No sound from jack

[winger]

I a newbe to kxstudio, linux audio. Have worked with windows for years but this is real challenge. I installed kxstudio live to a hppavilion g7 laptop. No dual boot, ubuntu linux only. But getting audio to work is illuding me with jack is illuding me. I was able to get audio working with jack off, using also only. CDs play, a mixer application running juce can get input from the built in mic, and play through the speakers, even skype works. But I cana't get jack to do jack. I have tried so may things I don't know where to start to ask questions. At this point I not sure things are installed correctly because I tried something someone recomended and I was forced to uninstall and reinstall jack.

I have tried using jackctl, cadence, catia, caludia... I have never used jack before so I am not sure how close I am. I get things to route in jack but still no sound. So now I am concentraing on just the built in mic and speaker to get going. I don't know how to get screen shots so I'll just describe what I see. I currently have jack running with alsa and pulsaudio -D running. Claudia shows a hardware capture and hardware playback device, a pulseaudio jack sink, pulseaudio jack source and alsa2jack. Each device shows 2 conections. hardware capture is routed to pulseaincudiojack source, and pulse audio jack sink and alsa2jack are both routed to haredware play back.

Starting the jack mixer creates an object with main l,r and monitor l,r. Adding one input channel to the mixer adds a l, a r inputs and a Out L and a Out r. I can route pulse audio jack sink to the mixer input but I get nothing. Patching hardware capture to the mixer, nothing. alsa2jack to mixer, still nothing. I expect the mixer meters to show input from the mic.

Either my system is screwed up or I am missing something or both.

Help!!!!

[i2productions]

Welcome to linux audio. This could either be a nightmare or a blessing for you as far as pro audio. Going to need a bit more info about your system to really diagnose your problem. When you say you want to use the build in mic for recording, am I asuming you're using the built in soundcard on your your computer and not some sort of pro-audio interface? Detail your system specs cause for the most part jack just works, especially with kxstudio. With some soundcard you need to open a mixer app (not sure what's in the live disk these days) and make sure your the sound volume to your hardware outs are both unmuted and have faders up. I have to do this with my Delta 1010, but never had to with my USB card. I use Gnome ALSA mixer but there's a few out there. It can really be frustrating sometimes as a new user with the linux audio learning curve, but once you do there's a world of possibilities available in now other digital audio system.

[winger]

Yes, I am trying to get it to work with the built in sound card, mic and speaker. I dont plan to use them for anything serious other than standard pc stuff like skype, firefox, etc.

For more serious audio I have a a focusrite-sacrlett 18i20 (usb, 18 in 20 out). I have managed to get input to work with this using alsa mixer, but no output. Again, not jack. Lots of device connections in the patch appear.

AS far as mixers, that is source of confusion too. There are many.

mark@mixu:~$ ls /usr/bin/*mix*
/usr/bin/akonadi_mixedmaildir_resource /usr/bin/ffado-mixer /usr/bin/kmix /usr/bin/non-mixer-noui
/usr/bin/alsamixer /usr/bin/gnome-alsamixer /usr/bin/kmixctrl /usr/bin/ppmmix
/usr/bin/amixer /usr/bin/hdspmixer /usr/bin/kmixremote /usr/bin/sndfile-mix-to-mono
/usr/bin/echomixer /usr/bin/jack_mixer /usr/bin/non-mixer

My system is as I left it when I posted earlier with jak mixer up. If I start gnome-alsamixer the main window is blank. It printed this on the console when I started it:

(process:13393): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: Attempt to add property GnomeProgram::sm-connect after class was initialised

(process:13393): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: Attempt to add property GnomeProgram::show-crash-dialog after class was initialised

(process:13393): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: Attempt to add property GnomeProgram::display after class was initialised

(process:13393): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: Attempt to add property GnomeProgram::default-icon after class was initialised

** (gnome-alsamixer:13393): WARNING **: gam_toggle_get_state (). No idea what to do for mixer element "Auto-Mute Mode"!

** (gnome-alsamixer:13393): WARNING **: gam_toggle_get_state (). No idea what to do for mixer element "Loopback Mixing"!

[i2productions]

Sounds like soundcard specific issues. Have a look at

http://sergey.vlasov.me/2012/09/using-f ... linux.html

and

https://community.ardour.org/node/5751

Looks like there's been some work done on a specific mixer for this device. It sounds to me like the device is integrated into the modern linux kernel(3.8+). Good luck!

