How To: The (almost) Perfect Pulse Audio Setup

[gotjpeg]

So for the surround sound trick under the sample sound channels. Do I out in 5 or 6 if it's 5.1 surround sound?

[Stunts]

Hi!
Great HowTo.
Now I can use multiple apps with sound!
It got me 90% things working.
All that doesn't work now is Neverwinter Nights, which uses SDL.
I'm not sure how to make it work now, but once I get an answer I'll post it here.

Thanks again for this!

[zman0900]

So for the surround sound trick under the sample sound channels. Do I out in 5 or 6 if it's 5.1 surround sound?

I believe you would want to go with 6.

[Stunts]

OK, I've got everything working now. Even Neverwinter Nights which uses SDL and ALSA.
I got this answer on NWN linux forums, so credit goes to "Skildron".
You ahve to edit your ~/.asoundrc file and paste the following in there:

pcm.!default {
	type plug
	slave.pcm "dmixer"
}

pcm.dsp0 {
	type plug
	slave.pcm "dmixer"
}

pcm.dmixer {
	type dmix
	ipc_key 1024
	slave {
		pcm "hw:0,0"
		period_time 0
		period_size 1024
		buffer_size 8192
		rate 48000
	}
	bindings {
		0 0
		1 1
	}
}

ctl.dmixer {
	type hw
	card 0
}

Some people had to change the rate setting in the file from 48000 to 96000 to produce usable output, so you might want to keep that in mind and tinker a bit with it.

After making this change, just log out and back in and voila!
100% working sound!

Hope this helps someone!

[Jim_in_Germany]

Great Howto.
I was having problems playing videos in Firefox and VLC media player at the same time (whichever app was launched first ĺocked the sound).
This totally sorted me out.
Thank you.

[Vibys]

Thank you for this, i also had the problem of amarok locking the sound. All working well after this.

[dysonsphere23]

You fixed it!!!!!
Thank you so much.
Now I can have my hockey play-by-play on vlc and Frank Black on rhythm box at the same time.

Again thanks for the great how-to.

[bobloblian]

Good work, thanks

[Puptentacle]

FANTASTIC! Since Pulse came on the scene in Hardy I've been having a massive "clipping" type sound but for some reason this seems to have fixed it. I won't spend any time wondering WHY, but it did. Thanks!!!

[Silpheed2K]

I dont see a /etc/asound.conf file