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[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

The i810 audio, when I try to use it with various programs, is fussy, and 
it won't work with opl3 (midi synthesis)- device not detected.

sox (play):  unable to set the sample size to 8
mpg123:  No supported rate found
timidity:  /dev/dsp doesn't support 8192-byte buffer - then it plays
Adjusted playback sampling rate from 32KHz to 48KHz.
mplayer plays all sounds at 48KHz with this card, but with other cards at 
11KHz, 32KHz, 44KHz, etc.

When inserting i810_audio.o I was told:  only 48KHz playback available.
--------------------------------
Reading from i810_audio.c (source code for the kernel module):
'The chipset provides three DMA channels that talk to an AC97 CODEC (AC97 
is a digital/analog mixer standard).  At its simplest you get 48KHz with 
basic volume and mixer controls.  At the best you get rate adaption in the 
codec.'

There is one line out (rather than the 3 on the PCI card).  'Again these 
are normally locked to 48KHz only.  Right now recording is not finished. 
There is no midi support, no synth support.  Use timidity. ...mpg123 can't 
handle 48KHz only audio so use xmms.'  [I used mplayer instead, which 
converted from 32 to 48KHz].

'Not everyone uses 48KHz.  We know of no way to detect this reliably.... 
If your i810 audio sounds stupid you may need to investigate other 
speeds....'  Then there is something about ftsodell=1 to fix Dell sound. 
(We have two DELLs too).  'If you need to force a specific rate set the
clocking= option.'

Could they be saying that some i810 chips provide for additional sampling 
frequencies?

'This driver is cursed.'

---------------------------

> From es1371.o - the card does not have any FM/Wavetable synthesizer, it is 
supposed to be done in software.  (Use timidity).  Can't insert opl3, no 
such device.  es1370 and sblive have no opl3 synthesis either.  The 1371 
cards work with sox/play, with mpg123 at 44KHz, with mplayer at 11KHz or 
44KHz, but not with playmidi except maybe with external midi.  The PCI 
SB/CT and ES Audio PCI cards have good reviews (better than the older 
AWE32 and SB16 cards), but the PCI ESSOLO1 does not.

The PCI cards do not require that the program convert sample frequency up 
to 48KHz before playing music and should therefore sound better. My 
partner is happy with the onboard sound and will use mplayer and timidity 
only.

Sindi


keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org