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cMP - the open source high-end Memory Player

41.183.0.21
Posted on December 30, 2007 at 05:42:01
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
cMP

The open source high-end Memory Player

December 2007

Music delivery is perfected. cMP (cics Memory Player) delivers memory playback (without RAMDisk or other utilities) thereby eliminating disk interference during playback.

In creating cMP, its critical objective was the implementation of fundamental designs that:

  1. Remove disk traffic interference during playback without having the inconvenience of manually loading files into a virtual RAM drive, etc..
  2. Ensure time critical sample delivery to the external DAC. Streaming of samples from precision upsampled (to 24/96) sound buffers to the soundcard must be fast, lean and mean! There's no room for any bottlenecks or overheads here, otherwise we risk increasing jitter and compromise Bit Transparency.
  3. Provide better power supply and remove the need for a ferrite core on the mouse connection.
  4. Provide flexibility to choose any player (Foobar2000, Winamp etc.).
  5. Further minimize the Windows footprint to that more optimal than XP's Embedded SP2 operating system as used in large scale commercial applications. This provides the foundation for the 2nd design goal.
  6. Offer a CD/DVD-ROM drive without impacting sound quality.
  7. Offer proper remote usability as locating that mouse cursor from a distance is cumbersome.
  8. Contain costs but also allow for a complete elegant one box solution.

Such designs in theory should render a stunning sonic experience. Its implementation however was a massive challenge. Did this theory meet the sonic expectations? Yes as evidenced in cMP's bit perfect performance and ultra low jitter.

How does it sound? The most descriptive word that comes to mind is emotional. cMP's sonic purity is truly profound. It grips those musical lines across any genre with remarkable precision. Soundstage improves, there's better layering and even more ambient information. Bass is tighter, with natural vocals & instruments.

FRONT



BACK



More pictures and screenshots are available from the cMP documentation link provided below.

FEEDBACK

Pre-release testing by music lovers located all over the world yielded further insight and perfection of cMP.

  • A music lover based in the US with limited or no computer training:

    This has been a great way to learn about computers in addition to making something very useful for enjoying music.

    Compared to my ###### (read expensive high-end traditional CD transport), even with some tweaking and learning left to do, this sounds much better. Dynamic, yet relaxed (effortless?).

    I started listening last night at 7:00 and had to force myself to go to bed at twelve. Amazing spaciousness. It is truly getting close to GREAT analog and is much better than average analog already. It is simply amazing.

    I found your instructions easy to follow ONCE I understood what I was being told to do. To repeat, I have never done anything like this before, so your instructions were clear without resorting to "hand holding". I think the process was easier than you warned. I kept saying to myself, "that wasn't so bad!"

    After cMP:

    My only audio friends are very analogue-centric. Sometime in January I am going to have them over to audition the cMP. I think they are going to be amazed. Of course, I am confident that JULI@ is going to be the icing on the cake. If this takes the whole thing another step closer I think they will be grateful that one can enjoy listening to CD's as much as LP's. Of course, in many ways your approach does things even LP's cannot do. It is becoming a toss-up, but the best kind; one can enjoy either one equally well!

  • A music lover based in Europe with more than 2000 CDs:

    the quality of sound reproduction is quite amazing. My motivation for building was that I am not wealthy and could never dream of, let alone buy, a high-end CD player. Even this project was considerably more than I could properly afford and I began it with some trepidation. But it's been well worth it.

    After cMP:

    I spent several hours last night testing the latest cMP. I did several A/B runs with cMP on the one hand and Foobar launched via old batch files and reading direct from disk on the other. There is no doubt in my mind that the sound using cMP is a significant improvement even with my modest setup.

    The quality is quite stunning, significantly better than previous. (My partner agrees with this - she's no audio junkie but she is an informed music lover.)

  • A music lover based in Australia:

    I have been wanting to relay to you my own experience with your methods and give you some feedback . So far, I have found your approach produces very good results so I must convey to you my thanks and appreciation. At some point soon I will formalise my thoughts and send them to you or post them. I believe what you have done has become an excellent resource/asset to people interested in PC Audio.


FEATURES

  1. Disk traffic interference during playback is eliminated. Advanced RAM playback is based on available physical RAM (as reported by Task Manager or Process Explorer). This means up to 4GB (XP's limit) can be used allowing for 24/192 RAM playback. Recommendation is to use 1GB RAM (which yields available physical RAM of ~830MB - enough for any CD at 16/44.1). cMP achieves memory playback via the system cache and not through a simulated virtual drive. This approach removes Windows disk I/O overheads (irrespective of whether disk is physical or virtual) hence, it's more optimal.

  2. Extensive Windows & Player (Foobar2000 or other) optimizations yielding much lower jitter and bit perfect delivery. System level optimizations are done at runtime (which cannot be achieved using .bat files and utilities like Process Explorer). cMP is designed to work with 32 CPU cores!

  3. Open architecture. cMP allows for any player to be used: Foobar2000, XXHighEnd, Winamp etc. (player just needs to handle .cue files like foobar2000 otherwise play entire .wav). Any ripper software can be used (as long as it conforms to .cue single file standard like those created by EAC). Additional flexibility is provided, for example use cMP to drive your HTPC playing any movie from any genre (a .cue file for each .iso file is needed).

  4. All .cue files are processed by cMP which means the player focuses only on playing the CD. In Foobar2000, the album list control component is not needed. In techno speak this is called separation of concerns.

  5. Power delivery to the mobo is improved by further reducing interference. The need for a ferrite core is removed.

  6. Full function remote control using a wireless mouse is achieved. Your entire library can be navigated: play any CD, eject it, jump to any track or change volume. This is achieved using just ONE mouse button: the Wheel! Use the mouse as a normal one (left-click) or hold it in your hand (like a remote control) and wheel away using your thumb. Of course other buttons are used for more convenience. There's no need to find that tiny mouse cursor and left click! (You can still do this if needed).

  7. Your entire library that you so diligently ripped is fully compatible with cMP. No proprietary / lock-in stuff here which forces you to re-rip. Just point cMP to your music folders containing .cue and .wav files (or flac or other). cMP supports any content file as long as cue files are defined for them. For flac content files, the known EAC bug of adding an additional .flac suffix to the content file's name must be removed (otherwise your cue's content file directive will not be found).

  8. CD/DVD-ROM drive is implemented without compromising playback quality. For the purist, this can be unplugged without opening computer or rebooting.

Bottom line: cMP is a (one box) highly advanced memory player that's easy to setup and use. cMP's core strength lies in newly developed operating system software components (built in c/c++) that uses XP SP 2 as a foundation. Windows Explorer is done away with while cMP takes over and more. Bit perfect delivery is achieved yielding an ultra high resolution of more than 23.5 bits (a limitation in measuring instruments prevents measuring cMP's perfect resolution). DAC's have yet to achieve this resolution (as a minimum of 141db SNR is needed)! For cMP's bit perfect measurements, see (Bit Perfect Measurement & Analysis ).


GETTING STARTED

Visit cicsMemoryPlayer.com where you'll find detailed easy to follow instructions and much more.

Ensuring clean AC power delivery to equipment is very important. For DAC, pre-amp and amplifiers, use a dedicated AC circuit. For source equipment, use another AC circuit as this is where cMP's main PSU should be powered from. Use another less important AC circuit for powering cMP's 2nd dirty power inlet. Use of quality power cords and line conditioners is recommended.


