SLMC

Silas Scarborough · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 1635 Location: None

I've got the CPU use level set to about 75% in Nicecast but that's just Silas mumbo jumbo about never turning things to ten.

I don't use any Nicecast effects at all. My logic is that the audio software (e.g. GarageBand or Logic) will almost certainly be able to apply effects better and more efficiently. I DO NOT KNOW THIS FOR SURE.

The smallest configuration I've run successfully has been using a MacBook Pro 2.5 dual and that's running everything including the five or so live channels. I doubt it could run effectively on a smaller machine and it's a bit wonky even on this one.

There's a lot of value for all kinds of reasons in putting SL on another box as that isolates it from the purity of your music creation system.

I'm not clear on why you care about multiple streams as the only time you'd need to do that would be if you're using a daisy-chain approach in something that was once called a meta-jam. That's when you have a stream coming in to your system from some other performer. You embellish the audio in some way and then send it back out again. (I don't like doing it but others do and you can find an extensive discussion elsewhere in the forum)

You want your outbound stream to be as fat as you can possibly make it. You can get by with 64K but go for 128K or above if your system can handle it. The consequence of having insufficient power or a lame service provider is that you'll get drop-outs on the other end as the stream buffers / re-buffers.

What I suggest is to find a friend and to crank it up on a test sim. Keep pushing the number up until it fails AS VERIFIED BY YOUR IN-WORLD FRIEND and then back it down to a more conservative value. This will not give you 100% protection as performance will vary from one sim to another but what you will get is a lot more confidence about the acceptable bandwidth range you can use.

They like to blow stuff up at Pranksters. Ask around over there for some test time.
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Silas Scarborough
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RayW · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Posts: 953 Location: Twin Cities, MN

My feeling is that whenever you run a software solution, you run the risk of latency becoming an issue .. unless you have one honkin' piece of hardare.

I love my external mixer. I monitor at the mixer and have near zero latency regardless of whether my machine has locked-up or whatever (yes, I have a PC and I'm posting to the MAC group.. sorry).

Of course, I also have an external vocal processor and external guitar processor and other external possiblilites, as well as a line out from my Recording PC to play backing tracks. So, my 10 inputs can become full in no time ... but none of that affects my PC or my (near zero) latency.

And it was under $200 ... could get one cheaper 2nd-hand, too. But, the otehr stuff was WAY over that Laughing

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Ray
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Silas Scarborough · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 1635 Location: None