ALSA sound issues

lamiczka · 11-20-2004, 05:34 AM

I got two questions about ALSA...

1) Is it possible to configure it somehow that it plays two sounds at same time mixed together (for example when I am listening to XMMS and ICQ message arrives)

2) When I add volume, I hear noise. Can this be fixed somehow? ALS4000 sound card.

PMorph · 11-20-2004, 08:21 AM

1) Using KDE? If so, you need to activate its "Sound System". Then output to it from XMMS (using xmms plugin for aRts). I think... haven't tried it myself.

2) Tried to mute input channels in "alsamixer"?

lamiczka · 11-20-2004, 01:33 PM

No, am using Gnome.

Tried to mute them, but it does not work...

furryspider · 11-20-2004, 03:27 PM

1) I'm a KDE user myself, but doesn't Gnome use the Enlightened Sound Daemon (ESD)? If so, it's also possible to play 2 sounds at once over ESD. Just tell your ICQ client to play the sounds using 'esdplay' instead of 'play' or 'aplay', and use the XMMS ESD-output-plugin.

On a sidenote, even if your desktop environment uses something different, you could still install and use ESD. I for one removed ARTS (the KDE sound system) and am currently trying my luck with ESD.

(Sorry, no clue about point 2)

exvor · 11-20-2004, 03:40 PM

Dont know about mixing sounds thing. Only thing i can suggest is trying to change your sound from the enlightenment sound damon to the Esound

The noise you hear if from the hardware of the computer/soundcard. You can also pick up transmissins if there strong enough as sound on the line.

ex. If i use my handheld cb radio in my house i can hear my self though my cheep speakers

lamiczka · 11-20-2004, 08:16 PM

I will try it.

No, the noise is made by the driver..... on WinXP it works perfect.

foo_bar_foo · 11-20-2004, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lamiczka
I got two questions about ALSA...

1) Is it possible to configure it somehow that it plays two sounds at same time mixed together (for example when I am listening to XMMS and ICQ message arrives)

alsa can mix sounds just fine the problem is with the applications themselves using and possibly holding a lock on the legacy OSS sound device /dev/dsp.
if the applications are not holding a lock you can get alsa to do software mixing by using a file in your home directory named .asoundrc put this in it (this will also cause software mixing for native alsa device as well)

Code:

# this makes legacy OSS apps use alsa software mixing dmix
pcm.dsp0 {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmix"
}

# mixer0 can stay unchanged, because it isn't used anyway, I guess ? ;)
ctl.mixer0 {
    type hw
    card 0
}

# this makes native ALSA apps default to using dmix
pcm.!default {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmix"
}

you can use the alsa-xmms output plugin
or use a soundserver and an output plugin for that server (jack is a great soundserver if you have time to learn how to use it)
don't know solution for icq i don't use that

Quote:

2) When I add volume, I hear noise. Can this be fixed somehow? ALS4000 sound card.

i think it's just a matter of overdriving the card
you have five settings (at least on my card) that effect gain
Master output
PCM output
Wave input
and the two output tone controls Treble and Bass

try different combinations of these
it seems to work best for me to reduce wave volume comming in by about 1/3 and turn down PCM a little until you can turn the master all the way up without distortion

npc · 08-04-2005, 09:02 PM

I've run into the same problem lately. I've just bought this really cheap sound board, a generic ALS4000, and the sound is pretty noisy when i turn the volume 80%+. It's really annoying because i've tried all possible combinations of alsamixer controls on and off but it's just the same everytime. I'm starting to wonder if it's just bad alsa-oss driver thing.
Please dont let this thread die, we still need help here! BTW, i'm a slackware user, 10-10.1 (updated libs, most of them i guess), and i've got the 1.0.9 alsa stuff all installed. Kernel 2.6.11.

Thank you.

otchie1 · 08-05-2005, 05:17 PM

or you can just fit a sound card that does it onboard..an old SBLive with OSS does this perfectly.

npc · 08-05-2005, 06:02 PM

That's the problem i cant afford to buy a "quality" card and those oldies, good oldies, are a too much hard to find.