Multiple Soundcards Under Linux? 11
Magnus Huckvale asks:
"We'd like to kit our new flat out with a MP3/Linux stereo system, with a set of stereo speakers in each room. Does anyone have any experience with fitting more than one soundcard to a Linux box? Is it possible to synchronise MP3 players outputting to different cards? What other capabilities can we build in given the hardware? What (cheap) soundcard would do? PCI or ISA?" While this is an interesting question, I think it would be easier to wire both sets of speakers to one soundcard rather than fiddling with two (and the headache involved in getting both to work properly). What do you all think?
Re:more than two /dev/dsp's (impossible?) (Score:1)
(I would figure out what the script command line is, but....well, I'm stuck behind a badly braindammaged windowing system, e.g. Microsoft Windows.)
Re:Two ways. (Score:1)
Re:Multiple soundcard solutions (Score:1)
whore# mpg123 -s crack.mp3 | tee
Re:The reason for using more than one card was... (Score:1)
multiple sound cards (Score:1)
The main reason I see to have multiple sound cards (with each sound card driving speakers in a different room) is to be able to play different MP3s in different rooms. This use, however, doesn't require the sound output streams to be synchronized in any way. If you just want to have multiple speakers playing the same stuff, a single sound card with a splitter/amplifier and multiple speakers should do the trick.
it's possible. here's some tips and command lines. (Score:1)
The application I set up was using multiple Real encoders taking input from two soundcards and outputting it to 6 Real streams (2 sources @ 3 bandwidths each)
Some software is hardcoded to use
The solution? A sickening hack...but it worked
For example:
ln -s
ln -s
ln -s
mp3play mp3file_for_soundcard1.mp3
ln -s
ln -s
ln -s
mp3play mp3file_for_soundcard2.mp3
Yeah, yeah..I know it's horrible, but if you haven't got the source for the application, and it doesn't allow you to specify different devices on the command line, this should work.
And as ppl have correctly pointed out, make sure you don't have any resource conflicts:
cat
cat
Check that all soundcards have been detected using:
cat
You should see entries for each of the soundcards.
Hope this helps.
Coma
more than two /dev/dsp's (impossible?) (Score:1)
Do I have to switch to Commercial OSS or ALSA or something else?
Re:more than two /dev/dsp's (impossible?) (Score:1)
Two ways. (Score:2)
However, I recommend using an external audio switch (if you want more than one to be on simultaneously, I'd recommend an active one). If you build it yourself (easy) you can use, say, a parallel port to switch which ones will be on or off.
If you want to try either of these, I can help you. Email me and I'll elaborate.
Multiple soundcard solutions (Score:1)
Just make sure your irq's and io ports are not conflicting with each other (dma also), or anything else in the system for that matter.
It's pretty flexible.