+ Does not take any PCI/PCIe slot. + Sound cards for DJ's are often USB driven, so it easy to cross fade, and do stuff like that, all audio controls are then on the external sound card.
- Often USB devices fall out, and you need to reconnect - USB is CPU driven, and so there is extra CPU overhead.
Edited by LiveForIt on 2012/11/22 12:28:02 Edited by LiveForIt on 2012/11/22 12:30:36 Edited by LiveForIt on 2012/11/22 12:31:19
(NutsAboutAmiga)
Basilisk II for AmigaOS4 AmigaInputAnywhere Excalibur and other tools and apps.
USB audio would be usefull for miniature & ultra cheap PPC HW.
Another thing worth playing with is audio via xcore. -USB audio can be used with external USB xcore kit. -Xena could do audio (if SB600's 8? channels are not enough) -IIRC, there is design where XS1-L2 does 8in+8out channels
Yet another area to explore, the audiochip of RadonHD GFX cards. -it could enable compatible audio for any+every PPC board with RadeonHD GPU with HDMI out. -my CommunityComputer idea (100eur board & 200eur system) would then have nice audio ... hehe.
- Kimmo --------------------------PowerPC-Advantage------------------------ "PowerPC Operating Systems can use a microkernel architecture with all it�s advantages yet without the cost of slow context switches." - N. Blachford
USB Audio would be nice specially for people that have laptops and want to use a better soundcard with different possibilites, built in mixer and such.
IIRC USB AUdio would require USB mode isochronous which we don't have yet with Sirion. IIRC there was discussions about it some years ago (with RWO?) and it was not likely to appear in the short term because isochronous mode does not fall very well with the current design of the USB stack
Anyway it would probably be a good thing to have USB audio drivers.
Antique wrote: I read on amd site that all the radeonhd cards have audio. Maybe a good thing to try to get support for? if the docs are available that is??
The documentation situation is a little complex. It's based on the HD audio codec, which is a publicly available specification. However, the Radeon HD specifics aren't documented. That said, the Linux driver source-code can fill in the blanks.
Getting the Radeon HD audio working requires two things: - The RadeonHD.chip driver needs to enable the HDMI audio stream (the code for this doesn't look too complex) - An AHI driver specifically for RadeonHD audio
Since the SB600 chipset in the A1-X1000 also uses an HD audio codec, there is a possibility of saving time by sharing code.
While I hope to see HDMI audio support at some point, I don't see it as a replacement for a good sound card. It only does HDMI audio, so no audio output to headphones or other speakers, and no audio input. IMHO, drivers for PCIe and USB sound cards are worth more.
A more important question would be, how many people do we have who are able and willing to write audio drivers? I'd like to see support for a few USB and PCIe sound cards, but drivers take a lot of effort to write.
Davy Wentzler wrote most of our AHI drivers, but he's busy with non-Amiga stuff these days. His last driver release was in 2009. Ross Vumbaca did the Sam460 audio driver, which was quite the challenge.
A more important question would be, how many people do we have who are able and willing to write audio drivers?
How many?
Yes, how many? Unless we have developers who are able and willing to create these new drivers, this discussion is pointless dreaming.
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I'd like to see support for a few USB and PCIe sound cards, but drivers take a lot of effort to write.
Do we have at least one on the team developing new audio drivers right now? (just trying to gather the chances for x1000 onboard audio in the future)
Maybe i misread, if so, please excuse
Yes you misread, because you're trying to read between the lines. Please don't do that. This is NOT about the official OS4 developer team, as they already have their hands full. This is about whether or not we have anyone who is able and willing to write new audio drivers.
Yes, there is someone working on the A1-X1000 onboard audio. However, he has his hands full with the A1-X1000 audio, so you can count him out from starting on new drivers until he's done with his current one.
I like threads where Hans posts! He always posts relevant and informative stuff. I was unaware that there is someone dedicated to working on the x1000 audio drivers! Good stuff.
Is the same person looking at inboard Ethernet too? Who is it??
I thought USB audio was a generic protocol? I have a Soundblaster Xmod that I use with Win XP and Win 7 and neither computer required drivers. Just plug it in and it comes up as "Creative Xmod (Generic USB Audio)".
I've seen other USB audio adapters that are also plug in and go. I think USB audio is just a part of the overall USB HID spectrum of drivers like keyboards and mice.
I think USB audio is just a part of the overall USB HID spectrum of drivers like keyboards and mice.
The USB HID class is for keyboards, mice and other "Human Interface Devices".. (or anything you can squeeze into that definition) HID device drivers may use only Control and Interrupt transfers on the USB bus.
Audio devices require a steady information stream to operate. The Audio Class compatibility requires that Isochronous transfers will be used.
At this time, Isochronous transfers are not supported in OS4.
So, it is not currently possible to write a Audio Class compatible driver for OS4.
If you'd like, feel free to Google "USB transfer types" for more information. Or try "Audio10.pdf" for the audio specific details.
ddni wrote: I like threads where Hans posts! He always posts relevant and informative stuff. I was unaware that there is someone dedicated to working on the x1000 audio drivers! Good stuff.
Is the same person looking at inboard Ethernet too? Who is it??
Sorry, but it's not my place to publicise who's working on what.
(just trying to gather the chances for x1000 onboard audio in the future)
That isn't supported yet? I don't have an X1000 to know such things, but I find this a bit surprising. How do we get someone on that?
Ah, I see I hadn't got to Hans's post yet. I'm happy to hear someone is working on these things. It'd be great to have these guys posting how they do what needs done to the amigaos dev wiki, so others that aren't sure where to start can learn what to do.
graffias79 wrote: I thought USB audio was a generic protocol? I have a Soundblaster Xmod that I use with Win XP and Win 7 and neither computer required drivers. Just plug it in and it comes up as "Creative Xmod (Generic USB Audio)".
Just because you don't have to round them up yourself and install them manually, doesn't mean that drivers are not required under Windows. It's just that the needed drivers are already delivered by the manufacturer (since failing to support Windows means no sales), so they are installed automatically on the fly.
Haven't you ever noticed the messages about "searching for drivers" and "your hardware is ready to use" or whatever after plugging in a new USB device for the first time in Windows?
graffias79 wrote: I thought USB audio was a generic protocol?
Yes Audio has a generic protocol but there are 2 drivers involved.
The Host Control Drivers (UHCI/OHCI/EHCI) that mangages data to and from the devices need to support 4 types of transfer (Control/Interrupt/Bulk/Isochonous).. the Serion stack do not support the last one yet.
Then there is the drivers that use the data like PTP, Mass Storage, HID, Printer and so on.. Those do not use Isochonous but Video and Audio need it, that is why those are not supported yet.
René
“The best thing about a boolean is even if you are wrong, you are only off by a bit.”