Audio Cuts Out...hmmmmm

Hardware
1

Hi All- New builder here. Just trying to build mine up, part by part to kick it around.

I’ve got the Adafruit PiTFT 2.8 Plus Resistive, working fine now. For audio I’m just using a cheapy C-Media USB dongle sound card. I figure if I like what I’m hearing, I’ll move up.

Anyhow, things are working…but just for maybe 30 seconds after getting a synth running. Sounds great, plays, then just stops dead. the Rpi doesn’t crash, just no audio. I’m using an MPK Mini II as my MIDI source. It’s a Rasberry PI 3.

Any thoughts? :thinking:

2

When I built my first zynthian, I tried first with a unknown USB audio card (one that I know for sure it worked with linux). I had the same problem: the sound stopped after less than a minute.

Never traced the problem, though, because my HiFiBerry arrived a couple of days after and I replaced the USB audio card.

3

I’m not sure, but there is a known issue regarding RBPi’s USB 2.0 controller that could be causing problems with some USB 1.1 devices. For patching this issue, you can force all devices to use the USB 1.1 controller. SImply add this to your “/boot/config.txt”:

dwc_otg.speed=1

Anyway i suspect that MMAP support could be causing the problems with some USB audio devices. FYI, MMAP is a feature used by jackd and the audio driver need to support it for correctly working with jackd. Most of audio applications doesn’t need this feature, so your soundcard could work perfectly while playing or recording audio using ALSA driver, but fail when used with Jack Audio. It’s only and hypothesis … :wink:

Regards,

4

Thanks you guys. I’ll give this a try…and also order the AudioInjector.
It was a cheap little dongle, but maybe it’s time to give up on it.

Thanks again…and thanks for all your hard work with this project…it’s very very cool.

5

Why not a Hifiberry DAC+ ADC?
Just curiosity … :wink:

6

I’m in the US, so I can get the AI in two days for about $21US…looks like the HifiBerry is going to take some time and cost quite a bit more.

Would you say that the HifiBerry’s audio quality is a lot better?

Also, would the basic HifiBerry do the trick? Seems like their mid-level is sold out.

Thanks!!!

7

Are you going to take the zero? I wouldn’t take Stereo (form factor) or Ultra (not fully supported yet)
Zero is not as good as HifiBerry, but is good enough.

8

Seems like I didn’t look around enough! How do you feel about this version?

NOHSSnR.png1241×676 401 KB

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9

Yes that’s okay. But personally I would take the best you can get from hifiberry. In the end it’s the most important part.

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