[pulseaudio-discuss] Splitting ALSA card ports into

Tue Apr 5 15:19:52 UTC 2016

> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2016 09:41:52 +0800
> From: Raymond Yau <superquad.vortex2 at gmail.com>
> To: General PulseAudio Discussion
> 	<pulseaudio-discuss at lists.freedesktop.org>
> Subject: Re: [pulseaudio-discuss] Splitting ALSA card ports into
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAN8ccibGe204PjNZ=fmv_0=E7SZNUbNNo6fBTBp0a4DZZnYtGw at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>>>>> > I am trying to get simultaneous output on the Line Out and 
>>>>> Headphones
>>>>> > outputs of my Intel HD Audio (AsRock Z97 motherboard) chipset 
>>>>> and PC
>>>>> > case. With the default pulseaudio configuration in pavucontrol 
>>>>> I can
>>>>> > choose Analog Stereo Duplex and then select either the "Line 
>>>>> Out" or
>>>>> > "Headphones" port under "Output Devices", but I would like to 
>>>>> have
>>>>> > simultaneous output on both (by having a seperate sink for 
>>>>> each).
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Here is my alsa-info.sh output, please ignore the NVidia output
>>>>> > provided by my GPU as I would like to not use it if possible:
>>>>> >
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
> 
> http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=b7e5097f7a899aa5294b147b23cbb877db3b6f3c
>>>>>
>>>>> > And this is what "pacmd list-sinks" says about the Built-In 
>>>>> audio
> sink:
>>>>> > http://hastebin.com/bonadehimu
>>>>>
>>>>> It's not possible to have independent line out and headphone 
>>>>> output on
>>>>> your hardware. There is only one analog device on your card.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The easy way to output same audio to both output is disable 
>>>> drivers auto
>>>> mute mode and change pulseaudio conf files
>>>>
>>>> Simple mixer control 'Auto-Mute Mode',0
>>>> Capabilities: enum
>>>> Items: 'Disabled' 'Enabled'
>>>> Item0: 'Enabled'
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
> 
> http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/boards-and-kits/desktop-boards/000007156.html
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
> 
> https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/tiwai/sound.git/tree/Documentation/sound/alsa/HD-Audio.txt
>>>>
>>>> You have to ask Tiwai to enable independent hp for your realtek 
>>>> codec on
>>>> desktop ( e.g. no internal mic and hda controller
>>>> support enough SDO)
>>>>
>>>> You can specify hint indep_hp=1 by early patching,  the driver
>>>> automatically disable automute when you switch on independent hp 
>>>> switch
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
> 
> https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/tiwai/sound.git/tree/Documentation/sound/alsa/HD-Audio-Controls.txt
>>>>
>>>> Independent HP When this enum control is enabled, the headphone 
>>>> output
> is
>>>> routed from an individual stream (the third PCM such as hw:0,2) 
>>>> instead
> of
>>>> the primary stream
>>>
>>>
>>> Okay, so following your advice I set up modprobe.d to specify the
>>> early-patching files:
>>>
>>> $ cat /etc/modprobe.d/snd_hda_intel.conf
>>> options snd_hda_intel patch=onboard-patch,hdmi-patch
>>>
>>> and specified the hint in /lib/firmware/onboard-patch:
>>>
>>> $ cat /lib/firmware/onboard-patch
>>> [codec]
>>> 0x10ec0892 0x1849d892 0
>>>
>>> [hint]
>>> indep_hp = 1
>>>
>>> this seems to work fine, I can query the card hints and indep_hp 
>>> shows
> up:
>>>
>>> $ cat /sys/class/sound/hwC0D0/hints
>>> indep_hp = 1
>>>
>>> but pulseaudio still only shows one sink. Do I need to manually 
>>> load
>>> another sink module?
>>
>>
>> also, my alsa-info after now:
> 
> http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=f7de54b96d1cb50391d638e3bc687730daf17a2f
>>
>> so there now is a new "Alt-Analog" playback device:
>>
>> >
>> APLAY
>>
>> **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
>> card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC892 Analog [ALC892 Analog]
>>   Subdevices: 1/1
>>   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
>> card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC892 Digital [ALC892 
>> Digital]
>>   Subdevices: 1/1
>>   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
>> card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 2: ALC892 Alt Analog [ALC892 Alt
> Analog]
>>   Subdevices: 1/1
>>   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
>>
>> ARECORD
>>
>> **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
>> card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC892 Analog [ALC892 Analog]
>>   Subdevices: 1/1
>>   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
>> card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 2: ALC892 Alt Analog [ALC892 Alt
> Analog]
>>   Subdevices: 1/1
>>   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
>>
>>
>> So I tried adding a second module-alsa-card:
>>
>> $ pacmd load-module module-alsa-sink 
>> card_name=alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.2
>> Module load failed
>>
>> (changed the .0 to .2 because thats the Alt Analog right?)
>
> You also need hint
>
> jack_detect=no
>
> 
> https://cgit.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/tree/src/modules/alsa/mixer/paths/analog-output-headphones.conf
>
> Don't mute surround71 playback switches and don't turn off  volume
>
> 
> https://cgit.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/tree/src/modules/alsa/mixer/paths/analog-output-lineout.conf
>
> Don't mute headphone playback switch and don't turn off volume
>
> You need to enable 'independent hp' and set 'input source',1 to front 
> mic
> before starting  pulseaudio server
>
> Simple mixer control 'Independent HP',0
> Capabilities: enum
> Items: 'Disabled' 'Enabled'
> Item0: 'Enabled'
>
> Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
> Capabilities: cenum
> Items: 'Front Mic' 'Rear Mic' 'Line'
> Item0: 'Front Mic'
>
> Use application (e.g. mplayer) which allow you to specify device 
> hw:0,2
>
> 
> https://cgit.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/tree/src/modules/alsa/mixer/profile-sets/default.conf
>
> Just add a new mapping
>
> [Mapping alt-analog-stereo]
> device-strings = hw:%f,2
> channel-map = left,right
> paths-output = analog-output-headphones
> paths-input = analog-input-front-mic
> priority = 10

