Audio problems w/es1371

[nphyre@evernex.com]

This is a copy of a post I made to USENET, and a response I got.


> Neurophyre wrote:
> 
> > Hi, I'm running Debian 2.2r3 with kernel 2.2.19 on an Asus A7v w/Duron
> > 650.  I've got a Creative Ensoniq AudioPCI sound card, on the top of
> > the box it claims "model ES4815".  After a bit of trial and error
> > getting it to work a couple months ago, I found that the es1371 driver
> > works with it, so I have it compiled statically into the kernel, not
> > as a module.
> > 
> > My problem is that the driver seems to have weird issues with queueing
> > sounds when other sounds are playing, and with freezing for a
> > noticeable period of time after certain sounds are played, when trying
> > to play sounds from other programs.
> > 
> > First, the freezing problem.  This primarly happens with the console
> > beep in KDE2's 'konsole' program.  I can make the beep in konsole as
> > many times as I like with no problems, but after a beep has been
> > played in konsole, the sound driver goes into a weird state for around
> > 30 seconds or more, where if any other program is loaded that tries to
> > play sounds (xmms, snes9x, rocknes, and so forth) there will either be
> > an error (rocknes says "Cannot find sound card"), or more commonly,
> > the program will simply freeze hard for 30 seconds or so, and then
> > start executing normally as soon as the driver decides it wants to
> > work again.
> >  
> > Secondly, the queueing problem.  A good example of this is xmms +
> > gaim.  When I'm playing mp3s in xmms, if events happen in gaim that
> > would normally cause a sound effect, I hear nothing... until the
> > current mp3 is done playing.  Then, all the sound effects seem to be
> > played at once, that were made by gaim during the time the mp3 was
> > playing!  This is, obviously, sub-optimal behavior.  Interestingly, if
> > a console beep was made during mp3 play, it will often be played and
> > then the driver will freeze just like it does in the above
> > description, for some period of time, before it 'unfreezes' and xmms
> > goes to the next file in the playlist.
> >  
> > Any ideas if this is a fixable problem?  It was present in 2.2.18 as
> > well as 2.2.19.
> > 
> 
> Can't help with xmms, but the problem does not lie with the es1371 driver in
> the kernel, whether compiled in or loaded as a module.  I had the same problem
> when I was using the on-board via686a sound chip WRT KDE.  Just wait a few
> seconds and KDE releases the audio device.  BTW, I use a 2.4.4 kernel on one
> machine and a 2.2.19 on another.  Problem exists on both.  Perhaps if you try
> using Gnome???  Not me, I detest Gnome.
> 
> If you question what kind of sound card you have, the best place to 
> determine that is the big chip on the card.  It will be marked with 
> something like ES1373 as on my card.
> 



Gordon Morehouse
nphyre@evernex.com
www.evernex.com