Subject: Re: [AUDITORY] External class compliant sound cards From: Roberto Barumerli <barumerli@xxxxxxxx> Date: Thu, 30 May 2019 09:19:10 +0200 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------B6A7BDAD835FB7D00900A8A4 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dear Kamil, in my experience, sadly, to operate with Linux and external sound card=20 the only available documentation can be found in the communities=20 scattered accross the Internet. While it is not up to date this page can=20 be a starting point: https://wiki.linuxaudio.org/wiki/hardware_support To work with different sampling rates or other "unusual" audio=20 parameters I suggests to work with ALSA instead of wrapping it with=20 Pulse. There is a long and not so clear historical reason but to put it=20 simply: ALSA is more realiable and it works directly with the kernel=20 while Pulse works in user space and the configuration can be quite=20 difficult. I never run an experiment with Linux but I found the Focusrite Scarlett=20 6i6 a good and stable choice (also for the price range). Regards, Roberto Barumerli --=20 Roberto Barumerli, Ph.D. student Dept. of Information Engineering University of Padova Via Gradenigo 6/B, 35131 Padova, Italy Skype: roberto.baru Website: dei.unipd.it/~barumerli Il 29/05/2019 11:59, Kamil Adiloglu ha scritto: > Dear list, > I am compiling a list of suitable sound cards for a mobile real-time=20 > experimental setup. There are some criteria that such sound card=20 > should fulfil: > - External sound card: We have a mini PC with an on-board sound chip.=20 > We want to use an external sound card with a decent sound quality. Our=20 > mini PC has USB-2, USB-3, USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) connections. > > - Class compliance: We have a real-time signal processing platform,=20 > which runs on Linux (Actually it also supports Windows and Mac, but we=20 > prefer Linux). Therefore we need a sound card, which Linux can=20 > operate. Manufacturers usually do not officially support Linux, but=20 > there are some, which run under Linux, because they are class=20 > compliant and do not require a dedicated driver. > > - At least 4 (preferably 6) analog (identical) inputs and at least 2=20 > analog (identical) outputs > > - Lower sampling rates: As we will do real-time signal processing, we=20 > prefer lower sampling rates for the sake of computational complexity.=20 > Therefore, ideally we would like to have a sound card, which supports=20 > even 16kHz, but 32kHz also OK. > > I know that these criteria are now easy to fulfil. So far, I couldn't=20 > find any sound card, which fulfils all the requirements. In the worst=20 > case, we can sacrifice the last requirement and downsample our sound=20 > input before processing, but it is a good-to-have one. > > We would appreciate any suggestion. Thank you in advance. > > Best Regards, > Kamil Adiloglu > > > --=20 > Dr. Kamil Adilo=C4=9Flu > Forschung und Entwicklung > > H=C3=B6rTech gGmbH > Marie-Curie-Str. 2 > D-26129 Oldenburg > Germany > Phone: +49 441 2172-215 > Fax: +49 441 2172-250 > Email:k.adiloglu@xxxxxxxx <mailto:k.adiloglu@xxxxxxxx> > > www.hoertech.de <http://www.hoertech.de> > > HRB 5035, AG Oldenburg, Gesch=C3=A4ftsf=C3=BChrer: Sebastian Quirandt > -----------------------------------------------------------------------= --------- > H=C3=B6rTech gGmbH ist zertifiziert nach DIN EN ISO 13485 > -----------------------------------------------------------------------= --------- > > H=C3=B6rTech gGmbH ist Partner im Exzellenzcluster Hearing4all > www.hearing4all.eu <http://www.hearing4all.eu> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------= --------- > > Der Inhalt dieser E-Mail ist ausschlie=C3=9Flich f=C3=BCr den/die bezei= chneten Adressaten bestimmt. > Wenn Sie nicht der vorgesehene Adressat dieser E-Mail oder dessen Vertr= eter sein sollten, > beachten Sie bitte, dass jede Form der Kenntnisnahme, Ver=C3=B6ffentlic= hung, Vervielf=C3=A4ltigung > oder Weitergabe des Inhalts dieser E-Mail unzul=C3=A4ssig ist. Bitte se= tzen Sie sich in diesem > Fall mit dem Absender der E-Mail in Verbindung. --------------B6A7BDAD835FB7D00900A8A4 Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <head> <meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUTF= -8"> </head> <body text=3D"#000000" bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF"> <p>Dear Kamil,<br> in my experience, sadly, to operate with Linux and external sound card the only available documentation can be found in the communities scattered accross the Internet. While it is not up to date this page can be a starting point: <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"https://wiki.linuxaudio.