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Jun 3, 2004, 02:01 AM
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#1
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DriverHeaven Addict
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 257
Rep Power: 0
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Tired of Soundblaster--DIY sound card?
I got looking at the VIA Envy24 chip, and it seems so perfect for what I'm doing--12 channels in and out (which is really only a nice start, but it *is* a nice start) with all the PCI interfacing built-in; support for ASIO, Gigasampler, Multiclient, Windows Media... there's already tons of support for it, and I bet you could get chips for under $20 apiece...
so I got thinking, you know, how hard could it possibly be to come up with a simple card that just interfaces one of these chips to the PCI bus and then to a massive SPDIF / I2S interface on the back of the card? Then, (with TravelRec's help  ) make a breakout box to convert all the SPDIF / I2S into Analog... (or optical, or whathaveyou)
How hard could it be? Anyone have any expertise in this field? |
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Jun 3, 2004, 02:04 AM
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#2
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DH's Latest Mac Convert
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 15,729
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i guess the hardest thing would be soldering the chips to the PCB (if you make one)
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Jun 4, 2004, 02:02 AM
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#3
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Alternative Audioproductions
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Germany / Sachsen-Anhalt
Posts: 1,609
Rep Power: 0
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Hi Nappy!
So I´ve looked to VIA and the envy-chip seems to be an own controller with own architecture and so on and it is absolutely kx-incompatible. I think you know that. You can get a driver package for it and support is alive. But I can´t get any of these chips yet (think they are much more expensive than 20$!) and I also have no clue to make a PCI-board and have atm no knowledge about PCI and periheral devices. The next problem is the package kind of the chip with very narrow pin config, so unable to solder handmade. I could collect some more info, but I doubt that I can help you for this in the next time... 
Greetings anyway!
TravelRec.  |
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Jun 4, 2004, 06:32 AM
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#4
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DH's Latest Mac Convert
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 15,729
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yeh the PCI mapping would be a bit difficult… unless you could do a USB bridge and have an external soundcard (good for laptops then)
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Jun 4, 2004, 11:55 AM
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#5
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DriverHeaven Addict
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 257
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See, I was thinking that there's probably a "reference design" for the chip that would cover all the PCI mappings and do all that for us, and we could just hack out the bits we didn't want (cheap AC97) and put in what we did want (lots of SPDIF inputs) and it wouldn't be that hard.
Definitely, we'd have to do some kind of reflow soldering or pay someone else to build the board. However, as I look at the price of that, a Frontier Design Dakota with external AD/DA converters doesn't look so expensive.
I realized right off that kX wouldn't work with this... I was counting on that somehow, drivers could be modified to suit our needs. (All I need is the basic Windows Driver, DirectSound, and ASIO.)
I guess I'll start saving my pennies for a "pro" solution... |
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Jun 4, 2004, 07:05 PM
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#6
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DH's Latest Mac Convert
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 15,729
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how about you build a digital i/o for your soundblaster?
you can get up to 10 extra stereo inputs
and i think another 6 stereo outputs?
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Jun 5, 2004, 11:42 AM
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#7
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DriverHeaven Addict
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 257
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My soundblaster is pretty well maxed out already. It's only a Live!, not an Audigy (and I can't afford to buy any more cards for another month or two) and I've got it configured to have 3 stereo inputs. I've tried to get more than that, but I guess the Zvideo is not enabled on this card--the pin for it just doesn't do anything.
The I2S inputs are useable, but I thought, as long as I'm considering the trouble of making a PCB myself, I should consider going all the way and making something that will hold me over for a loooong time.
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Jun 24, 2006, 07:53 AM
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#8
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kX user
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 851
Rep Power: 0
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Jun 24, 2006, 11:26 AM
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#9
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kX user
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 851
Rep Power: 0
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Jun 25, 2006, 03:10 AM
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#10
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DriverHeaven Addict
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: FI
Posts: 388
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Hmm.. if you're just after maximum amount of I/O's w/ one card, then wouldn't this be an interesting choice ...
From Digi-Life's X-Fi review:
quote:
Quote:
[color=#3300ff]The processor has 4 input/output I2S buses to connect to digital and analog interfaces, which provide 8 input and 8 output channels. Besides, it has a proprietary protocol for transferring 8 channels along a single wire, so that we get 32 w/ 48 kHz, 16 w/ 96 kHz, 8 w/ 192 kHz channels. There are 4096 audio and 4096 parameter channels for internal use and routing.[/color]
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Doesn't this mean up to 32 Input/32 Output channels @ 48 kHz w/ ADAT or w/ what??
Source: http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/...tive-x-fi.html
jiitee |
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