Inside your PARIS Configuration File (paris.cfg)
The paris.cfg file is a "preference" file that stores details of your configuration. It stores preferences pertaining to the global operation of PARIS (such as cache settings, enabling/disabling the MIDI engine or jog shuttle wheel sensitivity).
The paris.cfg file is located in the PARIS application folder. It can be edited from the Project Window in PARIS, but additional parameters and values can be accessed and changed by opening it directly in Notepad (or any other text editor). Be certain there are no typos in your edits, and also be certain to rename it with the .cfg file extension after saving (for example, to edit the paris.cfg on a Macintosh you must change the file extension to .txt in order to open it in eg. Simple Text; after you save the file, you must change the extension back to .cfg).
The "default" configuration settings for PARIS tend to be pretty lean and conservative since they were based on assumptions of the limited capabilities of the host computers of the time. To gain a noticeable performance increase on modern computers, some settings can (and should) be increased to higher values. Since in some cases those values should be much higher than the "select a value" menus in the Project Window will permit, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with editing Paris.cfg manually.
A numerical "1" by itself is the equivalent of "yes"; a numerical "0" is the equivalent of "no". They're pretty literal reading, so thus "MIDIPlayDisabled=1" means "yes, DO disable MIDI functionality" and "MIDIPlayDisabled=0" would mean "no, leave MIDI running" (MIDI is "enabled" by default).
Inside A Typical paris.cfg
*** PARIS Configuration *** *** ENGINE configuration parameters *** * Cache Size in MB CacheSize=128 * Overview cache size in KB OvwCacheSize=8192 * I/O configuration IOSize=256 * SubMix Cache Size in KB SubMixCacheSize=256 ManualRecDelay=4096 RecXFadeLen=20 Use32BitWinMTC=0 DisableDirectX=0 MasterOutputCard=0 ScrubMaxRate=1 WheelSensitivity=20 WheelInertia=68 CSProVersion=ABCDEFGH VSTDirectory=C:\vsts\ MIDIPlayDisabled=1
[A note about the structure of the Paris.cfg - a line beginning with the asterisk is a "comment", meaning it's ignored by the app - it's merely there to provide you with a reference. The second line gives the actual value (in the following case, 128 MB).]
Paris.cfg line by line:
Cache Size (in mb)
* Cache Size in MB CacheSize=128
Disk I/O (undefined value - perhaps samples?)
* I/O configuration IOSize=256
Edmund's discussion of cache settings follows:
The cache size is determined by two factors:
- The Disk IO Size, and
- Number of REAL tracks of playback.
So for Brian with 80 tracks he will need about 5 times the usual amount. More memory is needed IF you switch to larger disk I/O or have additional submixes (count each virtual submix as a 2 more tracks). There is definitely nothing wrong with using larger disk cache sizes, as long as you have the RAM...
Edmund Pirali
Intelligent Devices, Inc.
Note this interaction:
Here is how it works:
- The only factor that will effect number of tracks played/record is the disk I/O size. The larger the size, the more efficient the disk is (almost always), but slower the response time of PARIS.
- The Disk Cache Size needs to be adjust as you increase the disk I/O until it shows the number of tracks you intent to playback. Thats the only real effect. Also if the disk cache is larger smaller loops MAY play from memory and not require disk access.
- The overview cache size usually does not play into this.
Your SeaGate MAY be fast enough got 24 tracks in 24 bits, but your internal Mac SCSI may not be. You may need a SCSI accelerator card.
Edmund Pirali
Intelligent Devices, Inc.
* Overview cache size in KB OvwCacheSize=8192
Your overview cache is used to store waveform views. It can be safely boosted from this number (hard data coming)
DisableDirectX=0
A value of "0" here turns off PARIS' DirectX plugin subsystem, which can be unstable.
MasterOutputCard=0
As stated, defines your "Card A"
ScrubMaxRate=1
Customize the maximum rate of your "audio scrub" function.
WheelSensitivity=20 WheelInertia=68
Customize the behaviour of your C16's jog/shuttle wheel.
CSProVersion=ABCDEFGH
Each letter assigns a particular C16 to C16 Pro mode.
VSTDirectory=C:\vsts\
Can be used to manually delete a "stubborn" VST Path.
MIDIPlayDisabled=1
See "optional settings" below for more information on disabling MIDI in PARIS.
Optional Settings in your paris.cfg
PARIS has several settings that cannot be accessed via the "Configuration" menu entry in your Project Window. Your PARIS.cfg must be opened in a text editor and edited directly to access them.
1) UseHouseSync
If you are using more than two MECs you must 1) use an external clock source, and 2) enable PARIS to use that clock source by including this line.
UseHouseSync=1
(external word clock enabled)
UseHouseSync=0
(external word clock disabled)
Even if you do not use multiple MECs, you must include that line if you're planning to use external word clock.
