Success with Creative SB Live! 24 Ext

[Peter B]

I bought a external usb audiocard and it works with freebsd5.2/i386.
Creative technology "Soundblaster Live! 24-bit External". Labeled
"Creative Labs Model no. SB0490" on the underside.

Back:  3,5 mm-C/Sub  3,5 mm-Rear  3,5 mm-Front  3,5 mm-Line_in 
        Chinch-Spdif out  9pin din-DIN  USB
Front:  TOSLink-Optical out  3,5 mm-Mic in  3,5 mm-Phones  potentiometer-Mic
        potentiometer-Master with click mute  button-CMSS  led-CMSS  led-Power

(I wonder what's the 9pin din pinout is.. it seems to contain 6 channels of
surround somehow)

The setup is:
  Laptop (Celeron 1133MHz, 120MB ram, 2xUSB1) uname -a:

  FreeBSD localhost 5.2-RELEASE FreeBSD 5.2-RELEASE #0: Sun Jan 11 04:21:45 GMT 2004     root at wv1u.btc.adaptec.com:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC  i386

>From bootlog:
  uhci0: <Intel 82801CA/CAM (ICH3) USB controller USB-A> port 0xbca0-0xbcbf irq 11 at device 29.0 on pci0
  usb0: <Intel 82801CA/CAM (ICH3) USB controller USB-A> on uhci0
  usb0: USB revision 1.0
  uhub0: Intel UHCI root hub, class 9/0, rev 1.00/1.00, addr 1
  uhub0: 2 ports with 2 removable, self powered

usbdevs -v:
  Controller /dev/usb0:
  addr 1: full speed, self powered, config 1, UHCI root hub(0x0000), Intel(0x0000), rev 1.00
   port 1 addr 3: full speed, power 308 mA, config 1, SB Live! 24-bit External(0x3040), Creative Technology(0x041e), rev 1.00
   port 2 addr 2: full speed, self powered, config 1, deskjet 5550(0x6004), hp(0x03f0), rev 1.00
  Controller /dev/usb1:
  addr 1: full speed, self powered, config 1, UHCI root hub(0x0000), Intel(0x0000), rev 1.00
   port 1 powered
   port 2 powered

By unplugging the unit, executing "kldload snd_uaudio", plugging it back.
syslog shows:
  uaudio0: audio rev 1.00
  pcm1: <USB Audio> on uaudio0

And the blue powerlight turns on. If not it might be that you haven't loaded
the snd_uaudio kernel module.

Also /dev/dsp1.0 + /dev/dspW1.0 + /dev/mixer1 shows up in devfs.

Playing works with:
  mplayer -ao oss:/dev/dsp1.0 <input file>
  mpg123 -a /dev/dsp1.0 <input file>

  (movie play also work without problems)

  One catch seems to be that output buffer is not cleared when jumping in a
  soundfile. So you jump and then hear the old sound for a split second before
  the new position is played.

Recording from /dev/dsp1.0 or /dev/dspW1.0 won't work and produce the message
"Device busy". Despite inputs on the card.
Also mixer device show up with:
  ~ >mixer -f /dev/mixer1
  Mixer pcm      is currently set to  75:75

  Altering the value makes no difference at all. It might be that I
  used the TOSLink output.. ;)

Unplugging the unit causes no problem either.
Maybe someone knows how to get dolby digital/dts output?
(even WinXP + Windows media player + DVD refused to give me that)

Things that could be improved:
  Jumping should have output buffer cleared (maybe fault of application?).
  Recording should work.
  Displaying of detected usb-audio unit with snd_uaudio.ko loaded.
  Turning of TOSLink output when no audio is sent.
  Infrared support could be added.