel - 
> by multi-channel support, do you mean that you are able to use the rear 
> output channel independently of the front channel (at the moment my 
> front and rear channels are basically inextricably linked)?

Yup.  If you have the livedrive you can use all those jacks as
independent ports.  My Audigy2 ZS has something like 6 channels of
analog in and 8 out, enough to record a band.  And there's nothing like
zero latency hardware DSP...

I have to admit I still use Windows with the kX drivers when it's time
to make music.  It will be a great day when I can do the same with
Linux.

>  that is 
> exactly what i've been trying to get happening for a while now, which i 
> need for dj mixing work (so's i can have an independent "preview" 
> channel for cueing music) ....
> 
> the dsp configuration in kx audio was the killer ... are you saying 
> there is support NOW for use of this kind of feature in linux ...where 
> can i get the patch?
> 

I actually got a lot more responses than I was expecting.  I have been
posting about this to the alsa lists for months, and no one but me and
Peter Zubaj seemed to care.  I think they didn't take me seriously at
first, even when I posted the kX stuff, Linux users are conditioned to
think these cards are junk.  Windows people know better ;-)

I will post the patch somethime this weekend.  It would be great to have
more people test it before I submit it to alsa-devel.

In the meantime while I have been focused on multichannel Peter Zubaj
has been working on the DSP part.  Check it out:

http://ld10k1.sf.net

Screenshot of the DSP manager:

http://ld10k1.sourceforge.net/screenshots/qlo10k1_20040706.png

> this sounds very exciting to me!

Thanks, hope it works for you.

Lee