= org/wiki/hardware_support">https://wiki.linuxaudio.org/wiki/hardware_supp= ort</a><br> </p> <p>To work with different sampling rates or other "unusual" audio parameters I suggests to work with ALSA instead of wrapping it with Pulse. There is a long and not so clear historical reason but to put it simply: ALSA is more realiable and it works directly with the kernel while Pulse works in user space and the configuration can be quite difficult.</p> <p>I never run an experiment with Linux but I found the Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 a good and stable choice (also for the price range). <br> </p> <p>Regards,<br> Roberto Barumerli<br> </p> <pre class=3D"moz-signature" cols=3D"72">--=20 Roberto Barumerli, Ph.D. student Dept. of Information Engineering University of Padova Via Gradenigo 6/B, 35131 Padova, Italy Skype: roberto.baru=20 Website: dei.unipd.it/~barumerli</pre> <div class=3D"moz-cite-prefix">Il 29/05/2019 11:59, Kamil Adiloglu ha scritto:<br> </div> <blockquote type=3D"cite" cite=3D"mid:CAF=3DX=3D5t3_HUdvoPU+2HROYbcoAtZqaw0MiAf9b0er+VneGYHjA@xxxxxxxx= gmail.com"> <meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3DU= TF-8"> <div dir=3D"ltr"> <div dir=3D"ltr">Dear list, <div>I am compiling a list of suitable sound cards for a mobile real-time experimental setup. There are some criteria that such sound card should fulfil:</div> <div>- External sound card: We have a mini PC with an on-board sound chip. We want to use an external sound card with a decent sound quality. Our mini PC has USB-2, USB-3, USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) connections.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>- Class compliance: We have a real-time signal processing platform, which runs on Linux (Actually it also supports Windows and Mac, but we prefer Linux). Therefore we need a sound card, which Linux can operate. Manufacturers usually do not officially support Linux, but there are some, which run under Linux, because they are class compliant and do not require a dedicated driver.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>- At least 4 (preferably 6) analog (identical) inputs and at least 2 analog (identical) outputs</div> <div><br> </div> <div>- Lower sampling rates: As we will do real-time signal processing, we prefer lower sampling rates for the sake of computational complexity. Therefore, ideally we would like to have a sound card, which supports even 16kHz, but 32kHz also OK.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>I know that these criteria are now easy to fulfil. So far, I couldn't find any sound card, which fulfils all the requirements. In the worst case, we can sacrifice the last requirement and downsample our sound input before processing, but it is a good-to-have one.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>We would appreciate any suggestion. Thank you in advance.<= /div> <div><br> </div> <div>Best Regards,</div> <div>Kamil Adiloglu</div> <div><br> </div> <div><br> </div> <div> <pre class=3D"gmail-moz-signature" cols=3D"72" style=3D"color= :rgb(0,0,0)">--=20 Dr. Kamil Adilo=C4=9Flu Forschung und Entwicklung H=C3=B6rTech gGmbH Marie-Curie-Str. 2 D-26129 Oldenburg Germany Phone: +49 441 2172-215 Fax: +49 441 2172-250 Email: <a href=3D"mailto:k.adiloglu@xxxxxxxx" moz-do-not-send=3D"true"= >k.adiloglu@xxxxxxxx</a> <a href=3D"http://www.hoertech.de" moz-do-not-send=3D"true">www.hoertech.= de</a> HRB 5035, AG Oldenburg, Gesch=C3=A4ftsf=C3=BChrer: Sebastian Quirandt -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- H=C3=B6rTech gGmbH ist zertifiziert nach DIN EN ISO 13485 -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- H=C3=B6rTech gGmbH ist Partner im Exzellenzcluster Hearing4all=20 <a href=3D"http://www.hearing4all.eu" moz-do-not-send=3D"true">www.hearin= g4all.eu</a> -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- Der Inhalt dieser E-Mail ist ausschlie=C3=9Flich f=C3=BCr den/die bezeich= neten Adressaten bestimmt. Wenn Sie nicht der vorgesehene Adressat dieser E-Mail oder dessen Vertret= er sein sollten, beachten Sie bitte, dass jede Form der Kenntnisnahme, Ver=C3=B6ffentlichu= ng, Vervielf=C3=A4ltigung oder Weitergabe des Inhalts dieser E-Mail unzul=C3=A4ssig ist. Bitte setz= en Sie sich in diesem Fall mit dem Absender der E-Mail in Verbindung.</pre> </div> </div> </div> </blockquote> <pre class=3D"moz-signature" cols=3D"72"> </pre> </body> </html> --------------B6A7BDAD835FB7D00900A8A4--