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Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound...

Posted: Tue May 16, 2017 11:42 pm
by Count
Hi there,

I am still fairly new to Linux music/audio (Using KXStudio). I have been a Linux desktop user (Mainly Mint KDE) for nearly ten years, but am new to using a full AV distro.

Here is my problem:
I am struggling to find full AUDIO connectivity in KXStudio applications. (I have successfully recorded direct audio from a microphone and electric guitar inputs via the M-Audio unit into Audacity only)

However, I cannot get any direct audio into any other application. I am trying to use Sooper Looper, but cannot feed any sound into it.

JACK:
Jack is running, and is set to Alsa-Loop-Jack

I can see Alsa2Jack and Jack2Alsa in Catia Patchbay, but however I try to connect things I cannot get sound into the software on the laptop, (apart from Audacity, which doesn't appear in Catia!)

I have tried altering some settings in Jack and individually assigning input and output sources. Still no sound.

If I use the monitor headphones on the unit I can hear all the audio inputs coming into the M-Audio device fine.

(Although I still don't know what I'm doing, I can get the Midi to work via LMMS. I will return to Midi stuff later!)

At the moment I am trying to create live loops on the fly.

M-Audio Pro:
I have seen some vague mentions that this device may have Linux issue regarding Duplex mode?

DAWs:
I am also struggling to find a DAW to use. I can use Audacity to grab audio but I can't get Audacity to talk to anything else.

QUESTION:
1 - Is the M-Audio Pro causing me a fundamental problem in the chain? Is there a nicely supported audio interface device for Linux?
2 - Should I be using a DAW to act like a mixer to bring in JACK/ALSA sources . I have seen that DAWs can have different connectivity protocols?? For instance it indicates that Audacity is not JACK enabled, which is presumably why it wont appear in Catia Patch Bay?

Background:
I've been playing electric guitar (with pedals and a small amp) for a couple of years, and I used to play with midi keyboards/synth many many many many years ago back in the 80s when I was a young teen!

My main object is for live performance.
Particularly live looping. And to combine the audio from the electric guitar and synths into loops.

I have a physical looper unit, which I am using with the keyboards to produce my own keyboard layers. I would then like to send the loop into the laptop. This all has to be on the fly for live stage performance.

I would like to mix the use of physical module units along with software facilities from the laptop via KXStudio for live stage use.

Later on I'll try to introduce a sampler/sequencer and start MIDIing the things up. I'l also be looking at studio recording, but for now it's all about live stage work.

Re: Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound...

Posted: Wed May 17, 2017 11:29 am
by Lyberta
I think you will definitely need some kind of a DAW to keep track of loop data. If you are new to JACK then I suggest you read this tutorial. Basically, an audio from your hardware goes into the system JACK input and it's up to you to route it somewhere else.

Re: Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound... [SOLVED]

Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 1:06 am
by Count
Lyberta wrote:I think you will definitely need some kind of a DAW to keep track of loop data. If you are new to JACK then I suggest you read this tutorial. Basically, an audio from your hardware goes into the system JACK input and it's up to you to route it somewhere else.
Hi there,

Thanks for the reply. I have been working and not had time to reply properly.

BASICALLY:
I suspected the M-Audio hardware, because the MIDI showed up fine, but no audio. And yet the audio appeared in Audacity only. I read that M-Audio had suspected issues in relation to Duplex. I tried making changes in the JACK settings. Nothing worked.

I then bought a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 (I had read the Scarlett 2i2 was full Linux out of the box.)

And long story short - this device is a beauty! No power needed, fully runs off USB. Utterly plug and play in Linux - KXStudio. Shows up instantly in Catia.

It is feels far more solid than the M-Audio device, and has a metal body rather than a plastic body. Rugged as the M-audio is I don't like the control knobs as the rubber is perishing. The Scarlett is full metal - it feels like an old school audio module. And it's really nice and responsive.

The difference with the 2i2 is that the 2i4 has 4 outputs (2 in the same as 2i2). It also has MIDI IN and OUT.

It has solved my ongoing issues, and I can now port sound in and out of the laptop via this device to the amp. Plugging the drum machine and synth etc into it and away we go!

Re: Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound...

Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 2:23 am
by MattKingUSA
I have also tried other interfaces in Linux and scarlett is absolutlely the best. I currently use the solo. I used the 2i2 in the past. Both just work, as expected. :) Tascam and creative both were poop.

Re: Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound...

Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2017 4:00 pm
by Count
Okay so I've been playing and learning a lot in the intervening months playing with KX Studio.

I haven't really set up for recording, and I have never really used just a DAW or software sequencer just by itself. I prefer a tactile keyboard and to play live/on the fly.

KX Studio in a way has taken the place of using a DAW. The Catia patch bay gives me everything in a tactile visual screen.

I also discovered that it is possible that some MIDI cables are not all wired the same... so I purchased some new MIDI cables to be sure, as I was getting inconsistent results for wiring things differently.

Re: Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound...

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 8:00 am
by Count
Can I just say again just how amazingly awesome KX Studio is!

Re: Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound...

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 8:12 am
by folderol
Count wrote:I also discovered that it is possible that some MIDI cables are not all wired the same... so I purchased some new MIDI cables to be sure, as I was getting inconsistent results for wiring things differently.
I don't know if it still happens, but some audio DIN cables were sold as MIDI ones, and they can misbehave quite badly - the better the were for audio the worse for MIDI!
Glad your getting sorted anyway :)

Re: Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound...

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 11:13 am
by Count
folderol wrote:
Count wrote:I also discovered that it is possible that some MIDI cables are not all wired the same... so I purchased some new MIDI cables to be sure, as I was getting inconsistent results for wiring things differently.
I don't know if it still happens, but some audio DIN cables were sold as MIDI ones, and they can misbehave quite badly - the better the were for audio the worse for MIDI!
Glad your getting sorted anyway :)
Yeah - I was slowly getting there! I've worked in tech support, so I am used to narrowing down where an issue lies, and I had discovered there was a difference in behaviour between my 2 MIDI cables!

So yes - I think you may be right one of my cables is a 5 pin audio DIN lead and not a true MIDI cable!

Re: Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound...

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:15 pm
by Count
42low wrote:For live looping and live performances, why not add Mixxx to your settup? That has a great looper in it (and more nice features) and is jack competible.
Ah okay nice thank you I shall take a look. Am particularly interested in software for live performance, thanks!

I've had a quick look at Sooper Looper and at Gaida, but not spent long enough to really see if they will do the trick.

Re: Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound...

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 2:52 pm
by Linuxmusician01
Did you manage yet to get sound out of the M-Audio interface? I don't know which one you have. See this M-Audio page.

Re: Where Am I Going Wrong? Audio interface? DAW? Jack/ALSA? No sound...

Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:48 pm
by Count
Linuxmusician01 wrote:Did you manage yet to get sound out of the M-Audio interface? I don't know which one you have. See this M-Audio page.
Hi there, yes it all came down to the wrong MIDI cables!