[LAU] Linux mint for audio?

[Dominique Michel]

Le Fri, 15 Feb 2019 07:22:29 +0100,
Alf Haakon Pietruszka Lund <alf at mellomrommet.no> a écrit :

> Hello all,
> 
> I'm considering to test Linux mint for my 'sound machine' - a normal
> laptop that's used for modest recording and editing of sounds and
> music, as well as miscellaneous office work.

For me, the main issue with laptops is the audio hardware, not the
distribution. The analogue part of their combined mic/line audio inputs
are optimized for a sound level of 0dB, which correspond to their line
level.
In order to get the best possible sound of it, you must set the input
level at 0dB with alsamixer, run a vu-meter, connect it to the input
and use an external mixer or device to set the recording level on the
vu-meter. That way, you can get a decent sound quality even with the
built-in audio card.

Also, less important but still important if you want to get the best
out of the hardware - you must test the sound card with different
sampling rates. It was discussions here in the past, pointing the fact
that many cheap sound cards A/D converters are always working at a
fixed sampling frequency (at the maximum sampling rate frequency the
card can do), and that the card will make a sampling rate conversion
when the JACK/ALSA sampling rate is lower. Cheap hardware imply cheap
conversion with a lot of aliasing artefacts, and it will be better to
use the highest sampling rate the card can do for recording, and to make
a software sampling rate conversion afterwards.

> 
> Anyone here try that before? Any pitfalls to avoid?

For mint, I have no idea, I am a happy gentoo user with no experience of
mint.

Best,
Dominique
> 
> Regards, Alf


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