[plug] RE: Alsa problems

[Michael Collard]

On Tue, 2004-12-07 at 10:00 +0400, Brad Campbell wrote:
> Haste wrote:
> > Ive got a ens1371 also, its a cheap, nasty little card that doesnt
> > support duplexing, meaning you cant have the hardware mix sounds
> > together, which is what the default Alsa driver for it does. You can
> > however, use 'dmix' to get it all making sweet harmonious sounds
> > together. 
> > http://opensrc.org/alsa/index.php?page=DmixPlugin
> > But if you want an easy, better long term solution, get a decent card
> > like an SB Live or something that does duplex.
> 
> Hate to tell you, but 99% of cards that support what you call "duplexing" do it in the driver. Alsa 
> will allow multiple opens of an ens1371 and will mix them in software for you. (I have 6 of them 
> here. Great little card).
> 
> Duplexing is commonly referred to as the ability to record and playback at the same time, and those 
> cards can do that also.

You will probably find that you're using dmix (software mixing) and that
its nothing to do with the driver. For example, rename the ~/.asoundrc
and /etc/asound.conf then try and make 3 alsa apps play at same time
without specifying the dmix mixer, I doubt it will work.

Anyway, the es1371 card supports 2 input streams actually, which is an
added bonus. All my ALSA apps use one channel with 'dmix', OSS apps use
the other channel! :)

[root at natalie root]# cat /proc/asound/devices
  0: [0- 0]: ctl
  8: [0- 0]: raw midi
 17: [0- 1]: digital audio playback
 16: [0- 0]: digital audio playback
 24: [0- 0]: digital audio capture
  1:       : sequencer
 33:       : timer

[root at natalie root]# cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [AudioPCI       ]: ENS1371 - Ensoniq AudioPCI
                     Ensoniq AudioPCI ENS1371 at 0xdc00, irq 5


Regards
Michael Collard