[linux-audio-dev] synthesis on gp2x .. (was Fwd: RE: [gpx-dev] hardware interfaces)

[David Olofson]

On Thursday 12 January 2006 16:56, Jay Vaughan wrote:
> >
> >exciting, but it will be completely divergent from the intel/ppc
> >world because of the floating point issue.
> >
> 
> so?  any particular reason a linux hacker should give a damn?  are 
> intel/ppc the only CPU's worth writing audio software for?  should 
> linux become platform-homogenized, just because of this issue?  i 
> think not!

Well, the only problem is that you have to write all DSP code twice, 
basically.

Then again, the DSP code usually accounts for just a fraction of the 
code of a full application. And heavy duty, DSP centric applications 
(ie ones with lots of DSP code) probably won't be of much use without 
a GFLOPS class CPU anyway.


> >this is really a great shame.
> 
> its not a shame, its an opportunity.  nothing less!
> 
> >floating point versus fixed point samples
> >will reach deep into most audio/music software, and certainly deep
> >in JACK. i can just about begin to imagine how one might write a
> >JACK and a JACK client that could run on fixed or floating point,
> >but beginning is where i give up.
> 
> good thing you aren't the only one writing code then, isn't it .. i 
> mean, sure, JACK is lovely, Ardour too, but its really a shame you 
> can only run them on intel/ppc ..
> 
> </CHEtongueEEK>

I would think you can compile and run them on just about anything - 
but without proper FP support (that is, an extremely fast integer CPU 
+ FP emulation, or "anything" with a proper FPU), they won't run fast 
enough to do anything useful, unless all DSP code is translated to 
integer/fixed point.

I can certainly understand why someone who isn't seriously interested 
in the odd few platforms with enough oomph but no FP, would lack the 
motivation to write and/or maintain code that is relevant only on 
these platforms.


//David Olofson - Programmer, Composer, Open Source Advocate

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