Problems With Audigy SE Under Ubuntu 7.10 (64-bit)

jlacroix · 12-29-2007, 11:10 AM

Hello everyone.

I had an Audigy card on my computer, but I gave it to my wife because the onboard sound on her computer stopped working, and I have an onboard Realtek card I could use instead.

After using the onboard Realtek card, I found out that it sucks, so I bought an Audigy SE card to replace the one I gave my wife.

Even though my PC worked beautifully with the Audigy card that I had previously, the new Audigy SE is horrible.

In order to get sound in my rear speakers (I have a 5.1 set up) I had to use a custom asoundrc file.

After getting passed that problem, the sound is staticky whenever I have the back two speakers working.

However, here is the main problem. (I can deal with the other problems, if I have to). This card has no sound mixing at all. What I mean is this, say I have Amarok minimized to a tray icon but not playing any sounds at all. I load up Firefox to watch a flash video. When I am finished watching the flash video, Amarok won't play music because it cannot access the sound server anymore. Then, I quit Amarok completely and try to watch another flash video in Firefox, and Firefox too loses control of the sound server.

I didn't have these problems with my Audigy card, but with my Audigy SE I'm going crazy!

What's worse, is that I don't think Gnome has any problems, just KDE. I even tried under sound settings to make it give up control of the sound server every second, but that didn't change anything at all.

I'm so frustrated.

steve02169 · 12-29-2007, 12:54 PM

Do you have 'arts' enabled? in KControl I believe you can also adjust the sampling rate. You'd want 48kHz. I have been using JACK for a while, I doubt you'd need it though.

jlacroix · 12-29-2007, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve02169

Do you have 'arts' enabled? in KControl I believe you can also adjust the sampling rate. You'd want 48kHz. I have been using JACK for a while, I doubt you'd need it though.

It's set to 44100hz right now, and the audio device is set to autodetect, which I think is what its supposed to be because with my last card that was what it was set to.

jlacroix · 12-29-2007, 04:16 PM

Well, I'm making progress! Here's my (new) problem.

If I use this .asoundrc file, I can have multiple applications using the sound server at any one time, but I only get sound out of 2 of my five speakers:

Code:

pcm.ca0106 {
          type hw
         card 0
       }
       
      ctl.ca0106 {
          type hw
          card 0
       }

If I use this .asoundrc file, I have sound out of all of my speakers, but only one application that uses sound can be open at a time:

Code:

pcm.!default {
type plug
slave.pcm "surround51"
slave.channels 6
route_policy duplicate
}

I don't understand any of the code in either file but hopefully one of you can help me combine the two together so I can have all my speakers work and listen to more than one application at a time.

jlacroix · 12-29-2007, 05:45 PM

Anyone? Is there a fix for this or do I just need to take it back to the store and suffer without sound?

steve02169 · 12-30-2007, 11:07 AM

Not actually being a coder, I have to guess. When I see 'slave.channels 6 route_policy duplicate' I think it must be sending stereo to all speakers.

This is not necessarily the best option. I have audiophile equipment and don't do that for instance. The only thing that needs to come out of all the speakers is surround suond. Stereo is just 2. If you prefer sound out of all the speakers all the time, you're not alone and I get it, but it is much easier to do in a GUI anyway.

In other words "I can have multiple applications using the sound server at any one time, but I only get sound out of 2 of my five speakers" doesn't indicate a problem to me unless your watching a DVD.

Have you tested a DVD?

jlacroix · 12-30-2007, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve02169

Not actually being a coder, I have to guess. When I see 'slave.channels 6 route_policy duplicate' I think it must be sending stereo to all speakers.

This is not necessarily the best option. I have audiophile equipment and don't do that for instance. The only thing that needs to come out of all the speakers is surround suond. Stereo is just 2. If you prefer sound out of all the speakers all the time, you're not alone and I get it, but it is much easier to do in a GUI anyway.

In other words "I can have multiple applications using the sound server at any one time, but I only get sound out of 2 of my five speakers" doesn't indicate a problem to me unless your watching a DVD.

Have you tested a DVD?

I didn't know it was just copying stereo. Every sound card I've ever had for a long time emulated surround through all speakers, by default. If a sound is pure 5.1, that would come out instead. The very fact that its not working this way by default tells me that there is a problem. I didn't try a DVD because I wanted to get this problem sorted out first.

I'm probably just going to take this card back to the store, so I appreciate your help though.

jlacroix · 12-30-2007, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlacroix

I didn't know it was just copying stereo. Every sound card I've ever had for a long time emulated surround through all speakers, by default. If a sound is pure 5.1, that would come out instead. The very fact that its not working this way by default tells me that there is a problem. I didn't try a DVD because I wanted to get this problem sorted out first.

I'm probably just going to take this card back to the store, so I appreciate your help though.

This problem is solved. I took the Audigy SE back to the store and got myself a 7.1/24-bit Diamond Multimedia card. Everything worked without me having to configure anything.

Word to the wise: If you use Linux, DON'T buy from Creative. Their current line of products don't work with Linux at all, and their entry-level card has problems. Creative probably won't ever fix the problems either.