[winger]

Thanks,

I had seen that first article and since I am not home with the system right now I can't check (don't remember what version kernal is installed by KXStudio-live). I had ignored that post because it does seem to be recognized, I just can't get jack to work with it.

I'll look at that tonight to be sure.

[i2productions]

That first article is a bit older, and may not be useful anymore, but the chatter on the ardour forum seems relevant. It depends on which KXStudio Live DVD you used for what kernel you have, and some people in the ardour forum were saying it was actually added in 3.9 and I know kxstudio 12.04 is only at 3.8. The talk about a specific mixer for this device is also very relevant. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

[winger]

The LXStudio version installed is 12.04. Is there a newer version I should install and how do I upgrade to it if there is?

[bazsound]

I have to ask why pulseaudio is showing up.

there should be no pulseaudio. Kx studio uses asla.


If its not a soundcard specific issues, id be putting money on pulse audio issues which is known to cause problems with jack

[winger]

The reason pulseaudio is there is because I started it. Someone posted on the net (somewhere) that to use the internal sound card, and external device at the same time, pulse audio was needed. Before I tried using jack, I was able to get the internal sound card working with alsa and pulseaudio. I successfully got sound from firefox to the speakers, and from the internal mice to speakers and was able to skype with the setup. I even got some meter readings on a mixer from my 18i20 this way, but not output to it.

I think I will do a clean install this evening with 14.04 (currently 12.04 installed) so I can start from ground 0. Have done so many things I found on the net saying try this that failed, I'm not sure how many things I have installed that shouldn't be or things not installed that should. A new install should clear that up.

[Pablo]

What happens if you start jack from a terminal with the default parameters, just:

jackd -dalsa

Then use a jack-aware media player like aqualung or audacious with the jack output plugin?

[i2productions]

You shouldn't be using both sound card at the same time. It's bad for business. If you can, pick one or the other. Try KXStudio 14.04 and see if it improves your situation.

[winger]

i did a fresh install with 14.04. I confugred jack via cadence, started it up andit worked. Got sound from youtube/firefox, from vlc media player and even skype microphone.

Then plugged in the 18i20, restarted jack, and I got microphone in to audio out throuhg a mixer.

Stopping for the night at that, but things are definately looking up.....

[winger]

Things look pretty good right now but I am confused by what I see in catia with the scarlett 18i20 connected and my mixer program running (Juce based).

I see the following objects:
system - with 18 capture connections. This is the 18 inputs from scarlett.
system - with 20 playbacks. These are the 20 outputs to scarlett.
VLC - with 2 outs - this is the audio from the vlc media player.
JuceJack - with 18 ins, and 20 outs. This has 8 inputs connected to system capture and 8 outputs connected to system playback. These are the inputs and outputs as patched by my juce mixer.

alsa2jack - with 2 capture connection. Not sure what this is.
JuceJack-2 - This one has 5 sets of 18 inputs, and 5 sets of 20 outputs. One set of the inputs has 8 connections to the same 8 system captures connected by the first JuceJack. It also 8 output connections connected to same system playback connections JuceJack is connected. The inputs/outputs routed are the 3 set in both cases.

What is this JuceJack-2?

[winger]

Yes, JuceJack is mine. I just don't understand why there is a JuceJack-1(I said -2 in my previous post but it is -1). I guessing it a Juce thing. I'll check the Juce forum and see if anyone else has mentioned it there.

[i2productions]

The number (JuceJack1 JuceJack2) MAY(I'm just making a guess here) have to do with the version of JACK you are using. KXStudio uses 2 by default. But it sounds like you have everything in place. Like falk said, the 2 outputs you see from alsabridge is (almost)everything on your computer that makes noise and doesn't talk to jack directly. This includes firefox and some media players.