From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Tue Apr 24 07:04:47 2018 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2610:1c1:1:606c::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A5E55FBE103 for ; Tue, 24 Apr 2018 07:04:47 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from ralf.mardorf@rocketmail.com) Received: from sonic306-19.consmr.mail.ir2.yahoo.com (sonic306-19.consmr.mail.ir2.yahoo.com [77.238.176.205]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 (128/128 bits)) (Client did not present a certificate) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 272866D133 for ; Tue, 24 Apr 2018 07:04:46 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from ralf.mardorf@rocketmail.com) X-YMail-OSG: UgFXanYVM1kQ0W2O4gs6ZHQFLsK9cSCltDjHDtX0Kwne6H7a3NNYbwODBZTHhjD OoyXAWPp_u2kJrKz0h3AXk8fMcv0zVIhr_rjzZqoqYZ8HcQBSRbzyP3irWrfcdXWmT3GiNSpAGWi 3pO9PJcDLqUwnz6Vcikzh3uKZBlVz_qJW5c2Io3PSO5IhaqAWdlM.XQgexNZZcCIOKykQZrRFIs1 OojQlUSuGtDfa2a22Cus5ydaPmMsyismvRhBxFJlkWj.DJOwOnKdYlIbnpAHBylFSCBVPakYWyVx hGdR2.0AkywBFsmwcyOjIcybbG6iEr077Nyaf8q9iKaMTy_jb4f2h0uvCUqJd8h2pjHQedIznjZL Vo7JxC9_T8.LHToEDqr7DaigBCcXeWHpmN8jymQzVLKHhuwpUA5X9QHCNbL__XHw1P0KOjf.aTRN 7A.20nWmAxeM4ITNbJm0QfjsotM69ca91RQ.PjWv3ipMvoF19YAhMGPSPvtRYPnJhLHtBGIo2Ou2 NqEsb0FjzKxIahmh.HbPystID45vH244URrJquzoDI58zgG86pRDIi1OcPmhjhvR9vIhgVZmVlW0 li2f5THOsJv9aPj0axKsRJqvrjd5kXNQ- Received: from sonic.gate.mail.ne1.yahoo.com by sonic306.consmr.mail.ir2.yahoo.com with HTTP; Tue, 24 Apr 2018 07:04:40 +0000 Received: from x4e3214de.dyn.telefonica.de (EHLO archlinux) ([78.50.20.222]) by smtp414.mail.ir2.yahoo.com (Oath Hermes SMTP Server) with ESMTPA ID 79160f8c955b2845b22c0eb655d0512a for ; Tue, 24 Apr 2018 07:04:38 +0000 (UTC) Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2018 09:04:38 +0200 From: Ralf Mardorf To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: audiophile sound on FreeBSD ? Message-ID: <20180424090438.59097731@archlinux> In-Reply-To: <20180423224242.7299f430@WorkMachine> References: <20180423224242.7299f430@WorkMachine> X-Mailer: Claws Mail 3.16.0git136 (GTK+ 2.24.32; x86_64-arch-linux-gnu) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.25 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2018 07:04:47 -0000 "Audiophile" is for the sound quality? If so it stands and falls with the chosen audio device. A long time ago I tested FreeBSD with a RME HDSPe AIO PCIe card. It's a professional audio quality grade device. I can't comment on FreeBSD real-time abilities, latency, MIDI jitter etc., but ass long as you operate with that much latency, that you'll get no xruns and no other hardware, e.g. the mobo shouldn't cause such an issue, the sound quality has got nothing to do with the chosen OS and just a little bit to do with the chosen software. In short, instead of using a prosumer audio device, you should buy a professional audio device. There isn't much choice, since vendors tend not to support drivers for Linux and FreeBSD. It's possible to use the RME HDSPe AIO PCIe with FreeBSD and Linux, but FreeBSD comes without hdspmixer and under Linux you get hdspmixer, but not all ADAT IOs could be used. Perhaps a class compliant device such as the RME Babyface works with FreeBSD, too. When using Linux, then USB is no issue at all, I own a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20, the usable latency with all IOs used is better than that of my RME PCIe card with just using 4 IOs. However, regarding audio quality you can't compare a pro-sumer Focusrite Scarlett series with any professional RME device, excepted of the ADAT IOs that require an additional device. IOW you could use a pro-sumer Focusrite Scarlett series with a professional ADAT device to get professional audio quality.