Special thanks to those that provided such brilliant feedback and suggestions during pre-release testing. cMP's software is at version 1.0b as more feedback is desired. Your input, insights, criticisms, experiences and suggestions all help.

Thank you.

 

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    ...
RE: CPU/RAM Tuning and Temperature Monitoring in cMP, posted on August 8, 2008 at 01:56:22
seger
 Apparently temp monitoring problems are endemic with the 45nm cores - just google "E7200 temp". The sensors are not reliable until you get to 60° or more, and I don't trust BIOS readings. In your case, maybe too low (some people are getting readings of 9°!), or the result of room air conditioning, or miraculous Zalman heatpipes because the CPU should idle at 4-5° above room temperature, and in August, even here in damp England, that puts it over 25°! RealTemp's documentation is interesting. Could you try it - lightning quick compared to Speedfan - and do the calibration - temporarily putting a fan on heatsink, and setting frequency and voltage as they suggest, and see what temps you get. No, I won't worry, but I would like to have confidence in measurements, which I don't.

Gigabyte mobo decided to repeatedly disable CPU host settings after, admittedly, much to-ing and fro-ing in BIOS, and I had to clear CMOS and redo BIOS settings to get it back - this I add in case anyone else encounters it.

Antec (Seasonic)Earthwatt: I had the 380W version - not fanless, so not interested, and no quieter than the Seasonic S12 430W in my desktop PC. The fan noise detracts from the music as much as the ripple effect for me, particulary in quiet passages. I even have my HDD in a Scythe "quiet drive" box, and can't wait till I can afford SSD!

 

ReaTemp results, posted on August 9, 2008 at 02:15:01
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 Yes some will get strange temp reading - this happens when BIOS is not setup to support E7200. Many will try to run E7200 on older mobos giving such issues and more.

Here's cMP² based on Zalman's TNN-300:



24/96 SRC@145db SNR, FSB@680MHz. Heat pipe stuff works very well.

I've just upgraded my 2nd cMP² using Zalman HD160XT, here's initial results:



24/192 SRC@121db SNR, FSB@800MHz. Thermaltake's heatsink not as good but gets the job done. Setup is very new and hopefully some impprovement will occur with burn-in.

Measures taken at full load for at least 30 minutes.

 

RE: ReaTemp results, posted on August 9, 2008 at 04:50:45
seger
 Your temps look a lot like mine now. Seems high on 192K SRC, but mine started that high, then they have been going down. I think the thermal paste has to settle in, among other things. Big temp difference between 200MHz CPU and 190MHz. Did you do the recommended configuration for RealTemp? It gets readings closer to reality, I think. I put RealTemp in my Touchscreen shortcut in cMP. It's so quick, you get close to real running temps, which plummet quickly when you stop playing, esp. at 192K.

My experience with the GA-G31M-S2L is improving a lot. With CPU Host 170MHz, RAM 3-3-3-8, kernel streaming is better than in Biostar mobo now, in fact stunning (in cMP of course). For cPlay, I have to swap drivers, and it's in a league of its own for clarity and impact.

I checked ripple specs for my Thermaltake Dual Power PSU (unfortunately discontinued now) and they are same as Fortron Zen and Silverstone Nightjar fanless PSUs, which are SPCR favorites. Nowhere near Earthwatts, but fanless is important - who would put up with a CDP that has a continuous not quite subliminal whirring sound? When I play my Biostar cMP the stillness is very palpable after the extremely quiet Tagan whir in the Gigabyte cMP. Awaiting bigger HDD before I move the Gigabyte in.

 

RE: cMP - the open source high-end Memory Player, posted on August 9, 2008 at 05:52:17
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 Hi cics:
I have try the cPlay,it's sound good very much.Thanks for your effort.
I want ask a question:Can cMP install with VISTA?Because I think VISTA take good sound.

 

cMP and cPlay will run on Vista, but, posted on August 10, 2008 at 09:04:01
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 Vista limits amount of RAM that cPlay can use and you cannot get AWE optimization.

 

RE: cMP and cPlay will run on Vista, but, posted on August 10, 2008 at 10:32:32
msjjr


 
Hi cics. Do you forsee cPlay working well on Vista one day? My computer has Vista OS and I don't see myself getting XP at any time.

 

RE: cMP and cPlay will run on Vista, but, posted on August 10, 2008 at 20:41:41
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 cics:
so Do you suggest use XP SP2?insteat of VISTA?

 

XP SP2 pro is a better option, posted on August 10, 2008 at 23:30:48
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 Vista will be replaced in 18-24 months with Windows 7 (already being tested by MS partners).

 

RE: cMP and cPlay will run on Vista, but, posted on August 10, 2008 at 23:32:08
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 cPlay is fully operational in Vista - it's Vista that doesn't offer AWE. To my knowledge that's the only difference.

 

RE: XP SP2 pro is a better option, posted on August 14, 2008 at 08:03:49
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 Hi cics:
I have try install VISTA and install cPLAY;then open diagnostics,it show AWE successful.
I run cPLAY use "145.68 db" & "176.4",RME 9632 card,latency 0.2 ms;it's sound good very much,and I like run in VISTA much more XP SP2.
FYI.

 

What flavor of VIsta are you running?, posted on August 14, 2008 at 11:20:16
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 Others could never get Lock privileges to work OR does Vista enable this by default?

 

RE: What flavor of VIsta are you running?, posted on August 14, 2008 at 18:12:48
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 Hi cics:
Because my English is poor,I can't really understand your meaning.
I install VISTA SP1 Enterprise version,no other special software.
I just setup the option follow your method,and can use AWE successful.
If the Diagnostics show AWE successful,does it means really get Lock privileges OK?

 

Yes that means Vista SP1 Enterprise version allows for AWE., posted on August 16, 2008 at 02:53:27
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 cPlay would otherwise fail on AWE allocation.

It's good to know which flavour of Vista offers AWE.

 

RE: cMP - the open source high-end Memory Player, posted on August 16, 2008 at 05:06:38
terry j
Audiophile

Posts: 20
Location: NSW
Joined: June 13, 2008
 I had a big list of points to make, then forgot them heh heh.

I did buy and upgrade to the new board (tho I spose in the meantime there has been another one!! ignorance is bliss)

Anyway, the whole setup does seem a lot more stable now, even tho I only had the 'old' board a couple of weeks I did notice drop outs and whatever...they have gone which is great.

I had always intended to investigate usb out to a converter, idly speculating that I would go the empirical audio off ramp.

anyway, I have been generously lent a hagerman usb converter to try.

However, I get no sound out of it. I have looked in the sounds devices section in the control panel, and it is all greyed out (even tho I can see the usb device in the hardware tab). I assume that with all the xp 'hobbling' we have done, I have turned off the option of getting usb out??

Is there a simple 'turn back on' that even an idjit like me can accomplish??

Even tho it's been a while since I posted (sorry, I simply cannot get the hang of this forums layout..) you may recall I mentioned problems with the cue sheet when ripping from eac. I had always used the dropdown menu something like create cue sheet and then again from the dropdown menu rip selected tracks.

anyway, ever since I have instead used the icon to the left, I have not had a problem with the cue sheets. probably of no interest to most of you, but still it's good to find the solution!

whilst on cue sheets, there is an option in eac to rip 'selected tracks', which is good if you don't want to clog your memory with tracks you don't want. However (and I'm probably overlooking something simple) the cue sheet created still lists all the tracks (even tho you have not ripped them), so of course you get the error of 'wave files not found'. Is there a trick to get around this?? I have not yet tried to edit the cue sheet to fix this, but have the concern that there may be problems if cue sheet tracks are not '1, 2, 3, 4'etc. I mean if we only want tracks 1, 4, 13 from a twenty track cd, I wonder if the cue sheet would work with only three numbers that are not consecutive. Does anyone have experience with this?

