Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA wizard...

[Michael <confabulate@kintzios.com>]

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I recall you having problems recording with this device before, but since 
you're now a step ahead let's have another go at this, in case I may be able 
to help.

> On Wed, Apr 22, 2020 at 2:57 PM Jorge Almeida <jjalmeida@gmail.com> wrote:
> > ... desperately needed.
> > 
> > The setup:
> > -- a microphone connected to an audio interface, which connects to an
> > USB port in the computer. The interface works like a USB sound card,
> > at least regarding sound capture. It works: I can record my voice with
> > arecord into a wav file, and then play the file with aplay.
> > -- a (motherboard) sound card with a toslink output connected to an
> > external DAC/amplifier. It works: playing wav, youtube, etc.
> > 
> > The problem:
> > I need to use it for voice chat. I tried slack and discord (the latter
> > both via browser and app--there's a package in portage--, the former
> > only via browser). No sound, neither outbound nor inbound.
> > None of these programs provides a way to tell them which devices to
> > use, so I assume they just go for some default.

Yes, this is the case or you're missing some audio module/driver/firmware, 
which is probably unlikely for a device which presents itself over a USB 
interface.  If an application like vlc allows you to get audio output by 
switching devices, then you know you will have to change the order of your 
cards as they are detected by the kernel.

QUESTION:  I am not familiar with your hardware, but is dmesg *only* 
identifying it as a USB device?  I'm asking this because you may need to 
additionally configure e.g. a serial/parallel interface to the device for 
controlling it, or at least adding yourself to some user group, if USB alone 
won't suffice.


> > I don't have a .asoundrc file. Contents of /etc/alsa/conf.d/ are not
> > customized.

OK, this is noteworthy, you may need to do some tweaking in such a file, 
depending which audio card is detected first and what controls are made 
available.


> > Maybe some ALSA wiz that happens to be familiar with discord can
> > suggest something?
> > 
> > Thanks
> > 
> > Jorge Almeida
> > 
> > $ cat /proc/asound/devices
> > 
> >   1:        : sequencer
> >   2: [ 0- 0]: digital audio playback
> >   3: [ 0- 0]: digital audio capture
> >   4: [ 0- 1]: digital audio playback
> >   5: [ 0- 2]: digital audio capture
> >   6: [ 0- 3]: digital audio playback
> >   7: [ 0]   : control
> >   8: [ 1- 0]: digital audio playback
> >   9: [ 1- 0]: digital audio capture
> >  
> >  10: [ 1]   : control
> >  33:        : timer
> > 
> > $ arecord -L
> > null
> > 
> >     Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
> > 
> > sysdefault:CARD=PCH

OK, this shows your audio card on the MoBo is picked up by default as the 
first card.


> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Analog
> >     Default Audio Device
> > 
> > front:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Analog
> >     Front speakers
> > 
> > usbstream:CARD=PCH
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH
> >     USB Stream Output
> > 
> > sysdefault:CARD=CODEC

This is what you want to configure as the default audio device.


> >     USB Audio CODEC, USB Audio
> >     Default Audio Device
> > 
> > front:CARD=CODEC,DEV=0
> > 
> >     USB Audio CODEC, USB Audio
> >     Front speakers
> > 
> > surround21:CARD=CODEC,DEV=0
> > 
> >     USB Audio CODEC, USB Audio
> >     2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
> > 
> > surround40:CARD=CODEC,DEV=0
> > 
> >     USB Audio CODEC, USB Audio
> >     4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
> > 
> > surround41:CARD=CODEC,DEV=0
> > 
> >     USB Audio CODEC, USB Audio
> >     4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
> > 
> > surround50:CARD=CODEC,DEV=0
> > 
> >     USB Audio CODEC, USB Audio
> >     5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
> > 
> > surround51:CARD=CODEC,DEV=0
> > 
> >     USB Audio CODEC, USB Audio
> >     5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
> > 
> > surround71:CARD=CODEC,DEV=0
> > 
> >     USB Audio CODEC, USB Audio
> >     7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
> > 
> > iec958:CARD=CODEC,DEV=0
> > 
> >     USB Audio CODEC, USB Audio
> >     IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
> > 
> > usbstream:CARD=CODEC
> > 
> >     USB Audio CODEC
> >     USB Stream Output
> > 
> > $ aplay -L
> > null
> > 
> >     Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
> > 
> > sysdefault:CARD=PCH
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Analog
> >     Default Audio Device
> > 
> > front:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Analog
> >     Front speakers
> > 
> > surround21:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Analog
> >     2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
> > 
> > surround40:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Analog
> >     4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
> > 
> > surround41:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Analog
> >     4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
> > 
> > surround50:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Analog
> >     5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
> > 
> > surround51:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Analog
> >     5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
> > 
> > surround71:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Analog
> >     7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
> > 
> > iec958:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Digital
> >     IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
> > 
> > hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH, Generic Digital
> >     HDMI Audio Output
> > 
> > usbstream:CARD=PCH
> > 
> >     HDA Intel PCH
> >     USB Stream Output
> > 
> > sysdefault:CARD=CODEC
> > 
> >     USB Audio CODEC, USB Audio
> > 
> > I know iec958:CARD=CODEC,DEV=0 is the appropriate device for capture
> > and that iec958:CARD=PCH,DEV=0 is the appropriate device for playback,
> > because it's what works with -D.

In the first instance create a new file (for system-wide settings):

 /etc/asound.conf.

Add in it:

defaults.pcm.card 1
defaults.pcm.device 0
defaults.ctl.card 1

which hopefully will make your second card configured to be the default.

More detailed settings and tweaking can be found here:  

https://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Asoundrc

HTH.

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