# emu10k1 Strange

## Styles

Hey gang,

	Just noticed something strange playing dvd's with xine. I have a sound Blaster Live with the digital output to 4 cambridge sound works speakers. When I have the emu10k1 compiled into the kernel dvd's play great without any skipping and also use the rear output. But when I use the ALSA emu10k1 as a module, the sound skips all over the place and only uses the front channels.

But for playing any mp3s or wav's the emu10k1 alsa modules plays noticeably cleaner. 

Anybody have any idead on how to optimize for the module option and get the rear channels to work? ect.... Oh I did forget to mention I did pull the emu10k1 mod off the cvc last night.

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## neuron

I'v got the audigy, alsa = skips, CRAP sound quality (on everything), module = great, and I do get souround.

try altering your emu10k1.conf file or experimenting with emu-config to enable souround  :Smile: 

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## leej

With Alsa, you can activate the rear speakers on your SBLive by using the alsamixer utility.  The problem is that you wont be able to use a desktop mixer (kmix, or whatever) to adjust the volume.

I don't have the skipping problems at all on a VIA KT133A AGPset, but I used to on a VIA MVP3 - which was notoriously problematic with an SBLive card (actually reported - even Windows required reduction of latency via BIOS registers).

Are you using an older VIA chipset?

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## Cr0t

get Creative's Open Source Driver. They are way better. http://opensource.creative.com/

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## leej

Ideally, I would like to (have done before) but Alsa is an annoying requirement of some software.  And you can't have the emu10k1 module loaded as well as Alsa's snd-emu10k1 module.

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## Cr0t

You don't need ALSA. Actually ALSA suxx A$$.

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## leej

Some applications need Alsa.  I have actually had to recompile my kernel and modularize it so that I can use Alsa/OSS with SBLive support, simply so that I may merge particular applications that require it.  :Smile: 

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## Cr0t

Creative's driver is better... the quality is soooooooo much better. Just give it a try.

Which prog needs ALSA?

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## leej

I'm sorry, weren't you reading?  I have used it (I did say this).  In fact I've used different CL builds for over 12 months until a few months ago.  I've also used the SBLive built in kernel support (which /is/ the CL code).

Doesn't alter the fact that some software (some games available as ebuilds for example) require Alsa/OSS support and the kernel modules necessary wont coexist with the native emu10k1 module.

Regarding the quality.  No noticable difference (not even in the available frequencies).  Do you have latency issues with your motherboard?  /me's guessing you're gonna hate the 2.5 kernel's around the corner if you don't like Alsa.

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## Cr0t

I do not use the 2.5 serie but I really do not understand why u have to use ALSA. All the time since I am using Linux I never used ALSA only for a short time and I realized that ALSA is a piece of sh*t. Sorry to say it this way. Anyway it should be possible to get everything working without ALSA.

May the Force be with u   :Cool: 

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## neuron

alsa's adding some thing which is required by some applications, and .. generaly better, though in it's current state it's crap unless you got a card which is a bit old :/

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## Styles

Ok...I'm going with your guys sugestion but I'm a totla noob... So a coupld of questions to use the emu10k1 from creative.

In my kernel config there is a emu10k1 option under sound do I use that?

And anybody want to contribute a beginers guide to help me and other noobs out. I mostly concered about getting the darn tone controls.

Thanx in advance

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## Cr0t

 *neuron wrote:*   

> alsa's adding some thing which is required by some applications, and .. generaly better, though in it's current state it's crap unless you got a card which is a bit old :/

 00:0c.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 (rev 06)

00:0c.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! (rev 06)

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## McManus

 *neuron wrote:*   

> I'v got the audigy, alsa = skips, CRAP sound quality (on everything), module = great, and I do get souround.
> 
> try altering your emu10k1.conf file or experimenting with emu-config to enable souround 

 

What is the difference between "asla" here and the "module"?  I guess the module is referring to the driver that you installed when you "emerge emu10k1-audigy" ?

btw, there is an emu-script that enables surround (and control over rear spkr volume) that comes with the emu10k1 driver, but I dunno if it would work with the Audigy.  It might work...?

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## friedmud

I would like to know which apps need alsa also...

I have been using Linux for about 4 years and my main activity is playing games.  I too have an SBLive (Live! X-Gamer 5.1) and I use the Creative Labs drivers (now hosted at SourceForge) and the accompanying emu-config scripts and tools (I have the Cambridge Soundworks DTT3500 Dolby Digital 5.1 Speakers).

I have NEVER seen an app that REQUIRED alsa.  NEVER.  I too think Alsa is SHITE and never have understood why people F*CK with it soo much.  I see a hundred posts a day on newsgroups all over the place about how Alsa doesn't work with this app - or alsa doesn't work with this hardware or those speakers or over a network or etc etc etc.

Why do people put themselves through soooooo much pain and agony when a perfectly fine sound system already exists (OSS)?????

Sorry for the rant, but it is just rediculous how many people (especially newbies for some reason) waste their time with that BROKEN system.

Derek

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## neuron

the thing is that alsa is kinda the feature, it's built into the kernel from 2.5, and more and more apps WILL support it, as it has a better api than oss.

I'm quite happy running the same drivers as you atm, still not sure if my surround is properly set up though.

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## choi65

I have a soundcard of emu10k1. The recorded sound with alsa was just too bad.  I have deinstalled all the alsa things. And the module emu10k1 from the creative is installed. The   installation was simple and whatever the tone is ok for me.

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## delta407

Hmm... I just got an emu10k1 card a few hours ago (SoundBlaster PCI 512), put it in a new Gentoo box for a friend, installed Alsa, and everything works just fine. Good sound quality (better than Windows), no skipping.

Maybe I'm just weird.  :Wink: 

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## choi65

yes, the sound quality is better of course than windoof. But if i record the sound with line-in, then it's terrible.

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## pjp

 *friedmud wrote:*   

> I would like to know which apps need alsa also...
> 
> I have been using Linux for about 4 years and my main activity is playing games.  I too have an SBLive (Live! X-Gamer 5.1) and I use the Creative Labs drivers (now hosted at SourceForge) and the accompanying emu-config scripts and tools (I have the Cambridge Soundworks DTT3500 Dolby Digital 5.1 Speakers).
> 
> I have NEVER seen an app that REQUIRED alsa.  NEVER.  I too think Alsa is *beep* and never have understood why people F*CK with it soo much.  I see a hundred posts a day on newsgroups all over the place about how Alsa doesn't work with this app - or alsa doesn't work with this hardware or those speakers or over a network or etc etc etc.
> ...

 ALSA was the only thing I could get working.  Once I had predictable sound, 

I quit tinkering.  I'm using an ISA AWE64 PnP.  Had an AWE32 (that was actually 

better), but it wasn't PnP, so I gave up on it.

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