Bug#1036223: RFP: alsa-scarlett-gui -- alsa-scarlett-gui is a Gtk4 GUI for the ALSA controls presented by the Linux kernel Focusrite Scarlett Gen 2/3 Mixer Driver.

[Thomas Mayer <thomas@residuum.org>]

Package: wnpp
Severity: wishlist

* Package name    : alsa-scarlett-gui
  Version         : 0.2-7-g65c0
  Upstream Contact: Geoffrey D. Bennett <g@b4.vu>
* URL             : https://github.com/geoffreybennett/alsa-scarlett-gui
* License         : GPL
  Programming Lang: C
  Description     : alsa-scarlett-gui is a Gtk4 GUI for the ALSA controls presented by the Linux kernel Focusrite Scarlett Gen 2/3 Mixer Driver.

The Focusrite Scarlett (and Clarett+) interfaces are class compliant USB audio interfaces meaning that they work “out of the box” on Linux as audio and MIDI interfaces (although on Gen 3 you need to disable MSD mode first). However, the Gen 2 6i6+, Gen 3 4i4+, and Clarett+ interfaces have a bunch of proprietary functionality that required a kernel driver to be written specifically for those devices.

Linux kernel support (“ALSA Focusrite Scarlett Gen 2/3 Mixer Driver”) for the proprietary functionality of Gen 2 devices was first added in 5.4, Gen 3 devices in 5.14, and Clarett+ 8Pre is coming in 6.1.

Unfortunately, actually using this functionality used to be quite an awful experience. The existing applications like alsamixer and qasmixer become completely user-hostile with the hundreds of controls presented for the Gen 3 18i20. Even the smallest Gen 3 4i4 interface at last count had 84 ALSA controls.