26 Dec
2022
26 Dec
'22
1:22 a.m.
Someone on the Ardour forums reported very strange zita_a2j behavior recently, where
the signal level is much higher when using zita_a2j or the zalsa_in internal client than
it is
when using jackd directly.
I suggested that poster describe the problem on the LAU list, but he was still not able to
get a list join confirmation from attempting to add his address to the list yet.
I have also managed to duplicate the problem, so I will link to the original problem
description, then describe my setup and observed behavior.
Originally posted as "Zita-a2j is way too hot!" here:
https://discourse.ardour.org/t/zita-a2j-is-way-too-hot/108040/6[1]
My setup:
My setup:
Lexicon USB interface as primary
Focusrite Solo (also USB) as second interface
My typical settings for primary interface:
48k sample rate, 1024 frames/period, 3 periods/buffer
Process to duplicate:
Started Lexicon interface with qjackctl, 48k/1024/3 settings.
Using JK meter to measure levels, K20 scale.
Connected both channels of Lexicon to JK meter, set level so that
average from synth note was around 0, peaking around +10.
Stopped jackd on Lexixon, started jackd on Focusrite, and set level so
that single channel of synth connected to Focusrite input was
approximately the same.
After stopping jackd on Focusrite, starting jackd on Lexicon again,
verified that left channel was still at same amplitude as previously verified.
Loaded zalsa_in for Focusrite Solo interface with:
jack_load Solo zalsa_in -i "-d hw:USB -r 48000"
Connecting Focusrite input from zalsa_in to JK Meter showed just idle output
noise level at around -5dB, with peaks around +8 dB. Synth note is still
around 0dB on Lexicon channel, but is now at least +18 dB in zalsa channel.
I verified the same behavior when explicitly giving a period size with:
jack_load Solo zalsa_in -i "-d hw:USB -r 48000 -p 512 -n 3"
I see exactly the same behavior when using zita-a2j as the client with:
zita-a2j -d hw:USB -r 48000 -p 512 -n 3
I have the latest released jackd version:
$ jackd --version
jackdmp version 1.9.21
The jackd build is from the Fedora repository, although they usually do a pretty good job
not breaking anything in the build. The original report was using Ubuntu 22.04. I think
that release of Ubuntu has jackd 1.9.20, which seems to indicate this is not a
distribution
specific problem.
My previous experience with Fons's software is that it is pretty bullet proof, so
I'm
surprised to see the same strange behavior out of zita-a2j.
I don't see anything unusual in the way the devices are opened, looks like standard
format
S243LE for the older Lexicon device and S32LE for the newer Focusrite device:
Card 0 (Lambda):
* Playback Device 0 (USB Audio):
- Subdevice 0 (hw:Lambda,0,0):
used by: jackdbus (PID 121752)
access: MMAP_INTERLEAVED
format: S24_3LE
subformat: STD
channels: 2
rate: 48000 (48000/1)
period_size: 1024
buffer_size: 3072
* Recording Device 0 (USB Audio):
- Subdevice 0 (hw:Lambda,0,0):
used by: jackdbus (PID 121752)
access: MMAP_INTERLEAVED
format: S24_3LE
subformat: STD
channels: 2
rate: 48000 (48000/1)
period_size: 1024
buffer_size: 3072
Card 2 (USB):
* Playback Device 0 (USB Audio):
- Subdevice 0 (hw:USB,0,0):
closed
* Recording Device 0 (USB Audio):
- Subdevice 0 (hw:USB,0,0):
used by: zita-a2j (PID 130423)
access: MMAP_INTERLEAVED
format: S32_LE
subformat: STD
channels: 2
rate: 48000 (48000/1)
period_size: 512
buffer_size: 1536
Any thoughts on what is going on, or how to debug?
--
Chris Caudle
--------
[1] https://discourse.ardour.org/t/zita-a2j-is-way-too-hot/108040/6
26 Dec
26 Dec
1:53 a.m.
On Sun, Dec 25, 2022 at 05:22:26PM -0600, Chris Caudle wrote:
My previous experience with Fons's software is
that it is pretty bullet proof, so I'm
surprised to see the same strange behavior out of zita-a2j.
There are no gain factors anywhere in zita-a2j, so I'd suspect the
sample format conversion in zita-alsa-pcmi.
I may be that one of the interfaces is using a rare sample format that
is not handled correctly by that library. Some of ALSA's sample format
enums are a bit 'inconsistent' to put it mildly, so it's entirely
possible that I misinterpreted them. The practical problem is that I
can't test them without having actual hardware using these formats.
