Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

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Pinguinpat
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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by Pinguinpat »

I do think it's a routing issue, although I don't see any in- output channel appear in Alsamixer.
When I put "option snd-aloop enable=*,*,*,* index=*,*,*,*" in "/etc/modules-load.d/snd-aloop.conf" there appears a working meter in the volume screen but without hearing any sound.

My guess would be that the signal ends up in another channel. Strange thing though is that I don't see in- output channel in QjackCtl either, only midi appears from the Clarett+ I don't know if configuring the routing could make any change to that.

I do have a Windows laptop at work, but I'm enjoying a holiday right now. 2 Weeks without Microsoft! :)
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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by Pinguinpat »

Connecting the Clarett+ with a Windows box is a "solution" to get the card going.
So it is a routing thing...
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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by RockMaster »

Pinguinpat wrote: Fri Sep 30, 2022 1:32 pm Connecting the Clarett+ with a Windows box is a "solution" to get the card going.
So it is a routing thing...
Unless I misunderstood something, I think you have to wait for the kernel 6.1 for the Clarett+ to work with the GUI, to manage the routing? Here's my post about it in this very thread: viewtopic.php?p=147161#p147161
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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by Pinguinpat »

I don't think you misunderstood something :D For now I use the 5.15.0-48-generic kernel. I had a month to test the Clarett+ (read the maximum time I had before I had to return the card to the shop).

I'm looking forward though for kernel 6.1!! But for now I'm happy. The sound of the card is really good!
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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by RockMaster »

Pinguinpat wrote: Mon Oct 03, 2022 8:04 pm I don't think you misunderstood something :D For now I use the 5.15.0-48-generic kernel. I had a month to test the Clarett+ (read the maximum time I had before I had to return the card to the shop).

I'm looking forward though for kernel 6.1!! But for now I'm happy. The sound of the card is really good!
I've seen many people complaining that Clarett+ has very low gain, like the lowest of all interfaces tested. Have you noticed that?
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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by Pinguinpat »

I'm not exactly sure what you mean with gain, but if you're talking about the output volume, the high-mid-low range are well served, covering "all" frequencies instead of concentrating on high and low only. I think that this could be responsible for the lower output to the amplifier.
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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by erlkönig »

Hi, i know, it's a liitle bit late in this thread...
I have a Clarett 8Pre USB and would like to try the GUI. The card itself runs wonderfully, i configured it (routing stuff) long time ago from a borrowed WInmachine. But it would be comfortable to be able to choose HiZ inputs, and maybe try out that air option.

So i'm a bit confused about that gui you are talking about. I'm on manjaro and run a 6.1 kernel:

Code: Select all

root@xxx:~> uname -r
6.1.19-1-MANJARO

If i understand it right, https://github.com/geoffreybennett/scar ... rlett-gen3 is a kernel patch for older kernels and it's not needed, if you are on at least 6.1.

The Gui itself is (under Manjaro) alsa-scarlett-gui? I'm not sure about this.... It's on Manjaro in version 0.2-2 and git version 0.2.7. None of both work, both don't find clarett (i followed the advice concerning /etc/modprobe.d). The git version seems to recongnize clarett (see window-title screenshot), the older version does not.

So: did i missunderstand something completely?

clarett.png
clarett.png (52.05 KiB) Viewed 3380 times

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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by Pinguinpat »

Unfortunately same story here... Adding an extra card here would be a piece of cake, but then, it's not :?

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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by geoffrey »

erlkönig wrote: Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:31 pm

Hi, i know, it's a liitle bit late in this thread...
I have a Clarett 8Pre USB and would like to try the GUI. The card itself runs wonderfully, i configured it (routing stuff) long time ago from a borrowed WInmachine. But it would be comfortable to be able to choose HiZ inputs, and maybe try out that air option.

So i'm a bit confused about that gui you are talking about. I'm on manjaro and run a 6.1 kernel:

Code: Select all

root@xxx:~> uname -r
6.1.19-1-MANJARO

If i understand it right, https://github.com/geoffreybennett/scar ... rlett-gen3 is a kernel patch for older kernels and it's not needed, if you are on at least 6.1.

The Gui itself is (under Manjaro) alsa-scarlett-gui? I'm not sure about this.... It's on Manjaro in version 0.2-2 and git version 0.2.7. None of both work, both don't find clarett (i followed the advice concerning /etc/modprobe.d). The git version seems to recongnize clarett (see window-title screenshot), the older version does not.

So: did i missunderstand something completely?
clarett.png

Hi @erlkönig, @Pinguinpat,

The Clarett+ 8Pre is supported, but the Clarett 8Pre USB is not. Check "lsusb" — does that show 1235:8208 as the ID? If so, you've got a Clarett 8Pre USB.

Edit (I said the opposite to this before, sorry): there's a kernel patch at https://github.com/geoffreybennett/scar ... 74411d984a which pretends to add support for the 8Pre USB but it just treats it like a Clarett+. The protocol might be different and I can't tell if it's likely to just work or if it might break your device. To be certain, you'd need to get a USB capture when running the vendor's configuration software.

Regards,
Geoffrey.

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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by erlkönig »

oh, that's a pitty, it's a clarett without a +
Nevertheless: thank you for your work!

