PDA

View Full Version : [ubuntu] SB Audigy LS - Cannot load a soundfont



ticket
February 5th, 2009, 11:11 PM
**SOLVED**sfxload always errors with "No AWE synth device is found"

Duh! As was suspected, it is a driver issue. The Alsa driver for this particular card (the Sound Blaster Audigy SE / CA0106) does not support soundfonts (nor much else, it seems). While the CA0106 driver can make it produce sounds, that is about the limit of its functionality for the current driver release. This page gives a complete list of Alsa driver capabilities for different Creative soundcards:

http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Matrix:Vendor-Creative_Labs

So I went and bought a Soundblaster live card, replacing the audigy one. After powering on, I used "System->Preferences->Default Sound Card" to select the new hardware and everything now works. After loading a soundfont even the file selector plays midi when hovering over a midi file!.
Moral : check first that your soundcard is fully supported by Alsa! I guess my main concern now is the scant support for sound fonts in the Alsa drivers - it appears that the awesfx package only supports those creative soundcards using the emu10k1 chipset. Is that really the case?




Ubuntu Destop 8.10 with RT kernel

I am being driven nuts by this.
I want to use the hardware synthesiser in my PCI Creative Audigy soundcard.
This sound card most definitely supports soundfonts.

I have have sound working with this card after switching off the Ac97 onboard sound in the BIOS.
Music and videos play fine.
But the soundfont downloader utility refuses me everytime, e.g.

sfxload -i
No AWE synth device is found

asfxload -i
No Emux synth hwdep device is found

How can I get this to work?

I have applied the advice in https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Midi/HardwareSynthesisSetup
but to no avail.

I have playd with fluidsynth & timidity before, but software sound synthesis was too much of a drain on my Ubuntu system.
My old Windows computer was a PII 400MHz with onboard Yamaha synth and worked really well.
This Unbuntu system is running the RT kernel on a 1.5GHz P4 and is, so far, quite dismal.
Not a good advert for Ubuntu!

Browse loads of forums (even non-English ones) to find a solution. This just confirmed I am not alone with this problem.

A russian site suggested removing pulse audio - is that a good idea?
I also saw a suggestion to try adding this to a start-up script
sudo /usr/bin/aweset -v init
Should I do this? Which file should I edit?

Help!! Help!!

System configuration:
================================
aplaymidi -l

Port Client name Port name
14:0 Midi Through Midi Through Port-0
16:0 CA0106 CA0106 MPU-401 (UART)
=================================
lspci -v

02:09.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Audigy LS
Subsystem: Creative Labs Device 100a
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 11
I/O ports at ece0 [size=32]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Kernel driver in use: CA0106
Kernel modules: snd-ca0106

=============================================
cat /etc/modules

# /etc/modules: kernel modules to load at boot time.
#
# This file contains the names of kernel modules that should be loaded
# at boot time, one per line. Lines beginning with "#" are ignored.

fuse
lp
# added
snd-seq
snd-seq-device
snd-seq-midi
snd-seq-oss
snd-seq-midi-event
snd_emux_synth
snd_emu10k1_synth
snd-emu10k1
snd-sbawe
snd-emu8000-synth
================================================== =======
cat /dev/sndstat

Sound Driver:3.8.1a-980706 (ALSA v1.0.17 emulation code)
Kernel: Linux gkh-desktop 2.6.27-3-rt #1 PREEMPT RT Mon Oct 27 03:05:19 UTC 2008 i686
Config options: 0

Installed drivers:
Type 10: ALSA emulation

Card config:
Audigy SE [SB0570] at 0xece0 irq 11

Audio devices:
0: CA0106 (DUPLEX)

Synth devices: NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG

Midi devices:
0: CA0106 MPU-401 (UART)

Timers:
31: system timer

Mixers:
0: mixer00
===============================
cat /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base

