[alsa-devel] SPDIF trouble with multiple usb devices
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
Scott Doty wrote:
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.
And how exactly are you trying to record or play?
Does it work with arecord/aplay?
Regards, Clemens
On Wed, 13 Apr 2016, Scott Doty wrote:
So I'm having the worst luck with optical SPDIF devices. ...
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.
Exactly what does 'stopped working' mean? Doesn't it should up when you enumerate audio devices, does it show up but input and output results in silence, does it show up but attempting to send audio results in an error, etc. (I know you linked to a long ALSA dump, but folks around here would be more willing to help if you stated as precisely as you could which symptoms you actually have.)
/Ricard
On 04/13/2016 02:30 AM, Ricard Wanderlof wrote:
On Wed, 13 Apr 2016, Scott Doty wrote:
So I'm having the worst luck with optical SPDIF devices. ...
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.
Exactly what does 'stopped working' mean? Doesn't it should up when you enumerate audio devices, does it show up but input and output results in silence, does it show up but attempting to send audio results in an error, etc. (I know you linked to a long ALSA dump, but folks around here would be more willing to help if you stated as precisely as you could which symptoms you actually have.)
/Ricard
Sorry for being asleep at the switch, tax time hit me squarely between the eyes. :/
The problem I'm seeing is that pulse can select the spdif input on both devices, but I never hear any sound. I've also tried using alsa via rec (from SOX) to record from various hw: devices with no joy. Also using ALSA devices from Audacity (which is what I started with in the first place.)
HOWEVER, I was able to get at the optical audio in on the SIIG device with the following command:
arecord -c 2 -f S32_LE -r 48000 -D dsnoop:CARD=Audio,DEV=1 trythis2.wav
And then I investigated the "plughw" interface, and this worked too:
arecord -c 2 -f S16_LE -r 48000 -D plughw:CARD=Audio,DEV=1 trythisPLUG.wav
So at least I can investigate that, and read up on using dsnoop and plughw devices with Audacity.
The Sound Blaster HD, though, didn't have the same luck -- it is still flatline when I view the dsnoop: device recording .wav files with audacity, as well as the files from arecord on the plughw devices.
The output of arecord -L is in my .sig.
I see also "dmix" devices on the SIIG device, I will now investigate those for optical spdif playback on the SIIG device, and the Sound Blaster HD device if I have a chance. The X-Fi device plays through the optical spdif connector as expected.
Thank you!
I can't be any help with the core issue, but...
On Friday 15 April 2016 02:02, Scott Doty wrote: <snip>
.... Also using ALSA devices from Audacity (which is what I started with in the first place.)
<snip>
So at least I can investigate that, and read up on using dsnoop and plughw devices with Audacity.
The Portaudio code, which is used for audio in Audacity, has an SVN branch 'alsa_expt_devt' where I began working on a more extensive device listing scheme. That can be checked out into the lib-src of the Audacity code and rebuilt for a interesting alternative! Join us on the Portaudio list to discuss it.
Regards
Alan
participants (4)
-
Alan Horstmann -
Clemens Ladisch -
Ricard Wanderlof -
Scott Doty