Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I continue to use both processors, and I agree that each has its place. Breakaway is incredibly clean and easy to use, and its latency can be brought to a point where I can easily put it anywhere but where a live DJ might use it in his/her headphones. Today, that isn't much of a problem, since the vast majority of stations in my area use some form of digital transport between studio and transmitter. For me, you could have several minutes of latency and I'd have no reason to care.
Stereo Tool allows for the "tinkering" that Leif chose not to allow in Breakaway. For those with an understanding of how these things work, ST might be their choice. The program has also progressed beyond where Leif locked his down, so there are features that have continued to develop. That BBP still compares as favorably as it does is, I think, a testament to the quality of Leif's work.
If you're wondering if you can put a computer on a mountaintop, with Breakaway as your main processor and expect 24/7 reliability, the answer is Yes.
I've had a couple of stations on BBP since early 2012. The computers are common Dell Optiplex models, with SSDs and UPS backups on them. Since installation, they haven't been touched, other than (roughly) annual checks to make sure CPU and cabinet fans are OK.
I also use the software at my drive-in theatre. Those computers don't run as long as the radio stations do, as we're seasonal out here. Still, they run for roughly 7 months at a time, before being shut down for the Winter.
I think the trick is to dedicate the computer to the processor… everything you don't need should be removed. Mine have had VNC on them, and eventually Team Viewer. Otherwise, BBP is all they do.
[quote author=Djtek184 link=topic=4395.msg17678#msg17678 date=1403499647]
Recently talk to JesseG in PM & here's what he had to say about the new BBP- quote by jeeseG "But with the next generation Breakaway stuff, there will be a lot more variance between the sound of the presets in the products. For instance, especially so with the Home Theater version. But even the broadcast versions will have several presets that are much more relaxed and open."
[/quote]What's unfortunate is the constant unhappiness that the software isn't being constantly meddled with.
When you admit you can't top Breakaway with other software packages, you're as much as saying you're unable to beat what you already consider to be the best… AS IT IS.
I make good uses of both popular packages. I have Breakaway running in two top-20 markets. I find it entirely amusing that, with about $800 worth of stuff, I'm easily matching the quality and loudness of the best processors the big guys can buy.
What does it really matter, that the best you can get was written some time ago? Put the stuff in… make good use of it. If it is never upgraded, then perhaps something else will beat it. In the meantime, nobody on the other end of the radio knows (or cares) that you're processing your station with a common PC and 2-year-old software.
They’ve had some problems with the DSL that feeds all this. It’s a rural phone company, so the fix is going slow. They’ll get there, I think.
The music represents just about every recording scheme I’ve ever heard of, so other than a passing attempt to keep levels relatively consistent when they transferred them, quality is random. About the only thing we don’t see there is the highly clipped audio they’re putting on a lot of current CDs.
Before BBP, they were playing the files straight into the streamer, no processing at all, with predictable results.
This is Rustonium, range 25, power 50, speed 23 & drive -1.5, no pre-emph & rarely hits clipping. I have Shoutcast DSP running as an encoder in BBP.
Hi, DrSandi.
Well, that makes sense. I’ve heard those NCEs you mention. I also use the processor, in conjunction with some of the functions of Stereo Tool at the FM you and I have talked about recently.
I also use the ASIO version for the audio processing on my 3 drive-in movie screens. After trying out 3 or 4 different hard-box processors, BBP has been the best by far.
Good to see you here.
Jack
I would agree that, in its time, the Dorrough was a pretty good box. However, it used simple techniques to overcome limitations that have been successfully improved upon by other processors.
The 310 used VERY gentle filter slopes. It didn’t take a lot of difference for the audio that should have been dealt with by one band to affect one of the others. Also, the clipper was a pretty nasty brick wall diode arrangement. There were none of the distortion cancelling and psychoacoustic treatments that are now common in modern processors.
If you really want the ‘sound’ of a DAP, my suggestion would be that you keep an eye on Ebay. Those boxes show up there from time to time. In comparison however, I think you’d find other processors, the ones here especially, to be far superior.
The original Audimax / Volumax combination was also state-of-the-art in its time, but you won’t find anyone using them in a competitive environment these days.
I’m running 90.95 ASIO on several machines. 5 of them are on stock Dell computers with solid-state drives in them. They run 24/7 and I’ve had no problems with them at all. Matter of fact, they are good examples of Leif’s very early posts about how to build a machine you could just set up and forget.
That said, I can understand… sort of… the feelings here. It would be nice if Leif would pop his head in once in awhile.
On the other hand, I’ve seen the feeding frenzy that goes on at Stereo Tool. People there are just never happy with what they have. There just has to be another upgrade or all is lost and Hans is the bad guy.
Not sure how you win at this, but the product here is sure a good one.
I had the same problem, setting this card up to feed an FM transmitter.
When I put the solid-state hard drive into the computer I used, I also switched to XP. That made the Trace Alpha happy & the system has been reliable since.
Oh… I don’t bother trying to use the ASIO function. Since nobody has to listen to the transmitter in real time, the delay isn’t a problem.
I also had to put in a second card (this one of a different type) in order to feed digital into the software because of the different sample rates. Didn’t see that one coming, but I suppose I should have. Now, I run digital from the studio to the composite output of the processor… sounds very good.
Can you explain that, Jesse?
I’m using BBP ASIO in low latency mode with Airomate & it all appears to be working fine.
Am I missing something?
I had the same problem with this combination, though mine showed up when running in the higher-quality modes.
For me, the fix was in the card buffer settings. More buffer seems to work best at high quality cpu settings. I don’t know what settings would be optimal with your settings, but that’s the area where I’d start.
Hmmmm…. interesting.
However, the pictures are a little small for my old eyes. Can you make them larger?
😀
Thanks. Kinda wondered.
Not sure what you mean by changing the drivers though. How does that work?
[quote author=”didac”]BBP ASIO have a big problem with latest version of Trace Alpha drivers, change the driver to a CD driver and BBP ASIO works fine.
Best regards![/quote]
I have 4 Juli@ cards, all modifed per the instructions elsewhere on this site.
I’m running a tilt setting of 10 on all 3 of them, so I guess you can expect some consistency from these things.
Crossed fingers… it’s been working nearly 6 hours now. Cloned the original hard drive to a SSD. When that didn’t work, I took the thing from Win7 back to XP Pro. At the moment it seems happy.
The wierd thing is I have several running on Juli cards & Win7 with no trouble.
Gotta admit though… this one sounds sweet & looks very good on the mod monitor!