Could you repeat the test with the two interfaces using jaaa -A (i.e.
using the ALSA interface instead of Jack), after setting them to the
same level using Jack ?
Ciao,
--
FA
1:58 a.m.
New subject: strange jackd zalsa_in behavior - more
On Mon, Dec 26, 2022 at 12:53:11AM +0100, Fons Adriaensen wrote:
Could you repeat the test with the two interfaces
using jaaa -A (i.e.
using the ALSA interface instead of Jack), after setting them to the
same level using Jack ?
Or even simpler, for each interface just compare the levels when using
jaaa -A and jaaa -J. They must be the same.
--
FA
27 Dec
27 Dec
5:05 a.m.
New subject: strange jackd zalsa_in behavior - more
On Sunday, December 25, 2022 5:58:59 PM CST Fons Adriaensen wrote:
On Mon, Dec 26, 2022 at 12:53:11AM +0100, Fons
Adriaensen wrote:
> Could you repeat the test with the two interfaces using jaaa -A (i.e.
> using the ALSA interface instead of Jack), after setting them to the
> same level using Jack ?
I tested the same interface using jackd and ALSA, with just the open input
noise level displayed in JAAA. Using jackd as the interface the noise was
flat
in spectrum and approximately -112 dB FS. Using ALSA interface with exactly
the same settings the noise was approximately -80dB FS.
Not total noise power, that was the approximately location of the displayed
signal using the default bandwidth settings.
The HW params looks the same for both jackd and zita programs accessing the
device, S32_LE.
When you (i.e. Fons) mentioned possibly an uncommon sample format, that would
show up there, would it not?
--
Chris Caudle
10:18 a.m.
New subject: strange jackd zalsa_in behavior - more
On Mon, Dec 26, 2022 at 09:04:42PM -0600, Chris Caudle wrote:
When you (i.e. Fons) mentioned possibly an uncommon
sample format, that would
show up there, would it not?
What version of libzita-alsa-pcmi are you using ?
Ciao,
--
FA
11:34 a.m.
On Sun, Dec 25, 2022 at 05:22:26PM -0600, Chris Caudle wrote:
Someone on the Ardour forums reported very strange
zita_a2j behavior recently, where
the signal level is much higher when using zita_a2j or the zalsa_in internal client than
it is
when using jackd directly.
This is due to a bug in libzita-alsa-pcmi, which will affect all
sound cards using the S32_LE format.
This is s fixed in version 0.6.1 which is now available at the usual place:
<http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/downloads/index.html>
How I could make such a stupid mistake is beyond me.
--
FA
10:19 p.m.
On Tuesday, December 27, 2022 3:34:19 AM CST Fons Adriaensen wrote:
This is s fixed in version 0.6.1 which is now
available at the usual place:
Thank you for the quick turn around. I hope you have an enjoyable final week
of the year.
For the Fedora users on the list I have submitted a request to have the
distribution repository version updated.
--
Chris Caudle
29 Dec
29 Dec
11:50 p.m.
On Tuesday, December 27, 2022 3:34:19 AM CST Fons Adriaensen wrote:
This is s fixed in version 0.6.1 which is now
available at the usual place:
Thanks again for the quick fix, and anyone running Fedora who is waiting for
this, version 0.6.1 is available in the updates-testing repository now.
--
Chris Caudle
4 Jan
4 Jan
3:53 p.m.
On Thursday, December 29, 2022 3:50:07 PM CST Chris Caudle wrote:
anyone running Fedora who is waiting for
this, version 0.6.1 is available in the updates-testing repository now.
Did any of the Ubuntu users on list ever submit an update request for Ubuntu
to package the new version of zita-alsa-pcmi?
--
Chris C
5 Jan
5 Jan
2:28 a.m.
On Wed, 4 Jan 2023, Chris Caudle wrote:
On Thursday, December 29, 2022 3:50:07 PM CST Chris
Caudle wrote:
Yes. The same day as it was announced. Debian should have it as well.
(Ubuntu is based on Debian)
--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net
anyone running Fedora who is waiting for
this, version 0.6.1 is available in the updates-testing repository now.
Did any of the Ubuntu users on list ever submit an update request for Ubuntu
to package the new version of zita-alsa-pcmi?
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days inactive
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days old
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9 comments
3 participants
participants (3)
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Chris Caudle -
Fons Adriaensen -
Len Ovens