Jump to content

Jim Roseberry

Members
  • Posts

    1,097
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    9

Everything posted by Jim Roseberry

  1. The new "Sibilance" feature is (alone) worth the cost of the upgrade. Some really useful improvements...
  2. I haven't seen a single 10980xe actually in-stock anywhere in the US/Canada. Distributors are saying it won't be available in 2020. In heavily multi-threaded scenarios (and at higher ASIO buffer sizes), the 3970x will smoke the 10980xe. When working at super small ASIO buffer sizes (or situations that aren't heavily multi-threaded), the 10980xe will best the 3970x. AMD is winning IPC (instructions per clock). Intel is winning "all core" clock-speed. TDP for the 3970x is 280w. There's no way to build a quiet Threadripper machine. (Requires large AIC and the chipset is active-cooled via small high-RPM fan) This is also partly why there virtually no OC headroom with Threadripper. All core ratio is ~4GHz. If you're hoping for anywhere close to 4.5GHz, you'll be disappointed.
  3. Installed 2020.05 early release Ran BLA and applied the available update CbB now shows v2020.04
  4. Wow! I remember talking with Bruce Richardson (years... maybe decades ago) wanting waveform scaling in Cakewalk/Sonar.
  5. I think the two included basses sound OK (not amazing). It's pretty much the same as EZ Drummer. 😉 EZ Bass allows you to quickly put together a decent sounding (fairly authentic) bass track. I'm no bass player, but I enjoy tracking a real bass. Just have to keep the parts within my... uhh... "ability". LOL Even so, I think EZ Bass is good for sketching out part/song ideas. Next we'll see Superior Bass 1.0 😁
  6. Though not a cheap solution, check out both the Revv D-20 and G-20 lunchbox tube-heads. D-20 - clean to crunch pedal platform G-20 - mini Revv Generator (two channels mid to high gain) Both feature embedded Two Notes Torpedo (reactive load and Cab sim - no physical Cab necessary). Both are tiny and weigh 9 pounds. Both are 20w via a pair of 6V6 power tubes. (I've not been much of a fan of EL84 powered lunchbox heads) You can use Torpedo's onboard Cabs... or load your own Cab IRs (IRs can be up to 100ms in length). Onboard Cabs can mix a pair of mics. You can load/mix two simultaneous Cab IRs. Both amps have a 6 position switch where you can recall Cab/IR presets. You can save/recall many more presets via MIDI or the Torpedo remote software. From reading about the Torpedo Live, I wasn't expecting to like the reactive load or Cab sim. Listened to some D-20 and G-20 demos (mostly Shawn Tubbs)... and decided to get the G-20. The G-20 is one of the best sounding/feeling direct recording solutions I've used (I've owned many). Liked the G-20 so much, I wanted to pick up the D-20... to use with drive pedals. It too is fantastic. Pair the BE-OD Deluxe with the D-20 and you've got classic JCM-800 to higher-gain modded Marshall tones... in a tiny footprint. FWIW, I've owned all the top-tier modeling devices, the Kemper Profiler, and have been using an Axe-FX III. All are capable of good/great sounds. A Friedman BE-100 Deluxe running into a Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander was one of the best direct guitar sounds I've achieved. I'd put the Revv G-20 and D-20 right up there with the BE-100/TAE combo. The size/weight are perfect for the home/office studio.
  7. FWIW, The Omni Channel is actually a very good tool for problem solving. ie: The De-Essers are amazing at reducing acoustic guitar squeaks. I don't even use it for the EQ/Dynamics... 😁
  8. To be fair, Intel has their own issues. ie: Can't seem to actually get the new i9-10980 out to suppliers. Out of stock across the entire US and Canada... and probably not available thru the end of 2020.
