[linux-audio-user] Debian 2.6.14 alsa problems

[Nigel Henry]

On Saturday 07 January 2006 15:34, Laura Conrad wrote:
> >>>>> "NH" == Nigel Henry <cave.dnb at tiscali.fr> writes:
>
>     NH> Also he asked for the output of:
>     NH> cat /proc/asound/card0/wavetableD1
>
>     NH> Would you post the output of this please, as it will confirm
>     NH> if the soundfont is loaded.
>
>     >> [~]# cat /proc/asound/card0/wavetableD1
>     >> Device: Emu10k1
>     >> Ports: 4
>     >> Addresses: 65:0 65:1 65:2 65:3
>     >> Use Counter: 0
>     >> Max Voices: 64
>     >> Allocated Voices: 0
>     >> Memory Size: 134217728
>     >> Memory Available: 130711440
>     >> Allocated Blocks: 458
>     >> SoundFonts: 1
>     >> Instruments: 1789
>     >> Samples: 456
>     >> Locked Instruments: 1789
>     >> Locked Samples: 456
>     >> You have mail in /var/spool/mail/lconrad
>     >> [~]#
>
>     NH> Are there any larger soundfonts on your Creative CDROM? I've no
> idea, but NH> perhaps the soundfont is not large enough to play the midi
> file that you are NH> trying.
>
> This font is the one that's worked in the past when I've had MIDI
> working.  I do have others.
>
> I just loaded the one with the largest file size, 4GMGSMT.SF2, and it
> looks more like yours, but still doesn't make noise when I play MIDI:
>
> [~]# cat /proc/asound/card0/wavetableD1
> Device: Emu10k1
> Ports: 4
> Addresses: 65:0 65:1 65:2 65:3
> Use Counter: 0
> Max Voices: 64
> Allocated Voices: 0
> Memory Size: 134217728
> Memory Available: 130183486
> Allocated Blocks: 490
> SoundFonts: 1
> Instruments: 3560
> Samples: 488
> Locked Instruments: 3560
> Locked Samples: 488
>
>
>     NH> If you do use KDE. Try Kmid, which even though it crashes now and
> again, at NH> least I know it plays midi files ok.  Nigel.
>
> It seems to do the same thing as the command line players -- look like
> it's playing,  but not produce any sound.

Hi Laura. Sorry for the delay in replying. You said on an earlier post that 
you'd had midi working. Was this on the same machine, and if so, which 
distro?

I'm fast running out of suggestions. If the audio is working ok, TiMidity 
plays midi files ok, the only other things you should need for playing midi, 
for instance with Kmid are. Make sure that snd-emu10k1-synth is loaded. Load 
the soundfont onto the card, and if using KMid. Make sure that in Kmids 
"Settings", "Midi Setup", that you select one of the wavetable ports, and ok 
it. Then the midi file should just play after loading it in Kmid.

The only thing I don't quite understand, if I read this correctly, is that 
Qjackctl shows both sound cards as "hw:0

Lets try setting the cards to load as card 1, and card2. This I've had to do 
so that snd-usb-audio loads as the second card, otherwise Alsa detects my usb 
midi keyboard as the soundcard.

Open the CLI and su to root, then open a text editor, Kwrite, Gedit or 
something. Go to. /etc/modutils/sound . This is possibly a blank page. Add 
these lines.
alias snd-card-0 snd-emu10k1
options snd-emu10k1 index=0
alias snd-card-1 snd-via82xx
options snd-via82xx index=1
Save, then close the editor. Then run "update-modules" without the double 
quotes, which will update /etc/modules.conf .
It may now be worth looking in Qjackctl's settings to see if you now have 
hw:0 , and hw:1 . If not it may be worth rebooting the machine, making sure 
that snd-emu10k1-synth, and the soundfont is loaded. Look in Qjackctl again, 
to check whether you have 2 entries in the settings/interface. Then go for a 
midi file again in Kmid, again checking that settings/midi-setup shows a 
wavetable port selected.

My wrist is getting a bit tired now, like the Simpsons line about doing 
animation in realtime. 

Even if this don't work, you are working yourself around different bits of the 
machine. I'm not being flippant, just trying to remain positive. Nigel.