Working with Envy24control e.g. envy24 or ice1712 cards

Optimize your system for ultimate performance.

Moderators: MattKingUSA, khz

Post Reply
studio32

Working with Envy24control e.g. envy24 or ice1712 cards

Post by studio32 »

First some useful information from: http://alsa.opensrc.org/Envy24Control
Envy24control is a graphical utility for controlling cards based on the envy24 or ice1712 chipset, e.g., the Midiman Delta series and the Terratec EWS and EWX series. It is supplied as part of the alsa-tools package. The utility allows control of the digital mixer, channel gains and other hardware settings, as well as displaying a level meter for each input and output channel.


http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa/ftp/ot ... vy24_1.jpg


The following options are available when invoking envy24control:

* -c card-number

Use the card specified by card-number rather than the first card. This is equivalent with -Dhw:n option where n is the card number.

* -D control-name

Use the card specified by control-name rather than the first card, normally this will be of the form hw:n where n is the sound card number (zero-based). This is only needed if you have more than one Envy24-based card or if your Envy24 card is not configured as the first card in your ALSA driver setup.

* -o outputs

Limit number of outputs to display. Default is 8.

* -i inputs

Limit number of inputs to display. Default is 10.

* -s outputs

Limit number of SPDIF outputs to display. Default is 2.

The controls may be a little daunting at first, not to mention the potential confusion created with varying number schemes within the same app (DAC0-7 vs CM1-8, etc). DAC analog vol controls are a direct gain control of the analog signal at the analog line pre-amp. Take envy24control in its default state. PCM Out 1/2 are directly routed to H/W Out 1/2. This means that any PCM data that jack sends to alsa_pcm:playback_1/2 (which is PCM Out 1/2 in envy24control) goes directly to H/W Out 1/2, which is the analog rca line outs 1 and 2. Any adjustments you make on the monitor mixer page will have no effect. The analog adjustments DAC0 and DAC1 are your only control.

If you route H/W Out1/2 to Digital Mix L/R, respectively, now you are going to hear whatever audio is on the 'Monitor Mixer'. DAC0 and 1 still need to be up, they are at the analog preamp level so always have to be up no matter what you assign to your H/W Outs. Now that you are monitoring the Digital Mix, you need to 'send' audio to the Mix to be able to hear anything. On the 'Monitor Mixer' tab, what you will hear is what can be seen in the left-most, large Digital Mixer meter. To 'send' audio there, simply unmute and raise the levels for whatever channels you want to monitor.

For example, to duplicate the earlier configuration (PCM1/2 directly routed to H/W1/2), unmute and raise the level completely for the *Left* side only on PCM Out1. Ditto for PCM Out 2, except just the *right* side. Using a typical stereo wav file being played back should show you how audio appears on the Digital Mixer as you made the adjustments. Does it make sense why left on 1 and right on 2? PCM1 is the left channel of a typical stereo audio signal, PCM2 is the right. If you were to up both left and right on PCM1, you are sending the left half of a signal to both sides, creating a mono signal. Do it on both PCM Out 1 and 2, and you have a mono signal at twice the amplitude. I used PCM Out 1/2 here as examples, using a typical stereo wav file as an audio source, but this applies to all the ins/outs, etc.

Now, to monitor some live inputs, head down to any of the HW In channels, and unmute/up level on an In channel that you have an input on (mic, guitar, etc). Make sure to up the level at the analog pre-amp as well, making sure to account for the numbering difference (H/W In 3 is controlled by ADC2, etc). At this point I sometimes run 2 instances of envy24control (yup you can do that) so I can watch the level meter while adjusting the proper ADC. Once that is adjusted, unmute and raise level on the monitor mixer tab and the audio will be sent to the Digital Mixer and you should hear it. That's that...

The IPGA0-7 adjustments on the analog page is an additional gain boost for line inputs. If you turn up an ADC all the way on a given channel, and the signal is still not hot enough, this amplifies it internally, thus adding distortion. In my opinion, anytime you use these you are band-aiding a problem somewhere else.
studio32

Re: Working with Envy24control e.g. envy24 or ice1712 cards

Post by studio32 »

Still got some questions though...

> Do you use all the PCM outs or just two(mute the others)?
> what is L/R gang? and should I have it 'on'?
> with playing a file with for example vlc, should I mute Right from PCM1 and left from PCM2, to hear it in stereo?
> DAC controls the input of the preamp right? But what does ADC exactly?
> What is S/PDIF?
> how should I set the hardware settings?
thorgal
Established Member
Posts: 739
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 6:04 pm

Re: Working with Envy24control e.g. envy24 or ice1712 cards

Post by thorgal »

...I don't remember most of it. What I can say is :

- ADC : input levels
- DAC : analog output levels

So if you have to adjust the input level of your voice MIC, you will do it with the corresponding ADC fader.
You can play around with the ADC fader when you record your voice in ardour and see the wave amplitude change. Playing with the DAC fader won't affect the level of the ADC, you have to understand that. If you have to adjust the analog output of your voice audio (if the route is correct between ADC -> PCM -> DAC) e.g. you want to output it to another device, mixing board, whatever, use the DAC fader.

In between these two guys, it's all digital (PCM stuff).
If you don't use jack, most apps will use PCM 1 and 2 for stereo output. By default, these are directed to DAC 1 and 2. So if you have speakers, you could plug them to DAC1 and DAC2 respectively. But PCM to DAC can be rerouted. There's also the possibility to monitor some analog inputs but not all of them.

Jack will allow you to easily use the other PCM channels (corrsponding to system:out1, 2, 3 etc in the qjackctl connection window). SO you could plug other devices to DAC 3, 4, 5, etc, and keep the internal routing from PCMx to DACx. So you can (with jack routing) selectively output some PCM audio to a hadrware device of your choice via the output of your chocie).

The RME TotalMIx application is way more versatile as the routing can be completely changed and multiple. Reason why I changed my Delta card. Today, without much money, I would be frustrated ... ;)

I cannot help more on this matter, I simply don't remember by lack of usage (> 1 year without seeing this mixer app and too little usage at the time).

EDIT: I can tell you, when I got used to the envy24 mixer app, I simply didn't like it. I understood how to use it for most purposes, but the limitations and the strangeness for just a simple basic setup annoyed me. The RME Mixer is another story, once you understand it, you not only like it but you also wonder how you could do without before!
studio32

Re: Working with Envy24control e.g. envy24 or ice1712 cards

Post by studio32 »

Thanks, I''l check it out!
Post Reply