[linux-audio-user] more about HDSP 9652/jack/ardour/hdspmixer

[Mark Knecht]

On Wed, 2003-10-01 at 22:04, Aaron Trumm wrote:
<SNIP>
> --
> a) I've been doing a lot of back and forth and reading but I'm a bit confused 
> as to what hdspmixer is DOING (which makes it harder to tell if it's working 
> :) )

hdspmixer is taking each and every one of the 52 inputs (26 ADAT
channels and 26 software channels) and it is 'mixing' them to each and
every one of the 26 output channels. It is capable of setting an routing
volume for each path separately. (Which could have something to do with
your -3db thing)

Whether a specific input is routed to a specific output is made visible
when you click on the black square below a name like In 1 where it
probably says A1 1+2 on your setup if you're running default conditions.
You'll get a list of outputs. Any output with a check mark has some
amount of this inputs signal routed to that output.


> 
> but what was showing up at the board wasn't what I was expecting *laugh*  if I 
> routed a track to channel 1, then it showd up a 3 db too quiet at channel 1 
> on the mixer, and at the right volume on channel 2 (I was using a -12 1khz 
> test tone that I generated with the board and was able to record to ardour - 
> ardour indeed is playing it at -12.1 - I think the point 1 is explanable but 
> I'll skip that 'cause it doesn't matter just now)   if I routed the track to 
> channel 2, it didn't show up anywhere.  odd numbered tracks after that seemed 
> to be showing up on 1-2 just like 1 did (although I can't confirm the 
> consistancy of this)

I think I maybe did see something like this with older versions of
hdspmixer.

> 
> I experimented with opening up qjackconnect, which was the only one of the 
> many patch bay programs from planet that showed 24 capture and playback 
> channels and connecting captures to playbacks.  this didn't seem to do 
> anything, which made me wonder just what qjackconnect was for.
> 
> then I closed all, closed the hdspmixer program, and started just jack and 
> ardour.  the results from that are:
> 
> routed to channel 1, it shows up at channel 1, 3 db quiet, channels 3, 7, 9, 
> 11, 17, 19 and 23  at 30 db quiet and channels 5, 13 and 21 at 12 dbs quiet - 
> wha?

OK, so now I need to ask what you mean by 'channels'. There are three
'channel 1's ' in hdspmixer - In 1, Out 1 and A1 1. Are you seeing this
audio on Out 1 when Ardour plays audio? Do you see Out 1 audio making it
to A1 1? 

> 
> routed to channel 2, it shows up only at channel 2! 3 dbs under - actually, 
> this 3 dbs may be a non-problem issue in the board, so possibly it can be 
> ignored
> 
> routed to channel 3, it shows up on 1, 2, 3 and 4 and some other channels at 
> half volume - wha wha?
> 
> channel 4, nothing
> 
> channel 5 --> 4, 5, 6 and others
> 
> ok you get the picture.  randomness.  a weird mess.

This sounds like you're possibly not running hdspmixer 1.3. In an xterm
type 'which hdspmixer'. IF you get /usr/bin/hdspmixer, I think you have
the wrong one. IF you get usr/local/bin/hdspmixer then you are probably
OK.

In any case, unless you did something special when you did the
./configure step I think the new one (at least on my system is in
/usr/local/bin, so make sure you are running that.

Provide an lspci output so we can see that you've got the right
firmware.

Provide the output of 'cat /proc/asound/card0/hdsp '. If you see 2
status and two control registers then you have at least partially the
new driver. (I think) If you don't, then something is definitely a bit
off.

<SNIP>
> 
> I only know of a couple people who are using the HDSP 9652 - Mark K, does any 
> of this sound familiar?

It does actually. I mostly think that if you are doing things right with
the tools them you are still running the wrong software somewhere.
Probably your hdsp.o file isn't the right one is my guess, but we'll
just have to find out.

Good luck,
Mark