Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Garrison120 · Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

I've been trying to get the audio driver to work on my computer since installing Puppy a couple of days ago. I've tried installing different soundblaster drivers(and learned a lot of new stuff), and found that ALSA did actually support my SB Audigy with the emu10k1 option in the first place by listening to headphones out of the audio jack.

What I'm wondering is since my actual speakers use a digital signal, is there any way I can change my current sound mode from analog to digital to get them working?

Garrison120 · Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

I did not mention previously that I'm using puppy version 1.0.8. If there more you need to know please ask.

Sage · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 4638 Location: GB

Sound and its perception is, of course, analogue; like all waves, intensity follows a square law. Speakers are analogue devices; loudness follows a log law. Digital reproduction of sound is limited by the chosen bit resolution. DAC/ADC conversion is beset with loss. Sadly, sound generated by a PC is digital, so it makes sense to convert it to analogue ASAP. The downside is that signal processing, including cleaning up waveforms is easier in digital, but not better. 'Colour' is associated with the infinite array of harmonics occurring in the analogue signal; perception of 'quality' is highly subjective. At one time it was old valve amplifiers provided higher hi-fi than solid state amplifiers until it was realised that their frequency response was severely restricted and some listeners were disturbed by some higher frequency colouration.
Like digital TV, digital sound is best avoided except for those in the music/sound business. Digital TV? Yes, it's a lot worse than analogue, but bandwidth reduces the number of channels that can be squeezed into the UHF spectrum chosen for broadcast. Anyway, politicians want to sell the present UHF frequencies to meet their promise of no tax increase. You get what you pay for!

Garrison120 · Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

Thank you for the info Sage I found it very interesting! I'm not really sure that answers my question, unless I misunderstood. While digital may not be the preferred output they are the only speakers I have aside from teh crappy headphones I hooked up the test the sound card. I have Boston Acoustics BA735 Computer Speakers, no analog on them, I was curoius if there was a setting/driver for puppy that I could change the signal output on my audigy so I could get digital sound as I did in Windows before switching?

Flash · Posted: Thu 06 Apr 2006, 17:13 Post subject:

How do the speakers get their digital signal from the computer? USB? Serial port? What? Smile

Garrison120 · Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

I connect using a 1/8" mono jack but I think that I will just buy some new speakers, it's been a while, and it's about time, sorry for the inconvenience of this post.

Sage · Joined: 04 Oct 2005 Posts: 4638 Location: GB

The question I forgot to ask was what size room you work in? If you have a small office you can hide away in, then you are in luck. Install an old PCI (ISA?!!) sound card (the earliest 128 Creative basic was best), pick a pair of discarded 18"x12" or w.h.y. hi-fi speaker cabinets out of your local skip/dumpster, amenity dump, etc., tart them up with extra wadding, reinforce them with internal battens and seal them up (assuming they are infinite baffles) with modern silicone selants and wood glues. Then connect directly to the sound card. Most of those old sound cards had at least an half-watt output stage, which, log-law pertaining, is more than adequate to overfill said small room. If you live in a stately mansion, use a professional hi-fi amplifier to boost the line out.
The lesson is never to use those nasty little plastic boxes sold by PC stores - they just don't speak the correct language.

Lobster · Posted: Sat 08 Apr 2006, 12:29 Post subject:

I have just bought a USB head set and mic. I am doing a search through the forum now for info but I do not remember this combination coming up? Any advice on getting this setup working?