Problems with USB sound card

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icedfiend
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Problems with USB sound card

Post by icedfiend »

Actually, I'm not really sure if this belongs to this forum or not, if it doesn't, simply don't mind me and point me in the right direction, please :P

I own a Epiphone Les Paul Ultra III, it comes with an integrated usb sound card for direct recording into the computer.

I had instaled an old version of Kxstudio (with Kubuntu 11.10 as it's base) on my desktop and as far as I remember, Cadence recognized the sound card on the guitar. Now, on my laptop I have an up to date version of Kxstudio (with Kubuntu 12.04 as it's base), but the sound card doesn't show up on Cadence. On the other hand, the card is recognized on my system as (only) recording device:

USB PnP Audio Device (USB Audio)
USB PnP Audio Device, USB Audio (Hardware Device with all software conversions)
USB PnP Audio Device, USB Audio (Direct Hardware Device without any conversion)
USB PnP Audio Device, USB Audio (Direct sample snooping device)
USB PnP Audio Device, USB Audio (Default audio device)

And KInfoCenter got this:

Vendor ID: 0xd8c
Product ID: 0x134

I also got an Alesis Multimix4 USB audio interface and a Zoom G2.1U (the 2005 model) and all of them are detected by Cadence.

I'm not sure if I'm missing something to make it work again or just the detection got messed up because the guitar interface is detected only as recording device and not as a play-&-record device.

Anyway, I got a basic understanding on the system, so I'll do my best to suply any information requested in case this can be solved, but I'm not an expert in Linux so the commands needed to find that information would also be welcome hehe

Thanks in advance.
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Pablo
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by Pablo »

To list the cards known to alsa, do a:

cat /proc/asound/cards

To list the capture and playback devices, in every card:

arecord -l && aplay -l

Sometimes, a firmware is missing despite the drivers being OK. I don't know if it is your case, though. The above commands should say something useful.
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icedfiend
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by icedfiend »

This is what I got from cat /proc/asound/cards with only the guitar plugged in.

Code: Select all

 0 [PCH            ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
                      HDA Intel PCH at 0xd1a00000 irq 44
 1 [Loopback       ]: Loopback - Loopback
                      Loopback 1
 2 [Device         ]: USB-Audio - USB PnP Audio Device
                      C-Media Electronics Inc. USB PnP Audio Device at usb-0000:00:1d.0-1.1, full spe
And this from arecord -l && aplay -l

Code: Select all

**** Lista de CAPTURE dispositivos hardware ****
tarjeta 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], dispositivo 0: ALC271X Analog [ALC271X Analog]
  Subdispositivos: 0/1
  Subdispositivo #0: subdevice #0
tarjeta 1: Loopback [Loopback], dispositivo 0: Loopback PCM [Loopback PCM]
  Subdispositivos: 8/8
  Subdispositivo #0: subdevice #0
  Subdispositivo #1: subdevice #1
  Subdispositivo #2: subdevice #2
  Subdispositivo #3: subdevice #3
  Subdispositivo #4: subdevice #4
  Subdispositivo #5: subdevice #5
  Subdispositivo #6: subdevice #6
  Subdispositivo #7: subdevice #7                                                                                                                                 
tarjeta 1: Loopback [Loopback], dispositivo 1: Loopback PCM [Loopback PCM]                                                                                        
  Subdispositivos: 8/8                                                                                                                                            
  Subdispositivo #0: subdevice #0                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #1: subdevice #1                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #2: subdevice #2                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #3: subdevice #3                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #4: subdevice #4                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #5: subdevice #5                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #6: subdevice #6                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #7: subdevice #7                                                                                                                                 
tarjeta 2: Device [USB PnP Audio Device], dispositivo 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]                                                                                    
  Subdispositivos: 1/1                                                                                                                                            
  Subdispositivo #0: subdevice #0                                                                                                                                 
**** Lista de PLAYBACK dispositivos hardware ****                                                                                                                 
tarjeta 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], dispositivo 0: ALC271X Analog [ALC271X Analog]                                                                                    
  Subdispositivos: 0/1                                                                                                                                            
  Subdispositivo #0: subdevice #0                                                                                                                                 
tarjeta 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], dispositivo 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]                                                                                                    
  Subdispositivos: 1/1                                                                                                                                            
  Subdispositivo #0: subdevice #0                                                                                                                                 
tarjeta 1: Loopback [Loopback], dispositivo 0: Loopback PCM [Loopback PCM]                                                                                        
  Subdispositivos: 8/8                                                                                                                                            
  Subdispositivo #0: subdevice #0                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #1: subdevice #1                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #2: subdevice #2                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #3: subdevice #3                                                                                                                                 
  Subdispositivo #4: subdevice #4
  Subdispositivo #5: subdevice #5
  Subdispositivo #6: subdevice #6
  Subdispositivo #7: subdevice #7
tarjeta 1: Loopback [Loopback], dispositivo 1: Loopback PCM [Loopback PCM]
  Subdispositivos: 8/8
  Subdispositivo #0: subdevice #0
  Subdispositivo #1: subdevice #1
  Subdispositivo #2: subdevice #2
  Subdispositivo #3: subdevice #3
  Subdispositivo #4: subdevice #4
  Subdispositivo #5: subdevice #5
  Subdispositivo #6: subdevice #6
  Subdispositivo #7: subdevice #7
Sorry for the last command being in spanish. Looks like the guitar got only a recording device, but no playback device. Could I set the input device as "hw:2" or "hw:2,0" for it to work?

