[linux-audio-user] arecord question

[Hans]

Florian Schmidt wrote:

>On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 04:12:03 -0500
>wes schreiner <wes at infosink.com> wrote:
>
>  
>
>>hansfong at zonnet.nl wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Does anybody know how to override the -d switch used with arecord? I simply 
>>>want to start recording and exit when I want with ctrl+c. For now I have to 
>>>estimate the time I want to record and that is not always possible, hence 
>>>very difficult to set the -d switch.
>>>
>>>Greetings,
>>>
>>>Hans
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>Well, arecord seems to do the right thing if one just sets -d longer 
>>than one expects to record, then hits Ctrl+C to stop.  And by the right 
>>thing, I mean that if arecord needs to write a header, such as for a 
>>WAVE file, then it does indeed write the correct header before exiting.  
>>Doesn't it work that way for you?
>>
>>wes
>>
>>    
>>
>
>i just use arecord -f cd -Dplughw:0,0 file.wav, and i can crtl-c it when i need it.. where's the problem?
>
>flo
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>
>  
>
The problem is that is doesn't work for me. It will write a 44 byte file 
called file.wav and exit before you even say "a". I 'have' to use the -d 
switch, which I think is a waste.

The problem also is that I can't use oss-emulation to record. /dev/dsp 
is good for signals out, but not signals in. That means legacy programs 
like wavtools, sound-recorder of rawrec can't be used. I don't know how 
I can check the mapping from alsa devices to oss devices, because I 
suspect that there must be something wrong there, but then again I'm 
guessing as I am by no means an expert on these matters. Apart from 
arecord I don't know of any other cli program that can record sound from 
alsa devices.

To be honest. I think alsa sucks on this point. When I want to record 
via line-in I use my old Pentium 200 with SB AWE64 and the oss/free 
drivers. Works like a charm, never needs special switches or pointers to 
devices. I know the statement that alse sucks is very subjective and 
totally biased, but until now I haven't been able to record anything 
decent on my new system (Athlon 2500+ with Audigy1) with alsa drivers. 
Midi and sequencing works like charm, so I am happy with that, but I 
need a problem free way to record. Audacity does only /dev/dsp 
recording, ReZound can record but is too unstable, so what else is 
there? I want a KISS solution. Any hints?

Greetings,