[LAU] Problems with RME Hammerfall DSP + Multiface

[ns]

Warning: Long message below...

After reaching a dead-end for the zillionth time during the last month, 
I have decided to finally post my experiences here.. I apologize if 
that's gonna end up feeling like a short novel, feel free to ignore it :)

To start up, my current ALSA information sits here --> 
http://pastebin.ca/525842

I have an RME Hammerfall DSP + Multiface combo sound card on an Intel(R) 
Core(TM)2 CPU 6600  @ 2.40GHz machine with 2GB RAM, running Ubuntu Edgy 
that currently seems closer to an Ubuntu Feisty after all the upgrades I 
have done on it and a simiral machine that still has the default Ubuntu 
Edgy Server Edition on it with no software upgrades..

I have tried various software & configuration combinations during this 
time with the aim to make the server-side of a radio ripping service. 
The HDSP Multiface has 8 analog mono inputs / 8 analog mono outputs let 
alone the ADATs and SPDIFs.. What I want to do is record one radio 
station via some radio tuners I have here on each input of the multiface 
and record each one to a separate WAV file, splitting as necessary 
before the 2GB WAV file limit. Everything should be done using 
command-line tools and scripts since this is a server with no GUI on top.

I have tried ALSA 1.0.12, 1.0.13, up to 1.0.14rc4 with kernels from 
2.6.17-11 up to 2.6.20-16 and in addition to that I have also tried 
routing ALSA through the pulseaudio sound server (using the ALSA pulse 
plugin)..

I have achieved recording one input at a time using arecord but failed 
to record more than one at the same time, either by using the dsnoop 
ALSA plugin or by using pulseaudio.. I have tried upgrading the firmware 
of the soundcard as recommended on some forums by pluging it to a 
Windowz XP box and getting firmware upgrades from the RME website..

On all occasions, I keep on getting an 'unable to install hw params' 
error message.. E.g.

/root at radio-master:~# speaker-test -r44100 -Ddmix -c8

speaker-test 1.0.14rc4

Playback device is dmix
Stream parameters are 44100Hz, S16_LE, 8 channels
Using 16 octaves of pink noise
ALSA lib pcm_direct.c:971:(snd_pcm_direct_initialize_slave) unable to 
install hw params
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:876:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to initialize slave
Playback open error: -16,Device or resource busy


/OR:

/root at radio-master:~# arecord -Ddsnoop
ALSA lib pcm_direct.c:971:(snd_pcm_direct_initialize_slave) unable to 
install hw params
ALSA lib pcm_dsnoop.c:569:(snd_pcm_dsnoop_open) unable to initialize slave
arecord: main:545: audio open error: Device or resource busy
/

If any of you have simiral experiences, I would love to share them, 
specially if someone is using the same sound card hardware and managed 
to get it working properly

Thanks in advance for any information regarding this issues,
Nikos Sarakenidis
Athens, Greece