电脑

据说DSound的吉他效果软件能够把电吉他插在声卡上实时演奏，但许多人反映并未能够取得象DSound所说的那样几近实时的响应，为此笔者特意走访了远在捷克的DSound公司总裁Petr Krkavec，并得到关于这一问题的圆满答复。请看详细的访谈录……

A: D.C.Yane, P.R.China

B: Petr Krkavec
The president of DSound DISK Multimedia
Boskovice, Czech Republic

============================================
D.C.Yane :
I've just download your software guitar effector plug_ins, it's really nice!

Petr:
Oh, thanks for your interest about our products. We will be happy if you put description our products to your book, and we are ready to give you support for this.

D.C.Yane :
Do you have anything suggest to chinese readers?

Petr:
Emm, using of guitar plugins is very intuitive and manual is not so big.
We have also new very interesting software RT Player, which allow easy to use plugins for realtime using on the computer. Light version of this software RT Player LE is free available in our website. ( is also included in demos SFX1 + SFX2 plugins ). Its new unique aplication, which allow to use plugins in realtime and for user is this new area of using their computers at studios, home and on live performace.

D.C.Yane :
That sounds great! Is it mean that when I run RT Player and add an effect(such as distortion)to it, and then plug my guitar onto the line_in port of my soundcard, then when I play the guitar can I hear the distortion sound from my speaker?  Is the computer with soundcard can be used as a REAL guitar effector? I think many many users will like to have this fuction, especially those guitar players with a computer at home.

Petr:
You are absolutly right, we develop RT Player LE for using of guitar plugins in realtime, because a lot of users asked us for this.

D.C.Yane :
Is it REALTIME enough?

Petr:
Of course, but for realtime using you have to use audio card which has low latency ASIO driver. We have great experiences with Midiman's cards ( for examle Audiophile 24/96 ), but you can use any other. Important is that this card have to have own ASIO driver. You need then in preferences in panel Audio set ASIO driver of this card, and in control panel of ASIO you have to setup smaller buffer what is possible. ( small buffer = small latency )
Next very interesting thing is, that you can control all parameters of RT Player LE throught external midi controller. In case of guitar plugins is very impressive to use footmidicontroller.

D.C.Yane :
How did you decide to develop this?

Petr:
We decided produce also RT Player Pro, it will be advanced version of RT Player LE. In this version RT Player Pro will be possible to use any VST plugins on the market and VST instrument as well. It means, that you can change you computer to sampler or synth, and you dont need expensive host application like Cubase, Nuendo or Logic Audio. It can be very interesting for training or for live performance.

D.C.Yane :
I still have some further questions with the RT Player...Does it have presets so that I can tune the effecor easly?

Petr :
Yes, this installation will be also contain 2 x 50 ( maybe more ) very useable presets, which can users very quickly  to use immediatelly after installation for realtime playing on the guitar, keyboards or vocals. All parameters are fully under midi control. Whole setting of RT Player Pro include all programs is possible import/export like whole bank or separate program. This allow in future change preset among the users also throught
the web. ( of course in case of using DSound stompn plugins ) When user will use also VST plugins or VSTi from other companies, the exported presets will be possible to use correctly only on the computer where are the same plugins or VSTi like on computer where were presets created.
As the current version of RT Player Pro is only stereo, there are Very unique features, regarding of multiple chaining of VST plugins and instruments.

D.C.Yane :
Can you tell me in detail?

Petr :
You can open more VSTinstruments in time and combine more VSTi sounds together.( Halion + Sampletank + B4 ) You can chain VST plugins and then VSTi. RT Player Pro than running so that input audio signal is processed by the VST plugins and then send on the output and in the same time you can play throught the midi IN on the VSTi, which is automatically mixed to the stereo output. It means, that you can to use RT PLayer Pro in the same time like audio effect processor ( for Guitar or voice ) and in the same time like sampler ( Halion ). Whole this combination you can save like program in RT Player Pro. This is really killer ! I recomend to try some this combination, it gives you more ideas, what you can to do with RT Player Pro.

D.C.Yane :
Well, I've tried the RT Player on my new MAYA card, but the delay time does not seemed as less as I had imaged. Then I try to decrease the buffer size, this really makes it a bit better. But as I set the buffer size to 1024KB, the delay time still remains to about 1/3 ~ 1/4 seconds, which makes it obvious to feel. Can you tell me how to solve this problem? I know The MAYA has its ASIO compactived.

Petr Krkavec :
You have to use ASIO driver of card directly !
In Preferences of RT player Pro in audio panel, you have to choose not ordinary ASIO Multimedia, but ASIO Maya driver. Than is necessary in control panel of ASIO MAYA driver set buffer size to 256 KB or less, when is this possible. Than you can to use RT Player for realtime playing with really low latency.

D.C.Yane :
Yeah! It really does!
One more question -- Does DSound stomp'n plugins contain a DX version? or it just afford the VST version only? The ASIO driver of VST really makes good for delay times, but I know many many people still use directX audio softwares.

Petr Krkavec :
Yes, DSound stomp'n plugins contain a DX version as well.

D.C.Yane :
Okey, thanks very much for the interview, your soft will bring much advantage to chinese users.

Petr Krkavec :
That's it, take my best regards to the chinese reader.

(2001-6-12)