• Registered: 2010-06-23
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Hammerfall DSP : artifacts when playing 12 or more channels

Is there a bandwidth problem with the Hammerfall DSP?

- I tried to use up to 16 channels
- Routed the first 8 virtual outputs (Analog 1-8) to the first 8 physical outputs (Analog 1-8).
- Routed the next 8 virtual outputs (ADAT 1-8) to the first 8 physical outputs (Analog 1-8).

TEST 1 : 9 channels ( 8 analog + 1 ADAT) : everything normal

TEST 2 : 12 channels ( 8 analog + 4 ADAT) : output test normal, artifacts during measurement every now and then

TEST 3 : 16 channels ( 8 analog + 8 ADAT) : sound played back at what seemed to be a lower sample rate (the sound was slower than normal), severe aliasing-like artifacts


using driver 3.24

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,765

Re: Hammerfall DSP : artifacts when playing 12 or more channels

If there is a bandwidth issue, it is one of your computer, not of the HDSP... Please provide more detailas abou the computer hardware. Also, which HDSP card is this?

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2010-06-23
  • Posts: 7

Re: Hammerfall DSP : artifacts when playing 12 or more channels

- Dell Precision M4500
- It says "Hammerfall DSP Multiface" on the front panel

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,765

Re: Hammerfall DSP : artifacts when playing 12 or more channels

If the MF is connected with a Cardbus card, then this is an issue of the Dell... The Cardbus/PCI interface is not native PCI, but bridged via PCIe, and there is a bandwidth issue.

You could replace the Cardbus card with the HDSPe Expresscard.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2010-06-23
  • Posts: 7

Re: Hammerfall DSP : artifacts when playing 12 or more channels

Yes, it is connected with a Cardbus card. Very frustrating! I chose that particular computer because I wanted to avoid problems such as this. I even asked a question here but unfortunately I never got any reply.

  • Registered: 2010-06-23
  • Posts: 7

Re: Hammerfall DSP : artifacts when playing 12 or more channels

Thanks for answering anyway!

I have another issue with the card, BSODs in hdsp.sys or something like that. It happens when I disconnect the card and re-connect it without restarting the computer. I can notice that something has gone wrong in my application because the ASIO driver disappears. Then suddenly - BSOD.

When I disconnect I use the Win 7 procedure of safe removal.

  • Registered: 2010-06-23
  • Posts: 7

Re: Hammerfall DSP : artifacts when playing 12 or more channels

This is the sequence:

1. Start computer
2. Connect RME
3. Start application
4. Shut down application
5. Disconnect card
6. Connect card
7. Start application
8. Unstable behavior results...

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,765

Re: Hammerfall DSP : artifacts when playing 12 or more channels

You asked your question last year... For one, we are unable to test each and every laptop in the market. And the apparent problem with certain Dells (and others) with bridged PCI implementations only came up here recently... I had a similar issue with another customer using the same laptop.

If you can live with the 8-channel-limit, fine -else, the Expresscard should work better here.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2010-06-23
  • Posts: 7

Re: Hammerfall DSP : artifacts when playing 12 or more channels

Ok, I understand.

So what about the BSODs? Something you've heard of before? My collegue has the same problem with a different brand of laptop.

10 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,560

Re: Hammerfall DSP : artifacts when playing 12 or more channels

Maybe this helps: to avoid the BSOD start TotalMix first. You will see in the first 8 inputs the self-noise as fluctuating numbers, around -100 dBFs. If not, then the whole system did not initialize correctly. Starting a software that uses it will crash the system then (TM itself does not yet cause the BSOD). So first disconnect the card, then reconnect it, check TM again. This way you don't have to reboot and get no BSOD anymore.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website