Delfina Lite vs AD516 for mp3 playback

[yssing]

You really only should consider using mp2 if you have a 030. 040, 060 or delfina, use mp3.

[Matt_H]

I've had the Delfina crash at random because the library is generally buggy, but I've never had it crash due to high bitrates. The audio just stutters.

The one crash that I can reproduce with 100% reliability is changing tracks in Amplifier. If one track ends and Blanker is active (i.e., currently blanking the screen) it almost always crashes. Not sure if it's an Amplifier bug or a Delfina bug, but my workaround was to run Amplifier from a script that first disables Blanker and then re-enables it when quitting.

[Damion]

The Lite is reasonably stable with the right library, delfinit, etc, but there are definitely some software and/or hardware flaws that show up on a regular basis. AMPlifier, for example, never crashed with my Melody cards, like it does with the Delfina.

I've had the Delfina crash at random because the library is generally buggy, but I've never had it crash due to high bitrates. The audio just stutters.

The one crash that I can reproduce with 100% reliability is changing tracks in Amplifier. If one track ends and Blanker is active (i.e., currently blanking the screen) it almost always crashes. Not sure if it's an Amplifier bug or a Delfina bug, but my workaround was to run Amplifier from a script that first disables Blanker and then re-enables it when quitting.

Same problem here with both the standard blanker, and CGXBlanker. In fact, if you start an MP3 stream and just leave the computer alone, it'll often go quite a while, even a day or more. It's when you start trying to do other things while the Delfina is decoding that the problems surface quickly. For me, that's where the "high bitrate" aspect comes in - blanker will crash the Delfina when decoding a 256k stream in a matter of minutes, while you might get a few hours out of a 96k stream. I don't think DSP load is the whole story, as upping the clockrate with delftweak (I had one Lite with a 66MHz DSP) didn't seem to be a factor.

All that aside, I spent a lot of time tinkering and could never isolate the exact conditions behind the crashes, but could only limit them by taking certain precautions. I'm still half tempted to get a Flipper though, if the bugs have truly been ironed out.

[LoadWB]

I had a Delfina a long time ago and I experienced random crashes a lock-ups.  The short, there was some issue with the WarpEngine 4040 and the Delfina libraries.  I gave up and traded it in for a new X-Surf.  Not the option presented in this thread, but now I'm on a Deneb and a USB sound card and it works pretty well for MP3s on a CyberStorm MKIII.

[Matt_H]

A quick final note on the Delfina: I don't think it's generally known, but delfina.library has been GPL'ed. Source code (for a not-quite current version) is included in the archive available from Jens. I'm sure you could get current code upon request.

The binary in that archive doesn't work with my Delfina Lite (locks up system), but perhaps a skilled programmer could fix that and other bugs for the Zorro-based Delfinas.

[Marmes]

Try a prelude with mpegit

[aggro_mix]

There's no decoding driver for the AD516. So while it has a DSP, no one's written the software to take advantage of it for playing MP3s.

Would it even have enough power to do it? The DPS is Analog Devices 2105 DSP (10 MIPS, 100 ns instruction execution time)

[AAACHIPSET]

I had a Delfina a long time ago and I experienced random crashes a lock-ups.  The short, there was some issue with the WarpEngine 4040 and the Delfina libraries.  I gave up and traded it in for a new X-Surf.  Not the option presented in this thread, but now I'm on a Deneb and a USB sound card and it works pretty well for MP3s on a CyberStorm MKIII.

any details  on the usb sound card please ..curious..

[Rabbi]

It would be nice if the C64@MP3 card (http://www.vesalia.de/e_mp3at64.htm ) was still available.  It can even play up to 320 bps.  It might be nice if Amigakit would offer this.  Software for using it on the Amiga is an unofficial hack that Chris Hodges of Poseidon USB driver fame authored.

[amigakit]

We used to sell MP3@64 but its no longer manufactured unfortunately


We still have MAS Player Evolution in stock:

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1078

[Damion]

This is a shot from a few weeks back, where the Delfina managed 5 days uptime decoding an internet MP3 stream without a crash. (It still hadn't crashed when I finally shut it off.) All I had to do was restart the stream once a day when the server booted me off. The bitrate was high enough to cause some minor stuttering in the audio, so the card was working near 100%.

On a hunch from the advice of Matt_H, I disabled the blanker, and avoided doing much else with the computer aside from tinkering with IBrowse. There is definitely a problem with screenblankers (OS 3.9 and CGXBlanker here) that can crash the Delfina in between songs.

Needless to say, I owe Matt_H a beer! :pint:

[Alexco]

I also had random lock-ups with the Delfina clockport version (the one from Individual comp) in my A1200. My solution was to use the latest lib (beta 17) from the Icomp website. But with this one you have to init the card with the Delf Prefs tool, you can no longer use Delfinit or Delfmem, these tools will lock-up the system.
I used Delfmpg for testing and it was quite stable (played for 20h from an USB stick).
Maybe that info helps Lite users, too....

[matt3k]

What version of Delfina Prefs?  My prefs locks system with the beta libs.

[Matt_H]

Can we start a bounty to fix delfina.library once and for all? This situation is ridiculous.

[Marmes]

Delfina sucks big time. I had one, support from manufacturer is crap. it hangs up a lot, and sound quality is not great. I would advise you to get the ad516 and buy a masplayer. Connect to audio in of ad516 preamp. Or if you have more money get a prelude and a mpegit.

regards!

[matt3k]

I'm with Matt on this one.  New Delfina Libs would be most welcome!

How would we get it started and who would program it?