Using two soundcards at the same time?

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The typical example of a 10ch-out interface is the legacy Envy24HT used in many PCI soundcards. Look at the datasheet http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/datasheets/Envy24HT.pdf

The chip offers 5 x I2S output. The last stereo pair (9 + 10) is also routed to the internal SPDIF transmitter, providing SPDIF output for most cards using this chip, but the actual I2S output is still available on pin 106 SPDOUT.

E.g. Revolution 7.1 M-Audio Revolution 7.1 PCI Sound Card 612391991203 | eBay has 8 DACs and the SPDIF output, SPDOUT is unused.

In linux it is simple to merge the 8-channel surround device 3 with the 2-channel IEC958 (SPDIF) device 2

Code:
aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Revolution71 [M Audio Revolution-7.1], device 0: ICE1724 [ICE1724]
Subdevices: 0/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Revolution71 [M Audio Revolution-7.1], device 1: ICE1724 IEC958
[ICE1724 IEC958]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Revolution71 [M Audio Revolution-7.1], device 2: ICE1724 Surrounds
[ICE1724 Surround PCM]
Subdevices: 3/3
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2

Just hook another stereo DAC to SPDOUT and you have a decent legacy 192/24/10ch with 100% support in latest linux :)
 
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But his project is still work in progress, right? Also with 8 channels I would need two boards and that would bring up the sync problem again, wouldn't it?
phofman: Thx for the suggestion, but I only have PCIE. Also those cards don't seem to be available any more?

But using a 7.1 card + SPDOUT + DAC is an idea I will keep in mind :)
 
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@ phofman: Thx for the suggestion, but I only have PCIE.

Or getting a PC with PCI (I like using this one Headless Amplifier Measurement Workstation but it would not take your DSP load) , or a PCIe-PCI adapter (there are adapters using same conversion chip as e.g. ESI Juli PCIexpress).


Also those cards don't seem to be available any more?

I gave a link to ebay, readily available everywhere. No reason to buy a new soundcard, it does not rotten.

I am not saying you should go this route. Just showing there are ways, and some of them very inexpensive.
 
I am not saying you should go this route. Just showing there are ways, and some of them very inexpensive.
Yeah up to this point it does seem like the most inexpensive way to get a 16 ch. output. And modifying that clock doesn't look like that much of an effort.


If Charlie doesn't tell me a better solution, then I will go that way :)



Thx a lot :)
 
From Banana UG:


Output A1, A2 and A3 are not exactly synchronized. On Voicemeeter every i/o are independent and we can hear more or less delay between them, especially when using 3 audio outputs: if A1,A2 and/or A2 are routed to 2 or 3 audio devices, the sound might be not exactly synchronized (one speaker output can be late and produce a small echo with other speaker output). This is normal (according technical constraint) but can be corrected by compensate one audio output with a delay line (see System Settings Dialog Box).


A quick follow up question: Does this problem also occur, when the sound cards have the same clock (physically connected)?


Charlie wrote back and suggested a USB Device + ecasound+LADSPA. But the sample rate has to be manually adjusted (if it is known and fixed it is not a problem), but for me it seems like a sub optimal solution.
 
A quick follow up question: Does this problem also occur, when the sound cards have the same clock (physically connected)?

...

Hard to say without seeing the source code but, I quess, there can be little delay between those devices because of quite often you do things in series ... or you have different type audio interfaces (USB, FW, PCI, PCIe) attached to these ... but that shouldn't be an issue because of you be able to adjust the delays through Banana options.
 
Funny to find this thread are. I have a similar predicament. I want high-end DAC performance but with more than 2 channels. Most multi-channel DACs use 'meh' chips.

I tested the Voicemeter Banana option with an ASUS Xonar DX running the satellites and using a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for the subwoofers. In my quick test it worked ok. My main caveat was that the volume keys only change the main soundcard volume by default.

Solution is to use the MacroButtons feature of Voicemeter.

I've ordered a Topping D10 DAC which looks very promising for the money. Sadly for OP it's only stereo.
 
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I found this theme interesting so I dig a little in web.
ALSA_OUT seems to be a good solution and I gave it try.
I tested it on my second desktop. Not my main DAW.

In KXStudio its only one or two simple lines to add it to the jack configuration.
Code:
"alsa_out -j NVIDIA1 -d hw:2,7 -r 44100 -c 2"
"alsa_out -j NVIDIA2 -d hw:2,3 -r 44100 -c 2"

My aplay -l looks like this:
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 0: ALC898 Analog [ALC898 Analog]
  Sub-Geräte: 0/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 1: ALC898 Digital [ALC898 Digital]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 1: Loopback [Loopback], Gerät 0: Loopback PCM [Loopback PCM]
  Sub-Geräte: 8/8
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
  Sub-Gerät #1: subdevice #1
  Sub-Gerät #2: subdevice #2
  Sub-Gerät #3: subdevice #3
  Sub-Gerät #4: subdevice #4
  Sub-Gerät #5: subdevice #5
  Sub-Gerät #6: subdevice #6
  Sub-Gerät #7: subdevice #7
Karte 1: Loopback [Loopback], Gerät 1: Loopback PCM [Loopback PCM]
  Sub-Geräte: 8/8                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  Sub-Gerät #1: subdevice #1                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  Sub-Gerät #2: subdevice #2                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  Sub-Gerät #3: subdevice #3                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  Sub-Gerät #4: subdevice #4                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  Sub-Gerät #5: subdevice #5                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  Sub-Gerät #6: subdevice #6                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
  Sub-Gerät #7: subdevice #7                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Karte 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], Gerät 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]                                                                                                                                                                                       
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Karte 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], Gerät 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]                                                                                                                                                                                       
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Karte 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], Gerät 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]                                                                                                                                                                                       
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Karte 2: NVidia [HDA NVidia], Gerät 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]                                                                                                                                                                                       
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
I have the following hardware interfaces
Intel Analog
Intel Digital (ALC898)
Intel HDMI with 3 subdevices
NVIDIA HDMI with 4 subdevices

I tried out in parallel
Intel Analog conected to a headphone (Hardware Playback in Cadence)
NVIDIA1 connected to a Monitor
NVIDIA2 connected to a UHD television

All in parallel are giving sound at the same time.

The sound is not 100% syncing.
Thats clear because each connection has its own DAC
Intel Analog by the inernal soundcard
NVIDIA1 by the DAC of the monitor
NVIDIA2 by the DAC of the UHD television.

Enclosed the connections shown in CLAUDIA.

So in KXStudio it is not a problem to connenct to all souddevices of your hardware together.

This is also with X-over and other plugins.

Work has to be done is to sync the sound to all devices.
But this also should be possible with the right LVS or LADASP plugin.

Regards
Guenter
 

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