# Testing audio CODECs and External DACs



## bobmc (Apr 18, 2021)

I copied some sysctls suggested by others into a little script. I needed a script for testing multiple audio channels. It is KISS command-line using mpg123 as a music player.

```
#!/bin/sh
# file myplay.sh
echo  "usage: ./myplay.sh  5" # ..(where '5' is the pcm device_number)
cat /dev/sndstat
sysctl hw.snd.default_unit=$1
sysctl -d hw.snd.default_auto
cat /dev/sndstat
mpg123  test/*.mp3
echo "bye"
```
I have 5 pcm channels from the internal CODEC and 1 channel each for the 2 USB DACs.

Here is some audio meta data from dmesg:

```
hdacc0: <ATI R6xx HDA CODEC> at cad 0 on hdac0
hdaa0: <ATI R6xx Audio Function Group> at nid 1 on hdacc0
pcm0: <ATI R6xx (HDMI)> at nid 3 on hdaa0
pcm1: <ATI R6xx (HDMI)> at nid 5 on hdaa0
hdacc1: <Realtek ALC892 HDA CODEC> at cad 0 on hdac1
hdaa1: <Realtek ALC892 Audio Function Group> at nid 1 on hdacc1
pcm2: <Realtek ALC892 (Rear Analog 5.1/2.0)> at nid 20,22,21 and 24,26 on hdaa1
pcm3: <Realtek ALC892 (Front Analog)> at nid 27 and 25 on hdaa1
pcm4: <Realtek ALC892 (Rear Digital)> at nid 30 on hdaa1


--------- Schiit Audio Modi 3: External DAC -----------
uaudio0: <Schiit Modi 3> on usbus1
uaudio0: Play[0]: 384000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 352800 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 192000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 176400 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 96000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 88200 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 88000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 80000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 72000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 64000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 56000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 40000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 32000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 24000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 22050 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 16000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 11025 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: Play[0]: 8000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio0: No recording.
uaudio0: No MIDI sequencer.
pcm5: <USB audio> on uaudio0  (Modi has only pcm5 connect)

------- NAD 3045 : Hybrid Digital DAC AMP -----------
ugen0.2: <NAD USB Audio> at usbus0
uaudio1 on uhub2
uaudio1: <NAD USB Audio> on usbus0
uaudio1: Play[0]: 384000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio1: Play[0]: 352800 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio1: Play[0]: 192000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio1: Play[0]: 176400 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio1: Play[0]: 96000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio1: Play[0]: 88200 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio1: Play[0]: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio1: Play[0]: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, 32-bit S-LE PCM format, 2x8ms buffer.
uaudio1: No recording.
uaudio1: No MIDI sequencer.
pcm6: <USB audio> on uaudio1
uhid2: <NAD USB Audio (MQA HID)> on usbus0
```


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## astyle (May 5, 2021)

So, what are you trying to discuss? I don't see any questions. Is your channel testing a success? Or is it a failure? Are you asking others to reproduce your test and report results?  or are you asking for troubleshooting help? 

I did notice that you don't seem to have a MIDI sequencer on any of your channels - I don't know how much of a problem that is - sound can be synthesized using software, rather than a hardware synthesizer.


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