[DSP effect request] mono=less resources?

JGSF · Mar 25, 2007, 02:33 AM

Hi! I'm setting up my cards so I can use them as a mixer for me and 3 more band members that use in-ears (it works wonderfully, by the way).

Appart from the connections I have made to achieve that, I am struggling with DSP resources problems due to the amount of noise gates, compressors and gain plugins i am using.

I have 4 mixer's set up, each one goes to one output (rear, front, subwoofer+center, headphones), so each one of us can set the levels as desired.

Most of the times, I am doing this: take as an example the line in, which is stereo. So the left channel receives the signal from the acustic guitar and the right channel receives the signal from the electric guitar. In the mixer I pan both to center and it's fine.

Now the request:

I am using the noise gate from ProFx, the Gain plugin (basic sub-menu), and the APS compressor between each input and each mixer, to keep the signal levels constant.

These plugins are stereo, would it be worth (in terms of DSP resources) to have mono versions of these?

Because there's no DSP resources for assigning a noise gate->gain->APS compressor to each mono channel plus four MX8 mixers.

I hope I have explained myself correctly.

I would need mono versions of the ProFx noise gate, Gain and APS compressor plugins, if the saving in DSP resources justifies it.

Thanks in advance!

Lex Nahumury · Mar 25, 2007, 03:18 AM

Quote:

I would need mono versions of the ProFx noise gate, Gain and APS compressor plugins, if the saving in DSP resources justifies it.

???ProFx noise gate comes also in a Mono version. Right?

Gain or HQ gain are simple plugins, so it's easy to make mono versions.
(probably can do it yourself)
Same goes more or less for the APS compressor. (Ask Russ since he has an updated version/sources)

Note that in general, mono versions do not save [stereo version/2] resources.
Stereo plugins often share alot of GPRs for L&R channels, so the resource savings will be more on the number of instructions used.

PS:
btw; Mixers (like MX6/8) use up alot of resources because of all the diff. busses.
Best to customize them leaving out stuff you don't need.

/Lex.

Russ · Mar 25, 2007, 08:44 AM

In addition to what Lex stated, some of the stereo plugins are not true stereo, so you will not save much in the way of GPR's (in some cases (i.e. Noisegate/Compressor) there is only 1 GPR difference between mono/stereo versions (but, if you are using several, it all adds up)).

A mono GainHQ could save 3 GPRs (1 for for the regular gain plugin) -- times the number of gain plugins used.

JGSF · Mar 25, 2007, 04:52 PM

Yes, there's already a mono version of the ProFx Noise Gate, sorry. Silly me.

I don't have any DSP programming skills (the closest thing I've learned was 8086 assembly), and I wouldn't know what to "chop" in the code. But I'll take a look and see if I can do anything.

I'll be trying Russ's version of the APS compressor, I notice a strange behavior in the original APS compressor (in attack and decay).

Any little saving is always better than no saving...

Lex Nahumury · Mar 25, 2007, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny1982

I don't have any DSP programming skills (the closest thing I've learned was 8086 assembly), and I wouldn't know what to "chop" in the code. But I'll take a look and see if I can do anything.

sorry my fault, i had mistaken you for someone else.
FIY: none of the mentioned plugins can be "chopped" succesfully without C++.

JGSF · Mar 25, 2007, 06:56 PM

I see... Could any of you make a mono gain plugin or tweak that one (assuming it would be simple for you and it would only take a few minutes)?

thanks.

Lex Nahumury · Mar 25, 2007, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny1982

I see... Could any of you make a mono gain plugin or tweak that one (assuming it would be simple for you and it would only take a few minutes)?

thanks.

Sure, but do you really need a 'Gain'?
(hmm, proly coz of the compressor losses, right)
There's a Mono Volume plugin (attenuates only).

Russ, just announced a mono aps compressor version.

JGSF · Mar 25, 2007, 08:00 PM

Yes, I need gain too. If possible set the max gain to 20dB or something. Thanks again.

JGSF · Mar 30, 2007, 12:20 AM

Any progress?

Maddogg6 · Mar 30, 2007, 01:49 AM

heres a small lesson to make a simple mono gain that adds gain instead of attenuating only..

