Buffer number at ESI U46 MK II v3.0 driver

[Blackbrook]

Hey folks,

I have searched the forum for this and found something in french but you know that I am not good in french So is there anybody that can tell Ralf (partyVIBES) and me what's the deal with the buffer number? What is behind these numbers? Are they for the buffer length?
Additionally I searched on the esi page, but unfortunately I found nothing.

We would be very happy if anybody know something about it.

Greetings,

Steve & Ralf

[Psykadelik]

I am curious about this myself.

[rhopkins]

I just asked about this in Tips And Tutorials. Then I Googled and came here!

[Hannes]

This should be the actual usb-buffer itself.

afaik by default usb-buffer set by the OS is 1ms in/1ms out -> 2ms.

So the buffernumber is nothing else than the usb-buffer which you can change in the driver if your machine can´t handle it or whatsoever.

Some companies managed to work their way round this OS-set usb-buffer to achieve latency which is equal to the actual sample-buffer.

*I´m not 100% shure on that, but it´s what i know and been told.
So feel free to correct me

[christiankoopmann]

Hey,

From the programming side and particular the driver coding for audio and so on I can say that this number is for the audio vector. It is very complex to tell all in detail so I hope I can write it short enough and I hope it is then not to short that you will misunderstand it:

When you want to play a sound at a os you have to open something like a "SoundManager". When you open a soundmanager you get a sound vector where the pointers of the music are put in. When you now load a sound you get a buffernumber which specifies the position at the sound vector. With this number you can then play your sound.

(this is a very short describtion about handling a sounds at C. It is only a little overfew and not very detailed!!!)

From my work I know that we set there the vector position at which we want to put our files. (when more programs are using the same device you can controll collisions with this control!).

So I hope I have written it clear enough. I can only say what I know from coding at work and it driver programming is very complicated and difficult at different systems and platforms.

regards
Christian

[Hannes]

Hey,

From the programming side and particular the driver coding for audio and so on I can say that this number is for the audio vector. It is very complex to tell all in detail so I hope I can write it short enough and I hope it is then not to short that you will misunderstand it:

When you want to play a sound at a os you have to open something like a "SoundManager". When you open a soundmanager you get a sound vector where the pointers of the music are put in. When you now load a sound you get a buffernumber which specifies the position at the sound vector. With this number you can then play your sound.

(this is a very short describtion about handling a sounds at C. It is only a little overfew and not very detailed!!!)

From my work I know that we set there the vector position at which we want to put our files. (when more programs are using the same device you can controll collisions with this control!).

So I hope I have written it clear enough. I can only say what I know from coding at work and it driver programming is very complicated and difficult at different systems and platforms.

regards
Christian

I didnt understand a freakin thing

[rhopkins]

Hey,

From the programming side and particular the driver coding for audio and so on I can say that this number is for the audio vector. It is very complex to tell all in detail so I hope I can write it short enough and I hope it is then not to short that you will misunderstand it:

When you want to play a sound at a os you have to open something like a "SoundManager". When you open a soundmanager you get a sound vector where the pointers of the music are put in. When you now load a sound you get a buffernumber which specifies the position at the sound vector. With this number you can then play your sound.

(this is a very short describtion about handling a sounds at C. It is only a little overfew and not very detailed!!!)

From my work I know that we set there the vector position at which we want to put our files. (when more programs are using the same device you can controll collisions with this control!).

So I hope I have written it clear enough. I can only say what I know from coding at work and it driver programming is very complicated and difficult at different systems and platforms.

regards
Christian

I didnt understand a freakin thing

Nor did I! But thanks for trying!

Basically, the lower you can set this the better, because otherwise you're hearing audio too long after it has been sent to the interface?

Wow, I'm confused! I wish I hadn't asked.

[christiankoopmann]

Hey,

OK I will write it short:

Open a Audio device -> creating a Vector
insert a Audio file (like open a song to deck a or b) -> returns a buffernumber (stands for the position at the vector of the audio device)

At drivers (I know it only from writing drivers at the company where I have worked a year ago) it specifiers the number of buffers which are created. So if you set it to 2 you have two entries at the audio vector.
Every entry points to a location at the memory where some space is allocated for the audio file.

So if you set it to 4 you have 4 buffers with x kb or MB pointers alloceted at the memory.

So if you set it higher you can improve your audio output (the driver got more space which the driver can allocate for audiofiles). At slow systems it is better to set it higher. At fast systems 4 is a very good option to choose.

I hope now it is clear enough?

regards
Christian

[rhopkins]

Hey,

OK I will write it short:

Open a Audio device -> creating a Vector
insert a Audio file (like open a song to deck a or b) -> returns a buffernumber (stands for the position at the vector of the audio device)

At drivers (I know it only from writing drivers at the company where I have worked a year ago) it specifiers the number of buffers which are created. So if you set it to 2 you have two entries at the audio vector.
Every entry points to a location at the memory where some space is allocated for the audio file.

So if you set it to 4 you have 4 buffers with x kb or MB pointers alloceted at the memory.

So if you set it higher you can improve your audio output (the driver got more space which the driver can allocate for audiofiles). At slow systems it is better to set it higher. At fast systems 4 is a very good option to choose.

I hope now it is clear enough?

regards
Christian

Cheers Christian. I now at least know what the buffernumber should be set to. I have a feeling that mine was set to something like 8 - Ihadn't previously set it, I just don't remember a number near the top of the drop-down menu being ticked.

In terms of the buffernumber being high, in your opinion, would it significantly affect your ability to DJ well using Mixvibes, or is the impact minimal?

[Hannes]

Scientific fun facts


Any System-Latency under 9ms (from you touching the vinyl to sound in your headphones) is excellent, cause your brain doesn´t recognise this short time-spans consciously. neither does mine btw

Up to 15ms is perceived sub-conciously, and you adopt within minutes.
(your brain tells your hands go a bit ahead,
Like when the monitors are a bit further away, and you hear the delay between PA and headphones)

Depending on what paper you read, 15-20ms is when you start to really feel it, and you just say "F*** it´s laggy as Word censored (guess you find it I love walking on it)!"