Recording sound with external sound card

[backrow]

Hi folks,

I have here a Creative Labs SB0270 Soundblaster:

uaudio0 at uhub1 port 1 configuration 1 interface 0 "Creative Labs USB Audio" rev 1.10/1.00 addr 2
uaudio0: audio rev 1.00, 13 mixer controls
audio1 at uaudio0

It connects to the computer via USB, and has red/white phono Line In connection. I have been using it to record audio on a Windows laptop with Audacity, but would like to move to OpenBSD. Unfortunately, aucat -f /dev/audio1 -o test.raw seems to produce a silent file no matter what I do.

Any tips?

mixerctl -va:

inputs.dac=192,192 volume
inputs.dac.mute=off  [ off on ]
inputs.fmsynth=192,192 volume
inputs.fmsynth.mute=off  [ off on ]
inputs.cd=255,255 volume
inputs.cd.mute=off  [ off on ]
inputs.line=255,255 volume
inputs.line.mute=off  [ off on ]
inputs.aux=255,255 volume
inputs.aux.mute=off  [ off on ]
inputs.mic=255 volume
inputs.mic.mute=off  [ off on ]
inputs.mic.preamp=off  [ off on ]
inputs.spkr=128 volume
record.source=spdif  { mic cd line aux wave fmsynth spdif }
record.mic=255 volume
playback.mode=dac  [ dac spdif ]
spdif.input=spdin1  [ spdin1 spdin2 spdout ]
spdif.input.phase=positive  [ positive negative ]
spdif.output=playback  [ playback spdin ]
spdif.output.playback=wave  [ wave legacy ]
spdif.output.voltage=5V  [ 5V 0.5V ]
spdif.monitor=off  [ off spdin spdout ]
outputs.master=128,128 volume
outputs.rear=on  [ off on ]
outputs.rear.individual=on  [ off on ]
outputs.rear.reverse=off  [ off on ]
outputs.surround=off  [ off on ]

dmesg:

