line-in stays clean, mic signal processed

[raydar]

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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. Re: line-in stays clean, mic signal processed (raydar)
>    2. Re: Yet another Vinyl vs. CD/Digital debate (Dave Ricketzz)
>    3. Re: line-in stays clean, mic signal processed
>       (D. Michael McIntyre)
>    4. Re: Yet another Vinyl vs. CD/Digital debate (D. Michael McIntyre)
>    5. Re: Yet another Vinyl vs. CD/Digital debate (Jack Bowling)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:21:05 -0600
> From: raydar <raydar at inetnebr.com>
> Subject: Re: line-in stays clean, mic signal processed
> To: ubuntu-studio-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> Message-ID: <47BD88D1.7050806 at inetnebr.com>
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>  > On Wednesday 20 February 2008, raydar wrote:
>
>   
>>>> This seems tantalizingly close to sounding like an audio port
>>>> configuration change of some kind, but I'm just clueless enough not to
>>>> know precisely where to prod in Linux. Does this sound like a symptom
>>>> anyone else has had?
>>>>         
>>   
>>     
>
>   
>> Sounds like some trouble I used to have with the emu10k1.
>>     
>
>   
>> I'm not looking at a setup with the same hardware as yours, but this might 
>> work.  Try running QAmix, and play with the combo box on the Capture tab.  I 
>> bet it's sitting at "Mic" and you want to change it to "Line."
>>     
>
>
> Aha, thanks--I do think I've found a solid limb on the troubleshooting tree . . . I had fired up QAMix before, just looking for levels to adjust or mutes to unmute, but now that you said "combo box" and I just have a big blank space where apparently it should be, I'm thinking something's definitely odd.  I.e., if my QAMix "Capture" tab is supposed to look anything like it does here http://www.suse.de/~mana/kalsatools.html then I need to reinstall QAMix or reconfigure whatever QAMix looks to in order to populate the "Capture" tab with appropriate controls, 'cause all I have are (1) 2 vertical sliders with green fields for numbers above them, (2) 2 "Lock" checkboxes, with the labels "Capture" and "Active," and (3) 2 checkboxes without any label, roughly centered under the vertical sliders. (All those checkboxes are checked, & sliders are at 50%.)  To the right of that, the "Capture" tab is just blank, as opposed to having the 3 combo boxes I see in the link above. QAMix is show
>  ing version 0.0.7 and "HDA-Intel" at the top, and under the "Soundcard" menu item it shows "HDA-Intel (hw:0)."  (But I just can't have an outdated version; this is a fresh install. :] )  
>
> So, I'm reckoning you're right on as to the setting that needs to be changed; any thoughts on where to go from here, to make it present itself for alteration?
>
> --Ray
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:48:16 -0800 (PST)
> From: Dave Ricketzz <boontooz at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: Yet another Vinyl vs. CD/Digital debate
> To: Ubuntu Studio Users Help and Discussion
> 	<ubuntu-studio-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
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>
> In that case I'd use a non-clipping peak limiter just in case.  The land beyond digital zero is an ugly place.
>
> "Rafael F. Compte" <rfcompte at gmail.com> wrote:  The dynamic range should match the end-user listening environment.  Pop music is mixed for MP-3 players, good jazz is not.
> In my profession as a classical guitar player I've never really cared about compression, because, as I see it, it is better left off ! I want to handle dynamic range myself !
>  
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> ------------------------------
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> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:51:44 -0500
> From: "D. Michael McIntyre" <michael.mcintyre at rosegardenmusic.com>
> Subject: Re: line-in stays clean, mic signal processed
> To: Ubuntu Studio Users Help and Discussion
> 	<ubuntu-studio-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
> Message-ID: <200802211851.44094.michael.mcintyre at rosegardenmusic.com>
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> On Thursday 21 February 2008, raydar wrote:
>   
>> "HDA-Intel (hw:0)."  (But I just can't have an outdated version; this is a
>> fresh install. :] )
>>     
>
> Everybody has an outdated version.  The upstream source hasn't been touched 
> since 2003.  That's most likely the root of your trouble.  You probably need 
> to create an .xml file for it that describes the specifics of your sound 
> chip.
>
> I'm afraid I have no idea how to do that.  I've never fooled around with 
> the .xml files with this thing.  Since QAMix is STILL the only Linux mixer 
> client on the planet that presents controls I can figure out how to use to 
> control the AC97 capture, it's probably worth someone blowing the dust off 
> this relic, and updating it to accommodate modern soundcards.
>
> Actually, I intended to do that years ago, but it hasn't happened in five 
> years or so, and it's not likely to happen now either.  Sorry.
>   
Well, you gave me the clue I needed, so more thanks, Michael:  I found a 
PCI sound card (dare I admit among 3 ISA ones I haven't pitched yet, 
incl. an SBGold? :] ) and stuck it in the motherboard and voila, two 
combo boxes which, when I changed 'em to "line" instead of "mic" in 
QAMix, had my line-in guitar signal being processed just fine by 
Creox--presumably that'll go for Ardour and everything else too. :)  <-- 
majorly-satisfied smile

I didn't change a thing in my Jack settings, yet I also noticed that I 
didn't get a single xrun when I started up Firefox (when only Jack, 
QAMix, and Creox had been running), where before, using the mobo's 
onboard sound, I'd get quite a few just as soon as I put that load on 
the system.  I bet my horrendously conservative, 64ms-latency Jack 
settings can come up a ways now too . . . which maybe will remedy the 
fact Creox doesn't follow me if I play notes faster than a certain rate 
(lotta hi-freq noise w/Creox's distortion, too, but I bet that's a 
different problem).

XML file, huh?  That sounds like something I could do; how hard is it to 
gather the data to put in it, and is there an example?  Could be moot 
now if I keep using this sound card, but it's easily 5+ years old--that 
being likely why it worked, from what you wrote--although if I find the 
sound quality unacceptable and get a new card, it'd be good to know & 
maybe helpful to anyone else struggling with onboard sound or a too-new 
card, as you said.

Thanks again!

--Ray