ALSA Audio

Posts: 48
myway_1
Joined: 26 Oct 2016
#1
I can't get my USB sound card to work with ALSA. It recognizes the card, lets me select it but - no sound

Pulse audio does a great job but I want to minimize apps and resource usage. Plus I'm trying to use as much libre software as possible.

Any suggestions for getting ALSA to work for me? Or suggestions for other software that can be used with a libre kernel and obtained from main repository?

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System:    Host: stick Kernel: 4.4.10-antix.1-amd64-smp x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 4.9.3) Desktop: Fluxbox 1.3.5
           Distro: antiX-16_x64-base Berta Cáceres 26 June 2016
Machine:   System: Intel product: STCK1A8LFC v: H79550-100
           Mobo: Intel model: STCK1A8LFC v: H67494-302
           Bios: Intel v: FCBYT10H.86A.0031.2015.1027.1417 date: 10/27/2015
CPU:       Quad core Intel Atom Z3735F (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 10649
           clock speeds: max: 1832 MHz 1: 1601 MHz 2: 1717 MHz 3: 1136 MHz 4: 1685 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series Graphics & Display bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.16.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Bay Trail GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.3.2 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 ATR2USB driver: USB-Audio Sound: ALSA v: k4.4.10-antix.1-amd64-smp
           Card-2 C-Media driver: USB Audio usb-ID: 001-005
Network:   Card: NetGear WNA1100 Wireless-N 150 [Atheros AR9271] usb-ID: 001-007
           IF: N/A state: N/A mac: N/A
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1000.2GB (74.1% used) ID-1: /dev/mmcblk0 model: N/A size: 7.7GB
           ID-2: /dev/mmcblk1 model: N/A size: 64.0GB ID-3: USB /dev/sda model: Expansion size: 1000.2GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 58G used: 1.8G (4%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/mmcblk1p3
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 1.33GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/mmcblk0p2
           ID-3: swap-2 size: 1.08GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/mmcblk1p2
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 57.0C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 167 Uptime: 21 min Memory: 289.8/907.6MB Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 4.9.2
           Client: Shell wrapper inxi: 2.3.0
Posts: 45
hobbyist7890
Joined: 24 Apr 2016
#2
Please show the output:

Code: Select all

aplay -l
Are you trying to put audio into the HDMI?
Posts: 48
myway_1
Joined: 26 Oct 2016
#3
Hello Hobbyist,

No I'm not trying to use HDMI, my PC has problems with that, which is why I bought a USB sound card.

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 aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 1: ATR2USB [ATR2USB], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
It may be pertinent that when I click on control center > hardware > adjust mixer, a screen pops up and disappears instantly. Same thing when I right click on volume button in panel then left click on open mixer.,
Posts: 45
hobbyist7890
Joined: 24 Apr 2016
#4
The usb audio is listed as Card 1 where alsa automatically wants to send audio to Card 0.
To fix this create a file in your home directory".asoundrc" to tell alsa what to do containing something like this:

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pcm.!default {
    type hw
    card 1
    device 0
}

ctl.!default {
    type hw           
    card 1
}
Posts: 4,164
rokytnji
Joined: 20 Feb 2009
#5
It may be pertinent that when I click on control center > hardware > adjust mixer, a screen pops up and disappears instantly. Same thing when I right click on volume button in panel then left click on open mixer.,
Probably because

Pulse audio does a great job but
Is pulse audio installed?

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$ apt-cache policy pulseaudio
pulseaudio:
  Installed: 7.1-2mx150+1
  Candidate: 7.1-2mx150+1
  Version table:
 *** 7.1-2mx150+1 0
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     5.0-13.0nosystemd1 0
        500 http://antix.daveserver.info/jessie/ jessie/nosystemd i386 Packages
     5.0-13 0
        500 http://ftp.ca.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main i386 Packages
I have it installed on mine because a bluetooth external speaker I have won't play without it.


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