  9. Who runs the 9900k at 4.9GHz??? 😉 It'll run all 8 cores locked at 5GHz... with air-cooling... and do so nearly dead-silent. The 3950x (4.7 max turbo) doesn't out-perform the 9900k when working at ultra low latency settings. Using a Presonus Quantum, fire up an instance of Helix Native (patch using dual 2048-sample Cab IRs) running at 96k using a 32-sample ASIO buffer size. That's running Helix Native at ~2ms total round-trip latency. With the 3950x... pops/ticks With the 9900k... audio is glitch-free BTW, The 3700x is ~$90 less than the 9900k. Active-Cooled chipsets Small incompatibilities with AMD (not really AMD's fault) Flaky motherboards (requiring BIOS resets) Some motherboards have no option to disable onboard audio, WiFi, etc To save $90? Not for me or our clients. As I've mentioned 1001 times, Threadripper and Ryzen shine in heavily multi-threaded scenarios (video rendering and at larger buffer sizes). That's when they'll smoke the Intel i9s. In ultra low latency scenarios, Intel bests AMD (clock-speed is the single most important factor). AMD is winning IPC (instructions per clock). Intel is winning at all-core clock-speed. If AMD can get Threadripper's TDP down (currently 280w), that'll allow higher clock-speed. 280w TDP is why AMD can't get Threadripper's all-core clock-speed higher than ~4GHz. Even with 105w TDP, the 3950x can't get all-core clock-speed much more than about 4GHz. If you're used to a super quiet machine, you're not going to like a 3970x build. There's just too much heat to keep it quiet.
  10. I'd go IK on the SVT plugin. I've got the UAD plugin... but don't use it. It's ok.
  11. I remember the first time I saw an SVT (Classic). I said... "there's no way that thing weighs 80 pounds." Then... I lifted it. (Groan) Yep! It weighs 80 pounds. Any classic electric bass into an SVT Classic is (IMO) the definition of rock-bass tone. Great to have... if you have the physical space. Not so great to move/transport...
  12. This is almost identical to the embedded Torpedo on the Revv D20 and G20 lunch-box tube-amps. I just got a G20. It's an amazing little amp (Torpedo sounds much better than I expected). Watch Shawn Tubbs demo videos of the D20 and G20. He's using the Torpedo direct out in many of them.
  13. We've discussed this subject a lot over the past several months. Ryzen and Threadripper excel at heavily multi-threaded scenarios (video rendering). The 3970x will smoke the 10980xe for rendering video. Where Ryzen and Threadripper are weak is scenarios that aren't heavily multi-threaded (do to lower clock-speed). ie: If you're running Helix Native at 96k using a 32-sample ASIO buffer size (1ms total round-trip latency), that's not something that lends itself to being heavily multi-threaded. In this case, the "lowly" 9900k will out-perform CPUs from Intel and AMD that are double/quadruple the cost. Not every process in a DAW can be multi-threaded. Performance increase from adding cores doesn't scale 1:1. IOW, Doubling the number of cores doesn't double performance. This is why clock-speed is still the single most important factor. Having more cores is certainly beneficial, but not at the expense of significant clock-speed. For an "Audio" machine, the major problem with Threadripper is its 280w TDP. There's no way to build a quiet Threadripper machine. Large water-cooler is absolutely necessary. The motherboard chipsets have to be actively cooled (meaning small high RPM fan). If you're used to a quiet machine, the high-pitched "whine" from the chipset fan is super annoying. By comparison, the 9900k has TDP of 95w. With quality air-cooler, it'll run (all 8 cores locked at 5GHz) near dead-silent. The 3950x has a much more manageable TDP of 105w. It'll also run near dead-silent with quality air-cooler. Side note: We tested 3950x with 360mm water-cooler... and there was no appreciable performance increase compared to using quality air-cooling. Socket 2066 i9-10980xe has a TDP of 165w. Water-cooler is necessary... but it'll run much quieter than Threadripper. Chipset isn't active-cooled. I tested numerous Threadripper and Ryzen 9 builds... using multiple top-tier motherboards. Some of the motherboards don't allow turning off extraneous hardware in the BIOS (onboard audio, WiFi, etc). I've also seen flaky behavior from numerous motherboards: RAM related issues (requiring an occasional BIOS reset) Disabling onboard audio could cause the machine to no longer post/boot (requiring a BIOS reset) Disabling SMT could cause the machine to no longer post/boot (requiring a BIOS reset) If you're fairly tech savvy, a BIOS reset isn't a big deal... but it is annoying. Ryzen and Threadripper have never had much OC headroom (the current generation is no different). The 3950x can do ~4GHz across all 16 cores... maybe 4.1GHz. By comparison, the 9900k can easily run 5GHz across all 8 cores. If you get a 3970x hoping to achieve anywhere near 4.5GHz across all cores, you'll be disappointed. The reason why is the 280w TDP. There's just nowhere to go (already pushing the limits of cooling). AMD is winning IPC (instructions per clock). Intel is winning all-core clock-speed. If I'm spending $2000-$4000 for a CPU, I want top-performance in all scenarios. AMD needs to get Threadripper's TDP better under control... and that'll allow higher clock-speed. With higher clock-speed, passive-cooled (no fan) chipset, and motherboards "sans flake"... AMD would have a clear winner. I always bring up the i9-9900k... because it's an amazing performer at ~$500. Super high clock-speed... 8 cores... and it runs near dead-silent. In scenarios that aren't heavily multi-threaded, it'll out-perform CPUs that are double/quadruple the cost (both Intel and AMD). We've got professional composer clients who work under stressful deadlines (TV/Film). There's absolutely no way I'd build a Threadripper or Ryzen machine for these clients.
