Audio User Guide for Ubuntu Studio 12.

04 LTS
Here's a short introduction to audio on Ubuntu Studio. Shortly about what audio systems we have, and how to make use of them.

Content:
1. Audio User Guide for Ubuntu Studio 12. ! "#S 2. $ulseaudio % #he &eskto' Sound System 1. (hat is 'ulseaudio) 2. Su''orted &evices 1. Alsa 'rovides driver su''ort 2. *irewire will only work with s'ecial confi+uration ,. -o .olume) !. $ci mi/ers 0. 1ore 2nformation ,. 3ack % #he $ro Audio Sound System 1. (hy use 3ack) 2. Startin+ 3ack 1. $42, $42%5 and US6 2. *irewire 1. #he firewire mi/er % **A&7 1i/er ,. "ow "atency ,. #roubleshootin+ 3ack 1. *irewire #roubleshootin+ 2. US6 troubleshootin+ !. #he $ulse Audio to 3ack 6rid+e % usin+ both at once 1. How do 2 enable it) 2. How is it made 'ossible)

Pulseaudio - The Des to! Sound S"ste#

$hat is !ulseaudio%
Pulseaudio is the default sound system on Ubuntu Studio, and handles all deskto' sound. 2t uses alsa as its' backend, meanin+ alsa 'rovides the drivers for your soundcard. 4ontrollin+ 'ulseaudio is done mainly from the volume control in the indicator area. 6ut, for some cards, not everythin+ can be ad8usted from there and you will need to use the +eneric alsami/er or a s'ecial mi/er 9mentioned below: to +et further control of your audio device.

Su!!orted De&i'es
Alsa !ro&ides dri&er su!!ort
Any device that is su''orted by alsa is 'otentially su''orted by Pulseaudio. Usually only 'ro audio multichannel cards may have 'roblems with 'ulseaudio. 2f you find that your multichannel card is not workin+ with 'ulseaudio, but is su''orted by alsa, it will still work 'erfectly with (a' . #o +et deskto' audio workin+ for such a card, you will need to set u' the !ulseaudio to (a' brid)e mentioned below.

*ire+ire +ill onl" +or +ith s!e'ial 'onfi)uration

4urrently, firewire devices are not su''orted by alsa, and may only be used with 8ack usin+ the ffado firewire driver. 6ut, since we are now able to connect $ulseaudio to 8ack, usin+ the !ulseaudio to (a' brid)e, we can circumvent this 'roblem.

,o -olu#e%
1any cards are muted by default, and need to be accessed with a s'ecial mi/er in order to be controlled. #here is a +eneric alsa mi/er in the main menu at #enu -. Audio Produ'tion -. /i0ers -. /i0er . #o use it, you will first need to select the card you wish to control, and make its controls visible from Sele't Controls. 2f 2 for e/am'le want to raise volumes for a m%audio delta device, 2 will first need to make all the ADCs 9Audio to &i+ital 4onverter: and DACs 9&i+ital to Audio converter: visible to control the volume for in'uts and out'uts.

P'i #i0ers
#here are also card s'ecific mi/ers. #hey are not actually ;brand; s'ecific, but ;chi'; s'ecific, so some mi/ers will work with many brands that share the same internal chi'. #hese mi/ers are not only needed to control your device with 'ulseaudio, but also with 8ack, since both use alsa as its' backend. #o find out which chi' your 'ci audio device has, look u' the brand here. Select it, and try to find the chi'set for your model. 7ne 'articularly common chi'set is the envy2!9ice1<12:. Here's a list of mi/ers for 'ci devices that are 'reinstalled with Ubuntu Studio 9comes with the alsa%tools 'acka+e:= e'ho#i0er is the "inu/ e>uivalent of the 5choaudio console a''lication from 5choaudio. 2t is a tool to control all the features of any 5choaudio soundcard. #his includes clock sources, in'ut and out'ut +ains, mi/ers, etc.

hds!#i0er is the "inu/ e>uivalent of the #otalmi/ a''lication from ?15. 2t is a tool to control the advanced routin+ features of the ?15 Hammerfall &S$ soundcard series. #o handle ?15 Hammerfall cards you mi+ht also need the tools hds!'onf and hds!loader #udita24 % is a control tool for 5nvy2! 9ice1<12: based sound cards, and re'laces the older envy2!control 91%Audio &elta Series: r#edi)i'ontrol % is a control tool for ?15 &i+i,2 and ?15 &i+i@A sound cards. 2t 'rovides a +ra'hical frontend for all the sound card controls and switches.

/ore 1nfor#ation
1ore information on su''orted hardware can be found here.

2a' - The Pro Audio Sound S"ste#

3ack is a sound server, and like 'ulseaudio, it is able to use alsa as it backend. 6ut, 8ack is also able to use other drivers, such as the fire+ire driver develo'ed by ffado. 4ommonly, those are the only two drivers used with 8ack for audio devices on a "inu/ machine.