On a different topic... would it be possible to use different devices for input and output? Let's say I'd want to record with my guitar but monitor through an audio interface or my laptop's soundcard. I've tried to configure it like that (for example, my Zoom Pedal as input and the Alesis Interface as output) but it won't allow me to start jack again with that configuration.

Thanks again, if you need any other information just ask :)
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autostatic
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by autostatic »

The audio interface of the guitar is called Device so entering hw:Device in Cadence should make JACK use your guitar's audio interface. And yes, you can use different interfaces for input and output, for example hw:Device for input and hw:PCH for output.
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icedfiend
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by icedfiend »

Trying to configure the guitar as input and the laptop sound card as output ended up badly :P

I set Input Device as : hw:Device (also as hw:Device,0)
I set Output Device as: hw:PCH,0

Cadence won't be able to start jack with this configuration and hang for a while trying to open the configuration screen. Unless I kill jackdbus process I can't open the configuration screen anymore.

This is what the log had to say

Code: Select all

Fri Oct  5 13:42:24 2012: Saving settings to "/home/alejandro/.config/jack/conf.xml" ...
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: Saving settings to "/home/alejandro/.config/jack/conf.xml" ...
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: Starting jack server...
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: JACK server starting in realtime mode with priority 10
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: ERROR: control open "hw:PCH,0" (No such file or directory)
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: Acquired audio card Audio2
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: Acquired audio card Audio-1
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: creating alsa driver ... hw:PCH,0|hw:Device|256|2|44100|0|0|nomon|swmeter|-|32bit
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: ERROR: control open "hw:PCH,0" (No such file or directory)
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: configuring for 44100Hz, period = 256 frames (5.8 ms), buffer = 2 periods
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: ALSA: final selected sample format for capture: 16bit little-endian
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: ALSA: use 2 periods for capture
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: ALSA: final selected sample format for playback: 32bit integer little-endian
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: ALSA: use 2 periods for playback
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: port created: Midi-Through:midi/playback_1
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: port created: Midi-Through:midi/capture_1
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: port created: TiMidity:midi/capture_1
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: port created: TiMidity:midi/capture_2
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: port created: TiMidity:midi/capture_3
Fri Oct  5 13:42:48 2012: port created: TiMidity:midi/capture_4
Fri Oct  5 13:42:53 2012: ERROR: JackProcessSync::LockedTimedWait error usec = 5000000 err = Connection timed out
Fri Oct  5 13:42:53 2012: ERROR: Driver is not running
Fri Oct  5 13:42:53 2012: ERROR: Cannot open client name = dbusapi
Fri Oct  5 13:42:53 2012: ERROR: failed to create dbusapi jack client
Using the Alesis interface as input and the laptop sound card as output yielded the same results.

Any ideas? Guess I should stick to use just one of the regular audio interfaces for now :P
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icedfiend
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by icedfiend »

On the bright side (thing that I forgot to test yesterday), setting up the guitar in the Device/Interface as hw:Device allowed me to record it, but I can't monitor anything.
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by autostatic »

icedfiend wrote:Any ideas? Guess I should stick to use just one of the regular audio interfaces for now :P
Don't use Timidity or set Timeout to at least 5000ms in Cadence (although it seems that is already the case).
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icedfiend
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by icedfiend »

I'm using Timidity to work with TuxGuitar.

I didn't know why I couldn't hear anything while trying to play any tab and ended up googling the problem.

Most of the entries I found talked about installing Timidity as midi sequencer/bridge (not sure if any of those are the right terms in this case). If there's a better solution, I'm all ears :P
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Jaaxx
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by Jaaxx »

Try setting output as hw:0,0
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icedfiend
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by icedfiend »

No luck either, setting 2 different interfaces for input and output won't allow me to start jack
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Pablo
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by Pablo »

Try starting jack in capture only mode, then run this command in a terminal:

alsa_out -dhw:PCH,0

By the way, is alsa_out (or Fons' similar utility) integrated in Cadence?
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icedfiend
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by icedfiend »

How can I start jack in capture-only mode? Selectiong only the input device? or is there any special command?
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icedfiend
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by icedfiend »

I unchecked the Duplex Mode in Cadence, write down hw:2, hw:2,0, hw:Device or hw:Device,0 in the Device/Interface box.

The command alsa_out -dhw:PCH,0 always return "Capture open error: Device or resource busy"

Well, my main problem is already solved (recording through the guitar interface), and although I can't monitor anything this way, I don't mind sticking to any of my other interfaces. It would be nice to be able to get to solve this last problem though :P
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Pablo
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by Pablo »

lsa_out -dhw:PCH,0 always return "Capture open error: Device or resource busy"
Try closing firefox, or whatever. This might suffice.

To see what process is using the soundcard, you can use:

fuser -u /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p

(this is card 0, device 0, pcm playback)

You will see something like:
/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: 3812m(pablo)

Then do a:

kill 3812

or whatever process ID number
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Pablo
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Re: Problems with USB sound card

Post by Pablo »

Pablo wrote:
By the way, is alsa_out (or Fons' similar utility) integrated in Cadence?
[quote=falktx]There is something related yes, but it's only for alsa-audio into jack (the asoundrc + snd-aloop trick).[/quote]

That is for applications, isn't it? It would be nice selecting additional audio cards from within Cadence :)
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