Sorry, I do not know a lot about ALSA or pulseaudio and I still have 
troubles understanding what exactly you are telling me to do.
I added the jack_detect=no hint and I checked the mixer controls using 
amixer; "Input Source,1" is set to "Front Mic" already but I can't 
figure out how to set Independent HP to "Enabled".

I tried all variants of amixer -c0 sset "Independent HP" Enabled, 
Item0=Enabled, True, 1, yes etc. (sget works fine) but it always either 
says "Specify what you want to set" or "Invalid command!". I can't find 
any information about setting enum mixer controls in amixer OR any other 
way (apparently its not supported by the alsa python library). Also 
where would I change this permanently?

I also added two new mappings (it wouldn't work if I reused the 
existing analog-stereo) and copied the "example for a multi-sink 
profile", and added this to the default profile-set:

[Mapping alt-analog-stereo-back]
device-strings = hw:%f
channel-map = left,right
paths-output = analog-output-lineout
paths-input = analog-input-front-mic
priority = 10

[Mapping alt-analog-stereo-front]
device-strings = hw:%f,2
channel-map = left,right
paths-output = analog-output-headphones
paths-input = analog-input-front-mic
priority = 10

[Profile alt-analog-stereo-back+alt-analog-stereo-front]
description = both
output-mappings = alt-analog-stereo-front alt-analog-stereo-back
input-mappings = alt-analog-stereo-back
skip-probe = yes

I can now select "both" in pavucontrol, but it doesn't add two sinks, I 
can only select the "Line Out" port in the Output tab.

About the
> Don't mute surround71 playback switches and don't turn off  volume
lines; I'm not quite sure which lines of all the ones in the path files 
you are referring to. Right now i commented a few in the two files:

in the headphones file:
;; [Element Surround]
;; switch = off
;; volume = off

and in the lineout file:
;;; [Element Headphone+LO]
;;; switch = mute
;;; volume = merge
;;; override-map.1 = all
;;; override-map.2 = all-left,all-right
;;; required-any = any

[Element Master Mono]
switch = off
volume = off

[Element Line HP Swap]
switch = off
required-any = any

; This profile path is intended to control line out, let's mute 
headphones
; else there will be a spike when plugging in headphones
;;; [Element Headphone]
;;; Switch = off
;;; Volume = off

If I understood you correctly than all I need to do is flick the 
Independent HP mixer control on and I should have two sinks when 
restarting pulseaudio, but I have no idea how to.