VLC and MusE

[Impostor]

thx, seems a step in the wright direction. pulseaudio-module-jack was already the newest version and was determined as manually installed (1:13.99.1-1ubuntu3.13). i have ubuntu studio 20.04 and MusE AppImage 4.2.1

changed VLC to snap in version 3.0.19 and : jack option is available !

20240130%JackVlc3019snap.png

what options to define now ? with standard options still no sound when MusE ist active and even not when jack is started.
when jack is stopped sound is there-

and / or handling with jack itself; can't see VLC in jack connection window

20240130%JackAudioConnections.png

Okay, so now you have two options available to you. Either use VLC with pulseaudio, or with jack. Kind of depends on whether or not you plan to use jack all of the time.

If not, better go with pulseaudio and use pulseaudio-module-jack. For this to work you'll need to activate "dbus" and "jackdbus" in Qjackctl settings. Possibly you have to, once, manually point pulseaudio to module-jack-sink in pavucontrol. Then, if everything works as it should, whenever you start Jack via Qjackctl, the pulseaudio-module-jack should be automatically activated and pulseaudio, including VLC's output, will be routed to Jack. And whenever Jack's not active, VLC will simply sound via the pulseaudio server. As hasslefree as it can be!

Even if you do plan to use Jack fulltime, the above configuration will save you the hassle of dealng with VLC's idiosyncratic Jack behaviour.
But if you insist, give the "jack client" a name in VLC's jack module settings, and use qjackctl to set up a persistent connection between that client and wherever you'll want to route the audio to. But be aware, VLC creates and deletes ports on-the-fly. So you'll have to play some audio with VLC to be able to see VLC's jack ports in qjackctl and to be able to create your persistent patchbay.

DISCLAIMER: I have no experience with Snap packages, so how or if that will have any influence on the above, that's for you to find out and document! And if you also happen to have pipewire lurking somewhere on your system, all bets are off!

[topmusik]

all right following you and pulse audio; "dbus" and "jackdbus" is checked

20240201%JackVlc%QjackDbus.png (86.77 KiB) Viewed 879 times

you wrote "manually point pulseaudio to module-jack-sink in pavucontrol"
cant find any option in pavocontrol to define pointing / where to point to
Wiedergabe => Play
Ausgabegerät => Output device
Eingabegerät => Input device

20240201%pavucontrol01bis04%OutputInputPlay.png (155.42 KiB) Viewed 879 times

due to the fact no sound in VLC as soon as Jack is started, see further screenshots (option playback 4 and 5 delivers sound as usual)

20240201%JackQtlParameter%1bis3.png (185.1 KiB) Viewed 879 times

pipewire not as far as i know, just heard it somewhen but avoided it due to focus on handling existing stuff

[Impostor]

you wrote "manually point pulseaudio to module-jack-sink in pavucontrol"
cant find any option in pavocontrol to define pointing / where to point to

(edited: in your Jack screenshot I see the pulseaudio jack source and sink are active)
That's when Jack's running? You can try deleting the contents of ~/.config/pulse/
It will be automatically recreated.

In volume control, it should become visible:

[Impostor]

By the way, if you check this box then Jack starts whenever you start qjackctl. Or are you starting Jack in another way?

[topmusik]

That's when Jack's running?

yes

You can try deleting the contents of ~/.config/pulse/

how to / where delete the contents

In volume control, it should become visible

it is visible now, yes

if you check this box then Jack starts whenever you start qjackctl.

is cheked now

Or are you starting Jack in another way?

I start jack with QjackCtl

but: the connection matrix sets back the connection from Jack Sink front left to playback 1 and front right to playback 2
but: there is no sound either in VLC when I set it manually to the playbacks

don't know if this could be the issue. Maybe?

[Impostor]

q
but: the connection matrix sets back the connection from Jack Sink front left to playback 1 and front right to playback 2
but: there is no sound either in VLC when I set it manually to the playbacks

don't know if this could be the issue. Maybe?

Could be.. If the connections are changing by themselves you may have activated patchbay persistence, but with the wrong patchbay definition?

I'd create a complete patchbay which covers all your use-cases (e.g. my patchbay below), save that, and use that one as persistent patchbay (set qjackctl as in screenshot below):

Tip: If you notice some programs making automatic unwanted connections (as quite a few may do) you can block that by making the connections in your patchbay definition "exclusive".