What else (frantically trying to recall my points..) oh yes, the latencies. I have always noticed the very low latencies demonstrated here, yet mine is 256 or something. And only this afternoon I noticed the little symbol at the bottom which in fact is the juli@ card. and within it I did find the latency listings, and sure enough mine is 256 (or whatever). I naturally tried to change it to the lowest, but kept getting the message 'MME multichannel is running'. I cannot find the button to turn it off, indeed I never knew it was 'on'. Heck, I don't even know what it is! I will go thru the manual tonight, but throwing it out here in case it's not an obvious paragraph (remember I'm a computer idjit)..Quick question while I'm on it, what is latency (in 2 ch, I imagine in HT it is something lagging behind something else) and how would different latencies manifest sonically?

prob remember something important as soon as I hit post reply heh heh.

thank you so much!

glad I previewed the post first, as I remembered a few more questions. The simple solution to this may be to get a longer range mouse, but using cmp (cant' remember the terminology, please bear with me)I can see all the 'names' listed, bit cannot open them. (the panel with search, rip etc in it) Is that because cplay prevents it? I only mention it as it may be easier to navigate from the lp. A longer range mouse will at least let me use the mouse to hit play, stop etc etc in cplay. I'm not into computers obviously, but I find cplay etc to not be very user friendly. But I suppose the sonic performance has at it's heart (for whatever reason) cplay? I ask (exposing my complete ignorance whilst doing so) because if it is only a 'manager', could we not use, dunno if this is a swear word!, say I-tunes?? (maybe that is only mp3, see I know nought). I mean it's all well and good to have say two thousand tracks on file, but would it not be great to be able to make up different playlists or something?

Maybe there is a simple program that enables us to make out own cue sheets, compilation 1, 2, 3 etc that we can have songs from different albums etc all mixed together? (think that is easy in I-tunes isn't it? which is why I used that as an example)

 

USB, cue sheets, latency, mouse, etc., posted on August 16, 2008 at 11:03:34
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 For USB audio, I suggest starting Windows Audio Service.

You can edit cue sheets - just delete the Track 'groups' that was not ripped. Don't worry about track numbers.

Juli@ latency can only be set when no music is playing - the error you getting means that Juli@ is being used. Set it to 48 samples (lowest).

cMP uses large fonts - yes long text will be lost. A point for future enhancement. See this post for what cMP's software does.

 

RE: Yes that means Vista SP1 Enterprise version allows for AWE., posted on August 17, 2008 at 04:47:25
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 YES
I install VISTA SP1 Enterprise version.
and the cPLAY Diagnostics show AWE successful

 

Why use cmp software with juli if you can't get suspension of..., posted on August 17, 2008 at 05:43:24
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 ... sychost and lsas? I mean are there other advantages? Since I have juli will I benefit from cmp software?

 

RE: USB, cue sheets, latency, mouse, etc., posted on August 17, 2008 at 06:34:39
terry j
Audiophile

Posts: 20
Location: NSW
Joined: June 13, 2008
 thanks cics

yep. 'removing' cplay did the trick (even if no music is being played it did not work unless cplay was not 'up'). that was the good news, trouble is on the lowest latency settings I got 'ticks' durimg playback. Still, at 128 (?) I managed to get playback w/out the ticks, better figure than before, but not 48.

As I don't have a keyboard on the cmp (need to find time to hook it up) just out of curiosity I did a serch on this computer for windows audio service (so I would know what I'm dealing with), but the search returned nothing. It is a bit embaressing really that I haven't the foggiest what you're talking about. Sorry.

I presume in the optimzations we did that function was switched off. Presumably again it was for improved sonic performance, which leads to the interesting question of whether the 'gains' of going outboard with usb outweigh the negatives of switching back on some windows functions.

I was hoping that I could somehow have both running at the same time, into two different inputs therefore allowing an a/b comparison. seems that won't work unfortunately.

I did remember another quick question. I may be different than most, but I use eac on this computer and simply transfer the data with a usb stick. In effect that means I never use the drive in the cmp. Of course it is fanless, and so the only noise (tho slight) I can hear from the cmp is the dvd drive (at least I think it's that, could hardly be anything else could it?)

Can I simply pull out the plug from the drive without any problems?? To be honest the noise doesn't bother me, and in any case this computer is certainly louder! Still, if it never gets used then why not disconnect it.

 

Just so that I can understand better, posted on August 17, 2008 at 13:07:28
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 I'm currently running the Gigabyte GA-G31M-S2L mobo, the Intel 7200 processor, the Kingston ram all with your recommended settings. But running 24/96 with 145 src out of the usb into my dac & I still get tics. I remember when I converted my other computer from usb out to juli out the tics were significantly reduced. I suspect that when I install juli on the new hw the same will happen(is this correct?). But with windows audio services restored per your recommendation I still get tics out of usb. What is the likely cause of this? I have done all optimizations except registry and others wherein you warn to be carefull not to make mistakes (I often make mistakes).

Again not a show stopper but a curiosity.

 

Make sure you're using latest BIOS (F6) - this removes tics and, posted on August 17, 2008 at 23:08:55
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 for USB audio, in BIOS, enable USB 2.0.

See these posts on BIOS upgrading.

 

Yes. cMP software explained..., posted on August 17, 2008 at 23:13:19
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 See here.

 

RE: Make sure you're using latest BIOS (F6) - this removes tics and, posted on August 18, 2008 at 08:11:35
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 I followed the procedure in the gigabyte manual and everything seems to be ok but when system boots its too fast I cant tell if I have version 6. Is there a way to verify--nevermind I just saw in cpuz I do have version 6. I'll leave this posted so that it could help others possibly.

 

RE: Make sure you're using latest BIOS (F6) - this removes tics and, posted on August 18, 2008 at 09:01:52
Ryelands


 
>for USB audio, in BIOS, enable USB 2.0.

My experience (with a USB-connected NOS DAC) is that there is a slight improvement when USB 2.0 is *disabled* in BIOS and also when as many unused USB controllers as practicable are disabled (in Device Manager).

I have not tested the change with the Gigabyte mobo and I'm quite happy to concede that the perceived difference is imaginary (though that rather implies that it is no worse either).

What is not imaginary is that (a) disabling unused USB controllers tends skuightly to reduce bus clutter and (b) USB 1.0 is, unless I'm mistaken, fast enough for audio.

Dave

 

RE: Make sure you're using latest BIOS (F6) - this removes tics and, posted on August 18, 2008 at 12:30:31
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 Did the bios update to F6 much much better. No tics and sonically better.

 

RE: cMP new hardware + Juli@w/0.979 drivers + cPlay 145 SNR - 1 step backwards, 2 steps forward, posted on August 19, 2008 at 13:59:57
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 Just to be sure I understand: you like .979 drivers with asio better than 1.21 drivers with asio. Is this correct?

