Falcon + CUBASE AUDIO + SCSI - Experiences?

[whomper]

Hi,

I have recently bought and setup and Atari Falcon (14MB, 4GB CF Card, standard clock patch) with CUBASE AUDIO 2.06, an SPDIF Sounpool and a bluescsi SCSI SD card.

I have noticed that during playback of a few tracks, sometimes there are audio crackles during SCSI activities, which happens all the time as Cubase streams audio from the SD card.

When tested the clock and DMA using the DMA test app, everything is green, so I figure it requires not just DMA/DSP activities but also SCSI for issue to happen.

I'm wondering what do other experience using similar setups. Do you have a reliable recording environment based on a similar setup and what different hardware do you have?

Thanks
Erez

[Steve]

You might need to update your clock patch to a newer version.

Just check out this list of clock patches: https://mikrosk.github.io/clockpatch/

They were trying to 'perfect' the clock patch for years. Maybe yours is an early version.

[exxos]

My V4.2 patch is the latest one.

https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/#0257

https://exxosforum.co.uk/atari/last/falcpatch/index.htm

It fixes a load of issues, but its always a bit of a lottery with so many hardware issues with everything. That patch cleans up the signals as much as possible.

There's programs tests with V4




And even previous versions.

[viking272]

Hi,

I have recently bought and setup and Atari Falcon (14MB, 4GB CF Card, standard clock patch) with CUBASE AUDIO 2.06, an SPDIF Sounpool and a bluescsi SCSI SD card.

I have noticed that during playback of a few tracks, sometimes there are audio crackles during SCSI activities, which happens all the time as Cubase streams audio from the SD card.

What's the performance of the SD card? Is it showing around 2mb/sec?
I have a similar setup on a Falcon Mk X and heard some crackles but had to pack up most of my kit for house renovations.
I also have a Bluescsi v2 but haven't plugged that in. If there is specific activity you're doing then maybe i or someone else can recreate?
(I'm a bit of a noob at this stuff but hope to improve).

[whomper]

You might need to update your clock patch to a newer version.

Just check out this list of clock patches: https://mikrosk.github.io/clockpatch/

They were trying to 'perfect' the clock patch for years. Maybe yours is an early version.

Yes, this is a great guide. I've read through it a couple of times the past week. Mine is V 1.1

[whomper]

My V4.2 patch is the latest one.

https://www.exxosforum.co.uk/atari/store2/#0257

https://exxosforum.co.uk/atari/last/falcpatch/index.htm

It fixes a load of issues, but its always a bit of a lottery with so many hardware issues with everything. That patch cleans up the signals as much as possible.

Thanks, I did install this one a week ago, but upon testing the DMA it constantly produced littles red signals so I reverted. I did install the cap on the underside. I have an existing mod around the DMA area so could not install the 68 SMD, but I managed to find a through hole 75Ohm that I connected instead of the green wire in the picture. Maybe that caused the issue?

IMG_9751.jpeg

[whomper]

What's the performance of the SD card? Is it showing around 2mb/sec?

I am getting about 1,800 read and write, so I guess it should be fast enough. As I'm working 44/16, a second is 80k mono, so if I calculate 9 mono files (Any is stereo) than I'm looking at real time read of less than 800k per second. I should have enough read capacity.

[Steve]

@whomper you may need to be more detailed and specific around how you dealt with the green wire & installing the resistor. I can't quite work out what you did. This would be very important. You said you installed a resistor instead of the green wire, this wouldn't be correct. Also is the trace underneath the green wire cut?

[whomper]

@whomper you may need to be more detailed and specific around how you dealt with the green wire & installing the resistor. I can't quite work out what you did. This would be very important. You said you installed a resistor instead of the green wire, this wouldn't be correct. Also is the trace underneath the green wire cut?

Yes, the trace is cut close to the right side of L66. I've read somewhere that this trace cutting and connecting with a wire is also a common practice, perhaps to add a bit more latency, not sure.

I just replaced the wire with a 75 Ohm resistor running the full length of the wire (wish I took a picture). Imaging the wire replaced with a through hole 1% 75 Ohm resistor.

Exxos v4.2 calls for 62-68 Ohm and I've installed a 75 Ohm, could that be an issue? Could the change from SMD to full length through hole be the one?

[Steve]

Okay I understand. Yeah that green wire is common on some Clab Falcons and some cubase-patched Falcons. I think they thought the 'dog leg' routing around there caused issues, so they patched it with a wire.

I think the question about whether a 75 Ohm resistor is too much, when exxos specifies 62-68, I'd say that you might have acted a bit too rashly (you removed the clock patch? after installing it?) rather than remove the clock patch, surely it would make more sense to order the proper resistor and fit that first.