EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

It'll be awhile before that kind of performance of a dedicated GIGA PC is 
availalbe in native EXS land. I find it is pretty hard to do big Giga-type 
orchestrations with EXS24...although I prefer working this way.

-EP

In a message dated 8/8/02 11:48:24 PM, tim@... writes:

>I'm curious to know whether or not anyone has configured an Apple machine
>that can approach the power of PC/Gigastudio setups using the new EXS Giga
>import and hd streaming.  I do MIDI-orchestral stuff and am mac-based,
>so
>the thought of having multiple tracks of sumptuous Giga-libraries running
>on
>a mac has me foaming at the chops...
>
>Are the current crop of G4 machines powerful enough to realistically pull
>this type of processing off?  Or are we a generation or two away from having
>the power available on the mac side to do this?  If you're doing this now,
>any tips as far as hardware/software configuring?
>
>Not trying to ruffle any feathers here--this is a serious issue for me.

Well, I don't know if this comment is worth it, but why don't you simply do
a performance test?
I did it once like this:
- Place a single looped mono string sample on C3.
- Set the EXS to 64 note polyphony.
- Start with one sustained note at C3.
- Keep adding notes. Once you reach 64, open the next EXS instance and
proceed on that one.

On my rather mediocre Athlon 1GHz I can get 180 voices out of the EXS
(sample conversion set to best, also I've set the internal sample rate to
32bit float).
Note that in this scenario the EXS has to do quite some pitch shifting
internally, so if I'd use a patch with proper keymaps I would most likely
get around 220 voices or so.
With filter activated (shouldn't be required for most natural sounds) I can
get around 90 voices in the above mentioned test.

A friend of mine did the very same test on an Athlon XP 1800+ and got 350
voices. A Dual 1GHz Mac should eventually even give slightly more voices. On
one of those 2.5GHz+ new machines with extremely fast Ram one should be able
to run 450-500 voices.

Now you should compare that to what you're maximally using in Gigasampler.
Of course each stereo sample takes up as much power as two mono ones (well,
maybe a slight bit less ?!? Should check that out...), each layer eats up
resources again.

IMO for a full symphony with lots of tutti parts we're not having enough
native power yet, especially when you plan on using native FX as well, but I
guess it's allready quite enough for a lot of things. But then, if you had
one voice per each orchestra member - a 200 person orchestra would be quite
a big one... ah well, maybe all the samples are stereo, but 100 persons is
still a lot and I doubt that there's too many occasions where you'd like
them to play all at once.
I would just do such a performance test and then have a careful look at how
much voices you're actually using in your largest Gigasampler project.

Regards,
Sascha

Hi all,
Can it be a good idea to have a test...
I mean the same for every one ! with the same LOOP/SOUND ,with the same
tweaks !

like that a new board will be create...

Igor

In a message dated 8/9/02 1:14:50 AM, saschafranck@... writes:

>A friend of mine did the very same test on an Athlon XP 1800+ and got 350
>voices. A Dual 1GHz Mac should eventually even give slightly more voices.
>

Not now it doesn't....the EXS doesn't use the other processor on the Mac...so 
it's no different than a 1ghz  single processor machine. This is why we are 
bumming so hard in Mac land. My PC friends get WAY more voices than I can get 
on my Mac rigs...very, very frustrating.

Maybe this situation will improve with OSX...dunno, but we aint there yet, 
that's for sure.

-EP

A single line string part takes up much more than one voice of polyphony. 
With legato/long release sounds like stereo strings, you can easily use 8-16 
voices on one melody part with no harmony. That's because the voices decay on 
release sounds and there's a lot of overlapping. 

We are definitely getting closer, and on the top end Windows rigs...it's much 
more feasable....but the question was about the Mac, and we need a lot more 
horsepower than what is available now.

-EP

In a message dated 8/9/02 1:14:50 AM, saschafranck@... writes:

>IMO for a full symphony with lots of tutti parts we're not having enough
>native power yet, especially when you plan on using native FX as well,
>but I
>guess it's allready quite enough for a lot of things. But then, if you
>had
>one voice per each orchestra member - a 200 person orchestra would be quite
>a big one... ah well, maybe all the samples are stereo, but 100 persons
>is
>still a lot and I doubt that there's too many occasions where you'd like
>them to play all at once.