 

RE: cMP new hardware + Juli@w/0.979 drivers + cPlay 145 SNR - 1 step backwards, 2 steps forward, posted on August 20, 2008 at 03:49:52
seger
 Yes, and better than the new 1.23 drivers. ESI finally replied to my email asserting that there is no difference between their drivers. Try them, and see for yourself. But if you have trouble uninstalling the 0.979 drivers, see my previous post on the subject: Juli@ 0.979 drivers uninstall

 

Now what? I have new computer with external gd supply to hd, juli running @ 192, posted on August 20, 2008 at 07:36:59
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 ...And it sounds great right out of the shoot. I think I'll try .979 drivers for a while. Only thing (major) I don't have installed is cmp, that is next. Not bad for a guy who didn't know what mobo or mobo drivers were until 6 months ageo.

Thank you Cics. Also thank you Rick and Seger and all of the rest of you guys on pcaudio. Thank you for the gift of music!!!!

 

Cics here is some intitial feedback on..., posted on August 20, 2008 at 11:08:05
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 ... new computer (gigabyte motherboard ga-ga31m-s2l with f6 drivers, with recommended bios settings--I get .976 volts at idle-- 7200 processor, Kingston 1 gig memory, external gd on hd, juli at 192 setting, latency setting 48, AWE with windows xp pro). Sonics versus my old reference, amd, juli, no AWE, at 176 sampling are more dynamic, more extension, very smooth and a great fun factor. It sounds very lively, imaging is slightly better. AMD was good but not like this. I'd venture to say new set up is best I ever had including my beloved SCD1 and VPI ET III black Koetso. Questions I have are:

1) when running cmp do you just set it up and run cplay as always?
2) what were the mobo latency settings you recommended?
3) when I take the fan off the 7200 should I replace with passive cooling device or will the base 7200 heat sink (with fan removed) do the job?
4) how critical are registry settings? I'm still gun shy on these.

 

RE: XP SP2 pro is a better option, posted on August 20, 2008 at 13:50:36
Cyberlacunae
Audiophile

Posts: 58
Joined: March 15, 2003
 Are you running Vista SP1 Enterprise in 32bit or 64bit?

Has anyone try 64bit XP Pro or Vista Enterprise? With the 64bit OS, I assume we have the flexibility of loading more memory. For a pure music server, it will be an overkill; but if one wants to use it as HTPC, being able to address 8GB or more memory opens another great door of opportunity. :)

Thanks.

 

RE: XP SP2 pro is a better option, posted on August 20, 2008 at 19:07:47
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 I running Vista SP1 Enterprise in 32bit.
I have tried install 64 bit(XP) already,
but I have filename is encoding BIG5,
the 64 bit only have English version,
so I rollback to 32bit.
I install 64bit OS want to install more memory,and can use large ramdisk.
But after use cPLAY,it's no need ramdisk again,so I think 64bit OS no need.
I recommand VISTA instead XP,I feel good on VISTA much better than XP.
Thanks cics very much!

 

You need a lower CPU voltage for passive CPU cooling, posted on August 21, 2008 at 07:36:41
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
  1. yes
  2. see here
  3. set voltage to 0.92500v (or lower) for lower temp. only use heat sink as recommended (thermalright 120se) - temps ~60°C. DO NOT USE HEATSINK AS SUPPLIED WITH E7200
  4. its not as risky. i take it you haven't done minlogon?

 

RE: You need a lower CPU voltage for passive CPU cooling, posted on August 21, 2008 at 08:14:50
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 no haven't done minlogon. really appears complex to me

 

RE: You need a lower CPU voltage for passive CPU cooling, posted on August 21, 2008 at 08:51:13
Ryelands


 
The freeware/shareware utility "XPLite" can automatically disable Windows File Protection. Offhand, I don't know if it does it in the freeware version but it certainly works in the "paid for" version.

Note that, if anything goes wrong while making the change, Win XP usually dies - be sure to have an image file of the OS handy so you can recover quickly.

Dave

 

Cics: I lLoaded cmp sw, posted on August 21, 2008 at 11:02:26
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 I'm still a little confused about when cmp or xp is active. But as long as cmp shows up in taskmaster I think I'm ok. Is that correct?

What happens if I run cplay in the xp mode, will the cmp optimizations work?

The sound: dynamics are frightening. I do not exaggerate. Quieter, bigger, more delicate, richer, more of real all the way around. Real nice. Now I have to get the courage to go after minlogon and registry stuff.

 

RE: Cics: I lLoaded cmp sw, posted on August 21, 2008 at 12:51:32
seger
 Yes, the free XPLite works. Click Windows File Protection tab, and then click disable. Download is here: XPLite Free Trial

 

I appreciate your help..., posted on August 21, 2008 at 12:58:55
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 ...but why should I do this again? Is it related to minlogon?

 

There's more performance to be had, posted on August 22, 2008 at 00:08:49
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
  1. Run cMP in cMP Mode. Also, make sure file 'cicsMemoryPlayer.pth' in cMP is replaced with one from cPlay. That is copy file 'C:\Program Files\cics Play\cicsMemoryPlayer.pth' to 'C:\Program Files\cics Memory Player' (reply yes to overwrite the file). Then play directly from cMP - just double-click on album and cMP will start cPlay.
  2. In cMP settings, set LSASS and SVCHOST suspend to Yes and Optimize to Critical.
  3. Implement Minlogon

 

RE: I appreciate your help..., posted on August 22, 2008 at 04:33:09
seger
 Not sure where you are at the moment. Disabling Windows File Protection is preliminary to implementing minlogon - you only need to do it once.

 

RE: I appreciate your help..., posted on August 22, 2008 at 05:34:20
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 thank you. not that far yet still trying to figure out how to uses cmp in cmp and xp mode

 

RE: I appreciate your help..., posted on August 22, 2008 at 06:04:03
Ryelands


 
The "cMP Mode" and "XP Mode" settings determine what happens when you quit cMP. They do not, AFAIK, affect its behaviour while running.

* If you quit cMP in XP mode with Diagnostics enabled, cMP launches [Windows] Explorer, i.e. the normal desktop.

* If you quit cMP in cMP mode with Diagnostics enabled, cMP launches [File] Explorer.

* If you quit cMP with Diagnostics disabled, it powers down (or restarts) the computer. In XP mode, Win XP is launched as normal on restart but, in cMP mode, cMP is launched on restart.

Hope that helps,

Dave

 

You are a gentleman!, posted on August 22, 2008 at 06:51:55
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 Absolutely helps. It seems I was sometimes powering down and sometimes not, now I know why. I guess I leave diagnostics on all the time to prevent shutdown.

Thank you!!

 

Kernel Optimisation: Add "/nopae" to boot.ini file, posted on August 22, 2008 at 10:09:31
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 See section 4.14 in AOB Computer Transports version 0.3 for more details.

Research on Operating System Jitter shows significant dependencies for performance (in massively paralleled computing systems) and for effective realtime processing. OS jitter refers to timing errors caused by OS for scheduled process / thread events. Key to reducing such jitter is eliminating OS bloat, an unfortunate Windows trait. For technically minded, here's useful research material from IBM:

  1. Operating System Jitter
  2. Identifying Jitter Sources


Feedback needed.

 

RE: There's more performance to be had, posted on August 22, 2008 at 17:05:11
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 got 1, I'll skip 2 (I have a juli soundcard); next is minilogon

 

Will do, posted on August 23, 2008 at 09:12:44
rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3040
Location: Atlanta
Joined: December 15, 2003
 Dear cics,

I assume it does not matter where this goes within the line of text?

I will place it at the end.

If this is not correct, let me know.

I will see what happens.