  14. For someone making commercial records, the Suite version also has DDP Export.
  15. At GearFest a couple years back, I got to meet Roger Linn... and he personally demonstrated the LinnStrument. Out of all the gear, (IMO) it was one of the coolest things we saw. Meeting Roger Linn... and getting to thank him for all his contributions to music/technology was also a highlight.
  16. Intel is having a hard enough time getting the new 10980xe to distributors/vendors. 😉 Intel Xeon 8180 is 28 cores with super low clock-speed of 2.5GHz. TDP is 205w Terrible DAW performer... at a cost of ~$11k. 😃 You can project TDP at significantly higher clock-speed would be thru the roof.
  17. Threadripper - TDP = 280w i9-10980xe - TDP = 165w i9-9980xe - TDP = 165w Socket 2066-i9 requires water-cooling, but because the TDP is significantly lower, it can run quieter. Also, the chipset is passive-cooled (no fan).
  18. The problem with Threadripper is the TDP is too high. An ultra quiet 3970x build simply can't be done. I know for sure (I've done everything possible to make it work). Way too noisy for myself and clients! This is why Threadripper has little to no OC potential (why the clock-speed can't be ramped up); heat quickly gets out of control. I've mentioned this many times... but I'll repeat (yet again). Not every process in a DAW can be heavily multi-threaded. In those processes, 3.5GHz clock-speed is a significant performance hit. Highest clock-speed and more cores is the key to dominant performance in all DAW scenarios. This is why I rail on about clock-speed. If you're talking ultra low latency audio settings, any type of performance throttling is not desirable.
  19. Sound damping material in a case won't cause thermal issues. Keep in mind that a "Silent" computer case isn't air-tight. You've got intake and exhaust fans that keep air moving thru the case. The sound-damping material in a case is really more for vibration and resonance type noise. If you use noisy components in a "Silent" type case, it'll still be noisy. A silent DAW is the sum of all components. All components need to be quiet. If you have proper intake/exhaust fans, acoustic damping material isn't a problem.
  20. Agreed. I'm coming off sounding negative toward AMD. I've used AMD in the past (many Athlon based machines)... and I'd do so again (if the circumstances were a good fit). Things I'd like to see: Clock-speed equal or better than Intel TDP reduced to where noise is more manageable Motherboard issues ironed out
  21. The highest end socket 2066 i9 (10980xe) is currently out of stock across the entire US. That was some of the impetus to try and get a Threadripper build that would be rock-solid and quiet enough. Noise: I'm used to a machine that's near dead-silent. Moving to a machine with high-RPM small fan (high pitched whine) is not appealing. On the 3950x build, I used a 120mm quiet fan focused on the chipset (to keep the small fan from coming on). That took care of the noise issue with Ryzen-9. I was disappointed that using a quality 360mm water-cooler resulted in no appreciable performance increase. Upon using the 3950x in my main studio DAW: Working at ultra low latency (performance wise) was a step backward from the (less expensive) 9900k. With the 9900k, I could do things like play DI guitar thru Helix Native (software plugin version of Line-6 Helix) at 96k using a 32-sample ASIO buffer size. That's playing in realtime thru Helix Native at ~2ms total round-trip latency (equal to Helix hardware). With the 9900k, it was a heavy load... but audio is glitch-free. With the 3950x, audio would occasionally glitch. Granted, this isn't something that everyone would be doing, but (for me) was a significant step backward.
  22. Keep in mind that we (DAW users) are a minuscule group (number wise) compared to the general-purpose and gaming computer users. That's why the reviewers don't worry about audio testing...
