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#1 2004-08-03 08:58:38

tmadhavan
Member
From: Wales :D
Registered: 2004-03-26
Posts: 441

EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

Hi all.

I've had a 7.1 Hercules Digifire soundcard for a while now, and it was awesome on Windows for surround sound.

Being into my gaming, and just as into my films, I like using linux for both. The problem is, there seems to be absolutely no support whatsoever for EAX/5.1 surround/Dolby surround/ whatever for linux.

I've searched pretty extensively, but as far as I can tell there is NOTHING at all in the way of surround sound support for linux. Is this correct?

It's annoying having hardware sitting around wasting - if anyone can point me to somewhere helpful regarding linux surround, or give me any info, I'd be much obliged big_smile

Thanks a lot.
Thom

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#2 2004-08-03 09:25:13

_PickledOnion_
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From: Lincoln,UK
Registered: 2004-07-31
Posts: 21
Website

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

[edit]

Hmmm, it posted twice  :oops:

[/edit]


pickledonion AT gmail.com

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#3 2004-08-03 09:25:54

_PickledOnion_
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From: Lincoln,UK
Registered: 2004-07-31
Posts: 21
Website

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

Just to give you some hope until someone comes up with a good link - surround sound is fully supported in linux.

The sound deamons and progs for linux are called alsa (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture). I have a creative sound card and have fully working and configured 5.1 digital surround sound. Although you are correct in the lack of EAX support (AFAIK).

The first place I would look is the alsa wiki page, then when it is installed start alsa, configure it for each user with a simple alsamixer command and off you go.

This is covered in the wiki.

Anyway, as I said, until someone can give anything better - be assured surround is fully supported by Linux  big_smile


pickledonion AT gmail.com

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#4 2004-08-03 11:18:23

tmadhavan
Member
From: Wales :D
Registered: 2004-03-26
Posts: 441

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

Wow, thanks... careful tho, you've got my hopes up wink

Well, I have alsa running, and I do indeed have options for 'Surround' and some others in alsamixer - but they don't make any difference!

I'm not sure if it's my soundcard (I've had issues with microphone - it works, i.e. you can hear yourself in the speakers, but I can't actually record anything?? Set various things to 'Capture' etc, no luck), but seeing as all was well in Windows (while ago now, heh) I tend towards thinking it's a software problem.

Are there any special measures I have to take regarding Alsa and surround sound? I've just got the stock Arch Alsa install, haven't changed anything.

I'll go check the Wiki now. Is it just Creative cards that work? My Alsa module is cs46xx I think - Crystal Fusion. That's different to the Creative cards, right?

Cheers,
T

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#5 2004-08-03 11:45:22

tmadhavan
Member
From: Wales :D
Registered: 2004-03-26
Posts: 441

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

Hmm tried the Alsa Wiki, edited my .asoundrc, but no luck. I get a clicking sound (in rear speakers) when I adjust 'Surround' volume in alsamixer, so something is alive, but I can't listen to anything on them. It should work tho, even without a 4/5/6 channel file, right? Thats what's implied in the wiki, anyway - splitting a stereo signal and sending it to front and rear speakers.

I'm gonna try it on some games, see if there's any difference. May have found a fix for my mic tho, heh.

T

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#6 2004-08-03 12:11:22

_PickledOnion_
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From: Lincoln,UK
Registered: 2004-07-31
Posts: 21
Website

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

This may sound obvious, but I also had to configure my movie player to use surround sound.

I use xine so adjusted the config to indicate 5.1 sound and alsa, etc. That did the trick for me with movies (obviously after configuring alsa to have surround).

Apart from that I haven't done anything different from the wiki, at least not that I can think of...

Good luck


pickledonion AT gmail.com

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#7 2004-08-03 12:16:40

tmadhavan
Member
From: Wales :D
Registered: 2004-03-26
Posts: 441

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

What about with music? If you play a normal mp3 or whatever, do you get surround sound?

I'm gonna give a DVD a try now, I'll get back and see if that works specifically.

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#8 2004-08-03 13:00:32

tmadhavan
Member
From: Wales :D
Registered: 2004-03-26
Posts: 441

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

Nope no luck at all, checked my Xine settings, etc. but nothing in the way of surround sound :S

Guess it's just me, heh.