Thanks,

Rick McInnis

 

RE: Kernel Optimisation: Add "/nopae" to boot.ini file, posted on August 23, 2008 at 16:47:20
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 Quick feedback: much stronger bass, very very quick as Rick mentioned, more finely layered detail. Not sure about highs, not that I don't like them (quick rise time, just don't know if they will be fatiguing over time). All in all it's a big change, highs are very crystalizing, sharply delineated. Again time will be test of overall accepatability to me.Just listened to 1st classical piece: bigger soundstage, deeper, more air around instruments especially percussion. Strings are very sweet. I think I am going to like long term if this keeps up.

 

Also set lower CPU Voltage, posted on August 23, 2008 at 19:23:30
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 With this setting, CPU voltage can be lowered - which is better. On old version GB mobo I have CPU voltage at 1.01875V (CPU-Z Vcc is 0.992V).

 

RE: Also set lower CPU Voltage, posted on August 24, 2008 at 05:59:08
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 I set up my 'cics-pack' (cplay and cmp) with original bios settings from post for the new hw. I believe it was MIT set to auto and clock ratio to 9, fine control to 0.5, enable cpu host clock control, cpu host frequency to 200, memory multiplier to 2.

I get cpuz core voltage of .976 at idle, plus I'm running, src at 192, awe and let me give you more feedback on "nopae" it is simply magnificent. I was too harsh about highs in my initial post. This is the real deal in the highs.

What do I reset host freq to?

 

CPU Voltage now set to 1.01250V, Vcc is 0.976V (CPU-Z @idle), posted on August 24, 2008 at 17:23:51
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 Set host frequency to to 170 - this is good for 192k @ SRC 145db SNR.

Midrange performance is exquisite! More bass energy and highs have more detail. I've never heard mids rendered with such perfection...

 

RE: CPU Voltage now set to 1.01250V, Vcc is 0.976V (CPU-Z @idle), posted on August 25, 2008 at 06:40:34
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 Yes very nice, a bit smoother or tube like in mids and highs. IYO in there a limit on how low you can go on clock with 24/192?

 

In making Kernal changes(page 40 of 46) in AOB transports, posted on August 25, 2008 at 07:46:49
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 There is mention of editting noexecute=always off and that this works best when Bios Execute Disable Bit is disabled. I'm using the Gigabyte mobo and I believe this feature (Bios Execute Disable Bit is disabled) is not there. Is it still ok to try this as well as timeres and nodebug in the start up and recovery settings in control panel?

Also I think somewhere between 200 and 170 clock setting in Bios might be optimum for me. Ok to try any value in between?

 

Clock set to 180 Perfect on my system, posted on August 25, 2008 at 09:00:57
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 I made the clock switch to 180---perfect. Now I know how to trim my system after future changes if I should not like the balance.

Still would appreciate feedback on kernel revisions. Also I could only make some of the registry changes. Couldn't find New > Dword to disable balloons. Couldn't get MenuShowDelay, took care of prefetcher.In ntfs LAST UPDATE, ALREADY HAVE 'NTFSDISABLE8DOT3' SET TO 1. Is that same thing already set up?
I don't think I have Service pack 2. It must be xp pro initial release.

 

RE: Kernel Optimisation: Add "/nopae" to boot.ini file, posted on August 25, 2008 at 13:04:05
gagnem


 
Hi,

I added the "nopae" line and I can now lower voltage to 1.01875 but I feel I've reached the limits of my system. The slightest move of the mouse and I get glitches at the output. Also the first second of playback is not always very clean. Is it due to cPlay automaticaly starting playback right after loading songs into ram ?
I have the "old" version of the Gigabyte mobo, running at 170MHz with 2X1GB HyperX and output at 96k. The sound quality is very very analogue with deep bass, smooth mids, and incredibly fast response.

What do you think would bring my PC back to a little comfort zone without damaging the sound quality ? A little higher clock or voltage ?

I still use the .979 driver for my Juli@ might upgrade to 1.23 soon, is it worth it ?

Next step for me would be the sound card cond mod, then the mobo cond mod.

Has anyone using 192K changed the spdif connector to something better like a Canare 75ohm RCA or even a BNC connector ? Have you soldered it right to the board ?

I'm using 96K and did not yet choose between coax or optic.



the following mod for the juli@ dates back from 2005, and was posted by marcello on another forum.
_
"Upgrading digital section:
Locate a good "audiophile"clock oscillator manufacturer. There are multiple offers available on the internet, varying from LC, Audiocom, etc. In NL, Audioart is making a VERY good clock but I'm not sure if they are selling it separately. If not I can intermediate.
I will come with my own clock this summer. 12V and the lowest noise and jitter you've heard of.
Two clocks are needed, one for 22.5792MHz and 1 for 24.576MHz. Replace the existing crystals (x1 and X2)with the corresponding clock oscillators. Power these external clock oscillators by a very good linear supply, or even a lead acid battery if the required voltage is 12Vdc.

Solder a 220uF/10V SG or SH OsCon capacitor from U6, AKM's 4114 chip AVDD pin 38 to ground. Best is to do this on the underside of the board, across BC25. Negative to the solder pad nearest to the "BC25" text.

Solder a 220uF/10V SG or SH OsCon capacitor across C8; positive to the pad towards text "C9", negative to pad towards text "C8".

These measures take care of the most basic limitations of the sound quality of the Juli@ card."
___

I haven't tried any of this. just wanted to share.
I also take no credit for it, Thanks to marcello.

thanks to all the contributors here.

 

RE: Kernel Optimisation: Add "/nopae" to boot.ini file, posted on August 25, 2008 at 13:53:32
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 I took the 'rca out cable' from the breakout cable, cut off the rca connector , separated the ground shield wire from the positive center core wire (not easy because the shield wire is very small gage but it can be done) and soldered it to a bnc connector. Bnc's are better at the high frequencies like 192.

 

RE: Kernel Optimisation: Add "/nopae" to boot.ini file, posted on August 25, 2008 at 14:40:44
gagnem


 
Thanks theob.

I will try it. I would also want to totally get rid of that breakout cable, it looks so cheap... I can't believe it doesn't impact on sound quality.
I know it's a digital signal made of zeros and ones, but I was raised in an "analogue" era where cables had an impact, or was it all just a perception !?! But I think that's a subject for another thread.

to be continued...

martin

 

Intel Q6600, posted on August 26, 2008 at 02:20:26
ivigueras@terra.es
Audiophile

Posts: 21
Location: Madrid
Joined: April 1, 2008
 Cics, what do you think about the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 with the GA-G31M-S2L ?.
Regards.
Ignacio.

 

Simple to install a BNC, posted on August 26, 2008 at 09:48:20
rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3040
Location: Atlanta
Joined: December 15, 2003
 You should do it.

To replace the breakout cable should not be too hard. I guess I will start looking for a plug and simple enought to see which pins are used for digital out.

You are on the right track concerning getting rid of the connector and going straight to the board, though this could be slightly risky. I am not looking at the board at the moment and do not know how close together the solder pins are.

Thanks for the ideas.

Cordially,

Rick McInnis

 

RE: Simple to install a BNC, posted on August 26, 2008 at 12:59:44
sonics
Audiophile

Posts: 116
Joined: July 6, 2008
 hi,
i tried the direct soldering to the board for spdif: better than breakout and easy to solder.But my optical connection is still much better.
bye
alfred

 

I will never know since I do not have an optical receiver, posted on August 26, 2008 at 16:20:20
rickmcinnis@dogwoodfabrics.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3040
Location: Atlanta
Joined: December 15, 2003
 But I do know that 192K sounds MUCH better than 96K on my system.

