Anyone still using the M-Audio Fast Track Pro?

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cleinias
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Posts: 8
Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 2:53 pm

Anyone still using the M-Audio Fast Track Pro?

Post by cleinias »

Is anyone still using the old M-Audio Fast Track Pro who may shed some light on its setup?

I just picked up one but I cannot get it to work as expected. I followed the advice on past (and quite old) posts[1] and changed the settings to allow full 24 bits and 4 channels, but all I can see in Jack (or rather in Cadence's Catia) are the midi ports, and 2 in 2/ out on the System in/out ports. And I don't get any output on the analog outs, only on the headphone jack.

Suggestions greatly welcome!

I'm on an Arch system, with onboard audio, an nvidia graphic card that exposes quite a few hdmi ports, and a webcam, plus the M-Audio
As per the past post and after some discussion on Arch's bboard, the interface was setup with

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options snd-usb-audio index=-1,-2  device_setup=0x09 vid=0x2012 pid=0x2012
I setup jack with cadence with 48K sample rate, 256 buffer/3 periods, duplex mode, input on hw:Pro,1 and output on hw:Pro,0, 2 channels input, 2 channels output (no other options available, really, any value over 2 crashes jack).

Finally, here is what alsa says:

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**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC269VB Analog [ALC269VB Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 10: HDMI 4 [HDMI 4]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 11: HDMI 5 [HDMI 5]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 12: HDMI 6 [HDMI 6]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 3: Pro [FastTrack Pro], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 3: Pro [FastTrack Pro], device 1: USB Audio [USB Audio #1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC269VB Analog [ALC269VB Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 3: Pro [FastTrack Pro], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 3: Pro [FastTrack Pro], device 1: USB Audio [USB Audio #1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

and here is the content of /proc/asound/cards

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 1 [PCH            ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
                      HDA Intel PCH at 0xfb320000 irq 44
 2 [NVidia         ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
                      HDA NVidia at 0xfb080000 irq 45
 3 [Pro            ]: USB-Audio - FastTrack Pro
                      M-Audio FastTrack Pro at usb-0000:07:00.0-2, full speed
[1]viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11016&p=49636&hilit ... pro#p49636
Henry
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Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2020 4:57 pm

Re: Anyone still using the M-Audio Fast Track Pro?

Post by Henry »

I use one yet, but I stick to 16bit audio so I can have in and out channels. It works good enough. Someday I will get something better. Probably be USB5 based by then though.
cleinias
Established Member
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 2:53 pm

Re: Anyone still using the M-Audio Fast Track Pro?

Post by cleinias »

As an update, I have the Fast Track Pro working as 2 in/2 out in 24 bits/48kHz, with audio out as well. The problem is that the audio out is sent to the digital out only (which is luckily mirrored on one of the analogous RCA outs). I still haven't found a way to get all four out channels mapped out. There are a couple of old posts here that detail a method, but I can't make any sense out of it because they assume you can see the 4 output options in jack (or qjackctl), which is not my case:

https://discourse.ardour.org/t/howto-m- ... it/85354/2


I'll keep looking.
cleinias
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Posts: 8
Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 2:53 pm

Re: Anyone still using the M-Audio Fast Track Pro? [SOLVED]

Post by cleinias »

With the help of this old blog post by Joe Giampaoli, I was able to solve the problem and unlock all channels (2in/4out) in 24bits mode.
It turned out to be trivial, all that was needed was to use the alsa_out command on the alsa output device already used by jack/alsa. The same method can be used to exploit all the available channels in other configurations (i.e. 4in/4out in 16bits, etc.). The following config file provided by Giampaoli, which I am reposting below for future reference, has all the details. Just ignore the bit about recompiling the kernel, no longer necessary.

All in all, after a day of testing I'm very happy with this old interface. They can be found for under $50.