OpenBSD 4.5 (GENERIC) #1749: Sat Feb 28 14:51:18 MST 2009
    deraadt@i386.openbsd.org:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/GENERIC
cpu0: Intel Pentium III ("GenuineIntel" 686-class) 669 MHz
cpu0: FPU,V86,DE,PSE,TSC,MSR,PAE,MCE,CX8,SEP,MTRR,PGE,MCA,CMOV,PAT,PSE36,SER,MMX,FXSR,SSE
real mem  = 259616768 (247MB)
avail mem = 242733056 (231MB)
mainbus0 at root
bios0 at mainbus0: AT/286+ BIOS, date 02/22/01, BIOS32 rev. 0 @ 0xfd960, SMBIOS rev. 2.3 @ 0xf04f0 (18 entries)
bios0: vendor American Megatrends Inc. version "062710" date 07/15/97
bios0: PCCHIPS M756LMRT
apm0 at bios0: Power Management spec V1.2
apm0: AC on, battery charge unknown
acpi at bios0 function 0x0 not configured
pcibios0 at bios0: rev 2.1 @ 0xf0000/0x10000
pcibios0: PCI IRQ Routing Table rev 1.0 @ 0xf7660/112 (5 entries)
pcibios0: PCI Interrupt Router at 000:01:0 ("SiS 85C503 System" rev 0x00)
pcibios0: PCI bus #1 is the last bus
bios0: ROM list: 0xc0000/0xc000 0xcc000/0x8000
cpu0 at mainbus0: (uniprocessor)
pci0 at mainbus0 bus 0: configuration mode 1 (bios)
pchb0 at pci0 dev 0 function 0 "SiS 630 PCI" rev 0x21
sisagp0 at pchb0
agp0 at sisagp0: aperture at 0xf4000000, size 0x4000000
pciide0 at pci0 dev 0 function 1 "SiS 5513 EIDE" rev 0xd0: 630: DMA, channel 0 configured to compatibility, channel 1 configured to compatibility
wd0 at pciide0 channel 0 drive 0: <MAXTOR 4K020H1>
wd0: 16-sector PIO, LBA, 19470MB, 39876480 sectors
atapiscsi0 at pciide0 channel 0 drive 1
scsibus0 at atapiscsi0: 2 targets
cd0 at scsibus0 targ 0 lun 0: <SONY, CDU5211, YYS2> ATAPI 5/cdrom removable
wd0(pciide0:0:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 4
cd0(pciide0:0:1): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 2
pciide0: channel 1 disabled (no drives)
pcib0 at pci0 dev 1 function 0 "SiS 85C503 System" rev 0x00
sis0 at pci0 dev 1 function 1 "SiS 900 10/100BaseTX" rev 0x83: irq 11, address 00:d0:09:c3:c8:93
ukphy0 at sis0 phy 0: Generic IEEE 802.3u media interface, rev. 0: OUI 0x000760, model 0x0000
ohci0 at pci0 dev 1 function 2 "SiS 5597/5598 USB" rev 0x07: irq 10, version 1.0, legacy support
ohci1 at pci0 dev 1 function 3 "SiS 5597/5598 USB" rev 0x07: irq 10, version 1.0, legacy support
ppb0 at pci0 dev 2 function 0 "SiS 86C201 AGP" rev 0x00
pci1 at ppb0 bus 1
vga1 at pci1 dev 0 function 0 "SiS 6300" rev 0x21
wsdisplay0 at vga1 mux 1: console (80x25, vt100 emulation)
wsdisplay0: screen 1-5 added (80x25, vt100 emulation)
cmpci0 at pci0 dev 15 function 0 "C-Media Electronics CMI8738/C3DX Audio" rev 0x10: irq 9
audio0 at cmpci0
opl at cmpci0 not configured
mpu at cmpci0 not configured
"C-Media Electronics HSP56 AMR" rev 0x10 at pci0 dev 15 function 1 not configured
isa0 at pcib0
isadma0 at isa0
com0 at isa0 port 0x3f8/8 irq 4: ns16550a, 16 byte fifo
pckbc0 at isa0 port 0x60/5
pckbd0 at pckbc0 (kbd slot)
pckbc0: using irq 1 for kbd slot
wskbd0 at pckbd0: console keyboard, using wsdisplay0
pmsi0 at pckbc0 (aux slot)
pckbc0: using irq 12 for aux slot
wsmouse0 at pmsi0 mux 0
pcppi0 at isa0 port 0x61
midi0 at pcppi0: <PC speaker>
spkr0 at pcppi0
lpt0 at isa0 port 0x378/4 irq 7
it0 at isa0 port 0x2e/2: IT8705F rev 1, EC port 0x290
npx0 at isa0 port 0xf0/16: reported by CPUID; using exception 16
fdc0 at isa0 port 0x3f0/6 irq 6 drq 2
fd0 at fdc0 drive 0: 1.44MB 80 cyl, 2 head, 18 sec
usb0 at ohci0: USB revision 1.0
uhub0 at usb0 "SiS OHCI root hub" rev 1.00/1.00 addr 1
usb1 at ohci1: USB revision 1.0
uhub1 at usb1 "SiS OHCI root hub" rev 1.00/1.00 addr 1
biomask e56d netmask ed6d ttymask fdff
mtrr: Pentium Pro MTRR support
uaudio0 at uhub1 port 2 configuration 1 interface 0 "Creative Labs USB Audio" rev 1.10/1.00 addr 2
uaudio0: audio rev 1.00, 13 mixer controls
audio1 at uaudio0
softraid0 at root
root on wd0a swap on wd0b dump on wd0b
audio1 detached
uaudio0 detached
uaudio0 at uhub1 port 2 configuration 1 interface 0 "Creative Labs USB Audio" rev 1.10/1.00 addr 2
uaudio0: audio rev 1.00, 13 mixer controls
audio1 at uaudio0

[BSDfan666]

You have a PCI device that takes precedence..

cmpci0 at pci0 dev 15 function 0 "C-Media Electronics CMI8738/C3DX Audio" rev 0x10: irq 9
audio0 at cmpci0

You can change the device nodes so that it uses your USB device instead..
# cd /dev; ln -s audio1 audio; ln -s audioctl1 audioctl; ln -s mixer1 mixer; ln -s sound1 sound

Other alternatives would be:
1) Disabling cmpci in UKC..
2) Disabling it in your BIOS (..if it's embedded), or physically removing the card.
3) Using -f /dev/{mixer1,audioctl1} when posting mixerctl/audioctl output.

Hope that helps.

[BSDfan666]

Assuming the output you posted is for the USB device.. (..you used -f /dev/mixer1).

The record.source knob should likely be line, mic ... or something other than spdif.

[Oko]

I think I saw relatively recently the thread about USB sound devices on misc.AT.openbsd
The question was answered by couple developers. It is worth of searching.

[backrow]

Hi guys.

