Andreas wrote:
Yes, this is a known problem. You can't adjust the number of audio outputs for the VSTi. We should disable the possibility to do so in some way, instead of letting LS crash. We should probably also build the VSTi in some different flavours for different number of outputs, like LinuxSampler.dll (1 stereo channel), LinuxSampler16.dll (8 stereo channels), etc. What do you think would be good choices for the number of outputs?
Yes, I think this makes sense. last time I tested Kontakt2 there was a kontakt.dll and a kontakt16out.dll
perhaps we should provide 2, 16 and 32 channel linuxsampler DLLs ? What is the consensus ? what do Kontakt and other samplers nowadays ?
using 32 channel DLL and not using every channel wastes some CPU therefore better providing a few in order to optimize the CPU usage based on the needs of the user.
For example if one wants to use LinuxSampler als GeneralMIDI sound module within a VST sequencer he needs to add some MIDI controlled FXes like Reverb, Chorus, Delay etc.
So he could load the 16 channel version (8 stereo out) linuxsampler16.dll and then in Fantasia add MIDI FX sends assigned to the GeneralMIDI Reverb, Chorus MIDI CCs and then route the audio outs
channels (3,4) Reverb and channels (5,6) Chorus to the VST sequencer's reverb and chorus FXes. and have full featured General MIDI playback.
If someone built a decent free General MIDI soundset in GIG format LinuxSampler could act as a GeneralMIDI player for all platforms and replace engines like MS GeneralMIDI Wavetable Synthesizer,
Quicktime (OS X, Windows) and timidity (Linux) which all 3 sounds like a tin can.
Today's machines with 2-4GB could easily use a 1GB General MIDI soundset loaded all the time and perhaps consuming less than 100MB so it would make sense to provide a better MIDI playback to the user.
I am still amazed that both windows and OS X do not provide at least Roland SoundCanvas quality nowadays, which is 1991 technology, a few MB RAM based soundset but still sounds very good compared to PC based General MIDI playback solutions.