[Alsa-user] arecord - no stereo

[A.H.Gilbert <po...@ho...>]

Hi,

I have been converting cassette tape tracks to .wav files using 'arecord'
(so I can transfer them to CD).

I have Alsa-0.5.12a and an sblive emu10k1 card.

I find that the resulting .wav files will only play back through one
speaker, using aplay.

I am sure the connections are ok 'cos I hear both speakers though the
pc while recording.

I normally use eg:  'arecord -c 0 -d 0 -w -m audio_08.wav' but have tried
-d 1 and -S without success.

When I make .wav files from a cd using cdda2wav the files produced will
playback, with aplay, without problem so the problem would appear to be
one of capture.

Please, what am I doing wrong? How can I record stereo from a cassette to
a .wav file?

Some info which may help follows.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In alsamixer I find that this mono recording takes place if I set any of
the columns 'master', 'master mono' or 'line' to capture L-R . Any other
column set to capture fails to produce a playable .wav file.

Using F2 in alsamixer gives the following /proc info:-

/proc/asound/version:
           ====================
           Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 0.5.12a.
           Compiled on Jun 25 2002 for kernel 2.4.10 with versioned
            symbols.
           pages  : 172032 bytes (42 pages)
           kmalloc: 25470 bytes
           vmalloc: 4096 bytes

           /proc/asound/cards:
           ===================
           0 [sblive         ]: EMU10K1 - Sound Blaster Live!
                                Sound Blaster Live! at 0xe800, irq 12


           /proc/asound/devices:
           =====================
             0: [0]   : control
             6: [0- 0]: mixer
             8: [0- 0]: raw midi
            16: [0- 0]: digital audio playback
            24: [0- 0]: digital audio capture
            25: [0- 1]: digital audio capture
            26: [0- 2]: digital audio capture
            33:       : timer

 /proc/asound/oss-devices:                                        #
           =========================
             0: [0- 0]: mixer
             2: [0- 2]: raw midi
             3: [0- 3]: digital audio
             4: [0- 4]: digital audio
             5: [0- 5]: digital audio
             9: [0- 9]: raw midi
            12: [0-12]: digital audio

           /proc/asound/timers:
           ====================
           G0: system timer : 10000.0us (10000000 ticks)

           /proc/asound/pcm:
           =================
           00-00: emu10k1 : EMU10K1 : playback 32 : capture 1
           00-01: emu10k1 mic : EMU10K1 MIC : capture 1
           00-02: emu10k1 efx : EMU10K1 EFX : capture 1

I would welcome an explanation of the numbers which appear in this
description and how this relates to the 'columns' which appear in
alsamixer.

My /etc/asond.conf file is:-

# ALSA driver configuration
# This configuration is generated with the alsactl program.

soundcard("sblive") {
  mixer("SigmaTel STAC9721/23") {
    ; The type is 'bool'.
    switch("AC97 Mono Output Select", false)
    ; The type is 'bool'.
    switch("AC97 Second MIC", false)
    ; The type is 'bool'.
    switch("ADC/DAC Loopback", false)
    element("Rear Switch",0,100,Switch1(on,on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Rear",0,200,Volume1(23,23))
    element("Input Gain Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 15
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 15
    element("Input Gain Volume",0,200,Volume1(11,11))
    element("Master Mono Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
 ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Master Mono Volume",0,200,Volume1(23))
    element("Surround Switch",0,100,Switch1(on,on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Surround Volume",0,200,Volume1(23,23))
    element("Master Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Master Volume",0,200,Volume1(23,23))
    ; The 3D effect has an on/off switch.
    ; Wide : Min 0 Max 3
    element("Effect",0,600,_3D_Effect1(sw=off,wide=0))
    element("Aux Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Aux Volume",0,200,Volume1(23,23))
    element("Video Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Video Volume",0,200,Volume1(23,23))
    element("CD Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("CD Volume",0,200,Volume1(23,23))
    element("Line Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Line Volume",0,200,Volume1(23,23))
    element("MIC Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("MIC Volume",0,200,Volume1(23))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 1
    element("MIC Boost",0,200,Volume1(0))
    element("Phone Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("Phone Volume",0,200,Volume1(23))
    element("PC Speaker Switch",0,101,Switch2(off))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 15
    element("PC Speaker Volume",0,200,Volume1(0))
 element("PCM Switch",0,101,Switch2(on))
    ; Voice 0 : Min 0 Max 31
    ; Voice 1 : Min 0 Max 31
    element("PCM Volume",0,200,Volume1(23,23))
    element("Mono Output MUX",0,401,Mux2(element("Mono-Out
Accumulator",0,301)))
    element("Input
MUX",0,400,Mux1(element("Phone",0,0),element("Phone",0,0)))
  }
  pcm("EMU10K1 EFX") {
    capture {
      ; The type is 'dword'.
      ; The accepted switch range is from 1 to 4294967295.
      switch("EFX voices mask", 0x1001)
    }
  }
}

-- 
Thanks and Best wishes,
Howard. (Dr A.H.Gilbert, Thornaby-on-Tees,Nth Yorkshire.)