[linux-audio-dev] emu10k1 multichannel support

[Lee Revell]

On Sat, 2005-01-22 at 19:30 +0200, Aaron wrote:
> HI,
> 
> Slightly related.
> I have a sound blaster and want something simple.
> 
> I want a way to use all outputs I want two speakers and a headset to
> work. 
> 
> Now I can only have one or the other.
> 
> the regular speaker out and the rear speaker out seem to be mutually
> exclusive.
> 
> I want actually a way to toggle:
> speakers only
> headset only 
> both working.
> 
> I also wonder if there is a way to route different outputs to
> different places:
> 
> I am using the headset and seperately my children are listening to
> mp3s over the speakers. Is this possible?
> 

Yes, this should work.  With an SBLive, connect a JACK client to
playback_1 and playback_2 to output directly to the front speakers, and
connect to playback_3 and playback_4 to output directly to the rear
speakers.  I think playback_5 and playback_6 correspond to center/LFE on
the SBLive so you could use this to do 5.1 surround directly from a JACK
client, which was not easily possible before.

> 
> It may be that the mixer is what is confusing me (and I am most
> confused over it)
> 

Yes the mixer is confusing.  This device lets you bypass parts of the
mixer by mapping the JACK ports directly onto the FX buses.  FWIW, the
Windows mixer doesn't handle this device well either.

> Any help would be most appreciated.
> 
> Also when will this patch appear in a released alsa package for
> debian?
> 

Once it's stable.  Hopefully this will be in ALSA 1.0.9.  There were bad
bugs in versions up to 0.04 but that one should work very well.

Lee