So,
what i is the exact audiopath in an actual linux (say, kernel 2.6.30 or above) using alsa with that simple scenario:
musicfile.flac-> mpd -> alsa -> soundhardware
the musicfile is 16/44.1 and mpd converts into 24/96, what the dac likes best.
Where and how is the stream touched, altered, resampled, whatever...?
What I guess/hope is, that I speak directly with alsa (device hw:0,0 in mpd.conf), but what is in between?
Rüdiger
what i is the exact audiopath in an actual linux (say, kernel 2.6.30 or above) using alsa with that simple scenario:
musicfile.flac-> mpd -> alsa -> soundhardware
the musicfile is 16/44.1 and mpd converts into 24/96, what the dac likes best.
Where and how is the stream touched, altered, resampled, whatever...?
What I guess/hope is, that I speak directly with alsa (device hw:0,0 in mpd.conf), but what is in between?
Rüdiger
First, Linux is just a kernel. There are many ways that we can play music using the Linux kernel and its associated GNU tools. I'm not being pedantic; too many people have different ideas of what computer audio in "Linux" really is, e.g., Ubuntu Linux using Pulseaudio is "Linux" playback.
So, the "exact audio path" using the Linux kernel can be as pristine or as complicated and convoluted as one wants it to be. You can torture yourself with Pulseaudio just to play back 2 channels of music, or you can do things more simply and cleanly and get unmolested audio to your DAC. (Audiophile creatures being what they, are mostly *not* satisfied with a simple solution; they must flagellate themselves until their psyche is satisfied that they have suffered enough to enjoy music for a while --until the next "problem" needs to be tackled.)
If you use the ALSA output with hw:0;0 in mpd, thus bypassing dmix, mpd will not re-sample a 16/44.1 file to 24/96 and send to a 24 bit DAC.
Yes, using hw:X,Y in mpd.conf is the most pristine way to send audio to your sound hardware. That is, if you're using mpd as your music server.
Nick
Ok, but what is the purpose of a command (in mpd.conf) as:
format "3840000:32:2" # optional
(you seem to be right: my card is only 24/96, taken serious, this format should not work, but mpd plays with that...)
Rüdiger
EDIT: this is the context:
audio_output {
type "alsa"
name "Musik Server (ALSA, RME)"
device "hw:0,0" # optional
...
format "3840000:32:2" # optional
(you seem to be right: my card is only 24/96, taken serious, this format should not work, but mpd plays with that...)
Rüdiger
EDIT: this is the context:
audio_output {
type "alsa"
name "Musik Server (ALSA, RME)"
device "hw:0,0" # optional
...
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From man mpd.conf:
audio_output_format <sample_rate:bits:channels>
This specifies the sample rate, bits per sample, and number of channels of audio that is sent to each audio
output. Note that audio outputs may specify their own audio format which will be used for actual output to
the audio device. An example is "44100:16:2" for 44100Hz, 16 bits, and 2 channels. The default is to use
the audio format of the input file.
And...
samplerate_converter <integer or prefix>
This specifies the libsamplerate converter to use. The supplied value should either be an integer or a pre‐
fix of the name of a converter. The default is "Fastest Sinc Interpolator".
Don't specify the format. The default is to use the audio format of the input file, i.e., 16/44.1 and 24/96 will get passed on to your 24bit DAC unmolested.
If you want the simplest yet well done player I would say alsaplayer (which is the one that I use).
If you want media library management utilities I would use MPD+GMPC.
If you need cuesheet support the only alternative is Amarok.
Be aware that none of the Linux player well supports cover tags except Movie Player and XBMC
Pietro
If you want media library management utilities I would use MPD+GMPC.
If you need cuesheet support the only alternative is Amarok.
Be aware that none of the Linux player well supports cover tags except Movie Player and XBMC
Pietro
I just installed Linux Mint on a Centrino III 1.7Ghz with 1 G of memory on laptop, I find the the system to be slower compared to Window 7 Pro on the same system, I thought Linux is a more efficient OS, it should run faster than Win 7.
Can you guys suggest to me a min hardware requirements to run a Linux OS at reasonable speed?
Can you guys suggest to me a min hardware requirements to run a Linux OS at reasonable speed?
Linux graphical layers are way more complicated than those of windows where some of the GUI infrastructure is directly part of kernel. Therefore, modern (i.e. relatively demanding) GUI in linux is slower than comparably featured GUI in windows. It is hardly noticeable on modern blazing fast machines, but clearly discernable on older hardware (if you are lucky to get all drivers for the latest windows
).For older HW I would recommend streamlined GUI, such as LXDE. Of course it cannot visually compete with win7, but does its job pretty well. Although it would take some work to get all the notebook stuff sorted out (battery indicators, simple wifi/BT status indicators, performance switching from GUI etc.)
Plus you did not specify your graphics card. Driver quality for some SiS or VIAs in linux is incomparable to windows.