[Impostor]

Also, when creating the jack sink output socket --> system playback input socket connection in the patchbay, I'd create a dedicated system playback input socket for this connection, where you only add plugs for the "playback 4" and "playback 5" audio channels, if those are the ones you want to use. Maybe qjackctl defaults to the first two available channels if there are more input plugs (8 in your case) than output plugs (2 in your case) in any two connected sockets.

[topmusik]

all right: check the optionn and choosed the ?standard? conf.xml

20240205%01%JackVlc%OptionsJackConfig.png (46.76 KiB) Viewed 613 times

by clicking the Buton "New" i get the message to generate a snapshot (?) of the actual connection did try to "load" see 3rd screenshot

20240205%02%JackVlc%SteckfeldNEU.png (48.72 KiB) Viewed 613 times

clicking to Load button, for loading the patchbay file; which I have to generate if I understand you right, but there are no invisible file to choose (i know how to display them in filebrowser but not how in this dialogue)

20240205%03%JackVlc%SteckfeldHinzuf&Laden.png (55.98 KiB) Viewed 613 times

I'd create a dedicated system playback input socket

is this regarding the patchbay creation, as a kind of last step?

[Impostor]

I'd create a dedicated system playback input socket

is this regarding the patchbay creation, as a kind of last step?

No that would be the first step :)

I'd skip the snapshot feature. That tends to make a messy patchbay file. Just create a new one, and add sockets with manually selected plugs one by one.

Add output socket, choose type (eg audio), choose the client (eg PA Jack Sink), then the plugs (eg Left and Right channels). Then add input socket, audio type, client (eg System Playback), plugs (eg playback channels 4 and 5). Then connect them (click one , click the other, then rightclick, choose connect).

Don't forget to save your patchbay when you're done. Otherwise you'll have to redo it all. And then specify /path/to/your/patchbay as the persistent one.

[topmusik]

thanks a lot; this pics are great support, did I miss something? still no sound via jack in VLC; my screens:

20240207%001bis04%JackVlc%Steckfeld.png (144.11 KiB) Viewed 467 times

20240207%005bis09%JackVlc%SteckfeldConnect.png (151.61 KiB) Viewed 467 times

20240207%10%JackVlc%Verbindungen.png (47.62 KiB) Viewed 467 times

conections to playback 1 and 2 meanwhile disconnected and in standardconfiguration Persistent.xml > right path and wright file

[sunrat]

You may also need to select JACK sink in pavucontrol for the application playing media:

pavucontrol-jack-s.png (41.01 KiB) Viewed 452 times

Here it shows DeadBeef playing audio.
I very much dislike VLC, much preferring MPV for audio and video, and DeadBeef for audio with playlists, plugins, and customisations.

[Impostor]

thanks a lot; this pics are great support, did I miss something? still no sound via jack in VLC; my screens:

Your Jack connections look to be correct. Have you already tried deleting the entire contents of the directory ~/.config/pulse/ and restarting? It could be an old pulseaudio configuration messing things up. And as sunrat said, be sure that PA-Jack-Sink is selected in pulse's sound settings.

If that's done and still no sound from VLC, see if you do get sound with other apps, like your browser. If still no luck,
you could monitor audio output from the PA-Jack-Sink with for example jack-mixer to see if any audio is passed from PA to Jack at all...

[topmusik]

... in MusE there is sound like it should be ,,,

select JACK sink in pavucontrol

is done

deleting the entire contents of the directory ~/.config/pulse/

delete all these files:

20240208%JackVlc%pulseConfig.png (45.05 KiB) Viewed 386 times

see if you do get sound with other apps

preferring MPV for audio and video, and DeadBeef for audio

experiences which app dances best with Jack ?
DeaDBeeF, MPV or others (available in sources) like Kodi, Jellyfin etc (only sound good for me as well)

[Impostor]

see if you do get sound with other apps

experiences which app dances best with Jack ?

No, I meant try any pulseaudio app other than vlc, just to see if you can get sound from pulseaudio into jack at all. Play some music in your browser while jack is running, for example. The point of pulseaudio-module-jack is that you can run pulseaudio apps while also running jack.

For playing music I use Audacious (on pulseaudio by default, since I only run Jack if I need it, but it runs on jack too if you want it).

[topmusik]

to see if you can get sound from pulseaudio into jack at all

you are right ! in FF there is sound as usual but silence as soon as Jack is started

the slider for silence in pavucontrol is not active / doesn't work

20240209%FFaudio.png (30.76 KiB) Viewed 336 times

there is sound in Audacious and also silence as soon as Jack is started