Re: Problem with multiopen on SB Audigy 2

[Takashi Iwai <tiwai@suse.de>]

At Wed, 8 Oct 2003 15:49:48 +0200 (CEST),
Jaroslav wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 8 Oct 2003, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> 
> > At Wed, 8 Oct 2003 13:08:38 +0200 (CEST),
> > Jaroslav wrote:
> > >
> > > On Tue, 7 Oct 2003, James Courtier-Dutton wrote:
> > >
> > > > Takashi Iwai wrote:
> > > > > At Tue, 07 Oct 2003 18:00:22 +0100,
> > > > > James Courtier-Dutton wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >>I have 2 sound cards, card 0 is the motherboard intel/alc650 one, and
> > > > >>card 1 is a SB Audigy2
> > > > >>
> > > > >>Playing two streams at once on device "front:1" works: -
> > > > >>aplay -D front:1 filename.wav
> > > > >>aplay -D front:1 filename.wav
> > > > >>So, this is playing two files to the SB Audigy2 front speakers.
> > > > >>I can hear the two files being mixed together and output together to a
> > > > >>single set of speakers.
> > > > >>
> > > > >>Playing two streams at once on device "rear:1" fails: -
> > > > >>aplay -D rear:1 filename.wav
> > > > >>aplay -D rear:1 filename.wav
> > > > >>So, this is trying to play two files to the SB Audigy2 rear speakers.
> > > > >>
> > > > >>The first files comes out of the rear speakers, but the output from the
> > > > >>second aplay command fails with: -
> > > > >>
> > > > >>bash-2.05b# aplay -D rear:1 filename.wav
> > > > >>Playing WAVE 'filename.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100
> > > > >>Hz, Stereo
> > > > >>ALSA lib setup.c:94:(snd_sctl_install) Cannot lock ctl elem
> > > > >>aplay: set_params:876: Unable to install hw params:
> > > > >>ACCESS:  RW_INTERLEAVED
> > > > >>FORMAT:  S16_LE
> > > > >>SUBFORMAT:  STD
> > > > >>SAMPLE_BITS: 16
> > > > >>FRAME_BITS: 32
> > > > >>CHANNELS: 2
> > > > >>RATE: 44100
> > > > >>PERIOD_TIME: (125011 125012)
> > > > >>PERIOD_SIZE: 5513
> > > > >>PERIOD_BYTES: 22052
> > > > >>PERIODS: 2
> > > > >>BUFFER_TIME: (250022 250023)
> > > > >>BUFFER_SIZE: 11026
> > > > >>BUFFER_BYTES: 44104
> > > > >>TICK_TIME: 1000
> > > > >>
> > > > >>Can you explain why this might be happening?
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > this is because the "Wave Surround Playback Volume" control is locked
> > > > > by the first rear stream.
> > > > > you can find it in /usr/share/alsa/cards/Audigy2.conf.
> > > > > please try to remove the lock.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Takashi
> > > > >
> > > > Thanks that fixed the problem.
> > > > Please see attached patch files, for the SB Live and Audigy2, both of
> > > > which have been tested.
> > >
> > > Yes, but the question is, if we want this behaviour. We expect that the
> > > rear channel will go only via rear speakers thus setting of Wave Surround
> > > Volume is required.
> >
> > but the signals from "rear" pcm stream should come in fact only from
> > the rear channels, regardless of "Wave Surround Playback Volume",
> > because it sets max send-volume to FX bus 2/3, and zero to others.
> >
> > setting "Wave Surround Playback" would allow other pcm streams to
> > route the front signals to the surround, but it's a user's choice.
> > i don't think this exclusive behavior is necessary.
> >
> >
> > or am i missing something?
> 
> Yes, my idea was to route signal from stereo applications to all channels,
> but if DVD (or other 4+.0+ format) is used, then use channels
> independently. It appears that James is trying to do something
> non-standard (perhaps playing two DVDs simultaneously), so I am not sure,
> if we should have these things in our configurations.
> 
> It's something like "auto" stuff, but I would like to avoid user
> confusion.

hmm, now i see the problem.  i think disabling "wave surround, center,
lfe" doesn't belong to the rear or center/lfe pcm, but it's necessary
for front pcm.  or even better if we have FX bus bypassing these
duplications.

> Anyway, users are already confused with emu10k1+ mixers, so we have to do
> things more simple.

yep, i'd like to see the new design of the routing/volume.

at least, it'd be nice to have:

- a new real "master" volume for all channels
- ac97 master -> front
  ac97 pcm    -> front pcm ?
- bypass the duplication of front signals (other FX bus?)
- hide "emu10k1*" stuffs from alsamixer (a new flag?)


Takashi


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