Linux graphical layers are way more complicated than those of windows where some of the GUI infrastructure is directly part of kernel. Therefore, modern (i.e. relatively demanding) GUI in linux is slower than comparably featured GUI in windows. It is hardly noticeable on modern blazing fast machines, but clearly discernable on older hardware (if you are lucky to get all drivers for the latest windows
For older HW I would recommend streamlined GUI, such as LXDE. Of course it cannot visually compete with win7, but does its job pretty well. Although it would take some work to get all the notebook stuff sorted out (battery indicators, simple wifi/BT status indicators, performance switching from GUI etc.)
Plus you did not specify your graphics card. Driver quality for some SiS or VIAs in linux is incomparable to windows.
Thanks for your reply, my knowledge of Linux is limited.
My graphics card is
32MB ATI Mobility RADEON 7500 from my Thinkpad T41 laptop. Looks like Mint does not have a built-in driver, my questions:
1. Is there a Linux driver for 7500 card?
2. what is LXDE? how do I streamlined GUI
Back to basics.
"Linux" is not an operating system. It's a kernel. This is not academic; it has real world implications.
A perfect example would be Debian. Most people think Debian is Linux, and they would be dead wrong. Debian is an operating system that can run many different kernels, Hurd and FreeBSD to name a few. But it's also a collection of GNU tools, an installation script, etc. etc.
Now, I'm not familiar with Linux Mint, but reading the Wikipedia page I find this: "Linux Mint focuses on usability... ...Linux Mint comes installed with a wide range of software that includes OpenOffice.org, Firefox, Thunderbird, XChat, Pidgin, Transmission and GIMP..."
It sounds like Linux Mint, being based on Ubuntu, which is based on Debian, might have a lot of cruft running for the sake of usability. In my humble opinion, not the best choice for playing audiophile music. Wrong tool for the job.
I would use something much more streamlined, like a very basic install of Debian with no X, or my personal favorite, Voyage MPD installed on a PC engines Alix board if you're using a USB DAC.
Looks like you have no experience with using Linux Mint as an audiophile player, now you are advising me. Mint was recommended to me by someone(more than one) who has "hands on" experience with this version of Linux as a music player.
Linux Mint is a general purpose desktop linux distribution. It plays audio fine but cannot be taken as a fine-tuned audio distribution. Do you know how to disable pulseaudio properly in mint? That is the prime issue of all user-friendly distributions with regard to audiophile playback. Unless you use a bare-bone solution as suggested by nyc_paramedic where you basically build your system from the grounds up.
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You'd be surprised: nyc_paramedic got some linux experience.
Though he seems to be locked up in his alix bored solution and his mpd-voyage linux - which is a pretty special solution.
Trying to lecture people about "Linux is a kernel" is nonsense, though he is right.
Linux is a more than common way to call the different distributions based on a Linux kernel Linuxes. (Linux Mint/ Voyage Linux/ Debian Gnu/Linux asf. asf.)
Many people ( the software fraction) over here will tell you whatever you choose as a player or OS it'll sound the same. Those people are wrong.
In fact there are differences. I just proved it again on a Squeezebox
Touch.
There are now applications under OSX another Unix which make hell
a lot of money by applying what I started to bring up over here more then 4 years ago. Not to forget that even Windows caught up on that side. Just to mention J.River under W7.
Linux really suffers a lot of wasted powers and ignorance.
Even those audio distributions are not much more than another collection
of tools.
However I'm running also Linux Mint (with pulseaudio removed and a low latency kernel) . I use VLC as player. Those guys have been forced to do something about performance, because their main focus is video.
I'm running the IMO best performing audiotool ecasound (commandline) and put all audio files into RAM prior to playback. But that's nothing for a beginner.
Don't forget: You choose your HW being "Linux compliant" before you buy it. Doing it the other way around will usually end up with frustration.
You'll 100% end up going back to Windows.
For serious audio playback I switched to a Squeezebox Touch as a Linux based Transport. Since then I'm enjoying music and things that's being done right to control my music -- my iPad/iPeng.
Good luck.
ttan98,
ATI dropped linux driver support for older chips, and yours falls into this category. See this section: Linux driver - proprietary . The best you can get is the open source 'radeon' driver. This is probably contributing some to the sense of sluggishness. Disabling 'Desktop Effects' if they are enabled might help.
ATI dropped linux driver support for older chips, and yours falls into this category. See this section: Linux driver - proprietary . The best you can get is the open source 'radeon' driver. This is probably contributing some to the sense of sluggishness. Disabling 'Desktop Effects' if they are enabled might help.
You advice me is very different from others and I may have my doubts about your expertise in this area, I do apologise.
Implementing a simple music server on Linux is not so difficult to fine tune in order to get the best out of is rather difficult, e.g I cannot even install the mpd s/w and besides I have not tried to remove the pulse audio s/w yet. I don't pretend to have a lot of knowledge about Linux. Maybe I should leave it alone.
I am also investigating of using other OSs like Win7 and OSX, maybe I should use either one.
Please be specific. What do the others suggest? Based on what criteria do you assess their level of expertise?
What "best out of" do you mean specifically?
?? It can be as trivial as typing
aptitude install mpd
Therefore you have been advised to use a barebone distribution where you build your own system from the ground up and do not have to dwelve into disabling something which is very tightly wired into the distribution.
Then how do you know what nyc_paramedic suggests is wrong?
IMO that looks like a reasonable idea, honestly.
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