[PD] PD as real-time effects processor?

[pdvangelist]

On Wed Jun 07, 2006 at 12:02:11PM +0100, Otto Maddox wrote:
> Hi.
> 
> I'm hoping to use my laptop (Apple PowerBook G4, 667) as a real-time effects processor for live audio signals.  I've been thinking of getting a USB or FW audio interface and connecting its inputs and outputs to the effects loop on my outboard mixer.
> 
> I've had minimal prior exposure to PD, but I thought it might be a good software DSP environment for this sort of thing?

absolutely..

> 
> Probably the biggest issue will be latency between the input and output, but I thought that if I can keep it low enough then it might be OK.  Mostly I will be doing reverb-type effects, and some delays, so latency might not be too much of a problem, but computation time might be.
> 
> Has anybody tried this before?  If PD not such a good fit, then could somebody please recommend a better environment for this sort of thing?

PD is a great fit for realtime DSP. being the original thing it was invented for. it gets more hairy when you start dealing with nonrealtime, and non-dsp stuff..

try the CoreAudio first (adjusting the buffer if necessary), JackOSX is another option, but im not sure that you will be able to reduce latency with it, since it still has to go thru CoreAudio

> 
> Thanks.