[Csnd] Hardware suggestions for running csound on small form factor machines?

The Csound Mailinglist
1

Hello csound hackers, I’m making myself an algorithmically-enhanced “super pad” machine, and am wondering what the smart money is these days for running such a thing on a small, fast, linux box to incorporate into a production rig. I expect to use up all available processing in my quest for interesting motion in the pads so I’m planning to run this on a dedicated little machine that will run audio out into the main box - essentially a home-brew standalone synth. Input into the box will be network messages most likely.

I am totally out of the loop on what one should use these days as my main box is an M1 mac mini. If anyone can share suggestions for small form factor linux machines that will run only csound that would be lovely. (linux for the low latency)

thanks!

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2

Hi Iain,
it generally depends on the overall CPU that you would likely use. The latest Raspberry Pi (still version 4?) is quite powerful for what it is. It won't compete with a mac M1. But it has network and USB, direct HDMI out or you could connect a small USB interface. You could do a minimal install on that.

HTH.

Best wishes,

Jeanette

3

I agree with Jeanette, the Pi 4 works very well, and in fact is my primary platform for realtime Csound for the past 4-5 years. I have a Pisound card on the Pi 4, works great, and I also have an external 8-channel sound card when I need more than 2 channels. In a concert setting, I use either a phone or a tablet from an SSH session. For UI, I use Open Sound Control, also running on the Pi, from a Chrome instance on a tablet. Working on Csound code is easy using VS Code on the PC, with Steven’s excellent Csound extenstion, attached to the Pi via SSH. I build Csound from source on the Pi, which is quite easy. The Pi also serves very well as a MIDI host.

  • Dave
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Thanks, good to know.

Has anyone tried the Beelink stuff?

iain

5

or the intel NUC’s for that matter?

iain

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Intel killed its nuc line. I would go for a name brand, I had a lenovo mini pc which lasted 10 years for me.

7

well, glad I asked! Does anyone reading this happen to know what the best chip on those would be for running Csound? I’m assuming whatever has the fastest single-thread clock speed? (but I don’t know what that is…)

thx

8

The beelink I’ve got is a nice machine; but not the latest – and I haven’t tried anything too professional with it in the audio. (Nice sound with a little usb soundcard & pipewire.)

9

When I said Open Sound Control, I meant Open Stage Control: https://openstagecontrol.ammd.net/

10

oh cool, didn’t know about that one!