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#1 2004-04-04 01:41:04

legal
Member
Registered: 2004-03-15
Posts: 15

SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

Hi, my system sound is 5.1, but only works with 2 (surround not working). How can I make it working???

note: I have kernel 2.6.4.

:cry:

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#2 2004-04-04 03:34:18

skoal
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From: Frequent Flyer Underworld
Registered: 2004-03-23
Posts: 612
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Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

legal wrote:

Hi, my system sound is 5.1, but only works with 2 (surround not working). How can make it working???

I have 5.1 creative SB setup as well, with an external receiver (but that should not matter).  You need alsa-libs and alsa-uitls (latest).  Install them.  Then, as root, adjust your sound settings with `alsamixer':

* THE ALSAMIXER SETTING WHICH WILL PIPE SOUND THROUGH OTHER SPEAKERS IS 'WAVE SURROUND'.  MAKE SURE THAT ONE IS `100'. 

There are other less important alsamixer channel settings that you might want to tinker with, but the one above should solve your problem.

Be sure to `alsactl save' after you exit `alsamixer'.  If you are using Gnome 2.6, you might want to try their revamped "sound mixer" app.  It's got better functionality for your specific sound card, which now has the same alsamixer interface setups for my SB card.  Gnome 2.4 `sound mixer' didn't.

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#3 2004-04-05 19:58:47

legal
Member
Registered: 2004-03-15
Posts: 15

Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

skoal thanks for your reply. I'm working with arch now at home (KDE3.2). I'll try what you say now.
smile

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#4 2004-04-12 15:23:43

legal
Member
Registered: 2004-03-15
Posts: 15

Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

It's not a 100% but now I have a fourpoint surround system. Thanks.

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#5 2004-04-13 03:13:29

TheRaginAsian
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From: Brooklyn MI
Registered: 2004-04-05
Posts: 70
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Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

wiki.archlinux.org anyone?


John Gallias
Technician/Friend/Bassist
http://www.concretearmy.com
john@concretearmy.com
john.gallias@gmail.com
Arch Linux v0.7 (Wombat), XFce 4.2, XOrg, Firefox

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#6 2004-04-13 13:50:43

skoal
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From: Frequent Flyer Underworld
Registered: 2004-03-23
Posts: 612
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Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

legal wrote:

It's not a 100% but now I have a fourpoint surround system. Thanks.

I assume you mean that you receive no sound from your center speaker?

Here's what I have, and my alsamixer setup:

Cambridge Soundworks DTT3500 Digital:

Receiver <------------ SB Live! (Digital Out)
      |
      |
      |
      +------ (DIGITAL DIN/MULTI-CHANNEL) -----> 5 Speakers + Sub

Alsamixer:

Wave - 100%
Wave Center - 100%
Wave LFE - 100%
Wave Surround - 100%

* Those are the 4 settings which primarily route all sound to your 5.1 system.  If you adjust any of those 4 separately, you will see how each one will affect the specific parts of your 5.1 setup.  If you remove the "Receiver" from that I/O path (which I believe is your setup), you should still get the same 5.1 output.  Before I had the receiver and just the SB Live! card (like your current setup), I had 5.1 sound with the same alsamixer settings.  I just use my receiver to get different effects.

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#7 2004-04-14 12:36:07

shadov
Member
From: Finland
Registered: 2004-02-28
Posts: 40

Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

I'm trying to get digital out, preferably with 4.1 surround, to work on SoundBlaster Live! (alsa + 2.6.5 kernel)  and I can't figure out how to do it. In Slackware with 2.4 kernel it worked out of the box.

Do I need some additional software like emuk10k1 or emu-tools package from sourceforge?

#
# /etc/modprobe.conf (for v2.6 kernels)
#

alias /dev/nvidia*   nvidia

alias sound-slot-0 emu10k1

and lsmod

snd_pcm_oss            49444  0
snd_mixer_oss          17664  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_emu10k1            92548  4
snd_rawmidi            20640  1 snd_emu10k1
snd_pcm                85796  4 snd_pcm_oss,snd_emu10k1
snd_timer              21892  1 snd_pcm
snd_seq_device          6792  2 snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi
snd_ac97_codec         61700  1 snd_emu10k1
snd_page_alloc          9220  2 snd_emu10k1,snd_pcm
snd_util_mem            3456  1 snd_emu10k1
snd_hwdep               7456  1 snd_emu10k1
snd                    46436  16 snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_seq_device,snd_ac97_codec,snd_util_mem,snd_hwdep
soundcore               7776  1 snd

The analog stereo works fine.

I found a thread on LinuxQuestions.org where someone suggests to use OSS. Do you think I should recompile my kernel to use OSS?


Application of abstract techniques and utilities to solving a particular business problem is NOT a patentable idea. It is a fundamental concept of the IT industry.

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#8 2004-04-14 15:15:47

skoal
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From: Frequent Flyer Underworld
Registered: 2004-03-23
Posts: 612
Website

Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

shadov wrote:

I'm trying to get digital out, preferably with 4.1 surround, to work on SoundBlaster Live! (alsa + 2.6.5 kernel)...

Howdy,

I have a similiar setup, except that I have a receiver.  However, that shouldn't matter, as I believe, it is just a matter of properly setting alsamixer to use the digital out interface.

Here's what I did to get my SB Live! working on AL/kernel 2.6.5.

1. Get the latest "alsa-libs", "alsa-utils", and "alsa-oss" files.  "alsa-driver" is only needed for 2.4 kernels.


2. Add "snd-emu10k1" and "snd-pcm-oss" modules to `/etc/rc.conf'.  For example,

MODULES=(airo nvidia snd-emu10k1 snd-pcm-oss lp parport_pc rtc)

* "snd-emu10k1" should precede "snd-pcm-oss" in that order.  Also, it is not necessary to add "alias" entries in `/etc/modprobe.conf'.

