Dmix Not Dmixing

Convergence · 2016-05-14 20:14:14

Gnome has been on my "do not install" list for years. Only I forgot why, so I went ahead and installed it. The reason was pulseaudio. My sound setup that has been stable for years started screwing up, and now I've got to undo the damage.

I've deleted /etc/asound.rc, and that worked as far as disabling PA (I already had 'autospawn = no' in my pulse client). So to be clear, if I start an audio application, it uses ALSA, and that is the desired behavior. However, whatever app that is grabs the device, and no other app can use the sound device (suddenly I'm back in the 90s). I really thought DMIX was automatic these days (according to the wiki it is). What am I missing?

Last edited by Convergence (2016-05-14 20:15:36)

brebs · 2016-05-14 21:42:58

Take a look at the ~/.asoundrc in my sig, for ideas.

Convergence · 2016-05-15 05:33:15

@brebs: Wow, that's an impressive file. Very nicely documented and everything. I'll give it a look (when I'm not tired), but I really thought that an asound config was not necessary to enable dmix, and that it was enabled by default.
Thanks for the response!

Gusar · 2016-05-15 09:38:02

Convergence wrote:

but I really thought that an asound config was not necessary to enable dmix, and that it was enabled by default.

It is enabled by default and a config should not be needed. Unless you're mixing 5.1 and stereo sound, then it gets interesting and that's where brebs' config comes into play. Or perhaps this config is easier to understand: https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/ … d-Upmixing <- note, only needed for 5.1, if all you have is two speakers then nothing should be needed.

Perhaps you still have some config somewhere. Or your applications are configured to use a hw device directly instead of the alsa "default" device, using a hw device directly bypasses dmix.

Convergence · 2016-05-15 18:44:42

Oh, I see. Mine is a stereo setup, not surround, so it must be a problem with the way that phonon is setup. I don't see an option to use dmix in KDE's setup system, so I'm going to have to use pulseaudio for now. I honestly thought everything worked just fine before PA showed up. Sometimes you gotta embrace the change.

Arch Linux

#1 2016-05-14 20:14:14

Dmix Not Dmixing

#2 2016-05-14 21:42:58

Re: Dmix Not Dmixing

#3 2016-05-15 05:33:15

Re: Dmix Not Dmixing

#4 2016-05-15 09:38:02

Re: Dmix Not Dmixing

#5 2016-05-15 18:44:42

Re: Dmix Not Dmixing

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