I have seen band-aid toslink receivers that convert to SPDIF but can't imagine that being an improvement.

Bye,

Rick McInnis

 

Avoid it - high power consumption @TDP=95W vs E7200's 65W. Also, no benefit from extra 2 cores. nt, posted on August 27, 2008 at 10:52:24
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 .

 

CPU Voltage @ 1.00625V (CPU-Z @ 0.976V) - no problems @ 96k. Try higher Clock, posted on August 27, 2008 at 10:56:49
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 That's on old version mobo.

New version at 0.875V outputting 192k!

 

Cics: ok I started this process but ran into a problem, posted on August 29, 2008 at 05:21:26
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 It's not your direction its my implementation. I d/l-ed daemon tools then xp embedded sp2 feature pack 2007 (I have sp2 on home computer). then while trying the next step I somehow could not find the daemon toolbar (because in the interim I d/l-ed xplite to a flash drive so I could eventually suspend wfp on my audio pc). Anyway because I could not find the daemon toolbar I decided to start all over again. I uninstalled daemon, deleted daemon files from program files folder but cant get rid of all of them.

1)how do I rid my system of all daemon files?

2) Is it unimportant to get rid of all daemon files in other words can I just start the daemon d/l process all other again?

 

Don't use "/nopae" optimisation, posted on August 29, 2008 at 10:16:42
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 More extensive testing shows better performance without this setting.

 

RE: USB, cue sheets, latency, mouse, etc., posted on August 30, 2008 at 01:27:53
terry j
Audiophile

Posts: 20
Location: NSW
Joined: June 13, 2008
 hey thanks guys

have had no internet for a while, sorry for not getting back earlier. appreciate your help.

Well I enabled usb 2 in the bios, still nothing from the usb converter. grrr Should it work even with the soundcard still in it?

It must be quite obvious that I know very little about computers, so am willing to try the more simple and obvious stuff, but anything more complicated would probably pass on, not from ingratitude mind! but simple idiocy.

BTW I experienced no probs with the computer when I simply disconnected the dvd drive,,thought I might have at least gotten a warning that something was disconnected! nope, just chugged away as normal.

The only new trick I might try is to (monkey see monkey do) extend all the wiring connections to the touchscreen and then take the TS out of the box and set it up at my listening chair heh heh. Would be cool to have the touchscreen right next to me to get full control at the touch of a button so to speak.

Unless of course some of the more computer savvy amongst you say 'under absolutely no circumstances do that because.....', in which case I will accede to your superior knowledge.

If the consensus seems to be 'dunno, but it should work' then I'm willing to be the group guinea pig! and let you all know.

 

Cics: ok I can get 'XPEFP2007.exe' but ..., posted on August 31, 2008 at 05:37:28
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 ...once I open it and the file 'self extracts' all files I can't find where they are in order to get minlogon. What is the best next step?

 

RE: Cics: ok I can get 'XPEFP2007.exe' but ..., posted on August 31, 2008 at 08:49:13
seger
 theob - you have installed winzip (or winrar is better), right? don't run the XPEFP2007.exe file by double-clicking, instead, right-click on it and select "open with winzip". when you find the minlogon.exe file in the "rep" folder, right-click on it and hold it while you drag it to any folder (like on the desktop) that you have ready, then let go and select "extract here" in the menu that has appeared. you'll find minlogon.exe in there!
after this, it's all a piece of cake!

 

RE: How to implement minlogon.exe (made easy), posted on August 31, 2008 at 09:07:40
riboge
Audiophile

Posts: 675
Joined: June 25, 2008
 Is there a way to do this with SP3? The problem is that there appears to be no way to disable WFP in this version.

 

RE: Cics: ok I can get 'XPEFP2007.exe' but ..., posted on August 31, 2008 at 10:11:23
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 got it on my flash drive. woa! thanks.

 

Seger and Cics done!!!, posted on September 1, 2008 at 11:05:11
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 I have launched minlogon successfully! Thanks to both of you. Question I redid all my bios & Windows settings. But I could not get autoruns to rerun. Any advice?

 

RE: Seger and Cics done!!!, posted on September 1, 2008 at 12:33:49
gagnem


 
I think autoruns won't work in Minlogon.
You have to do all your setings before.

Best
Martin

 

RE: Seger and Cics done!!!, posted on September 1, 2008 at 12:42:13
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 ok guess I did do these before.

 

Cics feedback on minlogon, posted on September 1, 2008 at 14:11:39
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 Perhaps the biggest positive change in the entire process. I will admit this was a royal PITA to implement. Could not have done without seger's help. I was very apprehensive that I was going to mess something up. I took 5 days to inch by inch implement and yes the journey was worth it. The soundstage is deeper/wider perhaps by 30-40%. Bass is tighter, highs are more mellow (i.e., less bright) but revealing of more detail. Dynamics are to die for, just unbelievable to hear cd's I have had for 20 years spring to new life. The pppp sections are more quieter, I probably should replace the fan on my high frequency amplifier, I can now clearly hear it in ppp-pppp passages. The sonic changes are very very noticeable on full scale classical recordings, but surely better on jazz and popular music. Things that charecterize the sound are words like effortless, never hard, more detail, bigger space, quick, just wonderful. Yes I took nopae out from my boot up file. Per cpuz I'm at .976 volts at 180 clock speed. All other settings are as specified. I really don't know how you are going to improve on this
(i.e, Cplay 1.1) but all I can say keep going you are definitely on the right track. This playback system is, in the here and now, a work of art and a significant accomplishment by cics for music lovers everywhere to enjoy.

 

RE: Cics feedback on minlogon, posted on September 1, 2008 at 17:54:09
Audio Bling
Audiophile

Posts: 307
Location: Australia
Joined: October 9, 2007
 Yes, I agree.. minlogon is a significant improvement. I just think that there is added clarity and realism with minlogon implemented. A pain to implement, though. My thanks to Rick Mc for his tip re: minlogon rename. (That mistake caused me two restores.. Then I saw his post.)

Bling

 

UPDATE: cMP² (cMP+cPlay) new hardware (Gigabayte GA-G31M2SL & E7200) setup, posted on September 3, 2008 at 12:13:19
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 Further refinements for cMP is documented here - ignore BIOS changes.

This post covers all optimizations necessary for cMP² (cMP + cPlay) using Gigabyte's GA-G31M-S2L mobo and Intel's E7200 processor. There's no need to review previous posts here or in cPlay's thread.

cMP² using SRC @ 145db SNR betters previous best setup (Biostar P4M900, E1200, cMP, cPlay 1.0b19). E7200's suitability for audio is superior to previous best (E1200) irrespective of CPU load requirements.


Overall Setup

  1. PCI card must be installed in slot 1 (closest to CPU) to ensure dedicated interrupt. Slot 2 forces interrupt sharing - avoid this!

  2. Use high quality RAM - a minimum of 1GB is recommended. Best results are gained using a single 1GB RAM module. cMP setup gives ~920MB available RAM.

  3. Update Gigabyte BIOS to F6x (Download found under "Additional files"). Refer to Gigabyte manual on how 2.

GA-G31M-S2L BIOS Setup
Each point below refers to BIOS menu item. Before applying BIOS changes, perform "Load Fail-Safe Defaults" followed by "Load Optimized Defaults".

System installation can be done before or after these changes.

In BIOS main menu, press [Ctrl]+F1 keys to access advanced BIOS settings. Items in red are high risk and requires a low temperature CPU setup.

