[SOLVED] surround51 problem with ALSA

afonic · 2007-09-12 22:59:20

Hi there,

I have some trouble getting 5.1 audio working in Arch.

In Ubuntu I used to use the instructions here to make my card output surround sound (which means that the back speakers play the back sounds in an AC3 audio stream etc).

My problem in Arch seems to be that the output "device" ALSA uses for 5.1 output does not work. For example when I type:

[afonic@afonic-arch ~]$ speaker-test -Dplug:surround51 -c6 -l1 -twav

speaker-test 1.0.14

Playback device is plug:surround51
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 6 channels
WAV file(s)
Playback open error: -16,Device or resource busy
Playback open error: -16,Device or resource busy

while it should output:

[afonic@afonic-arch ~]$ speaker-test -c6 -l1 -twav

speaker-test 1.0.14

Playback device is default
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 6 channels
WAV file(s)
Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
Buffer size range from 2048 to 16384
Period size range from 1024 to 1024
Using max buffer size 16384
Periods = 4
was set period_size = 1024
was set buffer_size = 16384
 0 - Front Left
 4 - Center
 1 - Front Right
[...]

In Ubuntu this results in playing just from 4 speakers, until I do the hack mentioned above when all 6 work. Of course I cannot do this hack without surround51.

I've checked my settings and I have the latest version of alsa-libs.

Here are some useful outputs:

[afonic@afonic-arch ~]$ lsmod|grep '^snd'
snd_seq_oss            29312  0 
snd_seq_midi_event      6528  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                46672  4 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device          6924  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_intel8x0           28700  3 
snd_ac97_codec         95652  1 snd_intel8x0
snd_pcm_oss            37024  0 
snd_pcm                69124  4 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer              19332  3 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc          7816  2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
snd_mixer_oss          14592  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd                    45028  13 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mixer_oss

[afonic@afonic-arch ~]$ aplay -L
default:CARD=CK804
    NVidia CK804, NVidia CK804
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=CK804,DEV=0
    NVidia CK804, NVidia CK804
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=CK804,DEV=0
    NVidia CK804, NVidia CK804
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=CK804,DEV=0
    NVidia CK804, NVidia CK804
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=CK804,DEV=0
    NVidia CK804, NVidia CK804
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=CK804,DEV=0
    NVidia CK804, NVidia CK804
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)

Any ideas?

Last edited by afonic (2007-09-13 08:13:02)

afonic · 2007-09-13 08:12:48

Solved.

Some Gnome setting was the problem (System -> Prefs -> Sound > Disable ESD).

Now not only it works but I have native 5.1 (!) without the need to use that 51to40 hack!

Arch Linux

#1 2007-09-12 22:59:20

[SOLVED] surround51 problem with ALSA

#2 2007-09-13 08:12:48

Re: [SOLVED] surround51 problem with ALSA

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