[mythtv-users] ALSA and onboard sound card (ASUS A8V Deluxe with VIA K8T800Pro)

Fri Jan 13 19:51:05 UTC 2006

On 1/13/06, Joacim J <jocke4news at gmail.com> wrote:
> It's 5.1 and it should be the center that doesn't receive any signal.
> Using Xine and have "Pass through" configured in Xine. Even if it
> would be an old DVD with stereo sound the speach should go to the
> front speakers, instead.
>
> I am at work right now but will test it some more when I soon arrive
> home (it's friday 5.00 PM in sweden). Ok, since it's friday 13:th
> today the machine will probably not even boot ;-)
>
> // Joacim
>
>
> On 1/13/06, Steve Adeff <adeffs at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Friday 13 January 2006 04:19, Joacim J wrote:
> > > On 1/12/06, Steve Adeff <adeffs at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > > > http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Asoundrc_alc850
> > >
> > > I have put the configuration file in the mythtv home, disabled the
> > > Sound System for mythtv user in FC4 by Control Center -> Sound &
> > > Multimedia and uncheck the box and rebooted.
> > >
> > > When testing it with the famous DVD "Winnie the Poo" (to keep my
> > > 2-years son happy) there was played music and such but no speach. I
> > > have experienced this some other time in the past but can not remember
> > > the solution.
> > >
> > > Why does this happen and what should I do?
> > >
> > > --
> > > Regards
> > > Joacim
> >
> > Is the DVD stereo or 5.1? It sounds like its 5.1 but your receiver isn't
> > picking up the center channel (where speach is usually placed). Why I can't
> > understand, since the asoundrc should (As it does with me) just pass the
> > audio stream from the dvd to your receiver. What are you using to playback
> > the DVD? I wonder if the software is doing something to the audio stream...
> >
> > --
> > Steve

I have now looked things up a bit. I have S/PDIF (coaxial) connected
to my Harman/Kardon AVR-65, 5.1 receiver. Using Xine as player.

When configuring Xine's audio as "Surround 5.1" I looses the speach
(center), all other sound works fine. Switching Xine's config to "Pass
through" I get a heavy cracking sound and no normal sound. Since I
want a pure digital signal to my receiver I think I should use "Pass
Through", or?

One other thing I can see is that in alsamixer I don't have any DMX
controls. I have had them (4 of them I think) in a previous
installation. Shouldn't they be here?

What can be wrong?

Some configuration output:
[root at htpc ~]# more /etc/modprobe.conf
alias eth0 sk98lin
alias scsi_hostadapter sata_via
alias scsi_hostadapter1 sata_promise

alias snd-card-0 snd-via82xx
install snd-via82xx /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-via82xx && /usr/sbin/als
actl restore >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
remove snd-via82xx { /usr/sbin/alsactl store >/dev/null 2>&1 || : ; }; /sbin/mod
probe -r --ignore-remove snd-via82xx

#alias snd-card-0 snd-via82xx
#options snd-card-0 index=0
#options snd-via82xx index=0
#remove snd-via82xx { /usr/sbin/alsactl store 0 >/dev/null 2>&1 || : ; }; /sbin/
modprobe -r --ignore-remove snd-via82xx

alias char-major-81 cx8800
alias usb-controller ehci-hcd
alias usb-controller1 uhci-hcd
alias ieee1394-controller ohci1394
# nvidia kernel module
alias char-major-195 nvidia-1_0-8178
alias nvidia nvidia-1_0-8178

alias char-major-61 lirc_gpio
[root at htpc ~]#
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[root at htpc ~]# more /home/mythtv/.asoundrc
# Override the default output used by ALSA.
# If you do not override the default, your default
# device is identical to the (unmixed) analog device
# shown below. If you prefer mixed and/or digital
# output, uncomment the appropriate four lines below
# (only one slave.pcm line).
pcm.!default {
  type plug
## Uncomment the following to use mixed analog by default
# slave.pcm "dmix-analog"
## Uncomment the following to use unmixed digital by default
  slave.pcm "digital"
# slave.pcm "digital-hw"
## Uncomment the following to use mixed digital by default
# slave.pcm "dmix-digital"
}

# Alias for analog output on the nForce2 (hw:0,0)
# - This is identical to the device named "default"--which
# always exists and refers to hw:0,0 (unless overridden)
# - Therefore, we can specify "hw:0,0", "default", or "analog"
# to access analog output on the nForce2
pcm.analog {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "analog-hw"
}

# Control device (mixer, etc.) for the nForce2 card
ctl.analog {
  type hw
  card 0
}

# Alias for (rate-converted) mixed analog output on the
# nForce2 (hw:0,0)
# - This will accept audio input--regardless of rate--and
# convert to the rate required for the dmix plugin
# (in this case 48000Hz)
pcm.mixed-analog {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "dmix-analog"
}

# Control device (mixer, etc.) for the nForce2 card
ctl.mixed-analog {
  type hw
  card 0
}

# Alias for (rate-converted) digital (S/PDIF) output on the
# nForce2 (hw:0,2)
# - This will accept audio input--regardless of rate--and
# convert to the rate required for the S/PDIF hardware
# (in this case 48000Hz)
pcm.digital {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "digital-hw"
}

# Control device (mixer, etc.) for the nForce2 card
ctl.digital {
  type hw
  card 0
}

# Alias for mixed (rate-converted) digital (S/PDIF) output on the
# nForce2 (hw:0,2)
# - This will accept audio input--regardless of rate--and
# convert to the rate required for the S/PDIF hardware
# (in this case 48000Hz)
pcm.mixed-digital {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "dmix-digital"
}

# Control device (mixer, etc.) for the nForce2 card
ctl.mixed-digital {
  type hw
  card 0
}

# The following devices are not useful by themselves. They
# require specific rates, channels, and formats. Therefore,
# you probably do not want to use them directly. Instead use
# of of the devices defined above.

# Alias for analog output on the nForce2 (hw:0,0)
# Do not use this directly--it requires specific rate,
# channels, and format
pcm.analog-hw {
  type hw
  card 0
 # The default value for device is 0, so no need to specify
}

# Control device (mixer, etc.) for the nForce2 card
ctl.analog-hw {
  type hw
  card 0
}

# Alias for digital (S/PDIF) output on the nForce2 (hw:0,2)
# Do not use this directly--it requires specific rate,
# channels, and format
pcm.digital-hw {
  type hw
  card 0
  device 2
}

# Control device (mixer, etc.) for the nForce2 card
ctl.digital-hw {
  type hw
  card 0
}

# Direct software mixing plugin for analog output on
# the nForce2 (hw:0,0)
# Do not use this directly--it requires specific rate,
# channels, and format
pcm.dmix-analog {
  type dmix
  ipc_key 1234
  slave {
    pcm "analog-hw"
    period_time 0
    period_size 1024
    buffer_size 4096
    rate 48000
  }
}

# Control device (mixer, etc.) for the nForce2 card
ctl.dmix-analog {
  type hw
  card 0
}

# Direct software mixing plugin for digital (S/PDIF) output
# on the nForce2 (hw:0,2)
# Do not use this directly--it requires specific rate,
# channels, and format
pcm.dmix-digital {
  type dmix
  ipc_key 1235
  slave {
    pcm "digital-hw"
    period_time 0
    period_size 1024
    buffer_size 4096
    rate 48000
  }
}

# Control device (mixer, etc.) for the nForce2 card
ctl.dmix-digital {
  type hw
  card 0
}
[root at htpc ~]#

--
Regards
Joacim