USB Soundblaster device doesn't record

[Hans Petter Selasky]

On 07/23/13 00:33, Bill Paul wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>>
>>> It is extremely difficult for me to rebuild the world on the tablet. The
>>> best I can do is try a snapshot, and I can't do that today.
>>
>> You only need the kernel, no world. BTW: Have you checked mixer volume
>> levels and have you set the recording source correctly?
>>
>> --HPS
>>
>>
>
> *facepalm*
>
> Okay, I retract what I said earlier. Apparently all this time I was not
> using the right device to try and set the mic level with mixer(8).
>
> For some reason I got some wires crossed in by head and was trying to do:
>
> % mixer -f /dev/dspX
>
> instead of the correct:
>
> % mixer -f /dev/mixerX
>
> However, in my defense, FreeBSD did something unexpected in that using
> the dsp device did not yield an error. Instead, it does this:
>
> [/tmp]:core{2025}% mixer -f /dev/dsp6
> Mixer pcm      is currently set to  45:45
> Mixer rec      is currently set to  45:45
> [/tmp]:core{2026}%
>
> Doing it the right way yields this:
>
> [/tmp]:core{2026}% mixer -f /dev/mixer6
> Mixer vol      is currently set to 100:100
> Mixer pcm      is currently set to 100:100
> Mixer mic      is currently set to 100:100
> Recording source: mic
> [/tmp]:core{2027}%
>
> I find it odd that the mixer ioctls succeed on the dsp device (with bogus
> results) rather than returning error since they can't possibly work on it,
> but... whatever. That's not a USB problem anyway so nevermind.
>
> Anyway, the mic level defaults to 0; setting it to 100 as shown above allows
> it to record. (I would have expected the mic gain slider in audacity
> to do the same thing, but apparently it doesn't.)
>
> In summary, please disrecard: I can't brain today, I have the dumb.

Hi Bill,

No problem!

--HPS