USB Sound card ALSA Problems

minizzZ · 05-06-2019, 02:19 PM

Hello,

I want to make my Native Instruments Audio 8 DJ sound card work on my Raspberry Pi 3B+ (latest Raspbian Stretch). It is supported by ALSA under the module name snd-usb-caiaq. If I plug the sound card in it recognises it and also the module is loaded.

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Audio8DJ [Audio 8 DJ], device 0: Audio 8 DJ [Audio 8 DJ]
Subdevices: 4/4
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
card 1: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 0: bcm2835 ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA]
Subdevices: 7/7
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
card 1: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 1: bcm2835 ALSA [bcm2835 IEC958/HDMI]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0[/SIZE]

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ lsmod | grep snd_usb_caiaq
snd_usb_caiaq 45056 1
snd_rawmidi 32768 1 snd_usb_caiaq
snd_pcm 98304 2 snd_bcm2835,snd_usb_caiaq
snd 69632 8 snd_timer,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device,snd_bcm2835,snd_usb_caiaq,snd_pcm

Ook in /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf heb ik de handel goed staan:

defaults.ctl.card 0
defaults.pcm.card 0

En in ~/.asoundrc staat het ook goed:

pcm.!default {
type hw
card 0
}

ctl.!default {
type hw
card 0
}

Now what I don't understand is why I can't select the audio card in the settings or make any sound come out if it. Can anybody help me?

Good to understand is that I'm a noob in linux so the page of the driver allready gave problems. I don't know (yet) how to turn on sound support soundcore module or even how to compile a kernel.

I hope you can answer these questions for me

business_kid · 05-10-2019, 01:01 PM

Debian Stretch… Are we alsa only or is pulse audio involved?

Shadow_7 · 05-10-2019, 03:07 PM

If the card shows up in /proc/asound/cards, you're good as far as drivers go. Bear in mind that the user needs to be in the audio group, and that sound is muted by default.

$ cat /proc/asound/cards

Beyond that it's a matter of selecting the right soundcard. Since almost everything is a soundcard these days. Webcam, video card, motherboard, modems, usb soundcards, and such. The default is hw:0,0 in alsa terminology. Unless overridden or using other options like pulse audio or jack.

$ speaker-test -c 2 -l 1 -D default

$ speaker-test -c 2 -l 1 -D pulse

$ speaker-test -c 2 -l 1 -D hw:1,0

If using pulse just run it's configuration GUI option.

$ pavucontrol

And select the right output device.

minizzZ · 05-14-2019, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow_7

If the card shows up in /proc/asound/cards, you're good as far as drivers go. Bear in mind that the user needs to be in the audio group, and that sound is muted by default.

$ cat /proc/asound/cards

Beyond that it's a matter of selecting the right soundcard. Since almost everything is a soundcard these days. Webcam, video card, motherboard, modems, usb soundcards, and such. The default is hw:0,0 in alsa terminology. Unless overridden or using other options like pulse audio or jack.

$ speaker-test -c 2 -l 1 -D default

$ speaker-test -c 2 -l 1 -D pulse

$ speaker-test -c 2 -l 1 -D hw:1,0

If using pulse just run it's configuration GUI option.

$ pavucontrol

And select the right output device.

I am in the audio group and my sound card is not muted. This is how my cards look like:

Quote:

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [Audio8DJ ]: snd-usb-caiaq - Audio 8 DJ
Native Instruments Audio 8 DJ (usb-3f980000.usb-1.1.3)

Because my sound cards doesn't have audio controls my /etc/asound.conf looks like this:

Quote:

pcm.!default {
type hw
card 0
}

ctl.!default {
type hw
card 0
}

pcm.softvol {
type softvol
slave {
pcm "plughw"
}
control {
name "SoftMaster"
card 0
}
}

pcm.!default {
type plug
slave.pcm "softvol"
}

Only the first speaker-test worked and it looks like this:

Quote:

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ speaker-test -c 2 -l 1 -D default

speaker-test 1.1.3

Playback device is default
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
Using 16 octaves of pink noise
Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
Buffer size range from 22 to 21845
Period size range from 22 to 21845
Using max buffer size 21844
Periods = 4
was set period_size = 5461
was set buffer_size = 21844
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 5,465538

Thing is I have 8 outputs and 8 inputs on my sound card from which I want to use 6. If I load a 6channel surround track in vlc and I set ALSA on 5.1 setting I only hear the first track really soft and distorted.

If I open reaper and I set my sound card in ALSA i get this message:
https://i.imgur.com/s9pk2LU.png

And if I open it in jack while monitoring in gladish I have no sound:
https://i.imgur.com/cMvrJSu.png

What can I do?

Shadow_7 · 05-14-2019, 08:59 PM

Your bit depth doesn't seem good. Set at 32 bit. Try 24 bit and 16 bit. USB 1 devices are kind of limited to CD quality or DVD quality. AKA 2 channel 16 bit 48kHz or lower. USB 2 is significantly better, but I don't know of any USB 32 bit soundcards. Seems like that one is rated for 24 bit / 96 kHz. Now the capture software projects might be 32 bit, and save files in 32 bit formats, but the hardware is NOT 32 bit.

Drakeo · 05-14-2019, 10:52 PM

please refrain from using ~/.asoundrc This will only cause serious issues with modern alsamixer or pulseaudio. You will use a .asoundrc for special applications.
if you want to make the usb soundcard default that is easy. if Pulseaudio disable bad card set usb as default same for alsmixer. or create a /etc/modprobe.d or /lib/modprobe.d
sound.conf

Code:

# Prevent other drivers from grabbing index 0
options snd-card-1 index=-2
options sound-slot-1 index=-2

# Set internal soundcard as index 0
options snd-usb-audio index=0

jackd is an application. my .asoundrc for jaked
https://github.com/Drakeo/jack-pulse...mples/asoundrc

Shadow_7 · 05-16-2019, 11:58 AM

Many audio applications REQUIRE a .asoundrc to function. Some even requires a functioning network. To include hostname in /etc/hosts. More so these days when your desired default soundcard is NOT hw:0,0. Since your webcam (input only) might grab that default. Granted that when things are not working, deleting or renaming the .asoundrc can solve those issues.