[Solved] Need a hand with alsa configuration

Question

Configuring ALSA has always been a little over my head, but I try never-the-less. It would seem I've yet to get it quite right, and I could use a bit of help.
Objectives:
- For things to "just work"
Current Issues:
- No sound from Flash
- Can't open alsamixer "cannot open mixer: Invalid argument"
Current Non-Issues:
- I have sound in other things I use (KDE, Pidgin, Clementine, MPlayer, VLC, Xine...)
- Mixing seems to be working fine (for example: I can play something with Clementine and VLC at the same time, even if one is stereo and the other is surround)
- "both" seems to be functioning as intended (things are output through my computer speakers and stereo at the same time)
My asound.conf
pcm.!default plug:both
pcm.!surround51 plug:both
pcm.!surround40 plug:both
defaults.pcm.rate_converter "samplerate_best"
pcm.intel {
type dmix
ipc_key 456479
ipc_key_add_uid true
slave {
pcm "hw:0,0"
period_time 0
buffer_size 65536
buffer_time 0
periods 128
rate 48000
channels 6
bindings {
0 0
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
pcm.nvidia {
type dmix
ipc_key 78632
ipc_key_add_uid true
slave {
pcm "hw:2,7"
period_time 0
buffer_size 65536
buffer_time 0
periods 128
rate 48000
channels 6
bindings {
0 0
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
pcm.both {
type route;
slave.pcm {
type multi;
slaves.a.pcm "intel";
slaves.b.pcm "nvidia";
slaves.a.channels 6;
slaves.b.channels 6;
bindings.0.slave a;
bindings.0.channel 0;
bindings.1.slave a;
bindings.1.channel 1;
bindings.2.slave a;
bindings.2.channel 2;
bindings.3.slave a;
bindings.3.channel 3;
bindings.4.slave a;
bindings.4.channel 4;
bindings.5.slave a;
bindings.5.channel 5;
bindings.6.slave b;
bindings.6.channel 0;
bindings.7.slave b;
bindings.7.channel 1;
bindings.8.slave b;
bindings.8.channel 2;
bindings.9.slave b;
bindings.9.channel 3;
bindings.10.slave b;
bindings.10.channel 4;
bindings.11.slave b;
bindings.11.channel 5;
ttable.0.0 1;
ttable.1.1 1;
ttable.2.2 1;
ttable.3.3 1;
ttable.4.4 1;
ttable.5.5 1;
ttable.0.6 1;
ttable.1.7 1;
ttable.2.8 1;
ttable.3.9 1;
ttable.4.10 1;
ttable.5.11 1;
ctl.both {
type hw;
card 2;
device 7;
ctl.!default {
type hw;
card 2;
device 7;
ctl.nvidia {
type hw;
card 2;
device 7;
ctl.intel {
type hw;
card 0;
device 0;
For posterity, my revised asound.conf
pcm.!default plug:both
pcm.!surround51 plug:both
pcm.!surround40 plug:both
pcm.!dmix plug:both
defaults.pcm.rate_converter "samplerate_best"
pcm.intel {
type dmix
ipc_key 456479
ipc_key_add_uid true
slave {
pcm "hw:0,0"
buffer_size 5440
period_size 1088
rate 48000
channels 6
bindings {
0 0
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
pcm.nvidia {
type dmix
ipc_key 78632
ipc_key_add_uid true
slave {
pcm "hw:2,7"
buffer_size 5440
period_size 1088
rate 48000
channels 6
bindings {
0 0
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
pcm.both {
type route;
slave.pcm {
type multi;
slaves.a.pcm "intel";
slaves.b.pcm "nvidia";
slaves.a.channels 6;
slaves.b.channels 6;
bindings.0.slave a;
bindings.0.channel 0;
bindings.1.slave a;
bindings.1.channel 1;
bindings.2.slave a;
bindings.2.channel 2;
bindings.3.slave a;
bindings.3.channel 3;
bindings.4.slave a;
bindings.4.channel 4;
bindings.5.slave a;
bindings.5.channel 5;
bindings.6.slave b;
bindings.6.channel 0;
bindings.7.slave b;
bindings.7.channel 1;
bindings.8.slave b;
bindings.8.channel 2;
bindings.9.slave b;
bindings.9.channel 3;
bindings.10.slave b;
bindings.10.channel 4;
bindings.11.slave b;
bindings.11.channel 5;
ttable.0.0 1;
ttable.1.1 1;
ttable.2.2 1;
ttable.3.3 1;
ttable.4.4 1;
ttable.5.5 1;
ttable.0.6 1;
ttable.1.7 1;
ttable.2.8 1;
ttable.3.9 1;
ttable.4.10 1;
ttable.5.11 1;
#ctl.both {
# type hw;
# card 2;
# device 7;
#ctl.!default {
# type hw;
# card 2;
# device 7;
ctl.nvidia {
type hw;
card 2;
device 7;
ctl.intel {
type hw;
card 0;
device 0;
Last edited by dwidmann (2011-11-03 15:18:46)

Answer 1

rwd wrote:What happens with no asound.conf? I have never needed an asound.conf for alsamixer /alsa to work. Have you tried the steps in 'https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ad … chitecture' ?
Well, without an asoundrc or asound.conf, you can't duplicate output to multiple cards, nor can you have dmix with both stereo and surround sources at the same time. I looked at that page, but the page that ended up being the most helpful to me was this one, I think.
brebs wrote:
My system uses:
period_size: 1088
buffer_size: 5440
Your period_size is small - I'd try setting period_size and buffer_size to exactly mine, and getting rid of the other period/buffer lines in your config.
Thanks, this worked!! The sound-in-flash issue is no more.
I still can't open alsamixer though.
Last edited by dwidmann (2011-11-03 13:43:47)