# autoloader aliases
install sound-slot-0 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-0
install sound-slot-1 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-1
install sound-slot-2 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-2
install sound-slot-3 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-3
install sound-slot-4 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-4
install sound-slot-5 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-5
install sound-slot-6 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-6
install sound-slot-7 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-7

# Cause optional modules to be loaded above generic modules
install snd /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet snd-ioctl32 ; : ; }
install snd /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd && { /sbin/modprobe -Qb snd-seq ; }
install snd-pcm /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-pcm && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet snd-pcm-oss ; : ; }
install snd-mixer /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-mixer && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet snd-mixer-oss ; : ; }
install snd-seq /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-seq && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet snd-seq-midi ; /sbin/modprobe --quiet snd-seq-oss ; : ; }
install snd-rawmidi /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-rawmidi && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet snd-seq-midi ; : ; }
# Cause optional modules to be loaded above sound card driver modules
install snd-emu10k1 /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-emu10k1 $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe -Qb snd-emu10k1-synth ; }
install snd-via82xx /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-via82xx $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe -Qb snd-seq ; }

# Load saa7134-alsa instead of saa7134 (which gets dragged in by it anyway)
install saa7134 /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install saa7134 $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe -Qb saa7134-alsa ; : ; }

# Load snd-seq for devices that don't have hardware midi;
# Ubuntu #26283, #43682, #56005; works around Ubuntu #34831 for
# non-Creative Labs PCI hardware
install snd /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd && { /sbin/modprobe -Qb snd-seq ; }
# Prevent abnormal drivers from grabbing index 0
options bt87x index=-2
options cx88_alsa index=-2
options saa7134-alsa index=-2
options snd-atiixp-modem index=-2
options snd-intel8x0m index=-2
options snd-via82xx-modem index=-2
options snd-usb-audio index=-2
options snd-usb-usx2y index=-2
options snd-usb-caiaq index=-2
# Ubuntu #62691, enable MPU for snd-cmipci
options snd-cmipci mpu_port=0x330 fm_port=0x388
# Keep snd-pcsp from beeing loaded as first soundcard
options snd-pcsp index=-2

