# Recommended Sound Card



## cmille1223 (Jan 10, 2013)

Would someone be able to recommend a PCI Express x1 sound card that can do S/PDIF and works with PC-BSD 9.1? I can't seem to get the Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D THX PCIE Sound Card SB1350 I have to work, the system doesn't seem to detect it at all. I also can't seem to identify a card I know will work, this is getting pretty frustrating!


```
# cat /dev/sndstat
FreeBSD Audio Driver (newpcm: 64bit 2009061500/amd64)
Installed devices:
```

I would greatly appreciate the help, I'm trying to build a HTPC and this is the last thing I need!


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## Crest (Jan 10, 2013)

Have you checked your mainboard for a S/PDIF connector? Some mainboards have pins to connect a transceiver.


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## cmille1223 (Jan 10, 2013)

I appreciate the suggestion, I hadn't even thought of that option. Unfortunately my motherboard (Supermicro X9SCM-F-O) doesn't have this feature.


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## cmille1223 (Jan 14, 2013)

I still don't have sound working, I'm streaming to my PS3 in the meantime. Hopefully I can get this figured out soon, I would really like to start using XBMC instead of the PS3.


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## J65nko (Jan 14, 2013)

Does the output of `pciconf -lv` show something about your sound card?


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## cmille1223 (Jan 14, 2013)

OK, so it seems like the system can see the card, but is unable to locate a driver for it.

```
# pciconf -lv

hdac0@pci0:3:0:0:       class=0x040300 card=0x00131102 chip=0x00121102 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Creative Labs'
    class      = multimedia
    subclass   = HDA
none1@pci0:4:0:0:       class=0x040000 card=0x85410070 chip=0x888014f1 rev=0x04 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Conexant Systems, Inc.'
    device     = 'CX23887/8 PCIe Broadcast Audio and Video Decoder with 3D Comb'
    class      = multimedia
    subclass   = video
```

I was also trying to get it working using OSS, but that didn't go well either...

```
# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/oss start
Starting Open Sound System
kldload: can't load /usr/local/lib/oss/modules/osscore.ko: Exec format error
Loading the osscore module failed
```

OK so OSS doesn't want to start. Wonder what kind of errors show up in /var/log/messages...

```
# tail /var/log/messages

Jan 14 06:22:28 zfs-server kernel: osscore: Open Sound System conflicts with FreeBSD driver
Jan 14 06:22:28 zfs-server kernel: osscore: Please remove sound(4) from kernel or unload it
Jan 14 06:22:28 zfs-server kernel: module_register_init: MOD_LOAD (osscore, 0xffffffff82ca94e0, 0) error 16
```

So it doesn't want the sound from the OS enabled if you're using OSS. I somehow can't figure out how to disable it...


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## SirDice (Jan 14, 2013)

cmille1223 said:
			
		

> So it doesn't want the sound from the OS enabled if you're using OSS. I somehow can't figure out how to disable it...


You need to build a custom kernel _without_ device sound.


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## cmille1223 (Jan 15, 2013)

OK, I was hoping that wasn't the case. I've never built a custom kernel, so I'm not entirely sure what that involves. I also don't know if OSS would even work with my sound card, so I don't really want to put a bunch of work into building a custom kernel for no reason. That's the main reason I started trying to find a card I know will work, but for some reason it's like searching for a needle in a haystack.


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## jb_fvwm2 (Jan 15, 2013)

If you do decide to use oss ( a custom kernel), I wrote a howto (ALC888...) a while back that may save you some time, it is in the HowTo section.  For a custom kernel, you need sources (.svn (subversion) probably and the procedure in /usr/src/UPDATING (one of them) to just build a kernel and install it (maybe also building world ... depending upon your FreeBSD version...) not trivial the first time, but not too difficult if one has disk space, time, BACKUPS...


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## cmille1223 (Jan 15, 2013)

Thanks for pointing me towards your guide, I appreciate it. It's looking like oss might be my only option. I searched through the list of supported sound devices one at a time, and the only ones that are PCI Express are the RME HDSPe AIO and RME HDSPe RayDAT. These cards both have S/PDIF as well, but they're way too expensive ($850/$950). Guess I'll have to look through the list of oss supported sound devices next. This is turning into such a pain...


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## cmille1223 (Jan 19, 2013)

I ended up getting S/PDIF sound working through a USB sound adapter. It worked as soon as I plugged it in. I haven't had a chance to use it extensively, but it sounds good from what I've heard so far. The adapter that worked is the Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro II


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## ColdfireMC (Jan 28, 2013)

you have to recompile kernel without sound. then you can use OSSv4, new builds have x-fi support, but i'dont knof if it has recon support
this is an "old" list


http://manuals.opensound.com/devlists/FreeBSD.html


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## jjthomas (May 23, 2014)

*Re:*



			
				SirDice said:
			
		

> cmille1223 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I came across this post troubleshooting the same problem, with the same results.  

It has been a long time since I've built a custom kernel in FreeBSD.  :\ 

-JJ


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