[pulseaudio-discuss] new module module-plugin-sink

[Georg Chini]

On 03.05.19 16:32, Alexander E. Patrakov wrote:
> пт, 3 мая 2019 г. в 11:57, Georg Chini <georg at chini.tk>:
>> The channel layout of input/output
>> and the playback device is known to module-plugin-sink, so if
>> a filter needs it, it can be passed as parameter. No need to
>> have it in the interface.
> (I have also received your next email, ACK on the thought that the
> channel maps don't change on the fly).
>
> Having it (also with other properties like sink or port name) as a
> parameter is indeed a neat idea that solves a lot of problems.
Why would the filter code need the sink name? I understand
that it can be useful to know what kind of output you have,
but the sink name will not mean anything to the filter. The
plugins are compiled outside PA, similar to LADSPA plugins.

> However, we should still think about the boolean bypass parameter, how
> it is supposed to work. Is my understanding below correct?
>
> 1. The virtual surround filter gets created by PulseAudio for 6 input
> and 2 output channels and gets the input channel layout (5.1), output
> channel layout (stereo), and playback sink and port as parameters.
> 2. Some audio plays through it.
> 3. The user unplugs headphones, so that the output now goes through
> stereo speakers
> 4. Before sending the next chunk of audio, PulseAudio updates the
> filter parameters related to the sink port (a), and/or calls the
> set_port callback function (b).
> 5a. The filter notices the parameter change, processes the audio
> anyway, and sets the self-disable parameter to true.
> 6a. PulseAudio reads the audio and the self-disable parameter, throws
> away the processed audio and downmixes 5.1 to stereo by itself.
> 5b. set_port says "no" or updates the self-disable parameter,
> PulseAudio notices and downmixes 5.1 to stereo by itself.

When the filter is in the chain, audio is processed by the filter.
Therefore, down mixing would have to be implemented in the
filter code. The next chunk after the parameter change would
need to be down mixed.
It is impossible to pass the original signal on to PA without
destroying and re-creating the sink input. (See also below).

>
> It would also be interesting to see what happens if unplugging the
> headphones causes the number of channels (of the channel layout in
> general) to change. Note that I don't have such setup, not even sure
> how it is handled currently.
>
The sink input that the filter uses will not change, regardless
what kind of sink the input is connected to. From the filter
perspective the channel counts and layouts are static. What does
PA usually do if the number of channels for a stream does not
match the number of sink channels, for example if you play
stereo content to a 5.1 sink?