Hi,

Just to let people know I've now written an initial webpage on how the user
can set up their Linux sound system. All being well, I'll add a couple of
more pages in due course to cover more of the topic. First page done, at

http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Linux/ALSA/ALSAforUsers.html

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:39:20 +0000 (GMT)
Jim Lesurf wrote:

Hi,

Just to let people know I've now written an initial webpage on how
the user can set up their Linux sound system. All being well, I'll
add a couple of more pages in due course to cover more of the topic.
First page done, at

http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Linux/ALSA/ALSAforUsers.html

Slainte,

Jim


I shall test-drive it, and see how well it reflects the problems I had,
and you fixed!
--
Davey.

In article , Davey
wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:39:20 +0000 (GMT) Jim Lesurf
wrote:


http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Linux/ALSA/ALSAforUsers.html


I shall test-drive it, and see how well it reflects the problems I had,
and you fixed!

You'll probably need the 'next' page - which I've not written yet! :-)

That will cover things like using aplay to investigate your card playout
devices and how to write a suitable .asoundrc to control and direct output.
Thought it best to start with alsamixer, etc, as it means starting with a
nice graphic display showing users what they have.

However, first, I intend writing a magazine article. Needed a wepage in
place first so I could give a URL to point readers toward for more specific
data. Once the article is done I'll have a while to add another page or two
to the above, and then all will be findable by someone who reads the
magazine.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

On Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:45:53 +0000 (GMT)
Jim Lesurf wrote:

In article , Davey
wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:39:20 +0000 (GMT) Jim Lesurf
wrote:


http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Linux/ALSA/ALSAforUsers.html


I shall test-drive it, and see how well it reflects the problems I
had, and you fixed!

You'll probably need the 'next' page - which I've not written
yet! :-)

That will cover things like using aplay to investigate your card
playout devices and how to write a suitable .asoundrc to control and
direct output. Thought it best to start with alsamixer, etc, as it
means starting with a nice graphic display showing users what they
have.

However, first, I intend writing a magazine article. Needed a wepage
in place first so I could give a URL to point readers toward for more
specific data. Once the article is done I'll have a while to add
another page or two to the above, and then all will be findable by
someone who reads the magazine.

Slainte,

Jim


Don't forget to point us to the magazine with your article in it.
I had a very quick glance at your webpage, and I noticed all the
vertical bars; whereas my system just has several [00]s, due to a
different internal setup. Hopefully this is covered if I read it in
more depth.
I will follow this with interest, thanks.
--
Davey.

In article , Jim Lesurf
wrote:
In article , Davey
wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:39:20 +0000 (GMT) Jim Lesurf
wrote:


http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Linux/ALSA/ALSAforUsers.html


I shall test-drive it, and see how well it reflects the problems I
had, and you fixed!

You'll probably need the 'next' page - which I've not written yet! :-)

However, first, I intend writing a magazine article.

Correction! Having started writing the magazine article I ended up writing
the 'next webpage' first. My mind does that to me at times... :-)

So I now have a rought draft of that. All being well I'll edit/tweak it to
being nearer to English and put it up as a webpage in the next day or two.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

On Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:45:53 +0000 (GMT)
Jim Lesurf wrote:

In article , Davey
wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:39:20 +0000 (GMT) Jim Lesurf
wrote:


http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Linux/ALSA/ALSAforUsers.html


I shall test-drive it, and see how well it reflects the problems I
had, and you fixed!

You'll probably need the 'next' page - which I've not written
yet! :-)

That will cover things like using aplay to investigate your card
playout devices and how to write a suitable .asoundrc to control and
direct output. Thought it best to start with alsamixer, etc, as it
means starting with a nice graphic display showing users what they
have.

However, first, I intend writing a magazine article. Needed a wepage
in place first so I could give a URL to point readers toward for more
specific data. Once the article is done I'll have a while to add
another page or two to the above, and then all will be findable by
someone who reads the magazine.

Slainte,

Jim


Having read the whole article now, one question:
Can I use the Mic Input on my laptop, which already has a built-in
Mic, as a Line Input, or is there going to be some horrid mis-match? I
have a tape deck nearby, and I would like to send its output into the
laptop, but it only has the Mic Input.
--
Davey.

On 2013-02-13, Davey wrote:
On Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:45:53 +0000 (GMT)
Jim Lesurf wrote:

In article , Davey
wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:39:20 +0000 (GMT) Jim Lesurf
wrote:


http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Linux/ALSA/ALSAforUsers.html


I shall test-drive it, and see how well it reflects the problems I
had, and you fixed!

You'll probably need the 'next' page - which I've not written
yet! :-)

That will cover things like using aplay to investigate your card
playout devices and how to write a suitable .asoundrc to control and
direct output. Thought it best to start with alsamixer, etc, as it
means starting with a nice graphic display showing users what they
have.

However, first, I intend writing a magazine article. Needed a wepage
in place first so I could give a URL to point readers toward for more
specific data. Once the article is done I'll have a while to add
another page or two to the above, and then all will be findable by
someone who reads the magazine.

Slainte,

Jim


Having read the whole article now, one question:
Can I use the Mic Input on my laptop, which already has a built-in
Mic, as a Line Input, or is there going to be some horrid mis-match? I
have a tape deck nearby, and I would like to send its output into the
laptop, but it only has the Mic Input.

In principle yes. However most mic inputs have a dc voltage on them to
power the FET on the microphones. Thus your line out should make sure it
has a capacitive output or you could have a fight.

On Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:11:13 GMT
unruh wrote:

On 2013-02-13, Davey wrote:
On Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:45:53 +0000 (GMT)
Jim Lesurf wrote:

In article , Davey
wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:39:20 +0000 (GMT) Jim Lesurf
wrote:


http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Linux/ALSA/ALSAforUsers.html


I shall test-drive it, and see how well it reflects the problems
I had, and you fixed!