Quote:

; New microcode
name "Volume mono w gain";
copyright "Copyright (c) 2004.";
created "03/29/2007";
engine "kX";
; comment "";
guid "a6b2a314-4b61-4a23-b8b8-46919fd12767";
; -- generated GUID

input in ; define an input pin and register
output out ; define the output register
temp t ; define a TEMP register to scale volume

control Volume = 0x0 ; set up a slider to 0 level by default

interp t, 0x1, volume, 0x14 ; scale the slider to range 1-20 instead of 0-100%
macints out, 0x0 , in, t ; out = 0 + in x t

end

With the slider at 0%, out = in (out = in x 1)
with slider at 100%, = about a 25db gain.

Hope that helps. Im no expert, and its probably wrong in many ways, but the above works.
Want more or less gain - change the 'interp' line
for 1x -10x gain use Interp t, 0x1, Volume, 0xA
for 10x -30x gain use Interp t, 0xA, Volume, 0x1E

Lex Nahumury · Mar 30, 2007, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny1982

Any progress?

Sry misunderstanding. I meant; " Sure, I/anyone could etc..." but I have no time.
Ask Russ.

FIY: if you want to maintain best possible audio signal quality for recording,
amplifying it in DSP using such huge gain factors is not a good idea.

Russ · Mar 30, 2007, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ

A mono GainHQ could save 3 GPRs (1 for for the regular gain plugin) -- times the number of gain plugins used.

Sorry, the above is a little misleading. Although you save some GPRs when compared with the stereo versions, you will actually use more GPRs when using multiple mono versions.

i.e.
A 'x' number of mono_gain plugins -vs- the same 'x' number of stereo_gain plugins will obviously use less GPRs, but if you use the stereo_gain plugin as if it is controlling 2 seperate mono inputs (which is really what it does), then you save more GPRs than you do when using seperate mono_gain plugins.

Mar 25, 2007, 02:33 AM	#1
JGSF HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 452 Rep Power: 0	[DSP effect request] mono=less resources? Hi! I'm setting up my cards so I can use them as a mixer for me and 3 more band members that use in-ears (it works wonderfully, by the way). Appart from the connections I have made to achieve that, I am struggling with DSP resources problems due to the amount of noise gates, compressors and gain plugins i am using. I have 4 mixer's set up, each one goes to one output (rear, front, subwoofer+center, headphones), so each one of us can set the levels as desired. Most of the times, I am doing this: take as an example the line in, which is stereo. So the left channel receives the signal from the acustic guitar and the right channel receives the signal from the electric guitar. In the mixer I pan both to center and it's fine. Now the request: I am using the noise gate from ProFx, the Gain plugin (basic sub-menu), and the APS compressor between each input and each mixer, to keep the signal levels constant. These plugins are stereo, would it be worth (in terms of DSP resources) to have mono versions of these? Because there's no DSP resources for assigning a noise gate->gain->APS compressor to each mono channel plus four MX8 mixers. I hope I have explained myself correctly. I would need mono versions of the ProFx noise gate, Gain and APS compressor plugins, if the saving in DSP resources justifies it. Thanks in advance!

Mar 25, 2007, 08:44 AM	#3
Russ HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 5,563 Rep Power: 62	In addition to what Lex stated, some of the stereo plugins are not true stereo, so you will not save much in the way of GPR's (in some cases (i.e. Noisegate/Compressor) there is only 1 GPR difference between mono/stereo versions (but, if you are using several, it all adds up)). A mono GainHQ could save 3 GPRs (1 for for the regular gain plugin) -- times the number of gain plugins used. Last edited by Russ; Mar 25, 2007 at 04:10 PM.

Mar 25, 2007, 04:52 PM	Thread Starter #4
JGSF HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 452 Rep Power: 0	Yes, there's already a mono version of the ProFx Noise Gate, sorry. Silly me. I don't have any DSP programming skills (the closest thing I've learned was 8086 assembly), and I wouldn't know what to "chop" in the code. But I'll take a look and see if I can do anything. I'll be trying Russ's version of the APS compressor, I notice a strange behavior in the original APS compressor (in attack and decay). Any little saving is always better than no saving... Last edited by JGSF; Apr 12, 2007 at 04:09 PM.

Mar 25, 2007, 06:56 PM	Thread Starter #6
JGSF HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 452 Rep Power: 0	I see... Could any of you make a mono gain plugin or tweak that one (assuming it would be simple for you and it would only take a few minutes)? thanks.

Mar 25, 2007, 08:00 PM	Thread Starter #8
JGSF HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 452 Rep Power: 0	Yes, I need gain too. If possible set the max gain to 20dB or something. Thanks again.

Mar 30, 2007, 12:20 AM	Thread Starter #9
JGSF HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 452 Rep Power: 0	Any progress?