FOCUSRITE - Scarlet 2i4 - setup (Archlinux)

[71GA]

Hello,

I am totaly new to Linux recording stuff but not to Linux. I am an Achlinux user who just bought a FOCUSRITE Scarlet 2i4 audio interface and would like to set it up. I want to know if there is any good setup/instructions on how to make Scarlet 2i4 function.

For start i noticed that Scarlet 2i4 is visible in alsamixer

[male]

Hello,

I am totaly new to Linux recording stuff but not to Linux. I am an Achlinux user who just bought a FOCUSRITE Scarlet 2i4 audio interface and would like to set it up. I want to know if there is any good setup/instructions on how to make Scarlet 2i4 function.

For start i noticed that Scarlet 2i4 is visible in alsamixer

First step is to search this forum for 2i4, as there are several threads regarding this device already.

[71GA]

First step is to search this forum for 2i4, as there are several threads regarding this device already.

Did that but there is no complete guide. Most of the time there are just some random fixes and what disturbs me the most is that users tend to talk about Linux system, KDE dm... more than about audio interfaces . So if anyone has seen any good scarlet 2i4, 2i2... install guide out there could you kindly post a link.

[bluebell]

I have a 2i2 and it runs out of the box with my Xubuntu 12.04 LTS. Every recent Linux distribution should work without a tweak.

Maybe you need some generic information how to run JACK with your interface?

I run QjackCtl to start JACK.

[71GA]

Maybe you need some generic information how to run JACK with your interface?

In fact i am totaly new to Jack, Ardour, Scarlet 2i4 ... well basically everything that is connected to audio recording. This is why maybee i need a guide to help me start all this. Can anyone tell me what should i do first. I checked in alsa and 2i4 is listed there but if i choose it i cannot tweak any volumes. I am guessing thet this is disabled in 2i4 because we have knobs on the interface anyway...

I guess i will have to first install Ardour and jack and try to play with these two... Because in Archlinux there are very few packages included by default i usualy have to install all of them myself. Does anyone recommend any packages which might come handy for me - the newbie? I am aiming at recording acoustic & vocals (using microphone) OR electric guitar (using direct input via jack cable).

Any good references for using Jack or Ardour are also welcome. Are there any other good DAWs besides Ardour that i should check?

Does anyone maybee remember if there was any magazine which had a release in which they show readers how to set up the Linux home audio recording studio? This would be a blast so i could read everything from scratch...

I am willing to learn, but i need it step by step. So if you could show me how to do it step by step this post might come in handy for future users/readers of this topic.


Cheers!

[bluebell]

You should install jack, qjackctl and audacity (audacity is realy simple).

1.)Configure qjackctl, especially in- and output device (your 2i4). Frames/period = 256, rate = 44100, Perios/Buffer = 3. That should be a good start. Then start jackd with the start-button. Look at the messages if they look good. Push the connect button and see if the "system" entries are in the audio-tab.

2.) Start audacity. See if you can record and play via jack. If yes, then your system is ready for Ardour, Rosegarden, Qtractor, Muse, NON and so on

[male]

Maybe you need some generic information how to run JACK with your interface?

In fact i am totaly new to Jack, Ardour, Scarlet 2i4 ... well basically everything that is connected to audio recording. This is why maybee i need a guide to help me start all this. Can anyone tell me what should i do first. I checked in alsa and 2i4 is listed there but if i choose it i cannot tweak any volumes. I am guessing thet this is disabled in 2i4 because we have knobs on the interface anyway...

If you read the other threads, you would have seen that this device lacks hardware mixer controls. If you want that, you'd have to use the ALSA softvol plugin. But as the device does have a knob on it, this isn't a big deal.

I guess i will have to first install Ardour and jack and try to play with these two... Because in Archlinux there are very few packages included by default i usualy have to install all of them myself. Does anyone recommend any packages which might come handy for me - the newbie? I am aiming at recording acoustic & vocals (using microphone) OR electric guitar (using direct input via jack cable).

Install an RT kernel (2.5 at the latest). Install the rtirq script. Install all the LADSPA pluginn packages you can find. The guitarix plugins are decent for guitar. 4-band parametric EQ is good. Install patchage to make/break JACK connections.

Any good references for using Jack or Ardour are also welcome. Are there any other good DAWs besides Ardour that i should check?

Ardour has nice big user manual. JACK is a bit more esoteric, but you really don't need to know much more about it than how to get it started. You can use qjackctl, but I find it rather annoying (it kills JACK when you exit). You can easily start jack from the commandline. The DAWs besides Ardour include Non (http://non.tuxfamily.org), QTractor, Traverso, MuSE/Open Octave, Rosegarden (kind of stretching it now), and LMMS.

Does anyone maybee remember if there was any magazine which had a release in which they show readers how to set up the Linux home audio recording studio? This would be a blast so i could read everything from scratch...