You'll probably need the 'next' page - which I've not written
yet! :-)

That will cover things like using aplay to investigate your card
playout devices and how to write a suitable .asoundrc to control
and direct output. Thought it best to start with alsamixer, etc,
as it means starting with a nice graphic display showing users
what they have.

However, first, I intend writing a magazine article. Needed a
wepage in place first so I could give a URL to point readers
toward for more specific data. Once the article is done I'll have
a while to add another page or two to the above, and then all will
be findable by someone who reads the magazine.

Slainte,

Jim


Having read the whole article now, one question:
Can I use the Mic Input on my laptop, which already has a built-in
Mic, as a Line Input, or is there going to be some horrid
mis-match? I have a tape deck nearby, and I would like to send its
output into the laptop, but it only has the Mic Input.

In principle yes. However most mic inputs have a dc voltage on them to
power the FET on the microphones. Thus your line out should make sure
it has a capacitive output or you could have a fight.



Thanks. That's just the sort of thing I was looking out for, not
knowing enough about these things.
The line out in question is from the headphone-out socket of an AIWA
cassette deck, I'll see if I can find a spec. sheet anywhere. Or is it
likely to be typical in some way?
--
Davey.

On Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:22:51 +0000, Davey wrote:

On Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:11:13 GMT unruh wrote:

On 2013-02-13, Davey wrote:
On Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:45:53 +0000 (GMT)
Jim Lesurf wrote:

In article , Davey
wrote:
On Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:39:20 +0000 (GMT) Jim Lesurf
wrote:


http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Linux/ALSA/ALSAforUsers.html


I shall test-drive it, and see how well it reflects the problems I
had, and you fixed!

You'll probably need the 'next' page - which I've not written yet!
:-)

That will cover things like using aplay to investigate your card
playout devices and how to write a suitable .asoundrc to control and
direct output. Thought it best to start with alsamixer, etc, as it
means starting with a nice graphic display showing users what they
have.

However, first, I intend writing a magazine article. Needed a wepage
in place first so I could give a URL to point readers toward for
more specific data. Once the article is done I'll have a while to
add another page or two to the above, and then all will be findable
by someone who reads the magazine.

Slainte,

Jim


Having read the whole article now, one question:
Can I use the Mic Input on my laptop, which already has a built-in
Mic, as a Line Input, or is there going to be some horrid mis-match?
I have a tape deck nearby, and I would like to send its output into
the laptop, but it only has the Mic Input.

In principle yes. However most mic inputs have a dc voltage on them to
power the FET on the microphones. Thus your line out should make sure
it has a capacitive output or you could have a fight.



Thanks. That's just the sort of thing I was looking out for, not knowing
enough about these things.
The line out in question is from the headphone-out socket of an AIWA
cassette deck, I'll see if I can find a spec. sheet anywhere. Or is it
likely to be typical in some way?

Alternatively, you might want to look at using an Ion U-Record, just
under 30 squids from Amazon. Its a USB stereo ADC, accepts line-in or MC
pickup levels and is powered off the USB connection. Works well with
Audacity. RCA connectors on the analogue side. I got mine because it was
cheap to see if this was a good way to digitise some tapes and vinyl and
have kept it because I can't see any reason the replace it with a more
expensive device.

Caveat: mine was working well in March last year with whatever the semi-
current Fedora was (probably F15) and Audacity (probably 1.38). When I
tried it a day or two ago (F17, Audacity 2.0.2) no joy: looks like
there's a problem with either the OS or Audacity and the USB codec. This
might be specific to the U-record but it could equally apply to all
external USB sound cards. I bugged it against Fedora but no resolution as
yet.

However, I reckon its hard to go wrong at that price, especially as it
uses a decent Burr-Brown ADC.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

In article , Davey
wrote:


Don't forget to point us to the magazine with your article in it.

Thereby hangs a tale... :-)

What has appeared on my website was originally aimed at being published in
'Linux Format'. I sent them a copy and their Editor said, yes, they wanted
to publish. We agreed it should be a 4-page 'tutorial' and I planned others
to follow.

I got their contract document from the Publishers. Didn't like the look of
it.

The essence of that was their contract wanted *all* rights on an exclusive
basis. Inc all 'moral' rights, etc. The lot.

I explained to the Editor that I only sell 'first serial' rights and *non*
exclusive republication rights as I wish to be able to re-use parts of
material, or put the articles on the web at a later date. The point being
to ensure that useful data isn't 'lost' to people later in time. (When they
can't get the mag, or the publisher shuts down.)

I've not had any problem with other publishers with this. e.g. Hi Fi News
are happy with it.

But their response was that they insist on taking all rights. Full stop.

I pointed out this seemed particularly weird as an attitude for a *Linux*
magazine! :-) The Editor agreed, but said it wasn't in his hands, and the
publishers insist.

So no publication in Linux Format. Fortunately, I don't write for a living,
so can decide to go without the fees.

However there will be an article in Hi Fi News. Just have to get around to
writing it. :-)

Shame, though, as I'd like to write about this for LXF. May see if they
will publish a brief item pointing at the webpages for details. Might get
though that way...

I had a very quick glance at your webpage, and I noticed all the
vertical bars; whereas my system just has several [00]s, due to a
different internal setup. Hopefully this is covered if I read it in more
depth. I will follow this with interest, thanks.

It depends entirely on the hardware ALSA finds. Some devices have gain or
volume controls. Others don't (and so you rely on software you use to scale
gains or volumes). I get different alsamixer displays on all three of the
Linux machines I use.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html