  • Standard CMOS Features
    Disable Drive A (floppy disk drive)

  • Advanced BIOS Features
    Disable:
    1. HDD S.M.A.R.T. Capability
    2. No-Execute Memory Protect
    3. CPU Enhanced Halt (C1E)
    4. CPU Thermal Monitor (TM2)

    Make sure CPU EIST Function is Enabled
    Set Init Display First to Onboard
    Set Onbaord VGA to Always Enable

  • Integrated Peripherals
    Set On-Chip SATA Mode to Non-Combined
    Disable Azalia codec, Onboard LAN Boot ROM, Serial & Parallel ports
    Disable Onboard H/W LAN, SMART LAN (if not using networking functionality)
    Disable USB 2.0 Controller (if NOT using USB soundcard)
    Enable USB Keyboard and/or Mouse support if needed

  • Power Management Setup
    Set ACPI Suspend Type to S1
    Disable PME Event Wake-Up, Power On by Ring, Resume by Alarm, HPET Support

  • PnP/PCS Configuration
    Set PCI Latency Timer (CLK) to 128 (maximum benefit is gained when ASIO latency is below 64 samples)

  • PC Health Status
    Disable CPU Smart FAN Control (if no Fan is used)
    Disable CPU Warning Temperature
    Disbale Thermal Throttle TEMP

  • MB Intelligent Tweaker (M.I.T.)
    Set CPU Clock Ratio to 9
    Set fine control to 0.5
    Disable Spread Spectrum

    Enable CPU Host Clock Control
    Set CPU Host Frequency (Mhz) to 175 - this sets FSB to 700Mhz (BIOS should reflect max CPU frequency of 1.66GHz). (Highest setting recommended is 180)

    Set System Memory Multiplier (SPD) to 2 - this sets RAM speed to 350
    Set DRAM Timing Selectable (SPD) to Auto

    Set FSB DeOverVoltage Control to -0.15V
    Set CPU Voltage Control to 1.12500V

    This is an initail value. Depending on mobo / CPU manufacturing, lower voltages can be set and is better. Iteratively try lower voltages. Lowest voltage recommended is 0.87500V - this allows for stable operations. Some setups will NOT go below 1.00625V, in which case BIOS must be reset from CMOS - refer to Gigabyte manual for How 2 (be sure to disconnect power when doing this procedure).

    Best results achieved with lowest voltage giving stable operations as power consumption is reduced. For safe passive CPU cooling, a voltage of 0.95000V or lower is recommended.

    Set CPU GTLREF Voltage Ratio to 0.636 (default) / 0.603 / 0.566 / 0.540 [each to be tested]

    Only test this option once above CPU Voltage has been set to lowest stable value. Impact to sound quality is significant and there's no 'right' setting for GTLREF ratio. Depending on CPU voltage, a specific ratio is best. I get best results with 0.566 using CPU voltage of 0.87500V for 24/192k output.

Perform Save & Exit.

Using latest CPU-Z (1.45) utility, you should get:




CPU at 1.05Ghz, FSB @ 700MHz, Vcc depends on above CPU voltage (and is always lower). Only CPU-Z version 1.45 or later will recognize the E7200.

Allow for at least 48 hours of burn-in (this applies to existing setups as well).

System Devices
Under System Devices, disable the following:

  1. Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) - PCI Express Root Port - 27D0
  2. Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) - SMBus Controller - 27DA
    When SMBus Controller is disabled, System Restart will not work - you can only perform a System Shutdown (and power-up).
  3. Intel(R) 82802G Firmware Hub Device
  4. Numeric Data Processor
  5. Microcode Update Device

Power Settings in Windows XP SP2 Professional
Under Power Option from Control Panel, Set Power Scheme to "Max Battery".

Kernel Optimisations
See section 4.14 in AOB Computer Transports version 0.3 for more details. Add "/3GB" which gives more available RAM (~30MB).

Registry Optimisation (Priority Setting)
Locate following in registry:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\PriorityControl\Win32PrioritySeparation

If priority was set for 'Background Processes' the value is 18, change to 28. Note these are hexadecimal values and correct setting must reflect as 0x00000028(40). Reboot.

 

Great you got the spread spectrum disable capability on new bios drivers, posted on September 3, 2008 at 14:36:45
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 That is just wonderful. I will let 48 hours of burn in to transpire before I provide feedback.

 

RE: Avoid it - high power consumption @TDP=95W vs E7200's 65W. Also, no benefit from extra 2 cores. nt, posted on September 4, 2008 at 22:03:13
Cyberlacunae
Audiophile

Posts: 58
Joined: March 15, 2003
 Hi cisc, do you mean when XP SP2 or SP3 is used? What if Vista Enterprise is used? I assume the app is multi-threaded, doesn't it scale well with four cores?

Since TDP of Q6600 is higher, I wonder when upsampling to 24/192 or higher, whether the difference of dissipating power bewteen a lower cpu usage of Q6600 and higher cpu usage E7200 is much? Does it still make sense to use Q6600 as it gives more headroom for future upsampling upgrade? Thanks.

 

Applies to XP and Vista, posted on September 5, 2008 at 04:00:36
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 E7200 already provides massive processing capability with a single core comfortably doing 192k high quality SRC upsampling (145db SNR). So much so that its underclocked for playback (1.66GHz, 90% core cpu load). Design is for low power consumption rather than low CPU utilisation.

Maximum current draw for E7200 is 75A vs Q6600 115A. With lower VIDs, lower max current applies.

In cMP, 2 cores are needed for optimal playback. Additional cores may be useful with very heavy upsampling demands but this requires SRC to be multi-threaded (not the case now).

 

cMP - no files in explorer window, only desktop??, posted on September 9, 2008 at 06:38:30
hybride


 
When running Cmp i only can see 'desktop' in the explorer window, so no directorys with music can be choosen. What can i do wrong?

 

Goto to settings and set your music folders that contain .cue files. Directories are accessed via Explore. nt, posted on September 9, 2008 at 10:26:52
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 .

 

RE: cMP - no files in explorer window, only desktop??, posted on September 9, 2008 at 10:40:48
hybride


 
Yes i understand. On my desktop work-pc i can acces folders through cmp's explorer (Settings > add), but on my (Vista) Music-PC i only get 'Desktop' in the explorer window, no further tree or maps to choose whathever i try. What can cause this issue?

 

Don't have Vista but I know others are using it successfully, posted on September 9, 2008 at 12:09:40
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 There may be a security feature in Vista that needs to be changed.

 

RE: cMP - no files in explorer window, only desktop??, posted on September 9, 2008 at 15:23:48
riboge
Audiophile

Posts: 675
Joined: June 25, 2008
 That is what I have found as well using vista on two different systems. Only folders on the desktop can be chosen in settings. You either put your music library on the desktop with cue files in subfolders where the individual .flac or waves are or you put the cuesheets in a folder on the desktop and edit the cuesheets to use full addresses to the folders in which you keep your music files not on the desktop. I use the latter arrangement which works quite well though a pain in adapting pre-existing files for use via cuesheets.

This is one of a few GUI features that could be easily improved by someone with the knowhow to make cMP>cPlay a much more useable playback system. The ability to resize the window and/or font and a playlist function driving succesive reloads of RAM are two prominent other improvements needed.

 

RE: cMP - no files in explorer window, only desktop??, posted on September 10, 2008 at 04:37:49
hybride


 
thx for sharing. I'm glad not to be the only one with this (Vista?)issue and Cmd. I agree about the GUI features. Let's hope someone can manage this.

 

RE: cMP - no files in explorer window, only desktop??, posted on September 11, 2008 at 23:05:19
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 I have the same problem.
So I unstall cMP,just use cPLAY.

 

How does cMP^2 sound on Vista?, posted on September 22, 2008 at 10:06:01
chipzahoy
Audiophile

Posts: 74
Location: Taiwan
Joined: September 22, 2008
 My friends strongly advocate Vista over XP for music playback. They claim that Vista is superior due to MMCSS (Multimedia Class Scheduler service) sound card drivers and WASAPI output support, which allows applications to bypass windows mixer and API. However, most of them use foobar2000 as their playback program and are hesitant to switch to cMP^2.

Please let us know whether you've tested cMP^2 on both XP and Vista, and if you feel any significant difference. I'd love to do the comparison myself, but I won't be able to gather accurate results due to certain difficulties I'm facing on my current system.

 

CPU GTLREF Voltage Ratio at 0.566 is recommended. nt, posted on September 22, 2008 at 18:18:25
cics
Audiophile

Posts: 1320
Joined: November 9, 2006
 .

 

RE: How does cMP^2 sound on Vista?, posted on September 22, 2008 at 18:28:12
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 cMP will not work on VISTA,cause when add media,the dialog bos only show "Desktop" icon,no other Directory like "C:" or "D:".
I just use cPLAY on VISTA SP1.
I prefer VISTA SP1,and now RME driver support MMCSS(only) for VISTA.

 

RE: How does cMP^2 sound on Vista?, posted on September 23, 2008 at 07:55:04
riboge
Audiophile

Posts: 675
Joined: June 25, 2008
 As I reported just a few posts up in this topic, you can use cMP in vista if you put your music library on the desktop or if you put on the desktop cuesheets that use full addresses for the music files in your library located elsewhere.

 

RE: How does cMP^2 sound on Vista?, posted on September 23, 2008 at 10:53:18
chipzahoy
Audiophile

Posts: 74
Location: Taiwan
Joined: September 22, 2008
 Thank you for your answers. As a RME9632 user, I'm eager to test the new MMCSS mechanism. However, I'm hesitant to switch to Vista, since cics recommends XP Pro SP2, and (correct me if I'm wrong) Vista - being a memory hog - would require the use of over 1GB RAM.

Please enlighten me with your first hand experiences. How does cMP^2 actually *sound* under Vista, and is it that much better than XP? I don't intend to sound doubtful, it's just that I've had bad experiences using Vista on my gaming computer and my girlfriend's laptop (with 1G RAM, ugh), it seemed clusmy and packed compared to XP Pro. Or am I'm just ignorant of advanced Vista optimizations? :P

 

RE: How does cMP^2 sound on Vista?, posted on September 24, 2008 at 22:16:55
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 I don't know w=how to do "put your music library on the desktop".
for ex:My music file put on "D:\jazz" or "D:\rock",I create a shortcut on desktop point to the directory.
But when add file on cMP,just only show "Desktop" icon,no other directory.

 

How to use cMP+cPLAY?, posted on September 26, 2008 at 07:34:45
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 I have try add directory on VISTA successful.
When I start play use cMP,the Diagnostics box show:
The task "c:\program files\foobar2000....."
but I install the cPLAY on "d:\program files\cPlay",
How can I change this setting?

 

RE: How to use cMP+cPLAY?, posted on September 26, 2008 at 08:21:43
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 there is a way to do this that was described by cics. do a pcaudio advanced search: author cics; key words cplay, foobar. try that

 

RE: How to use cMP+cPLAY?, posted on September 26, 2008 at 09:31:24
Ryelands


 
>How can I change this setting?

In your D:\program files\cMP folder, open the file called cicsMemoryPlayer.pth with Notepad. The second line reads:

CUE_PLAYER #N "c:\program files\cics Play\cicsPlay.exe" %C

Changing C:\ to D:\ and saving the file should work.

Best

Dave

 

Case Selection: Zalman HD160XT Plus or Moneul 972, posted on September 26, 2008 at 23:46:21
Cyberlacunae
Audiophile

Posts: 58
Joined: March 15, 2003
 I see the original case recommendation is HD160XT, will I encounter any issue if HD160XT Plus or Moneul 972 is used instead. Plus and non-plus seems to be only differnt in the LCD control software. Please advise. Thanks.

 

USE cMP^2 sound on Vista result, posted on September 27, 2008 at 05:52:09
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 Finally,I try cMP^2 on VISTA SP1(Enterprise)successful.
But.....,so sad,there is some problem.
When I play a song,after about 3-5 mins,there comes some error,play abnormal.
So I forget cMP^2 on VISTA,just use cPLAY.
I think cPLAY is good enough!

 

RE: USE cMP^2 sound on Vista result, posted on September 27, 2008 at 06:33:44
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 Boy I can't help you on your issue. I think only someone like cics can. But I encourage you to keep trying to get cmp to work, In xp it is really that much better.


 

RE: USE cMP^2 sound on Vista result, posted on September 27, 2008 at 07:12:59
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 Thanks,I will try it.
In the path file,should I change the path to the cicsplay.bat instead of cicsplay.exe?
And how can I change the desktop data folder to the "Y:",because I store my music file on Disk Y.

 

RE: USE cMP^2 sound on Vista result, posted on September 27, 2008 at 08:23:12
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 Im my cicsmemory player file it says: CUE_Player # "c:program files\cics play\cicsplay.exe" %C

For getting your data I'm not sure I know the answer. But if you are in cplay screen and you press stop, then press the folder you get all the data showing on c drive. If you click cdrive and go up a level you can drill down to any drive (desk top, d, c, g whatever).

 

RE: Thanks to all,I play cPLAY in cMP successful., posted on September 29, 2008 at 18:23:07
jammypan@gmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 36
Joined: August 9, 2008
 Thanks to all,I play cPLAY in cMP successful.
But there come some problem.
1.It only add Desktop folder(I use VISTA SP1),and if my music file on drive D: or other,cMP can't find it.
2.When play about 3-5 mins,it will play abnormal sound;I will try other configuration.
But I think cPLAY 1.3 SSE3 version is good enough!

 

Easy Minlogon without disabling WFP, posted on October 2, 2008 at 05:02:18
seger
 Minlogon without disabling WFP:

Download this minlogon.cab file from here.
You must have WinRAR or WinZip or similar extraction tool installed.
Right-click the minlogon.cab file and choose "Extract to minlogon/"
The minlogon.exe file is in the minlogon folder that appears.

Restart and repeatedly press F8 when booting to enter Safe Mode
In C:\WINDOWS\system32 rename winlogon.exe to winlogon.exe.bak
Copy the minlogon.exe into system32 folder and rename to winlogon.exe
Make a new text document and copy the following into it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"Config"=dword:00000017

Save it as minlogon.reg to the desktop or another convenient directory (folder)

Double-click minlogon.reg to create the new dword called Config with value 00000017 which allows minlogon to work.
Restart and you have implemented minlogon.


I've used this successfully with XP SP2 and SP3. The systems have all the cics optimizations in place before implementing minlogon.

 

RE: Easy Minlogon without disabling WFP, posted on October 2, 2008 at 05:54:05
theob
Audiophile

Posts: 3180
Location: ann arbor michigan
Joined: November 4, 2000
 nice and thanks I'll be needing sooner than I thought

 

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