2) MIDIPlayDisabled
MIDIPlayDisabled=1
(disables MIDI)
MIDIPlayDisabled=0
(enables MIDI)
This is where you enable or disable the built-in MIDI sequencing functionality in PARIS (note that this does not include MTC, which is unaffected). PARIS MIDI can have a destabilizing effect on your PARIS system, so if you're not going to use PARIS' built-in MIDI sequencing, disabling this is best.
3) VSTDirectory
Your VST Plugins Path looks like this when no path has been specified.
VSTDirectory=
After you specify a path, it looks like this:
VSTDirectory=C:/VSTPlugins [or whatever path you've specified]
Unfortunately, the configuration screen in PARIS is not 100% reliable at removing this information. If you want to completely remove your plugin path, delete all information in the same line so it looks like this again:
VSTDirectory=
4) TestFXEnabled
TestFXEnabled=0
Apparently this setting lets you disable all of your EDS FX, just in case you wanted to know.
5) EDSTransfer
We do not have much hard information on EDSTransfer, but it appears to be a way of customizing the buffers between EDS cards. The first number (before the comma) is reputed to be the Card Transfer Size (the default value is 16k). It seems to affect the speed of the data exchange. The second number (after the comma) appears to be the card buffer count.
It's probably best to consider lowering these values to have the same potential consequences as overclocking your EDS card. This may or may not be the case technically, but similar trade-offs seem to apply: you can get significant performance increases at a potential cost of system stability and the generation of excess (and potentially damaging) heat that may reduce the life span of your EDS card.
With those cautions in mind, lowering these values to the following has been reported to speed transfers to the point where Senderella can transmit between submixes at zero latency. Users have experimented with the following values. 8,16 has been suggested to produce a more acceptable balance of risk/reward than 8,8.
Given that, here's what Edmund had to say:
steve I can pretty much guarantee you that the freeze up is not the PARIS app, mainly because I have personally stress tested the Mac version. But having said that try adding this one line to the config and let me know what you find: EDSTransfer=XX,4 Where XX is your I/O size /4 (in your current posted config that is 32). Please let me know. Thanks.
Edmund Pirali
Intelligent Devices, Inc.
EDSTransfer=8,16
EDSTransfer=8,8
...(8,8 can work too but streaming with too many tracks
over many cards is problematic) - Dimitrios
> I'm using a Turbomax card in my 233mz 9600, with a 5200rpm 16gig IBM drive that the turbomax folk were selling-
> I got them as a package. I have gobs of memory.
> > I've put off posting my system's performance until 2.1 came out - but now, here it is.
> > With 2.1, I immediately had streaming errors. I've tried screwing with the configs every way I can think of.
> I read that having too much memory for Paris actually can make things worse on older, slower machines -
> I think I have 50megs for Paris at the moment.
> > So, what's the bottom line? I was playing a project last night with less than 16 tracks. It would occasionally
> become erratic. Once the machine froze and had to be rebooted. Perhaps this is the fix for dropped tracks-
> instead of dropping tracks, the project froze... It seems like a buffer gets filled and then playback stops. If this
> is the case, it must be a heck of a big buffer - sometimes it would happen after I'd played back the song several times.
> > When these things didn't happen, all was fine. Great, in fact. I recorded another project with 14 or so tracks
> and it worked flawlessly.
> > I have a suspicion that a 7200rpm Maxtor would make a world of difference. If I can talk myself into buying one
> I'll give it a try and report back.
> > -steve I can pretty much guarantee you that the freeze up is not the PARIS app, mainly because I have personally stress tested the Mac version. But having said that try adding this one line to the config and let me know what you find: EDSTransfer=XX,4 Where XX is your I/O size /4 (in your current posted config that is 32). Please let me know. Thanks.
Edmund Pirali
Intelligent Devices, Inc.
6) PreQFactor
Some of our information on PreQFactor has now been lost, but these notes have survived courtesy of Steve "artguy's" excellent repository.
PreQFactor [we don't have a range of "good" values for this - anybody?]
> I thought you were only supposed to add in the PreQ line if
> you were having problems with streaming errors. Does the PreQ
> line present less of a load to the CPU? Are there any tradeoffs
> in using it?
Only trade-off: slightly more memory use and longer time to que data for play. It doesn't reduce CPU load, but will "smooth" out the load for taxing plug-ins (because it precalculates further into the future).
> Perhaps these questions were covered some time ago...but I
> come from the "if it ain't broke; don't fix it" camp. And my
> Paris ain't broke yet...
Then don't worry about it, just keep the info around...
Edmund Pirali
Intelligent Devices, Inc.
Note that if you also edit your paris.cfg using the Project Window's menus, you must be careful of PARIS resetting itself to the default:
If you add the PreQFactor to your paris.cfg file and then change settings through Paris itself (for example Disk I/O buffer) paris.cfg is re-written without the PreQFactor line. Took me a while to figure out why I suddenly started getting disk too slow errors!
