Peter <list-uRjC9i54a0HBwHGg3TQQPgC/G2K4zDHf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > Dear Jeanette, > > Am 30.11.2017 um 16:54 schrieb Jeanette C.: >> Hey hey, >> after further analysis, I find that my hard drive seems to be the >> problem. I can't write fast enough. Playback of multiple tracks is >> no issue (ca. 10 stereo tracks, 32bit, 48kHz), but 5 stereo tracks, >> even from an external source, start to generate hiccoughs. >> >> Can it be that the drive is really that bad, or is there a parameter >> to tune, so this could be improved? > > this looks indeed pretty slow, is it an external usb-2 drive? > You may perform a simple check: > > sudo hdparm -tT /dev/sda > > Replace sda with your device. > > If your are just recording, can you increase the buffer length in jack? > I was recently recording 32 mono channels and got initially lots of > xruns in ardour, > which disappeared after increasing the buffer size in jack. Well, Jeannette stated that she was replaying 4 stereo tracks at the same time she was recording five. With a buffer size of 256 samples (using ALSA, this implies a default of only 2 buffers). This kind of double-duty regarding playback/record is more problematic for rotating disks (and this is a 5400 rpm disk) than it would be for solid-state drives. Playing with the disk parameters (in particular to avoid the less time-critical bulk writes delaying the playback reads) might help. Frankly, I'd consider recording to SDHC card (they are quite cheaper than a SSD drive which would be the better option). But of course, increasing buffer size might be all that is needed. The only reason for smaller buffer size is real-time monitoring and/or real-time effects. Monitoring might be doable in analog (personally, I am using a mixer with recording interface in order to be able to do that). Multitracking as such does not need small buffers: the delays can be properly compensated by latency management. -- David Kastrup _______________________________________________ Linux-audio-user mailing list Linux-audio-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx https://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user
