AV-710... no analogue output in Linux

[dejrfan]

I bought the Chaintech AV-710 soundcard based on all I had read in this forum with the specific purpose of using it in a homebuilt PVR based on KnoppMyth (R5A12). KnoppMyth is a Debian based (2.6.9) PVR frontend and it works extremely well but I've had a problem getting the analogue outputs (line out, etc.) to work. The sp/dif works very well... which is weird, I didn't even have to fight with it to get it to work.
I have a very specific need for this as I'd like to be able to run the analogue audio to my tv and the sp/dif to my surround system and not have to disable/enable a setting to listen to either... other than muting the tv when listening to the surround system, of course. This will simplify things greatly for my wife and make the system uber-usable.
I followed the graphical setup guide elsewhere in this forum posted by Mr. Radar (the part at the bottom that specifically relates to Linux, of course). This guide was the main reason I went with this card as it mentions that both analogue and sp/dif can be used simulaneously in Linux.

My current setup is:
Athlon 1800+ with Coolermaster Vortec Dream 7 HSF
MSI K7N2GM2-LSR (on-board s-video out used to tv)
512mb PC3200
WD 200gig HD
Chaintech AV-710
Hauppauge PVR-250 capture card
Coolermaster Cavalier 2 case (the one with the sound meter built into the front)

I've installed the latest ALSA drivers... 1.0.9rc2
I've followed everything I can find online with regard to setting up ALSA but still no luck. Also, last night I tried playing TuxRacer after exiting the MythTV frontend just to see if it was a setting in MythTV that was wonky but there is no sound just in Linux either. I've checked that Master, PCM, and Headphones are not muted in Alsamixer... I'm out of ideas.
Also, I'm a total Linux noob that hadn't looked at linux before a month ago. I know that doesn't help with regard to giving me tips or help but that's why I think I may have missed something basic... a lot of people seem to have more trouble getting sp/dif to work than analogue and I've got the opposite problem... doesn't make sense and that's what leads me to think I'm missing something that a Linux expert wouldn't even think to mention.

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

 

[AdamWill]

Which output are you trying to use? If you're trying to use the high-quality one, rear surround one (which is the point of getting an AV710), it appears to have been broken for at least the last three ALSA revisions. The normal green one ought to work fine, though. I can send you my asound.state if you're still having trouble.

 

[dejrfan]

I did download the asound.state file that was linked at the end of Mr. Radar's guide. I've tried to use all the analogue outputs but I get no sound out of all (dead silent) except the rear where I get a lot of white noise (if I'm using the term correctly). Is your asound.state file optimized or different from the one I have? If so I'd gladly try it... my email address is the user name I am using in this forum at gmail.com
I have a feeling it has something to do with the settings I have in alsamixer but I'm not sure what I should have and I didn't want to go mucking around with too many settings and then losing all sound completely.
Thanks,

 

[ameyer17]

um... I had to **** with it and it doesnt seem to work with alsa. I have it working on OSS on FC3.
EDIT
Maybe it does, I couldnt get it to work.

 

[dejrfan]

I don't mind having to ****withit.... I thought this hardware was supposed to work with ALSA. Oh well, I was starting to think it was a Debian thing but I know so little about linux that I wasn't sure if that idea had any merit at all.
Any guides for using OSS in Debian?

 

[AdamWill]

dejrfan: that sounds familiar; when I first tried to use that asound.state I had the same experience, I think because the ALSA settings have changed, so something it's doing is muting even the normal output. I'm at work again now, when I'm back home I'll send you my asound.state and hopefully then you'll at least get output from the normal green jack. If not, the way I fixed it was to run alsaconf , which kind of forces all the settings back to stock, then just increased the master and PCM volume controls.

 

[dejrfan]

Thanks AdamWill,
When my family stops commandeering the tv later tonight I'll post the alsamixer settings that I'm currently using... I have a hunch that there is something not quite right there but I'm not sure what.
Thanks for the help...

 

[dejrfan]

Okay... here's the AlsaMixer settings that I currently have (no analogue, sp/dif works... it's a long list):
AlsaMixer v1.0.9rc2
Card: AMP Ltd AUDIO2000
Chip: ICEnsemble VT1616i
View: [Playback] Capture: All
Item: Master: 74<>74
Item: Master Mono: 68
Item: Headphone: 68<>68
Item: 3DControl -- Center: 68<>68
Item: 3DControl -- Depth: 0
Item: 3DControl -- Switch: Off
Item: PCM: 68<>68
Item: Surround: 48<>48
Item: Center: 48
Item: LFE: 48
Item: Line: 42<>42
Item: CD: Off
Item: Mic: Off
Item: Mic Boost (+20db): Off
Item: Mic Select: Mic1
Item: Video: Off
Item: Phone: Off
Item: IEC958: PCM OUT
Item: IEC958 OUTPUT:00
Item: IEC958 1: PCM OUT
Item: PC Speaker: Off
Item: Aux: Off
Item: Mono Output Select: Mix
Item: Alternate Level to Surround Out: Off
Item: DownMix LFE and Center to Front: Off
Item: DownMix Surround to Front: Off
Item: External Amplifier: Off
Item: H/W: PCM OUT
Item: H/W 1: PCM OUT
Item: Multi Track Internal Clock: 48000
Item: Multi Track Peak: 0<>0
Item: Multi Track Peak: 0<>0
Item: Multi Track Peak: 0
Item: Multi Track Peak: 0
Item: Multi Track Rate Locking:00
Item: Multi Track Rate Reset: 00

That's the best way I can think to represent the different settings... the first three items at the top of the list never changed and as I moved the focus across the different items from left to right the header next to the "Item:" line would change and I've put the value that was at the bottom of the screen next to that selection. Probably clear as mud but I can answer or try to clarify if needed. If anything really wrong jumps out at anyone please let me know.