How to change default sound card

OJ · #1 December 15th, 2009, 10:09

I have three sound cards in this machine and the handbook doesn't appear to address this problem. One card works with one driver and the other two work with another. For now, I have set the single card using /boot/loader.conf and have sound, but I would like to use the other two cards as well.

1. How do I set the default card?
2. How do I switch between them?

**SirDice** · #2 December 15th, 2009, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by OJ

1. How do I set the default card?

Create a softlink /dev/dsp pointing at the correct one.

Quote:

2. How do I switch between them?

Select the proper /dev/dsp[1..9] in your application.

**joel@** · #3 December 15th, 2009, 11:29

For example, typing the following will change your default audio device from 0 to 1 (as root, of course).

Code:

# sysctl hw.snd.default_unit=1

To view all detected audio devices, do a:

Code:

# cat /dev/sndstat

Output will look something like this:

Code:

# cat /dev/sndstat
FreeBSD Audio Driver (newpcm: 32bit 2009061500/i386)
Installed devices:
pcm0: <AudioPCI ES1371-A> at io 0x2040 irq 16 kld snd_es137x [MPSAFE] (2p:1v/1r:1v channels duplex default)

In this example, I only have one device (pcm0).

OJ · #4 December 15th, 2009, 12:35

Thanks joel@ sysctl works!
I haven't tested all the outputs yet but I assume there will be all five choices which are listed in /dev/sndstat when I load all drivers.

My next problem will be how to use different cards at once, but I haven't lined up all my programs yet so this is good for now.

@SirDice: your idea is interesting to me, but I don't know how to make links yet. I will have a look at the ln man pages.

hedwards · #5 December 17th, 2009, 01:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by OJ

@SirDice: your idea is interesting to me, but I don't know how to make links yet. I will have a look at the ln man pages.

You don't. That's something that you use devfs for. You can make links, but you'll be doing it each and ever boot, not necessarily bad for testing, but a pain.

I'd take a look at /etc/devfs.conf for examples as well as to actually set it up.

OJ · #6 December 17th, 2009, 05:51

Quote:

I'd take a look at /etc/devfs.conf for examples as well as to actually set it up.

I'm not sure how to use that file for this particular purpose, but you mentioning it led me to look at /etc/sysctl.conf which seems to be the place to put sysctl parameters such as joel@ mentioned. Thanks.

hedwards · #7 December 18th, 2009, 02:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by OJ

I'm not sure how to use that file for this particular purpose, but you mentioning it led me to look at /etc/sysctl.conf which seems to be the place to put sysctl parameters such as joel@ mentioned. Thanks.

Ah, what you'd do is put something like:

Code:

link    dsp1     dsp

into the file and then each time that the devfs is started up the link is created linking dsp1 to dsp.

commx · #8 July 30th, 2010, 19:59

Based on the sysctl idea, I've built a tiny command line tool which allows you to list available sound devices and set the default one. It may also be used to detect sound devices using the generic audio driver.

Maybe this helps someone.

Available via mercurial or as .tar.bz2 archive.

Woland · #9 January 10th, 2011, 20:12

Making a symlink won't work, because chances are that there is alrady a /dev/dsp that was set up at boot time.
This line:

Code:

link    dsp1     dsp
DOES NOT WORK!

so don't do that.

The only way I found to permanantly and effectively change my soundcard, is to add the follwing line to my /etc/sysctl.conf:

Code:

hw.snd.default_unit=1

You may need to replace the "1' with the correct number for the working pcm device. How do you know which is the correct device? do "ls /dev/dsp*" then "cat foo.txt > /dev/dsp$N" , where "foo.txt" is any non-empty file on your system, for each of the dsp devices found.

This problem has buggered me for way too long, considering how simple the solution is. I would represent that this is may be a stumbling block for the novice user, espceially since lots of systems have multiple soundcards these days. Perhaps a small addition to the handbook may be in order?

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The Following User Says Thank You to SirDice For This Useful Post:
OJ (December 15th, 2009)

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to joel@ For This Useful Post:
OJ (December 15th, 2009), ricstr (July 22nd, 2012)

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Woland For This Useful Post:
ah7013 (June 5th, 2011), dgraham (April 29th, 2011), ricstr (July 22nd, 2012)