Arch Linux

colbert

Member

Registered: 2007-12-16

Posts: 809

Need help with sound setup, can't select 5.1 in XBMC

Okay I have onboard audio ADI AD1988B (Asus P5K-E mobo) and an M-Audio Revolution 5.1 card, and for some years now I've disabled the onboard audio and used the Revo card just fine. Here is the /etc/asound.conf I have used:

# 6 channel dmix:
pcm.dmix6 {
     type dmix
        ipc_key 1024
        ipc_key_add_uid false
        ipc_perm 0666
        slave { 
                pcm "hw:0,0"
                rate 48000
                format "S32_LE"
                channels 6
                period_time 0
                period_size 1024
                buffer_time 0
                buffer_size 8192
        }
     }

# upmixing:
pcm.ch51dup {
        type route
        slave.pcm dmix6
        slave.channels 6
        ttable.0.0 1
        ttable.1.1 1
        ttable.0.2 0.6
        ttable.1.3 0.6
        ttable.0.4 0.5
        ttable.1.4 0.5
        ttable.0.5 0.5
        ttable.1.5 0.5
   }

pcm.duplex {
     type asym
     playback.pcm "ch51dup" # upmix first
     capture.pcm "hw:0"
}

# change default device:
pcm.!default {
     type plug
     slave {
        pcm "duplex"
        }
}

# for aoss
pcm.dsp "duplex"

pcm.dsp1 "duplex"

pcm.10to20 {
        type route
        slave.pcm default
        slave.channels 2
        ttable.0.0 1
        ttable.0.1 1
}

#------------------------end of working file

This has worked fine, using "default" for system-wide and in XBMC and mplayer I'd specify "plug:dmix6" and surround sound works great.

However, XBMC just updated to Frodo 12.0 and there is no place in the Settings > System > Audio to specify anything, the options now only allow one to choose between devices. I have posted on the XBMC forum and been told to get rid of my asound.conf and just used the devices offered in the settings, but they do not work.

Here are a couple screenshots within XBMC of what I mean: http://i.imgur.com/leWaJ0n.jpg  and http://i.imgur.com/MSQDEnO.jpg  ("Audio output device" gives 3 options, and only that one there Default works, giving 2-channel sound to all 5 speakers, but no surround. The other two give no sound, and if I remove my /etc/asound.conf I get no sound at all in linux).

Now, if what I've been doing despite it working is outdated and I need to redo something I'd appreciate any help as I don't quite know what to change, I just need some way to get the surround working in another way if possible, or abandon the Revo card if not possible and stick with onboard audio.

Appreciate any help!

vostok4

Member

Registered: 2010-12-16

Posts: 70

Re: Need help with sound setup, can't select 5.1 in XBMC

Are you using pure ALSA or Pulse? I actually have the opposite problem from you in Frodo, I get passthrough using ALSA, and Pulse is broken (I normally use Pulse).

For now I downgraded to Eden and its working, but Frodo is broken. Not helpful, I know, but at least you aren't the only one with new AE problems in Frodo.

colbert

Member

Registered: 2007-12-16

Posts: 809

Re: Need help with sound setup, can't select 5.1 in XBMC

I use Alsa, never used Pulse as sound mixing has worked superbly with my asound.conf. Yeah what I'm going to do for the time is probably use my mplayer script (I run it with -ao device=plug:dmix6 and works great) to launch as player for movies, thankfully you can have that in the menu settings within XBMC.

I've asked on the XBMC forum as well and filed a ticket on XBMC trac, but no help anywhere really. I understand my setup is pretty unique with how my card works in linux, so I'm just going to the above until I get my new video card in a while and HDMI out to my receiver, and that'll be that.