jack server cannot be started for external USB sound card

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apci
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2017 2:54 pm

jack server cannot be started for external USB sound card

Post by apci »

Hi,

I'm running Linux Mint 17.3. When I'm using pulseaudio my external sound card ("Sandberg", in pulseaudio control center it is shown as "CM106 like sound device" ) wokrs perfectly, however the jack server can not be started for this card. I'm trying to start jack server from QjackCtl, while pulseaudio is killed (autospawn also is changed to no).

The error message:

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16:45:47.661 Patchbay deactivated.
16:45:47.672 Statistics reset.
16:45:47.685 ALSA connection change.
16:45:47.700 D-BUS: Service is available (org.jackaudio.service aka jackdbus).
16:45:47.767 D-BUS: JACK server could not be started. Sorry
Cannot connect to server socket err = No such file or directory
Cannot connect to server request channel
jack server is not running or cannot be started
Cannot connect to server socket err = No such file or directory
Cannot connect to server request channel
jack server is not running or cannot be started
(qjackctl:5216): Gtk-CRITICAL **: IA__gtk_widget_get_direction: assertion 'GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed
(qjackctl:5216): Gtk-CRITICAL **: IA__gtk_widget_get_direction: assertion 'GTK_IS_WIDGET (widget)' failed
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: Starting jack server...
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: JACK server starting in realtime mode with priority 10
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: Acquired audio card Audio2
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: creating alsa driver ... hw:Device|hw:Device|1024|2|44100|0|0|nomon|swmeter|-|32bit
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: configuring for 44100Hz, period = 1024 frames (23.2 ms), buffer = 2 periods
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ALSA: final selected sample format for capture: 16bit little-endian
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ALSA: use 2 periods for capture
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ALSA: final selected sample format for playback: 16bit little-endian
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ALSA: use 2 periods for playback
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ERROR: ALSA: cannot set hardware parameters for playback
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ERROR: ALSA: cannot configure playback channel
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ERROR: Cannot initialize driver
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ERROR: JackServer::Open failed with -1
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ERROR: Failed to open server
Sat Jan 21 16:45:49 2017: Saving settings to "/home/irmantas/.config/jack/conf.xml" ...
16:45:53.834 Could not connect to JACK server as client. - Overall operation failed. - Unable to connect to server. Please check the messages window for more info.
Cannot connect to server socket err = No such file or directory
Cannot connect to server request channel
jack server is not running or cannot be started

Output of aplay -l

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**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: VT1708S Analog [VT1708S Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: VT1708S Digital [VT1708S Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 2: VT1708S Alt Analog [VT1708S Alt Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 8: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 9: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: Device [USB Sound Device], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Output of cat /proc/asound/cards

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 0 [PCH            ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
                      HDA Intel PCH at 0xfb200000 irq 43
 1 [NVidia         ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
                      HDA NVidia at 0xfb080000 irq 17
 2 [Device         ]: USB-Audio - USB Sound Device
                      USB Sound Device at usb-0000:00:1a.0-1.1, full speed
The jack server with the same sound card and identical parameters works well on my other computer with Linux Mint.

Maybe somebody can explain how to overcome this error?
tnovelli
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Posts: 277
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:52 pm

Re: jack server cannot be started for external USB sound card

Post by tnovelli »

Might be a DBUS issue. Does it work if you turn off the dbus options in Qjackctl advanced tab?

To rule out conflicts, make sure pulseaudio and jack aren't running:

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ps ax | grep -E 'pulse|jack'
You might have to "kill -9" them. Then check again to make sure something isn't auto-restarting them.
tnovelli
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Re: jack server cannot be started for external USB sound card

Post by tnovelli »

You could also try to start jack with Cadence instead of Qjackctl. It might tell you what's wrong.
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autostatic
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Re: jack server cannot be started for external USB sound card

Post by autostatic »

The issue is here:

Code: Select all

Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: configuring for 44100Hz, period = 1024 frames (23.2 ms), buffer = 2 periods
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ALSA: final selected sample format for capture: 16bit little-endian
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ALSA: use 2 periods for capture
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ALSA: final selected sample format for playback: 16bit little-endian
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ALSA: use 2 periods for playback
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ERROR: ALSA: cannot set hardware parameters for playback
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ERROR: ALSA: cannot configure playback channel
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ERROR: Cannot initialize driver
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ERROR: JackServer::Open failed with -1
Sat Jan 21 16:45:47 2017: ERROR: Failed to open server
I'd try setting a sample rate of 48kHz and a buffer of 3 periods. And what is the exact model/type of the Sandberg audio interface?
apci
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2017 2:54 pm

Re: jack server cannot be started for external USB sound card

Post by apci »

Finally, I managed to start jack server for external USB sound card, by manually setting number of the input/ouptut channels (In QJackCtl >Setup>Settings>Channels I/O). However, after jack starts, a constant high pitch noise appears from speakers (mic is off, and this sound doesn't appears on headphone). Similar squeaking can be heard trough the computer booting time, until PulseAudio starts.

AutoStatic:
It is Sandberg USB Sound Box 7.1. But jack can be started just max for 4 output channels.
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Re: jack server cannot be started for external USB sound card

Post by rghvdberg »

Yeah I had that weird pitch too.
Don't have it atm, maybe I've changed USB port. Try that. Also plugin the USB in the pc not a hub. But sometimes the pc has a hub inside too. So.. Just experiment :-)
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Re: jack server cannot be started for external USB sound card

Post by Linuxmusician01 »

I've had irritating distortions when I recorded audio from internal or external audio card. But only when my laptop was connected to the charger. I now only record audio when my laptop is running on batteries.
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Re: jack server cannot be started for external USB sound card

Post by asbak »

Linuxmusician01 wrote:I've had irritating distortions when I recorded audio from internal or external audio card. But only when my laptop was connected to the charger. I now only record audio when my laptop is running on batteries.
Could perhaps be ground-loop issues or does it occur when for example a fridge compressor turns on or off?

USB ground-loop isolators can be quite effective at countering the buzzing sound which sometimes manifests itself on USB sound cards.

https://www.olimex.com/Products/USB-Modules/USB-ISO/

Note that this device won't fix all kinds of noise issues on the power circuit.
Some Focal / 20.04 audio packages and resources https://midistudio.groups.io/g/linuxaudio
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