Stereo Tool

I have constructed a PC to run ST for a 100Kw FM radio station. In testing, the box has been running ST perfectly (I7-7700, SSD, Juli@, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS). The ST version is stereo_tool_gui_jack_64.

It runs well, no hiccups at all and sounds great (trial version; will register when the final bug is worked out and we assure ourselves it works at the transmitter).

Our final pre-transmitter problem is that we need the software to start up on the exact settings as when it shuts down if there is a power failure. We will run it on a UPS backup but that will only protect for a limited time and, unfortunately, this particular station does not use a backup generator. So we can expect the occasional power outage and ST computer shutdown.

We are testing what happens when there is a power failure and while we can get Qjackctl/Jackd to auto start when the computer automatically restarts itself, we cannot get ST to behave properly. If we put it in the Ubuntu autostart app along with Qjackctl, it will run before Jackd and it does not process properly. Our answer so far is to run ST with a script in Qjackctl options that launches ST after the Jack server. This works extremely well EXCEPT that the new instance of ST does not start where we left off. We must manually reset the settings.

This seems like an easy fix that we just cannot find. We are not Linux experts. We chose Linux based on a recommendation due to it's stability vs Windows.

Are we attacking this the wrong way, and is there a more universal approach among Ubuntu users?

I am using Windows XP last 10 years. I have 2 PC's both attached to transmitter doing full FM processing 24/7. had zero problems with windows. Remote is VNC.
Now, those are old hardware PC's but they are still working just fine. Only upgrade since day one is SSD instead HDD.
It's better to pay atention do Hardware parts. Most important is PSU. I always pick every hardware part by myself.

now..
Do you now think Linux is better then Windows in this situation?

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control point
control point2

Hello Bojcha, thanks for the response. I run RadioDJ on a 10 year old Dell Windows XP laptop that used to be my everyday machine, and it has been surprisingly reliable. Only crashes a couple of times a year. But it does crash, hence some apprehension for me. My current workhorse laptop is an ASUS G75VW running Windows 7 on two SSD's. I love this machine, which also runs RadioDJ for live sports broadcasts multiple times per week. But I am on my third SSD in the past five years. It just dies every couple of years. I have gotten very good at backing everything up.

I wish I had your experience with Windows. For now, I am willing to go with the Linux build but I have to resolve this issue. Interestingly, I have tested the post power failure boot up this morning and it has retained the settings three times. It is possible the problem has resolved itself, but if it did, I have no idea why. No changes were made.

Since you mentioned the PSU (I agree with the importance of this link in the hardware chain), who is your recommended brand?

Thanks - Floyd

P.S. - Your presets are the best!

All you described is mostly hardware problem.
As you know SSD's does not like much read and especially write. It just simple dies after some time. You use that PC with probably constant write and read. So.. That's why is recommended to have processing PC to do only that. It does not write and read almost nothing, so SSD has practically unlimited life. Ofcourse in my experience SSD, and every other part, simply dies by itself, it happenes. So when it comes to parts it's good to read some other expiriences and inform on subject as much deep.

SSD: In my case i found Patriot FLARE 60, Patriot BURST 120, and bit more expensive Samsung's as good choice, there is probably more. Kingstone, Toshiba, Apacer... never!

PSU: EVGA G2, G3 series also Superflower2 series, and nothing else! (EVGA G3 650/750w is awesome one!)

Never use LAN onboard for transmitter site! You need PCI or PCIe INTEL PRO series Lan! (there is explenataion for this)

For other parts there is so many choices and series and models, just look what PC hardware gurus says and make own oppinion.

And when in comes to windows, Set your os and KILL everything not needed, from updates-to-services.
I strongly recommend to not use Win10. It's possible to set it right, but really hard-to-almost-impossible. At some point will make problem, I guarantee.

edit:
I must say that i have almost ZERO expirience with linux

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control point
control point2

Nowadays hardware unfortunately comes without drivers for anything but Windows 10 - or Linux.
So you're stuck with a very "unstable" Windows as the only Microsoft option. Unstable means: you are forced to get updates.

I would also second the recommendation to use ST on Linux in your scenario. I'm running ST on a headless machine in an unmonitored environment and have created a small autostart script that runs jack and its clients.
That does it really well apart from the ST bug which refuses to draw the GUI sometimes. Processing runs fine, though.

You could also check out the docker version of ST I've recently created which makes it possible to run multiple stereotools on one Linux. The docker stereotool is able to run without jack as it waits for a jack master to appear before launching ST itself, so that behaves correctly.

If using ST directly, try this as a start:

#!/bin/bash
cd /home/user
jackd -d alsa -d hw:DSP -r 44100 -p 128 &
sleep 2 # add  more if jack needs longer to startup
./stereo_tool_gui_jack &
aj-snapshot -j -d jack_snapshot.xml & # nice tool to manage connections, look it up

That script should run on autostart when user logs in (set your machine to automatically login on boot)

Hey Bojcha,

I just tried sending you a PM regarding the cable connection from my sound card to the transmitter, but it is not showing it as sent. It says it is in the outbox and doesn't seem to want to go out. Please check to see if you've received it. Thank you

Minetti,

Thank you for the advice and the code. I will let you know how that goes.

I think Bojcha has it right.

I have an XP installation on a mountaintop FM. It's been there for 6 years in an environment-controlled building... very clean and nice & cool. It has NEVER crashed.

This might horrify those who jump on updates as soon as they come out: That mountain site is running ST 6.20! It started as a music station, then went to news-talk. It's cleaner than any other station on the local dial and easily loud enough... no particular reason to change the software, as far as I can see.

-J