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# IMPORTANT: DO NOT COPY CONTENTS OF THIS FILE TO TEXT EDITOR IF VIEWING FROM WEB BROWSER,
# JUST SAVE THE FILE TO YOUR COMPUTER!!!
# OR VIEW THIS FILE IN UNICODE (UTF-8) MODE IF YOU REALLY WANT TO COPY AND PASTE
# OTHERWISE YOU WILL GET FORMATTING ERRORS AND THE FILE WILL NOT WORK
#
# All configurations shown at the bottom of this file will put the Fast Track Pro as device number 5.
# So in qjackctl or from terminal you will always know that device 5 will be the Fast Track Pro.
# You can change this device number if necessary by changing the index=5 to another number.
#
# Each configuration line has an explanation above it (which should be left commented) so you know how
# the Fast Track Pro will be running.
#
# Only uncomment one line (remove # at start of line) depending how you are going to use your FastTrack Pro.
#
# After making changes to this file and saving it you should power off your Fast Track Pro and unload and reload
# the snd-usb-audio module by doing the following in a terminal:
#
#       sudo modprobe -r snd-usb-audio
#       sudo modprobe snd-usb-audio
#
# If that doesn't work, and you do get an error message saying that the snd-usb-audio module is in use then just
# reboot your machine.
# This is why it's better to not have any other USB audio devices connected, because they also get a hold of the
# snd-usb-audio module.
#
# According to the patch, the possible values for the device_setup parameter are the sum of the following numbers:
#
#    * 0×01 : use the device_setup parameter, always needed
#    * 0×02 : enable digital output (channels 3,4)
#    * 0×04 : use 48kHz-96kHz sampling rate, 8-48 kHz if not used
#    * 0×08 : 24bit sampling rate
#    * 0×10 : enable digital input (channels 3,4)
#
#===================================================================================================================
#===================================================================================================================
#===================================================================================================================
#
#                                          CONFIGURATION LINES (ONLY UNCOMMENT ONE):
#
#===================================================================================================================
#===================================================================================================================
# 24 BIT - 44.1/48 KHz - 2 INPUTS (ANALOG) - 4 OUTPUTS (ANALOG + DIGITAL) - THIS IS THE DEFAULT AND ENABLED:
options snd_usb_audio   vid=0x763 pid=0x2012 device_setup=0x9 index=5 enable=1
#===================================================================================================================
#===================================================================================================================
#
#===================================================================================================================
#===================================================================================================================
# 24 BIT - 88.2/96 KHz - 4 INPUTS (ANALOG + DIGITAL) OR 4 OUTPUTS (ANALOG + DIGITAL) - DUPLEX IS NOT SUPPORTED
#options        snd_usb_audio   vid=0x763 pid=0x2012 device_setup=0x5 index=5 enable=1
#===================================================================================================================
#===================================================================================================================
#
#===================================================================================================================
#===================================================================================================================
# 24 BIT - 44.1/48 KHz - 2 INPUTS (DIGITAL) - 4 OUTPUTS (ANALOG + DIGITAL)
#options        snd_usb_audio   vid=0x763 pid=0x2012 device_setup=0x13 index=5 enable=1
#===================================================================================================================
#===================================================================================================================
#
#===================================================================================================================
#===================================================================================================================
# 16 BIT - 44.1/48 KHz - 4 INPUTS (ANALOG + DIGITAL) - 4 OUTPUTS (ANALOG + DIGITAL)
#options        snd_usb_audio   vid=0x763 pid=0x2012 device_setup=0x0 index=5 enable=1
#===================================================================================================================
#===================================================================================================================
#
# To use the other Inputs/Outputs if available as shown in the configuration lines above you must use either the
# alsa_in or alsa_out commands so they become available to JACK and other applications.
# For example let's say you will run the Fast Track pro with device_setup=0 which makes it run at 16 bit mode
# and you make qjackctl use the hw:5,1 input then in a terminal you will type:
# alsa_in -d hw:5,0 to engage the other 2 inputs, then they will appear in your qjackctl connections tab.
# It doesn't matter if you do it the other way around, like telling qjackctl to use hw:5,0 in that case you will use
# hw:5,1 with the alsa_in command.
#
# Same applies with outputs but with the alsa_out command.
#
# Any questions or issues? just send me an e-mail: joegiampaoli@gmail.com
#
# Cheers!
rubiconJoe
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2020 4:10 pm

Re: Anyone still using the M-Audio Fast Track Pro?

Post by rubiconJoe »

I am actually trying to set up a Fast Track Pro with similar system configuration as the above post. For some reason, I was able to see the fast track pro i/o ports in the sound settings GUI originally and audio i/o was working. I'm not sure what happened but now all options have disappeared. I confirmed the system does see the USB device still. I tried other USB ports, system still recognizes the device, but I/O options do not appear.

Also tried changing sound card in alsamixer but I get "This sound device does not have any controls". And in jackctl there are no audio i/o available, only midi i/o. I'm not sure what happened here...I went through many older posts for this device and tried a bunch of config changes to no avail...any suggestions would be much appreciated!


Thanks,

Joe
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nikgnomicradio
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Re: Anyone still using the M-Audio Fast Track Pro?

Post by nikgnomicradio »

i have an internal audio card with similar layout in ALSA (2 stereo subdevices for capture and playback)
I use alsa_in and alsa_out commands with QjackCtl to add the 2nd subdevice and has always been reliable

select the first subdevice in Cadence/Qjackctl - for OP this is hw:Pro,0
and set the channels In and Out to 2
(if pulseaudio is in use on system it is likely to use only the first 2 channels of first subdevice
need want to ensure that subdevice is released from pulseaudio to start JACK

once JACK has started with 2 channels
add the 2nd subdevice hw:Pro,1 outputs

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/usr/bin/alsa_out -j monitor -d hw:Pro,1 > /dev/null 2>&1 &
and inputs

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/usr/bin/alsa_out -j monitor -d hw:Pro,1 > /dev/null 2>&1 &
the -j option to give it a name is optional, and > /dev/null 2>1 to suppress error messages
but the final & is vital when loading from terminal; the new inputs and outputs will disappear if the terminal is closed
"This sound device does not have any controls"
i have seen this before with USB interfaces.
there are no ALSA controls and the only means to adjust levels is to use the hardware controls on the device
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