Unable to get a response from USB interface into Ardour 6 into Ubuntu Studio 20.04

[DukeOfHuntingdon]

I am not able to see any signal from my USB interfaces in Arour 6.0.0 installed on Ubuntus 20.04. I tested a 1st generation Scarlett 2i4 and a Behringer UMC404. I tested at Kubuntu, Kubuntu with Ubuntu Studio 20.04 ppa and apps installed, and Ubuntu Studio 20.04. I tried connecting the Scarlett directly to Ardour in the Audio/MIDI setup screen, and through JACK and qjackctl as well as JACK and Carla. I tried selecting the Scarlett as the sound card in the alsamixer, and tested the other sound card choices also. I can see a response in pulse audio input (pavucontrol). I can see the Scarlett after lsusb, aplay -l, and cat /proc/asound/cards. I tested this on both a Dell desktop and a Dell laptop. I have also been searching on setting up Carla, JACK, and qjackctl. I've used settings recommended in the Ubuntu Studio manual. Finally I have no problem seeing and recording from either the Scarlett or the Behringer in Ardour 5.12. Any ideas as to how to fix this? BTW, I plan to look into either MXLinux or AVLinux as possible alternatives; from what I've read, Ardour 6 works great in AVLinux.

[lilith]

What does the Ardour log window say when connecting Ardour directly to Alsa?

[DukeOfHuntingdon]

There were no errors. It showed connecting to the vst directories, and that it could not find a LADSPA directory.

[Plug&Play]

Any progress?
I had a similar problem last week, just trying to get sound from a microphone, through my Usb audiovox to Skype.
It turned out that there are way too many volume controls in that signal chain, and I missed one because I did not know to scroll down to the bottom of the pavucontrol window.

I did not discover this until I tried to make the most simple thing imaginable work: headphones in the computer (system) headphone jack. The sound was terrible quality but low volume, but it was one volume control way down and the others pushed.

Can you put a level meter in your qjackctl step up and make the Mic on your Usb device connect to it? See a decent signal level?

I'll check back tomorrow AM Pacific Time.

Good Luck!

[DukeOfHuntingdon]

I resolved the problem I was having with Ardour 6. In both Ardour 4 and Ardour 5, one could see the strength of the signal going into a track by connecting the track to the proper input (for example, USB interface), then doing whatever to cause a signal (sing into a microphone, strum a guitar, play a note on a keyboard or bass, etc.) There was no need to arm the track in order to see a response. Apparently there was some change made to Ardour 6 whereby one must arm the track in order to see a response on the meter on the track. Once I armed the track, I easily saw a response to the input into my USB device. I did not have to use either JACK or Carla; it worked with ALSA.

[Plug&Play]

Thanks for the update. Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to track down.

perhaps you can mark it [SOLVED]

[lilith]

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