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Re: My Thanksgiving Vacation Project: Building a new looping computer w/Core 2 Duo



----- Original Message ----- From: "Art Simon"

> OK, maybe this is geeky, but it's on topic and hopefully of interest.
> I just assembled a new computer that I plan to use with Mobius and
> Bidule or Usine. It's got the Core 2 Duo E6400 processor.
>
> http://art.simon.tripod.com/LoopingRig/


Nice and informative web site, Art! That Rolls audio interface looks  
nice, I didn't know about that one. This looks like a good start. For  
gigs you'll need to come up with some transportation trunk that also  
carries a flat screen, your FCB and all cables. Any plans on the  
drawing desk? :-)

I think you will need that extra CPU power. From my own test lab  
activities I have come to the conclusion that the type of sound  
effect patches I like to play with in my TC Electronic FireworX takes  
up to the full hundred percent of my one processor 2 GHz Centrino.  
This means I would weight in at about half the available CPU recourse  
level, on a core 2 duo, and 50 % is pretty much the limit I've found  
you should not go over if you want to have a rock solid system for  
performing live with.

However, besides this geeky stuff looking quite good, I've found  
another drawback with going software only and that is me loosing  
valuable time into testing and trouble-shooting. When working with  
VSTs (as is the only option under Windows and I need to use Windows  
because of Mobius) you have to test every combination of chaining  
different VST plug-ins because some are badly written and tend to  
crash the system in certain situations. For example, I needed a noise  
gate that closes and opens at a certain pace given by a LFO and then  
this LFO syncing to the global tempo (given by Looper Mobius) but  
rhythmically modulated (tempo division) by MIDI cc data from an  
expression pedal. On the FireworX it takes me a couple of minutes to  
set up such a patch but with VST's I was only able to find one noise  
gate that fitted the bill - but as soon as this particular plug-in is  
chained in Bidule the MIDI cc data crashes Bidule. Without that plug- 
in the Bidule rig is totally stable. Bad luck.

So, even if it's both fun and rewarding to design your own patches in  
software I'm reverting back to using the laptop with the FirworX  
digitally connecting and doubling as the audio interface. For the  
digital input and bringing out the master into the PA I need to carry  
a third little box, the RME Multiface. Three small boxes plus  
instruments, pedals and cables is not that heavy but the software  
only laptop rig still the dream of the future ;-)

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se (Swedish)
www.looproom.com (international)
http://tinyurl.com/fauvm (podcast)
http://www.myspace.com/looproom