Originally Posted by BSDfan666

You have a PCI device that takes precedence..

cmpci0 at pci0 dev 15 function 0 "C-Media Electronics CMI8738/C3DX Audio" rev 0x10: irq 9
audio0 at cmpci0

You can change the device nodes so that it uses your USB device instead..
# cd /dev; ln -s audio1 audio; ln -s audioctl1 audioctl; ln -s mixer1 mixer; ln -s sound1 sound

Other alternatives would be:
1) Disabling cmpci in UKC..
2) Disabling it in your BIOS (..if it's embedded), or physically removing the card.
3) Using -f /dev/{mixer1,audioctl1} when posting mixerctl/audioctl output.

Hope that helps.

I was unaware there was more than one mixer device… Guess I should read the documentation more carefully. Would I be right in thinking that mixer0/audio0 should not affect aucat at all when using -f /dev/audio1, then?

Here is the method I’m using to test recording:

Script started on Mon Aug 17 23:11:23 2009
$ dmesg | tail
softraid0 at root
root on wd0a swap on wd0b dump on wd0b
uaudio0 at uhub1 port 1 configuration 1 interface 0 "Creative Labs USB Audio" rev 1.10/1.00 addr 2
uaudio0: audio rev 1.00, 13 mixer controls
audio1 at uaudio0
audio1 detached
uaudio0 detached
uaudio0 at uhub1 port 1 configuration 1 interface 0 "Creative Labs USB Audio" rev 1.10/1.00 addr 2
uaudio0: audio rev 1.00, 13 mixer controls
audio1 at uaudio0
$ mixerctl
inputs.dac=192,192
inputs.dac.mute=off
inputs.fmsynth=192,192
inputs.fmsynth.mute=off
inputs.cd=0,0
inputs.cd.mute=on
inputs.line=0,0
inputs.line.mute=on
inputs.aux=0,0
inputs.aux.mute=on
inputs.mic=0
inputs.mic.mute=on
inputs.mic.preamp=off
inputs.spkr=128
record.source=
record.mic=0
playback.mode=dac
spdif.input=spdin1
spdif.input.phase=positive
spdif.output=playback
spdif.output.playback=wave
spdif.output.voltage=5V
spdif.monitor=off
outputs.master=128,128
outputs.rear=off
outputs.rear.individual=off
outputs.rear.reverse=off
outputs.surround=off
$ mixerctl outputs.{rear=on,rear.individual=on} # turning on headphones so i can hear
outputs.rear: off -> on
outputs.rear.individual: off -> on
$ mixerctl -f /dev/mixer1
record.sel8-i10i11i12=1
outputs.spkr.mute=off
outputs.spkr=255,255
record.mic.mute=off
record.mic=1
record.mic.agc=off
record.line.mute=off
record.line=1,1
record.aux.mute=off
inputs.mic.mute=off
inputs.mic=191
inputs.line.mute=on
inputs.line=191,191
$ mixerctl -f /dev/mixer1 inputs.line=255,255 inputs.line.mute=off
inputs.line: 191,191 -> 255,255
inputs.line.mute: on -> off
$ aucat -f /dev/audio1 -o test.raw
^C$ # while aucat ran the light on the sound card began to blink
$ aucat -i test.raw
$ # the above produced no sound
$ aucat -i /dev/urandom
^C^C$ # the above produced audible static
$ exit

Script done on Mon Aug 17 23:17:27 2009

From there I have tried:
mixerctl -f /dev/mixer1 record.line=255,255
mixerctl -f /dev/mixer1 record.sel8-i10i11i12=2
mixerctl -f /dev/mixer1 record.sel8-i10i11i12=3 (1, 2, and 3 are the only valid numbers)
, recording after each one, but I still get a silent audio file each time.

[backrow]

Update: the method I described above doesn’t work in 4.5, but does work in 4.6.

Working mixerctl for reference:

record.sel8-i10i11i12=2
outputs.spkr.mute=off                                                              
outputs.spkr=255,255                                                               
record.mic.mute=off                                                                
record.mic=1                                                                       
record.mic.agc=off                                                                 
record.line.mute=off                                                               
record.line=178,178                                                                
record.aux.mute=off                                                                
inputs.mic.mute=off                                                                
inputs.mic=191                                                                     
inputs.line.mute=off                                                               
inputs.line=191,191

Problem solved.

(Another pleasant surprise: the old video card works out of the box in 4.6, no configuration needed!)