============================
lsmod

Module Size Used by
ipv6 256916 8
binfmt_misc 8584 1
af_packet 17280 2
bridge 48020 0
stp 2436 1 bridge
bnep 12288 2
sco 9988 2
rfcomm 36112 0
l2cap 22016 6 bnep,rfcomm
bluetooth 53892 6 bnep,sco,rfcomm,l2cap
ppdev 7428 0
speedstep_lib 4484 0
cpufreq_powersave 1792 0
cpufreq_userspace 3224 0
cpufreq_conservative 6176 0
cpufreq_ondemand 6692 0
cpufreq_stats 4380 0
freq_table 4484 2 cpufreq_ondemand,cpufreq_stats
video 16656 0
output 2944 1 video
container 3328 0
sbs 11272 0
sbshc 5248 1 sbs
pci_slot 4488 0
wmi 6440 0
battery 10244 0
iptable_filter 2816 0
ip_tables 11152 1 iptable_filter
x_tables 14852 1 ip_tables
ac 4100 0
snd_emu8000_synth 13060 0
snd_sbawe 30464 1 snd_emu8000_synth
snd_opl3_lib 10496 1 snd_sbawe
snd_sb16_dsp 9856 1 snd_sbawe
snd_sb16_csp 10752 1 snd_sbawe
snd_sb_common 16000 3 snd_sbawe,snd_sb16_dsp,snd_sb16_csp
snd_mpu401_uart 7168 1 snd_sbawe
snd_emu10k1_synth 6144 0
snd_emu10k1 136352 1 snd_emu10k1_synth
snd_emux_synth 32768 2 snd_emu8000_synth,snd_emu10k1_synth
snd_seq_virmidi 5632 1 snd_emux_synth
snd_seq_midi_emul 6400 1 snd_emux_synth
snd_hwdep 7172 4 snd_opl3_lib,snd_sb16_csp,snd_emu10k1,snd_emux_syn th
snd_util_mem 4224 3 snd_emu8000_synth,snd_emu10k1,snd_emux_synth
lp 9444 0
dcdbas 6560 0
snd_ca0106 32032 2
snd_ac97_codec 102180 2 snd_emu10k1,snd_ca0106
snd_pcm_oss 38272 0
snd_mixer_oss 14592 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 73476 7 snd_emu8000_synth,snd_sbawe,snd_sb16_dsp,snd_emu10 k1,snd_ca0106,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy 2692 0
snd_seq_oss 29184 0
snd_seq_midi 6272 0
snd_rawmidi 21248 5 snd_mpu401_uart,snd_emu10k1,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_ca 0106,snd_seq_midi
evdev 9632 6
snd_seq_midi_event 7168 3 snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 47408 9 snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_midi_emul,s nd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi _event
snd_timer 21148 4 snd_opl3_lib,snd_emu10k1,snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 6924 11 snd_emu8000_synth,snd_sbawe,snd_opl3_lib,snd_emu10 k1_synth,snd_emu10k1,snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_dummy, snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd 54692 25 snd_emu8000_synth,snd_sbawe,snd_opl3_lib,snd_sb16_ dsp,snd_sb16_csp,snd_sb_common,snd_mpu401_uart,snd _emu10k1,snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_hwdep, snd_ca0106,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_os s,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_time r,snd_seq_device
parport_pc 31044 1
serio_raw 5380 0
parport 34336 3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc
soundcore 7264 1 snd
ac97_bus 1792 1 snd_ac97_codec
psmouse 36496 0
snd_page_alloc 8072 3 snd_emu10k1,snd_ca0106,snd_pcm
nvidia 6891888 26
i2c_core 23464 1 nvidia
button 6032 0
pcspkr 2560 0
intel_rng 4608 0
intel_agp 25404 1
shpchp 29460 0
agpgart 33484 2 nvidia,intel_agp
pci_hotplug 27320 1 shpchp
iTCO_wdt 10444 0
iTCO_vendor_support 3588 1 iTCO_wdt
ext3 123528 1
jbd 44948 1 ext3
mbcache 7704 1 ext3
sr_mod 14020 0
cdrom 34848 1 sr_mod
sd_mod 34092 3
crc_t10dif 1920 1 sd_mod
sg 31200 0
ata_piix 16516 2
pata_acpi 4096 0
ata_generic 4740 0
libata 167776 3 ata_piix,pata_acpi,ata_generic
uhci_hcd 22160 0
3c59x 40360 0
mii 5248 1 3c59x
scsi_mod 145676 4 sr_mod,sd_mod,sg,libata
usbcore 139408 2 uhci_hcd
dock 8484 1 libata
thermal 15516 0
processor 29104 1 thermal
fan 4356 0
fbcon 39456 0
tileblit 2688 1 fbcon
font 8320 1 fbcon
bitblit 5760 1 fbcon
softcursor 1920 1 bitblit
uvesafb 26596 0
fuse 51612 3

ticket
February 6th, 2009, 07:31 PM
Is there a clue in the message:

Synth devices: NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG


How does one enable it?

ticket
February 7th, 2009, 01:38 AM
Same problem exists when using kernel 2.6.27-11-generic

ticket
February 7th, 2009, 06:19 PM
Seems this might be a bug or config issue in the sound modules / drivers.
The sound card was bought very recently - but is nothing special:

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 OEM PCI Soundcard
Signal Processor Creative Audigy SE
Interface Type PCI
Features EAX ADVANCED HD,
SoundFont Bank technology,
Creative Multi Speaker Surround (CMSS) - 3D

Should work out of the box - and it does, except for loading soundfonts.

Still talking to myself on this forum, it seems ...

ticket
February 14th, 2009, 09:32 PM
Bumping to show solution (see edited first post)
.:P