Convert ALSA to PulseAudio

[don570]

I am converting Fatdog64 903 from ALSA to PulseAudio
because my computer (hp elitedesk 800) has problems with discovering the audio-in port with fatdog64
but not with Operating systems using PulseAudio i.e. EasyOS and BookwormPup
I downloaded and installed--->
https://distro.ibiblio.org/fatdog/sfs/9 ... x86_64.sfs
and installed
I added elogind-243.7-x86_64-1.sfs as well but I don't think that is needed

I used the control panel
System > System SFS Loader

Screenshot-sfs-loader.png (31.73 KiB) Viewed 2357 times

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Next step
- stop ALSA and start PulseAudio

System > Manage Servers and Services

Screenshot-services.png (36.73 KiB) Viewed 2357 times

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I rebooted and then set the sound card using control panel

Sound > Fatdog64 Set Default Sound Card

Screenshot-pulse.png (32.2 KiB) Viewed 2357 times

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To record I set input volume
Start Menu > Multimedia > PulseAudio Volume Control

set recording volume from Input devices
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I found that mhwaveedit doesn't record - perhaps gwaveedit will. I will experiment with
https://distro.ibiblio.org/easyos/amd64 ... -64.tar.xz

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I was able to record with following command...
This recorded low quality mp3

Code: Select all

ffmpeg -f  alsa -i hw:0 -ar 11025 -ac 1 -b:a 8k  -codec:a libmp3lame       -t 15 -y  output.mp3

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I can't record

Code: Select all

ffmpeg -f pulse -i alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo  -channels 2  -y -t 30  out-pulse.wav

Unknown input format: 'pulse
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[Flash]

Are you asking for help to record with pulse, or just making a comment?

[fredx181]

I can't record

Code: Select all

ffmpeg -f pulse -i alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo  -channels 2  -y -t 30  out-pulse.wav

Unknown input format: 'pulse
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Probably has to do with your ffmpeg installed.
I have ffmpeg version 5.1.6-0+deb12u1 running on Debian and works ok with -f pulse, (probably because compiled with --enable-libpulse )

[don570]

Are you asking for help to record with pulse, or just making a comment?

I'm explaining what works and what doesn't.

mhwaveedit ---> I did get to record when I went to mhwaveedit preferences and set the input device to 'default' hw:0

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[don570]

Probably has to do with your ffmpeg installed.
I have ffmpeg version 5.1.6-0+deb12u1 running on Debian and works ok with -f pulse, (probably because compiled with --enable-libpulse )

Sounds like the reason. I'll check.

With Easy OS Scarthgap --->
I can record with ffmpeg -f alsa -i default or ffmpeg -f pulse -i <device>

Also 'arecord' works in Easy OS Scarthgap
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[step]

@don570, thank you for explaining what works and what doesn't.

I built a version of ffmpeg with pulseaudio support (thanks @fredx181 for mentioning libpulse), and created an SFS. Get it from "Control Panel > System > SFS Manager". I confirmed that I can record with ffmpeg -f pulse from my ALSA mono input.

Unlike you, I didn't change the ALSA server boot configuration, nor did I reboot. I loaded the pulseaudio and ffmpeg-pulseaudio SFS packages using SFS Manager, then started the PulseAudio server from Control Panel, and changed the default sound card to ALSA-pulseaudio bridge.
Then:

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pulse -sources     # to find out the pulseaudio name of my ALSA input hardware
ffmpeg -f pulse -i 'alsa_input.<my hardware>.mono-fallback' -channels 1 -y -t 30  /tmp/out-pulse.wav
^C

and played out-pulse.wav with vlc.

[don570]

I compiled and installed a new version of ffmpeg and now it records with the command

ffmpeg -f pulse <etc>

I like Pulse....PulseAudio finds audio devices in a nicer way

Code: Select all

pactl list short sources

I made the version of ffmpeg available...
viewtopic.php?t=13955

Remember that the SFS has to installed and the audio device control panel
must be set to convert alsa audio stream to pulse
https://distro.ibiblio.org/fatdog/sfs/9 ... x86_64.sfs

[fredx181]

...
I like Pulse....PulseAudio finds audio devices in a nicer way

Code: Select all

pactl list short sources

....

Me too, I sometimes record from soundcard ("what-u-hear") and AFAIK with bare ALSA you need to mess with a config file , e.g. /etc/asound.conf or ~/.asoundrc .
With pulse (or pipewire, which I use) I just do like this:

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pactl list short sources
49	alsa_output.pci-0000_00_0e.0.analog-stereo.monitor	PipeWire	s32le 2ch 48000Hz	IDLE
50	alsa_input.pci-0000_00_0e.0.analog-stereo	PipeWire	s32le 2ch 48000Hz	SUSPENDED

And:
ffmpeg -f pulse -i 49 ... ... or: ffmpeg -f pulse -i alsa_output.pci-0000_00_0e.0.analog-stereo.monitor ... ...

[don570]

I believe that
alsa_output.pci-0000_00_0e.0.analog-stereo.monitor

would be useful for recording the music heard in the background of a game
or perhaps the soundtrack of a DVD

But I think that people use it to record a voice track to video
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[fredx181]

I believe that
alsa_output.pci-0000_00_0e.0.analog-stereo.monitor

would be useful for recording the music heard in the background of a game
or perhaps the soundtrack of a DVD

But I think that people use it to record a voice track to video
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Not sure what you mean to say exactly, for me it just works to record the audio that comes out of my speakers, e.g. from web browser playing media (from e.g. YouTube) or whatever sound playing.

[don570]

Not sure what you mean to say exactly,

I was referring to this page which recommends 'monitor' source when recording an application
https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Capture/PulseAudio

Screenshot 2025-03-05 14.52.33.png (41.66 KiB) Viewed 989 times

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[fredx181]

Not sure what you mean to say exactly,

I was referring to this page which recommends 'monitor' source when recording an application
https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Capture/PulseAudio
Screenshot 2025-03-05 14.52.33.png
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Ah, I see, but in fact I never play multiple sound sources at the same time, just one (otherwise I could get crazy )