$h" use 2a' %

/an" audio a!!li'ations +ill onl" +or +ith (a' % A''lications meant for 'ro audio use will often only work with 8ack. 2a' is e0tre#el" lo+ laten'" 'a!able % 3ack is able to +ive you e/tremely low latencies at the ri+ht conditions. (hich is a must if you are to 'lay a live software instrument. So#e de&i'es +ill onl" +or +ith (a' % As mentioned above, firewire devices will only work with 8ack. 2a' 'onne'tabilit" % (hen usin+ 8ack you can connect any a''lication to any other a''lication 8ust as if you were usin+ 'hysical cables. Bou are thus not restricted by the functionality of a sin+le a''lication. Bou can even route 'ulseaudio to 8ack, and make use of all of it's deskto' audio ca'ability.

Startin) 2a'
#he easiest way to start 8ack is to use 3(a' 'tl, which is the most common 8ack control a''lication. 4hoose it from the menu, and be+in by takin+ a look at your settin+s by clickin+ Setu!.

PC14 PC1-5 and US6

*or $42, $42%5 and US6 devices all you need to do is choose the ri+ht device. After that, close

Setu', save, and start 8ack by clickin+ Start.

*ire+ire
*or firewire devices, you will need to chan+e the driver to fire+ire. 1ost 'robably you only have one firewire audio device attached, and this will be all you need set in order to +et 8ack started.

The fire+ire #i0er - **AD7 /i0er #o control your device further, to set volumes and chan+e internal routin+, you will need to use the ffado-#i0er, found in /enu -. Audio Produ'tion -. /i0ers -. **AD7 /i0er . *or more information on firewire devices, see htt'=CCwww.ffado.or+C and htt'=CCsubversion.ffado.or+C.

Lo+ Laten'"
7nce you are able to run 8ack, you mi+ht want to reduce latency at some 'oint. &o that by reducin+ fra#es8!eriod. 1ost modern systems should be able to handle A! framesC'eriod 9if you have linu/%lowlatency installed:.

Troubleshootin) 2a'
#here is a known bu+ that concerns the default setu' for >8ackctl and 8ack on Ubuntu Studio 12. !. Sometimes, when >uittin+ 8ack, you will +et the messa+e D-6US: 2AC9 ser&er 'ould not be sto!!ed. -e/t time you try to start 8ack, it won't start. #o fi/ this, you need to first kill (a' dbus before attem'tin+ to start 8ack a+ain. #o do it in the terminal, 8ust do= illall -: (a' dbus. (hen startin+ fails, a messa+e window will 'o' u'. #hat will sometimes be able to tell you what went wron+, and is also valuable for troubleshootin+. 4o'y and 'aste the messa+e and kee' it as reference when askin+ for hel'. All these are su'erb channels for that. the ubuntu forums 2?4 Ubuntu Studio mail list.

*ire+ire Troubleshootin)
Sometimes it's 8ust a matter of knowin+ what to do in which order. 1aybe you need to start your com'uter with the firewire device already attached, or the other way around. #ry different combinations, if you are sure the device is su''orted. 9more info on su''orted devices here:.

US6 troubleshootin)
A common thin+ to try is to set !eriods8buffer to ;.

Stereo cards with additional di+ital out'uts may need to be set more s'ecifically in order to +et them to start. #ry reducin+ the number of in'uts and out'uts. $erha's makin+ it non%du'le/, and only usin+ out'uts. Anythin+ to see, if you can +et it to work at all.

The Pulse Audio to 2a' 6rid)e - usin) both at on'e

<o+ do 1 enable it%
Start (a' 1ake sure you have D8ackctl ready, and that you have started 8ack with it. 4lick Conne't, and look for Pulseaudio 2AC9 Sin and Pulseaudio 2AC9 Sour'e. #hey should be auto%connected to your audio device. Set (a' -sin as out!ut for !ulseaudio 4lick on the deskto' volume control, choose sound settin)s and from the out!ut de&i'es find 2a'

sin =Pulseaudio 2AC9 S1,9>. #o enable it as the out'ut for 'ulseaudio, click the +reen button to the left of it, that says Set as fallba' . 2f all went well, you will now have all deskto' sound routed to 8ack.

<o+ is it #ade !ossible%

7n Ubuntu Studio all of this is already set u', so this is 8ust for reference. #he brid+e only works with (a' dbus, which is a 'art of the 'acka+e (a' d2. Bou also need to have !ulseaudio-#odule-(a' installed. 7n to' of that, you need to have 5nable D-6us interfa'e 5nabled in D8ackctl %E Setu' %E 1isc. #o enable the brid+e after installin+ all 'acka+es you will need to lo+ out and lo+ in a+ain, and restart >8ackctl after enablin+ the dbus interface. UbuntuStudioC$roAudio2ntroC12 ! 9Fltima ediGHo 2 1,% 1%2, 22=1<=1, efectuada 'or Ie>uence: