So I'm having the worst luck with optical SPDIF devices.
http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=d0d48e597f0cdbd1b377aea6f8d73b000301ae8a
Recently I hooked up my synthesizer in the configuration that used to work fine, and it didn't work: The Sound Blaster HD usb audio device doesn't seem to be working on modern kernels, nor does the spandy-new SIIG HD Digital 7.1 USB Audio Box.
I'll go down the list of devices:
_[/proc/asound]_(root@eva)_ # cat cards 0 [Pro ]: USB-Audio - SB X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro Creative Technology Ltd SB X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro at usb-0000:00:14.0-4.7.5, ful
This device works fine. Unfortunately, it only has optical SPDIF out, no SPDIF input.
1 [Audio ]: USB-Audio - USB2.0 High-Speed True HD Audio CMEDIA USB2.0 High-Speed True HD Audio at usb-0000:00:14.0-1.4, high speed
Just got this from Amazon, it is a "SIIG HD Digital 7.1 USB Audio Box". I was hoping the optical SPDIF input would work to replace the Sound Blaster HD below -- but alas, it doesn't.
2 [M8 ]: USB-Audio - MOTIF ES 8 Yamaha MOTIF ES 8 at usb-0000:00:14.0-1.3, full speed
This is actually a MIDI-over-USB device, my synth. The output of the synthesizer is optical SPDIF, which _used_ to work with the following device:
3 [HD ]: USB-Audio - USB Sound Blaster HD Creative Technology USB Sound Blaster HD at usb-0000:00:14.0-4.7.6, full speed
I used to be able to use the optical SPDIF input for this device from my synth, but that seems to have stopped working. Further, I can't play audio out of the Sound Blaster HD's optical SPDIF output, either. It works in Windows 10, which is where I had to spend my latest music session -- yuck.
Never mind the rest of the devices.
Naturally, I'd love for this to be a quick fix, but I'm even willing to buy more hardware, if I know the SPDIF optical input works. (Buying the SIIG device was my way of "punting" by getting Creative out of the mix.)
I'm also willing to ship the non-working devices to anyone who can make them work, for the good of Linux.
I use Rosegarden on Linux, and for various reasons, the port to Windows just doesn't cut the mustard.
Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. :)
-Scott