ALSA plays only one source at a time

ralvez · 2014-07-07 22:58:35

OK. I give up ... I'm posting.
I've spent about 6 hours going back and forth and I'm about the same as I started.
Long story short... This is a fresh install.
Audio worked "out of the box" but I soon realized that if I'm playing music I cannot play anything else. So, things like notifications, email warnings etc. are no longer allowed.

I've used the wiki to create a new ~/.asoundrc but to no avail.

Here is what my system reports:
lspci -vvv

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 02)
        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 8277
        Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+
        Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
        Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 32 bytes
        Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 44
        Region 0: Memory at f9ff8000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: <access denied>
        Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
        Kernel modules: snd_hda_intel

I created a config file at /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf to ensure the snd_hda_inter driver loads first.

#--------------------------------+
# /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf |
#--------------------------------+
options snd slots=snd_hda_intel,snd_usb_audio
options snd_hda_intel index=0 model=auto vid=8086 pid=293e
options snd_usb_audio index=1

I've also created a ~/.asoundrc with as follows:

pcm.!default {
    type hw
    card Intel
}

ctl.!default {
    type hw
    card Intel
}

pcm.dsp {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmix"
}

So ... what am I missing?! Or am I doing something wrong?
This thing is driving me to drink !!

Thanks.

R.

Last edited by ralvez (2014-07-07 22:59:37)

brebs · 2014-07-08 07:59:36

Your "pcm.!default" is deliberately bypassing dmix.

Basically, your ~/.asoundrc is garbage, so remove it.

See link in my sig, for lots of ideas. Usually the problem is trying to play 5.1 audio after opening the soundcard for stereo-only, which won't work - the solution to *that* is to always open in 5.1 mode.

ralvez · 2014-07-08 14:41:58

brebs wrote:

Basically, your ~/.asoundrc is garbage, so remove it.

Oh! man ... you have to be more subtle in matters like this. Did you not read that I've spent 1/2 a day fighting this thing?
The oddity is, this machine before the reinstall, did not need this trickery to work fine.

Anyway... thanks for posting I'll take a look at your sig. see what I can learn from it.

R.

bch24 · 2014-07-12 03:31:52

ralvez wrote:

OK. I give up ... I'm posting.
I've also created a ~/.asoundrc with as follows:
pcm.!default {
    type hw
    card Intel
}

ctl.!default {
    type hw
    card Intel
}

pcm.dsp {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmix"
}

You shouldn't have to enable dmix. It is on by default.

The problem with your .asoundrc is you default is the card not ou dmix plug.

pcm.!default {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmixer"
}

pcm.dmixer {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmix"
}

ralvez · 2014-07-12 14:41:36

@bch24,

Thanks for posting.
I did know that dmix was enabled by default (according to the wiki) but I just added it as last resort.

I've NEVER had problems with ALSA, so I'm not very familiar with its "dark corners". Oddly enough, the problems disappeared after I removed the ~/.asoundrc which I had added trying to solve the problem.

I've saved this info you sent me as well as a copy of brebs .asoundrc to create a new .asoundrc if/when the problem reappears.

Thanks.

R.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-07-07 22:58:35

ALSA plays only one source at a time

#2 2014-07-08 07:59:36

Re: ALSA plays only one source at a time

#3 2014-07-08 14:41:58

Re: ALSA plays only one source at a time

#4 2014-07-12 03:31:52

Re: ALSA plays only one source at a time

#5 2014-07-12 14:41:36

Re: ALSA plays only one source at a time

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