  23. At 280w TDP, you could... 😉
  24. As someone who's built DAWs professionally for going on 30 years, here are my thoughts on AMD's latest offerings: The 3970x (Threadripper) and 3950x (Ryzen 9) have very little OC headroom. Little to none... (same with the 3960x) If you get a Threadripper or Ryzen 9 with the idea of locking all cores at anywhere close to the maximum turbo frequency, you'll be disappointed. sTRX4 motherboards have active-cooled chipsets. You can get quiet 360mm water-cooler, quiet PS, quiet case, etc. If you're used to something like a i9-9900k (which runs near dead-silent on quality air-cooling), the high RPM fan noise (whine) is particularly annoying. Threadripper has a TDP of 280w. (large water-cooler absolutely necessary) Intel Socket-2066 i9 CPUs have a TDP of 165w (water-cooling necessary but will run relatively quiet - chipset not active cooled) The Ryzen 9 has a TDP of 105w (near dead-silent with large quality air-cooler) The i9-9900k has a TDP of 95w (near dead-silent with large quality air-cooler) Threadripper and Ryzen 9 excel at heavily multi-threaded scenarios. Video rendering is a perfect example. For video rendering, Threadripper smokes Intel i9 CPUs. Where Threadripper and Ryzen 9 are weak (compared to the i9 CPUs) is pushing heavy loads at super small ASIO buffer sizes (ultra low latency). This is a scenario that doesn't lend itself to heavy multi-threading. The higher clock-speed of Intel's i9 is a significant benefit in these types of situations. Not every process in a DAW can be multi-threaded. This is why clock-speed is still so important. Another thing to note is that performance gain from adding cores doesn't scale 1:1. IOW, Doubling the number of cores doesn't double performance. This is why you don't want to chose more cores at the expense of significant clock-speed. Doing so will result in a performance "hit" (for all but heavily multi-threaded scenarios). Why do I always mention the i9-9900k? At $500, it offers a great balance of performance/cost/noise. The 9900k can run all 8 cores locked at 5GHz. You've got super high clock-speed... and 16 processing threads. The 9900k will do so rock-solid... running near dead-silent. Based on all the above, I was ultimately more intrigued by the 3950x. I've tested it with both 360mm water-cooling... as well as large/quality air-cooling. With its significantly lower TDP (105w vs 280w for Threadripper), it'll run as quiet as the 9900k. Interestingly, when running 360mm water-cooling, there was no appreciable performance increase. If you're talking "all core" clock-speed, the 3950x will top out ~4GHz (maybe 4.1GHz). AMD is winning at IPC (instructions per clock). However, Intel is winning at overall clock-speed. Again, for all those scenarios that can't be heavily multi-threaded, the (relatively) inexpensive 9900k is going to best most CPUs. One other thing to keep in mind... is that with AMD, you may see some flaky behavior. Some of the motherboards don't allow you to disable things like onboard audio. Not all software/plugins are optimized for AMD CPUs. To be fair, this really isn't the fault of Threadripper or Ryzen 9. So what's my verdict on Threadripper and Ryzen 9? If you're fairly tech-savvy and know what you're getting into... and especially if you're working with video rendering, you'll be fine with Threadripper/Ryzen 9. I'd liken the scenario to old MG sports cars. Can be a lot of fun... but may require "turning the wrench". ie: During several months of testing Threadripper and Ryzen 9 (including using the 3970x and 3950x in my main studio DAW), I had to reset BIOS numerous times (across multiple builds using multiple motherboards). That's not a big deal for me personally, but for less-tech savvy... or those under pressure, it's not a welcome event. As someone who builds machines for professional composers on demanding tight deadlines, there's absolutely no way I'd build a Threadripper or Ryzen based machine for the likes of Fred Coury, Timothy Wynn, Wayne Bacer, Evan Jolly, Noah Lifschey, etc.
  25. If you're looking for a small tube-amp for the home studio, you might want to check out either the Revv D-20 or the Revv G20 (depending on the amount of gain you're looking for). Both are 20w tube amps (12ax7 preamp tubes, 6v6 power tubes) Embedded Two-Notes reactive-load (can be used without connecting a cab) and Torpedo Cab sim (can run two simultaneous Cab IRs) 9-lbs $1200-$1300 I just got the G20... and it sounds/responds great.
×
×
  • Create New...