No audio input from Behringer UMC22

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dylan
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Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2021 6:27 pm

No audio input from Behringer UMC22

Post by dylan »

Hey guys,

This is my first post here. I wouldn't say I'm new to Linux, but I'm definitely new to audio hardware and software. At the moment all I want to do is use my laptop as an amp with my electric guitar.

I have Guitarix and Cadence installed and working. I have my USB interface, Behringer UMC22, successfully playing sound from my browser or from VLC through a pair of speakers. What I can't do is get the guitar to make any noise through the speakers, whether through Guitarix or not. I do see the signal light next to the gain 2 nob lighting up when I pluck the strings, and the volume on guitar, input and output on the interface, and on the speakers is all up. So I'm getting input signal, but no output.

So, some information about my setup:
These are screenshots of my setup in Cadence and Catia: https://imgur.com/a/I0Dl5Jy
As you can see, I have the low latency kernel installed, and I have also added myself to the right user groups. The reason I have unselected duplex mode is that I was getting crazy feedback, a lot of loud squealing from Guitarix, which was only fixed if I turned the master volume on Guitarix down, so it seemed like there was some sort of loop happening with the onboard card. The feedback stopped when I used the current settings.
I have also tried sending capture_2 directly to playback_1 and 2, bypassing Guitarix, and I still got no sound from plucking the guitar strings.
Here's a pastebin entry showing the logs in cadence from running for about 10 seconds: https://pastebin.com/iHM1yktU

I can't think of any other information to add at this stage. Please let me know if you need any more data.
Thanks a lot in advance!
dylan
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Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2021 6:27 pm

Re: No audio input from Behringer UMC22

Post by dylan »

Just a couple of things I forgot to mention. Firstly, I'm running vanilla Ubuntu 20.04.
Also here's the output of

Code: Select all

aplay -l

Code: Select all

**** Liste der Hardware-Geräte (PLAYBACK) ****
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 0: ALC3254 Analog [ALC3254 Analog]
  Sub-Geräte: 0/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 10: HDMI 4 [HDMI 4]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 1: CODEC [USB Audio CODEC], Gerät 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Also of

Code: Select all

arecord -l

Code: Select all

**** Liste der Hardware-Geräte (CAPTURE) ****
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 0: ALC3254 Analog [ALC3254 Analog]
  Sub-Geräte: 0/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 1: CODEC [USB Audio CODEC], Gerät 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
That's in German I know, but it should still be readable.
After a little while I tried setting everything up again, and I must have changed something. Now when I connect all the links in Catia as I had before, I get a crazy amount of feedback from Guitarix, which gets louder the higher the master volume is. The feedback seems to come from roughly the spot on my laptop where the headphone jack is located, while I have Guitarix open. Once I close Guitarix and connect capture_2 directly to one of the playback tabs, the feedback comes from the PC speakers, which are attached to the USB interface, even when they are switched off.

If I don't find any new information, I'm going to try using Audacity tomorrow, and see if I can work out how to get some input from the audio interface to there, so I at least know if I can get signal from the guitar to the computer and back out to the speakers. I might also try ignoring Cadence and using Jack directly, and see what difference that makes.
Last edited by dylan on Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
dylan
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Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2021 6:27 pm

Re: No audio input from Behringer UMC22

Post by dylan »

Alright, so I've made some really significant progress, now I'm just trying to work out how to use Guitarix.
Here's a screenshot of my new Catia configuration: https://imgur.com/a/ezOvRZi

I tried routing the capture into Pulseaudio Jack Source, and only routing Jack Sink into playback. Sending capture straight to playback seems to be what was causing the feedback loop. I've seen that configuration on other people's setup, so I'm not sure why that didn't work for me, but this one is now working.

So, now I can hear the strings through my speakers, if only faintly. I need to have the gain signal on my audio interface turned right up, as well as the volume on the guitar and on the speakers, and then I can just hear the sound over the sound of the guitar itself.
Oh and I needed to press in the direct monitor button to get sound through the speakers. I take it that's what that button is for. And with the gain right up on the interface I still don't see any clipping. I had to have it turned a fair way up before it even registered signal.
Guitarix also allows me to use the tuner, so it is definitely recognising input from the guitar. The sound coming through the speakers is totally clean though, no matter what settings I touch, and the master volume has no effect on the output at all, so something's not going quite right inside there.
It also occurred to me that the faint signal could be related to the cable. My cable is a Fender Deluxe Series, 20 gauge. It wasn't the cheapest one I could find on Amazon, but regardless, I don't think that explains this problem. Even with a crappy cable I should still hear something.

So that's where I'm up to right now. I'll keep researching to see why the signal might be so faint and why Guitarix is not influencing the output, but any suggestions would be more than welcome! Thanks
merlyn
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Re: No audio input from Behringer UMC22

Post by merlyn »

dylan wrote:I tried routing the capture into Pulseaudio Jack Source, and only routing Jack Sink into playback.
I don't use Pulse myself but as far as I understand it Pulse is for desktop audio, like playing back audio from a browser. I use Guitarix and have the output of Guitarix connected to 'system'. In your case this would bypass Pulse.
Oh and I needed to press in the direct monitor button to get sound through the speakers.
Using direct monitor simply passes the input of the interface to the output of the interface bypassing the computer completely. The idea with direct monitor is if you are working on a project that needs a large buffer and therefore has a large latency you can use direct monitor for overdubbing with low latency monitoring. So if you want your guitar to go through Guitarix you don't want direct monitor pressed.
dylan
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Re: No audio input from Behringer UMC22

Post by dylan »

Thanks for your reply. I tried making those changes. So, I understand better now what the monitor button presses. I turned that off, but now I get no sound at all from the guitar.
And when I try connecting Guitarix directly between capture_1 or capture_2 and playback, I get screeching feedback, even through the speakers when they're turned off.
What's going on there? Why isn't that working?
merlyn
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Re: No audio input from Behringer UMC22

Post by merlyn »

Screeching feedback sounds like there is a mic involved -- it sounds like you're using the laptop's built in sound hardware.

Have you selected the soundcard you want to use in your JACK setup e.g. Cadence?

EDIT : I see you posted a screenshot. Cadence can misbehave at times.

Go to Jack Settings > Driver and tick 'Duplex Mode'. Now select the Behringer soundcard as input and output. Sometimes Cadence doesn't get the message the first time and you have to repeat the process until Cadence behaves itself. :)
dylan
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Re: No audio input from Behringer UMC22

Post by dylan »

Thank you so much. I had actually tried that setting before, but it stops youtube from working. It still stops youtube from working, so it's not a perfect setup, but now I can hear the guitar and I can properly direct it through Guitarix. It sounds amazing and makes me really happy, haha.
So, if I want to use other programs like Firefox at the same time, how can I fix this situation? I don't really want to have to switch Cadence on and off constantly throughout the day.
dylan
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Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2021 6:27 pm

Re: No audio input from Behringer UMC22

Post by dylan »

All fixed. Turns out all I needed to do was use pavucontrol to tell Firefox to use the onboard card, and now I can play youtube and the guitar at the same time.
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