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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by xavierbaez »

I bought the Focusrite Clarett+ 4Pre

I can't get both headphone jacks to work.
here are my notes so far:
Manjaro
Kernel: 6.2.12-1-MANJARO
Headphones: no sound from headphone jack. Sound from Monitor Output 1, 2

EndeavourOS
Kernel: 5.15.96.61.realtime1-2-rt-lts
Headphones: no sound from headphone jack. Sound from Monitor Output 1, 2

Ubuntu 22.04
Kernel: 5.15.0-71-generic
Headphones: Stereo sound from only 1 headphone jack. Sound from Monitor Output 1, 2

  • Headphone I - Plays Left only. Front Center, Subwoofer
  • Headphone II - Plays Stereo. Rear Left. Rear Right.
    Monitor Speakers:
  • I - Plays Stereo. Front Left
  • II - Plays Stereo. Front Right
  • III - Plays Stereo. Front Center
  • IV - No Audio - Subwoofer
  • It doesn't matter if you change /etc/modprobe.d/ files with snd_usb_audio options
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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by geoffrey »

xavierbaez wrote: Sat Apr 29, 2023 5:08 pm

I bought the Focusrite Clarett+ 4Pre

I can't get both headphone jacks to work.
here are my notes so far:
Manjaro
Kernel: 6.2.12-1-MANJARO
Headphones: no sound from headphone jack. Sound from Monitor Output 1, 2

EndeavourOS
Kernel: 5.15.96.61.realtime1-2-rt-lts
Headphones: no sound from headphone jack. Sound from Monitor Output 1, 2

Ubuntu 22.04
Kernel: 5.15.0-71-generic
Headphones: Stereo sound from only 1 headphone jack. Sound from Monitor Output 1, 2

  • Headphone I - Plays Left only. Front Center, Subwoofer
  • Headphone II - Plays Stereo. Rear Left. Rear Right.
    Monitor Speakers:
  • I - Plays Stereo. Front Left
  • II - Plays Stereo. Front Right
  • III - Plays Stereo. Front Center
  • IV - No Audio - Subwoofer
  • It doesn't matter if you change /etc/modprobe.d/ files with snd_usb_audio options

Hi Xavier,

There are a few things in play here:

  • The audio application
  • Sound server: PulseAudio/Jack/PipeWire
  • Kernel audio driver (ALSA)
  • Focusrite Scarlett/Clarett ALSA mixer driver (that's my bit)
  • Hardware (Clarett interface) configuration

Since you are getting some sound, then that means ALSA is working. Not getting sound out of certain outputs could be due to either the application, the sound server, or the hardware configuration.

Regardless of anything else, I would suggest using PipeWire and a recent kernel. I like using qjackctl with PipeWire to snoop on what applications are connected to what audio channels. PipeWire is really good as it lets you (reasonably easily) set up for both Pro and consumer audio usage.

The Focusrite Scarlett/Clarett mixer driver that I wrote allows configuring the hardware routing in the interface. This routing is what translates from the USB audio channels that ALSA knows about to the physical audio channels that you plug headphones and speakers in to. So you can send everything from USB audio channels 1+2 to every hardware output. Or connect hardware outputs to hardware inputs instead of USB, or mix channels together. Please read the Clarett+ 4Pre User Guide and the Focusrite Control Clarett+ User Guide to get up to speed on this.

There's lots of possibilities that you can configure in the hardware! But you do need to configure it; the configuration out of the box is most likely not set up how you want. Unfortunately the Linux Focusrite mixer driver does not support the Clarett+ 4Pre, only the 8Pre. In order for me to add support for other interfaces, I need one of those devices in front of me. I've tried doing it remotely, and that's Not Fun™. Christian Colglazier added the 8Pre support with my assistance. He did the USB captures and analysed them to see how the Focusrite software configured the device, and then he updated the mixer driver code to match. It's not too hard if you're a C programmer.

Without that support in the Linux kernel, changing the snd_usb_audio option won't do anything at all. What you can do is use the Focusrite Control software on Windows or Mac to configure the device. It retains its configuration in NVRAM, so after configuring it you can boot into Linux and use it.

Once you've got the device configured, then you need to configure your sound server (again, I'd suggest PipeWire for best/easiest results). The behaviour you noticed with e.g. headphone I "Plays Left only. Front Center, Subwoofer" and headphone II "Plays Stereo. Rear Left. Rear Right" is due to a mismatch between the application, the sound server, and the device's configuration. PulseAudio & PipeWire usually treat a multi-channel sound card as a consumer card with FL, FR, RL, RR, FC, SW channels, and if you've got your device configured 1-1 between USB and hardware channels then you get weirdness like you noticed with the headphones ending up with nothing or seemingly random channels.

Good luck! And if someone wants to donate a 4Pre, I will certainly add support for it, but that support should not be necessary to use the device! The mixer driver is only for configuration. See https://github.com/geoffreybennett/alsa-scarlett-gui for the possibilities there.

Regards,
Geoffrey.

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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by xavierbaez »

Okay I contacted Christian and compiled Linux 6.3 (Ubuntu) and 6.1 (Manjaro)
It works now
even
alsa-scarlett-gui application

Image

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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by eximiousmoto »

Hi,

I have a Clarett + 8 Pre running:

Operating System: Ubuntu 23.04 (Studio)
Kernel: Linux 6.2.0-1003-lowlatency

I have been recording for months with Ardour without any issues with the Clarett+ 8 pre but have not been successful getting the alsa mixer gui installed with Ubuntu 23.04. Routing would be ideal and Geoffrey Bennet's applcation really looks amazing.

My older 22.10 Ubuntu version allowed for me to run the alsa mixer demo but I have not had any luck with the Clarett + 8 Pre.
I was waiting on the 6.1 or higher kernel which is baked into Ubuntu Studio 23.04

Are there steps that I can take to enable the alsa mixer gui as Christian has done?

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Re: Focusrite Clarett/Clarett+ USB Linux support

Post by xavierbaez »

I have the Focusrite Clarett+ 4 Pre and I can run the alsa-scarlett-gui.
Anybody knows how to enable Air mode with that software?

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