Re: [LAU] Komplete Audio 6 and Jack (solved with alsamixer switches)

From: David <david@email-addr-hidden>
Date: Wed Aug 13 2014 - 07:08:46 EEST

Thanks everyone. I've typed out everything I went through in case
someone else stumbles on this with a similar problem

On 13/08/14 06:05, Len Ovens wrote:

> On Tue, 12 Aug 2014, David wrote:
>
>> I'm completely new to this, so be kind to me please.
>>
>> Ubuntu studio 14.04
>> Komplete Audio 6
>> Rode condensor mics.
>
> I am not sure so I may be asking obvious questions.

Please ask obvious questions.. it's something obvious I am probably
missing :(

> Does the KA6 have phantom power turned on (48v switch on the back)?

The Rode website says that this mic doesn't care either way about
phantom power, but in any case I've tried it both on and off. Apparently
some mics can be cooked with phantom power!

> Does the KA6 show levels from the mic(s)?

I get a "flashing light" level indicator on the KA6 when I test the mic.

> Are there level controls on the KA6 (yup)? Are they up?

both mic gain and master are set at 12 o'clock. (Edit: they don't seem
to alter the record levels - odd?)

>
>
> Next: aplay -l and arecord -l says what? Ah someone has done that
> already:
>
> The lines that matter:
> card 1: K6 [Komplete Audio 6], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
> Subdevices: 0/1
> Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
> card 1: K6 [Komplete Audio 6], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
> Subdevices: 1/1
> Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

That's exactly what I get (plus the built in sound card of course)

>
>
>> I've found this link which says it should "just work",
>>
>> http://lists.linuxaudio.org/pipermail/linux-audio-user/2013-October/094733.html
>>
>
> Well sort of. It does say "set the connections in qjackctl". I am not
> sure what that means.

neither do I. I've tried quite a few combinations with no luck so far.

> In qjackctl in setup-Settings There is an interface box. The intuitive
> thing is to click the V beside and pick one... don't do this. Instead
> click on the > box and choose hw:K6. This should give 6 in and 6 out.

In the Audio tab of QJackCtl Connections window, under "system" I get 6
in and 6 out, so I guess that's it.

> If not... you will want to see if using Input Device and Output Device
> works better. I am not familiar with the K6 so I can't say. It should
> not be too hard to connect the input directly to the output to see if
> there is sound, but I prefer to start meterbridge....

I had never heard of meterbridge. I did <$ jack_lsp> and it gave me
"system:capture_1" etc etc, but when I started meterbridge I got no
signal, even though the level light was flashing on the KA6 so there is
still a problem.

> .... and connect there so I know there is no hw monitor stuff giving
> me false info. Also, in a terminal, run alsamixer and make sure the
> capture levels are up. Or switches need to be set. There seems to be
> some capture switches.

Alsamixer proved interesting. I've never used it before. First I had to
select the KA6 using <F6: Select Sound Card> and then I'm presented with
an arcane screen. I messed around by tabbing through "monitor control
front" "monitor control rear" and "monitor control 1" and typing <m> at
each position. That changed the "MM" (mute?) in the box above each item
to "00". This seemed to create some sort of magic because now I'm
getting a vu-meter reading on <$ meterbridge system:capture_1>. I can't
understand why altering the monitoring should make the input work, but
apparently it does. Pressing <F4> in alsamixer tells me that "this
device does not have any capture controls". Very odd.

This seems to be the answer to the problem.

>> Ultimately I want to be able to simply record stereo microphones into
>> Ardour or Audacity. Preferably Audacity because I'm familiar with it.
>
> Sounds like that should work.
>
>>
>> The KA6 never shows up in the volume control panel ....
>
> One wonders which volume control pannel that is, and where within that.

I'm talking about the system settings volume control widget that lives
on the taskbar.
After discovering alsamixer mute switches (thanks!), if I go to
volume control -> sound setting -> input device
the item labelled "Built-in Audio Analogue Stereo" is now responding -
ie: the level meter moves when I test the mic. I can change the mic
level there.

It's a bit obscure and doesn't refer to the KA6 at all - but hey, if it
works I'm happy. Does this have something to do with
pulseaudio-module-jack being installed??

>
>
> The ALSA tab is MIDI i/o (yes there are two of them for two kinds of
> MIDI) You want to see i/o in the Audio tab. There should be system on
> both sides. and when expanded there should be 6 on each side.

You are right.

>
> Just sort of a splatter of ideas....

exactly what I needed. Audacity now records sound from the KA6 with a
mic plugged in. Next to try some actual recordings!

Where do I send the pizza?

>
> --
> Len Ovens
> www.ovenwerks.net
>

-- 
David McQuire
0418 310312
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Received on Wed Aug 13 08:15:02 2014

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