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#9 2004-08-03 13:26:48

_PickledOnion_
Member
From: Lincoln,UK
Registered: 2004-07-31
Posts: 21
Website

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

Hmm, sorry to hear that.

I would think that perhaps the alsa driver needs work for your particular card (the creative one uses EMU10k1 which is quite mature now). If your card uses that particular driver then I am stumped  :?

Maybe someone will come up with an answer.


pickledonion AT gmail.com

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#10 2004-08-03 13:52:45

nggalai
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From: Switzerland
Registered: 2004-08-01
Posts: 215
Website

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

Hi there,

I run the Hercules Game Theater XP (afaik same chipset, at least same ALSA drivers), and have the same issues--i.e. surround sound only in Xine, I haven't found a way yet to get "surround" sound from stereo sources. Or in mplayer or even totem, for that matter.

I've been trying to figure it out for half a year, now, and all I found on the 'net was "na, won't work." If anybody has any more ideas, it's much appreciated indeed.

93,
-Sascha.rb

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#11 2004-08-05 09:14:37

tmadhavan
Member
From: Wales :D
Registered: 2004-03-26
Posts: 441

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

Guess no one can help then.... sad

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#12 2004-08-05 13:27:03

Mr Green
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From: U.K.
Registered: 2003-12-21
Posts: 5,893
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Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

Can xine produce 4-/5-channel surround audio output?

Yep, it can do that using OSS or ALSA drivers, provided that the driver supports it. However, since xine cannot detect if there are actually speakers connected to the additional channels, you'll have to activate that feature manually.

You can do this either in the config dialog while xine is running (press the config button on the xine panel and go to the AUDIO tab) or have it the complicated way by editing the config file yourself which is located in your home directory in .gxine or .xine:

HTH


Mr Green

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#13 2004-08-07 11:12:54

tmadhavan
Member
From: Wales :D
Registered: 2004-03-26
Posts: 441

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

Tried all that, no luck at all.

Seems that with this chip, 5.1 just DOES NOT work at all. I'm sure someone must know how to sort it, guess it's not popular enough to be worth doing tho?

That's devastating, I've just got Doom3 and I'm gonna miss out on the atmosphere! sad

No one have any other ideas?

T

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#14 2004-08-07 16:30:28

sarah31
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From: Middle of Canada
Registered: 2002-08-20
Posts: 2,975
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Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

you do know that most music is stereo and NOT designed to play through more than two speakers? When you do "surround" sound with music you are just forcing the same output through two or more other speakers. Thare are a growing number of albums being released or rereleased that have 5.1 cpabilities. For standard stereo albums if you have a good sound system your music should sound like it is coming from more than one speaker anyway.


AKA uknowme

I am not your friend

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#15 2004-08-07 21:01:57

nggalai
Member
From: Switzerland
Registered: 2004-08-01
Posts: 215
Website

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

tmadhavan wrote:

Tried all that, no luck at all.

Seems that with this chip, 5.1 just DOES NOT work at all. I'm sure someone must know how to sort it, guess it's not popular enough to be worth doing tho?

That's devastating, I've just got Doom3 and I'm gonna miss out on the atmosphere! sad

No one have any other ideas?

T

Well, at least 5.1 works for me (as does 4.0). But only with multichannel content and Xine ...

Here's hoping DooM3 will work, too. I'm playing it on Windows right now, and the surround sound is arguably the best feature of the game. wink

93,
-Sascha.rb

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#16 2004-08-08 10:26:10

tmadhavan
Member
From: Wales :D
Registered: 2004-03-26
Posts: 441

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

It works with Xine? Hmm do you think you could pm me or post your Alsa configurations? I'm not sure which ones are important tho.... :S

I've tried to play DVDs on Xine, no luck with 5.1 still tho. Should work though, if your card works.

Yeh sarah31 I do realise stereo thru 5.1 isn't true surround. Nggalai could you tell me what your alsamixer volumes are too? Thanks

T.

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#17 2004-08-08 10:38:53

nggalai
Member
From: Switzerland
Registered: 2004-08-01
Posts: 215
Website

Re: EAX / 5.1 Surround / Dolby - is there anything for linux?!

You've got PM. wink

93,
-Sascha.rb

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