3. Reboot, and make sure lsmod shows the "alsa" modules loaded (as shown below).

snd_pcm_oss            50724  0
snd_mixer_oss          18176  2 snd_pcm_oss
snd_emu10k1            95492  5
snd_rawmidi            21280  1 snd_emu10k1
snd_pcm                90784  3 snd_pcm_oss,snd_emu10k1
snd_timer              23428  1 snd_pcm
snd_seq_device          6920  2 snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi
snd_ac97_codec         63236  1 snd_emu10k1
snd_page_alloc          9476  2 snd_emu10k1,snd_pcm
snd_util_mem            3712  1 snd_emu10k1
snd_hwdep               7840  1 snd_emu10k1
snd                    49124  17 snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_seq_device,snd_ac97_codec,snd_util_mem,snd_hwdep
soundcore               8160  2 snd

4. As superuser (root), create the "asound.state" file.

touch /etc/asound.state

5. Run alsamixer, and adjust the 4 settings mentioned above in prior post (from this thread).  For digital out, I believe you need to un-mute "SB Live Analog/Digital Output Jack".  Hit the "m" key to mute/un-mute a channel.  In alsamixer, the "Item" field will show if that channel is muted with an "[off]".  Make sure it doesn't show that, as follows:

Card: Sound Blaster Live!
Chip: SigmaTel STAC9721/23
Item: SB Live Analog/Digital Output Jack

6. Hit "ESC" key to exit alsamixer.  Save your settings with:

alsactl store

7. Restore your alsamixer settings on every reboot, by adding the following to `/etc/rc.local':

alsactl restore

NOTE:  By following this method, your alsamixer settings are the same for every user.  I'm not quite sure how you set them per user.  At one time, and several alsa versions past, I think I had to create an "asound.state" in that user's home directory.  I'm not quite sure though.

NOTE: I use "gnome-alsamixer" (in Gnome of course) to do the same in place of the curses UI "alsamixer".

If your digital out does not seem to still work after that, I would try different alsamixer settings while you have some sounds playing (like an ".mp3" in XMMS for example).  That way, you can see which controls actually affect your sound.

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#9 2004-04-14 18:53:03

shadov
Member
From: Finland
Registered: 2004-02-28
Posts: 40

Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

Thanks skoal.

However there is one problem. The sound level of "SB Live Analog/Digital Output Jack" doesn't come up. I'm positive it's unmuted, then when I press up arrow to bring volume up nothing happens.


Application of abstract techniques and utilities to solving a particular business problem is NOT a patentable idea. It is a fundamental concept of the IT industry.

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#10 2004-04-15 16:08:47

skoal
Member
From: Frequent Flyer Underworld
Registered: 2004-03-23
Posts: 612
Website

Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

shadov wrote:

Thanks skoal.

However there is one problem. The sound level of "SB Live Analog/Digital Output Jack" doesn't come up. I'm positive it's unmuted, then when I press up arrow to bring volume up nothing happens.

That particular switch is just a toggle (mute/un-mute), so there shouldn't be any volume level to adjust.  If it's un-muted, in alsamixer you will not see the "MM" at the top of the column bar.

Here's my `/etc/asound.state' file below.  Replace your file with mine and see what happens.

http://www.angelfire.com/linux/skoal/files/asound.state

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#11 2004-04-18 15:14:23

shadov
Member
From: Finland
Registered: 2004-02-28
Posts: 40

Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

It works now!

Restoring from yuor asound.state caused some error messages to print, but running 'alsactl store' after that fixed it.

Volume control in xmms and xine doesn't work (turning volume up in there causes only loud whistle like sound). Doesn't matter much to me, as I usually control volume levels from amplifier.


Application of abstract techniques and utilities to solving a particular business problem is NOT a patentable idea. It is a fundamental concept of the IT industry.

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#12 2004-04-18 16:44:00

skoal
Member
From: Frequent Flyer Underworld
Registered: 2004-03-23
Posts: 612
Website

Re: SoundBlaster Live + 5.1 System from Creative

shadov wrote:

Volume control in xmms and xine doesn't work (turning volume up in there causes only loud whistle like sound). Doesn't matter much to me, as I usually control volume levels from amplifier.

That's funny you should say that.  Ever since I have owned the SB Live! and succesfully used the digital out from it, I've never been able to use the XMMS volume slider.  In fact, currently, the "Master Volume" slider in alsamixer doesn't do squat either.  I've noticed that in several other applications as well.

I'm sure there is a fix for it.  All the alsa modules are currently being used, so it must be something related to my actual hardware and the Alsa implementation of the Digital out port.  Or, it just may be that I'm overlooking something simple.  But, like you say, I use the master volume on my Receiver like you do on your Amplifier.

* As for the errors when you used my `asound.state' file, that may have just been the subtle hardware differences between our 2 cards, which `alsamixer' didn't understand for yours, and quietly threw out the settings it couldn't use.  If you saved your original `asound.state', maybe you can do a "diff" on it and see what actually helped in your case.  I'd be curious to know.  Glad it works for ya.

By the way, those loud whistles you hear may be caused from some `alsamixer' settings.  Namely, there may be some line input's NOT muted, or some other setting.  I've gotten that loud whistle too while playing with different channel settings in `alsamixer'.  That's why it's a good thing to go ahead and play around with all of the supported options in "alsamixer", and mute the one's that have no effect, or more precisely, make sure you set everything to 100 which you want to use, and everything else to 0 which you don't use or don't know what it does.  I don't have a clue about half of those "Sigmatel" settings in `alsamixer'.  So, I "mute/set to 0" the one's which I don't use and the others I have no idea about.  That seemed to get rid of the random whistles.

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