You're probably thinking of one of Dave Phillips' articles from Linux Weekly News.

[GMaq]

Hi,

Perhaps you might want to look at a system that is already set up with all you need to start Audio recording under Linux, I'm certainly not suggesting get rid of Arch, simply trying a Distro like KXStudio, DreamStudio or AV Linux which has has everything there ready to use (and a whole bunch of stuff you haven't even thought of yet). You can try both AV Linux and KXStudio as a Live DVD (not sure about Dream) or LiveUSB and see for yourself and try all (or most) of the Sequencers mentioned by male without changing anything on your Arch System blindly. If you like what you see you can install one of the other systems to a separate partition and dual boot or set up a dedicated Audio computer, or at least have a better idea of what exact programs you want to install into your existing Arch system.

AV Linux also has a 64 page manual that covers topics like using JACK and JACK MIDI, Further reading:

KXStudio: http://kxstudio.sourceforge.net/
Dream Studio: http://dreamstudio.dickmacinnis.com/
AV Linux: http://www.bandshed.net/AVLinux.html
AV Linux Manual: http://bandshed.net/pdf/AV601Manual.pdf

[71GA]

Install an RT kernel (2.5 at the latest)

Why do I need to use so old kernel - Arch has newer RT kernel (linux-rt).

AV Linux also has a 64 page manual that covers topics like using JACK and JACK MIDI, Further reading:

Sounds tempting. I will consider this. But i still think Arch is the fastest if configured right.

[male]

Install an RT kernel (2.5 at the latest)

Why do I need to use so old kernel - Arch has newer RT kernel (linux-rt).

Sorry, I meant 3.5. Later kernels don't work well or at all with USB audio interfaces. There may be a fix forthcoming in 3.11, but for now, 3.5 is your best bet.

[GMaq]

Hi,

Actually commits to Kernel 3.7 seem to be the culprit here, and AV Linux runs 3.6.11.2 without any reported USB Audio issues, however there would be negligible differences between 3.5 and 3.6.11. The need for newer, stronger, better Kernels is VASTLY misunderstood and misinformed for Linux users unfortunately, especially those run hardware a couple of years old. If your hardware is all supported then you've arrived regardless of kernel version number. If it isn't already obvious Kernels are getting fatter, slower and completely heading in a counterproductive direction for low-latency Audio production and Pro Audio hardware support.

I hope I'm wrong but we may be passing the apex of Linux as an Audio production platform sadly. Desktop environments and Kernels are rapidly balooning and racing forward for no apparent reason and leaving things like this current glitch in USB Audio support in their wake. If you google the number of reports on USB Audio breakage over the last 3 Kernels on all Distributions and when the actual kernel code changes that caused it have been clearly identified it it inconcievable to me how this hasn't been fixed properly yet...

Pro Audio is of low priority to core Linux Kernel and D.E. developers it seems..

[autostatic]

Any good references for using Jack or Ardour are also welcome.

Hi 71GA,

Ardour: http://flossmanuals.net/ardour/
JACK doesn't really have a manual but you might want to checkout http://jackaudio.org/ and read the FAQ and browse the Wiki.

Are there any other good DAWs besides Ardour that i should check?

Qtractor maybe? http://qtractor.sf.net/

AreDoes anyone maybee remember if there was any magazine which had a release in which they show readers how to set up the Linux home audio recording studio? This would be a blast so i could read everything from scratch...

You mean a hard copy magazine? I have some Linux Format magazines with some articles on this subject. But all those articles are very basic and never touch the real stuff like how to properly set up a home studio using Linux. Haven't come across something I'd recommend yet.

[autostatic]

@male, QjackCtl and stopping JACK on exit: Setup - Misc - untick 'Stop JACK audio server on application exit'

[autostatic]

I hope I'm wrong but we may be passing the apex of Linux as an Audio production platform sadly. Desktop environments and Kernels are rapidly balooning and racing forward for no apparent reason and leaving things like this current glitch in USB Audio support in their wake. If you google the number of reports on USB Audio breakage over the last 3 Kernels on all Distributions and when the actual kernel code changes that caused it have been clearly identified it it inconcievable to me how this hasn't been fixed properly yet...

Pro Audio is of low priority to core Linux Kernel and D.E. developers it seems..

Don't worry GMaq, the kernel devs are aware of the apparent USB issues and in time they will be addressed. We just have to keep nagging And on the DE front there are some hopeful things going on like the cooperation between Razor-qt and LXDE.

[71GA]

You mean a hard copy magazine? I have some Linux Format magazines with some articles on this subject. But all those articles are very basic and never touch the real stuff like how to properly set up a home studio using Linux.

Which releases of Linux Format are they?

Haven't come across something I'd recommend yet.

Too baad. But it seems to me you guys have the knowledge. You might write a good article for any magazine - or maybee start the magazine yourself