Guitar to USB on Linux Mint

[mike80222]

I just got one of these:

https://www.zzounds.com/item--ROLBLKINC?siid=194914

I'm attempting to use it on Linux Mint 19.2. It appears to be doing something. When I open up "Sound Preferences" and plug it in, a new input device appears. The input level bars do light up when I play something. I guess what I would like to do is to try routing the sound out to the speakers, but nothing I try seems to work.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

For what it's worth, I've also tried plugging it into my phone and trying a couple of those android guitar apps. That didn't work. But my phone is pretty old, and I don't really know whether I should expect anything there.

Thanks!

-Mike

[lilith]

If you use Jack you can route the input to the output. Or you can install Ardour to see if you can record something. If you see the lights I guess it's working. But to be honest I would invest a bit more and get an interface. If the cable breaks you can though the whole device into the trash bin.

[mike80222]

Hi Lilith,

I've tried routing it with Jack. It's possible I'm not doing it right. I'm totally new on this forum and I haven't figured out how to post a screen shot. Do you have any thoughts on exactly what the jack routing should look like to go right to the speakers?

When you say "get an interface" I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Could you elaborate.

I don't have Ardour, but I do have Rosegarden. I haven't been able to get the audio into that. My next stop there is the Rosegarden list, but I was hoping first to find some straightforward way just to verify if the cable is actually working first.

BTW, nice tracks on soundcloud. Is Ardour your primary vehicle for producing these?

-Mike

[milo]

What you have is essentially a 1-way interface. It is an analog-to-digital converter that shows up as a sound device on your computer when you plug it in. Most sound devices in common usage are 2-way, so your software is probably assuming that when you specify that you want to use your Roland cable as the sound device, that you mean to use it for both input and output. I had the same problem with a similar device some years ago.

There is a way to get it to work, fortunately, but the quality of your results may not be to your liking. You can specify a different input and output device for JACK in the qjackctl settings. (You can also do this in the JACK config files or in other JACK-controlling software, but this is the way I know how to do it.) This screenshot (https://alansandersonmusic.files.wordpr ... vanced.png) shows the config screen where you can specify the input and output devices. In your case, choose your Roland cable as the input, and your computer's soundcard as the output, and it should work.

Warning: You may have problems with crackling, popping, or intolerable latency.

Life really is better in Linux audio when you get a 2-way interface, like a Focusrite Scarlett or Behringer U-phoria. But try working with this cable first and see if it suits your needs.

As an aside, I have never been able to figure out Rosegarden. Some people love it, and it works for them, but I just can't figure it out. I am an Ardour user. Audacity is also a good place to start if you're just getting your feet wet.

[mike80222]

Milo,

Thanks! I will give that a try.

I see now what Lilith meant by an interface. I do have a Yamaha mixer, which I used to plug into the sound input. I've also got a USB interface on the way for that. My thought was that this would give me more flexibility than plugging everything into the mixer. I had previously noticed the Focusrite, but I thought it was just another kind of mixer. But I guess it's more than that. I will definitely think about going that route.

Another vote for Ardour. I tried it once, but it was a long time ago. Maybe I should look at it again. Just out of curiosity, what's your OS?

-Mike

[mike80222]

Good tip about Audacity. I was able to record and play back with that, and it actually sounds fine. So that at least tells me that the cable is working.

[milo]

Just out of curiosity, what's your OS?

I am on Linux Mint 19.3. I have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, which I bought about 3-4 years ago. It worked out of the box, and I've been really happy with it. Mine is a 2nd gen device, and I've heard that the 3rd gen devices have some "extra" features that are not class compliant, but that the core functionality works out of the box still.

Also, if you are going to give Ardour a try, then I highly recommend at least skimming the user manual: https://manual.ardour.org/toc/. It makes a world of difference and flattens the learning curve a lot.

Glad to hear you got some sound in!

[mike80222]

OK. I'll look at some of that. It's a plus to know that these things are being used on Mint with no problem. Really appreciate the info. May have some more questions later, but I'll try not to become a "thorn in your side"

[lilith]

Take care with the new Focusrite. They don't work out of the box. I can recommend the Behringer Uphoria Series. Will reply later (cellphone).

[milo]

More info on the 3rd gen Focusrite devices here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=20669

Maybe I misunderstood, or half-understood because I was skimming, but I thought people on that thread were saying that the class-compliant features worked well out of the box. Anyway, if you are considering a purchase, then please read the thread more carefully than I have.

Or just get a Behringer. I've heard mostly good things about them, but have no personal experience with them.

[lilith]

Hi Lilith,

I've tried routing it with Jack. It's possible I'm not doing it right. I'm totally new on this forum and I haven't figured out how to post a screen shot. Do you have any thoughts on exactly what the jack routing should look like to go right to the speakers?

When you say "get an interface" I'm not sure exactly what you mean. Could you elaborate.

I don't have Ardour, but I do have Rosegarden. I haven't been able to get the audio into that. My next stop there is the Rosegarden list, but I was hoping first to find some straightforward way just to verify if the cable is actually working first.

BTW, nice tracks on soundcloud. Is Ardour your primary vehicle for producing these?

-Mike

Hi Mike,

I was using Ardour for some tracks, but most of them were done with Renoise or Reaper. Recently I also bought Bitwig which is great.