How to use my RME Fireface for Linux Mint System sounds

Hi,

another question (as posted in the previous thread: I’m an Ardour and Linux beginner):

Now that i got my RME Fireface 800 working with Ardour (using Jack --> FFADO) i wonder, how i can get the Fireface working for normal Linux System Sound (e.g. if i playback a youtube Video etc.).

When i open the Linux Mint Panel for Sound in the Device Tab i get only two devices listed:

“GF119 HDMI Audio Controller” and “Internal Audio”

I know that this is not a common question for this forum, but i hope anybody can help me anyway.

Best regards
Daniel

What does aplay -l give you? The device would need to show up there in order for normal system sound to work. Also, you may find this link of use:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Advanced_Linux_Sound_Architecture#Set_the_default_sound_card

I just thought of something. Duh! My bad. Unless ALSA has built in support for the RME Fireface 800, you will not be able to use it for normal system sounds operations. Unless you always use jack fulltime, which has both advantages and disadvantages. If ALSA supports it, it should be no problem.

I just found this. Looks like RME offers an ALSA driver here:
http://www.rme-audio.de/en/downloads/driver/linux.php

RME does not offer an ALSA driver, they merely refer to its existence.

If a firewire device can only be supported via FFADO, then using it for system sounds requires (1) using PulseAudio for system sounds (2) bridging/connecting PulseAudio to JACK.

Most of the devices supported by FFADO have seen that support migrate into ALSA over the last couple of years. If that is true for the FF800, then you just be able to use it like any other ALSA-supported audio interface. Even if the FF800 support has been migrated into ALSA, the presence of this support is highly dependent on your system (kernel) version and other configuration options chosen by your Linux distribution.

Hi Paul,

is there an explanation (maybe in this Forum) how to configure Pulse Audio/Jack the way you described?
I am absolutely new in Linux and don’t even know what pulseAudio is ;-(

Best regards
Daniel

Configuring your system to get Pulse outputting via JACK is complicated and varies depending on the Linux distribution you are using. I would not recommend it if you are “absolutely new to Linux”. Google will find many documents on the subject, most of which are out of date and/or slightly wrong. There is a very complete document on this referenced from the JACK website, but I cannot in good conscience recommend it to a beginner on Linux.

I think you should just accept for now that the version of Linux you are using does not allow using your FireFace 800 for audio from non-JACK compatible applications.

Maybe others will have different ideas.

basementmedia: I think the best is to ask @ linuxmusicians.com

You could add the KXstudio repositories to get Jack and Pulse running, but it’s better to open a thread there.