From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Fri Feb 2 00:35:18 2018 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2610:1c1:1:606c::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D9546ED7D15 for ; Fri, 2 Feb 2018 00:35:17 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from frankfenderbender@council124.org) Received: from vps349.pairvps.com (vps349.pairvps.com [216.92.231.69]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (Client did not present a certificate) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 85C9C70FBA for ; Fri, 2 Feb 2018 00:35:17 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from frankfenderbender@council124.org) Received: from [192.168.0.100] (unknown [104.220.39.23]) (using TLSv1 with cipher AES128-SHA (128/128 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by vps349.pairvps.com (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 403D9A5FD9; Thu, 1 Feb 2018 19:35:11 -0500 (EST) Subject: followup to my previous sound-card/driver question Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1085) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 From: C Gray In-Reply-To: <09DEB81A-3DC1-4147-9249-0497C89F429B@council124.org> Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2018 16:35:09 -0800 Reply-To: C Gray Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Message-Id: <69060D2E-8ED1-4BDB-8801-2BA29F15C632@council124.org> References: <8F08E935-33A8-4B5F-9057-51FAD51DA97D@council124.org> <20180201121251.95e345cf.freebsd@edvax.de> <09DEB81A-3DC1-4147-9249-0497C89F429B@council124.org> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1085) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.25 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2018 00:35:18 -0000 Creative Lab apparently now only produces/sells/supports "x1" = SoundBlaster sound cards. My slots are for "PCIe x4", "PCIe x8", or "PCI-X". No "PCIe x1". Creative Labs support is digging through archives to find which EOL'ed = cards were which as most are listed on Amazon w/o that pertinent = information, rather just listing as a model in a card family. I actually = found a telephone number and got an answer in 2-3 rings: (405) = 742-6655. And, of course, there are the "fake" cards called "SoundBlaster" = (clones, unsupported and seldom taken back if incompatible) rather than = those named "Creative SoundBlaster" (officially made by Creative Labs). None show the listed models down to a level indicating {x1, x4, x8} or = even if it is a PCI-X slot-fitting card. So, reverse engineering is what I shall try to do while waiting for the = technical support email with a hopeful list. The FreeBSD page, = , indicates the = following for 64-bit system supported sound cards that are supported by = either the "snd_emu10k1(4)" or the "snd_emu10kx(4)" drivers: =95 Creative SoundBlaster Live! (EMU10K1 Chipset) =95 Creative SoundBlaster Audigy (EMU10K2 Chipset) =95 Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2 (EMU10K2 Chipset) =95 Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2 (EMU10K3 Chipset) =95 Creative Sound Blaster Live! (EMU10K1 Chipset).=20 Both PCM and MIDI interfaces are available. =95 Creative Sound Blaster Audigy (CA0100 and CA0101 Chipset).=20= PCM and two MIDI interfaces available. =95 Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 and Creative Sound Blaster = Audigy 4 (CA0102 Chipset).=20 PCM support is limited to 48kHz/16 bit stereo (192kHz/24 bit = part of this chipset is not supported). =95 Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Value (CA0108 Chipset).=20 PCM support is limited to 48kHz/16 bit stereo (192kHz/24 bit = part of this chipset is not supported).=20 There is no MIDI support for this card. The following doc is less helpful: The snd_emu10kx(4) driver does not support the following sound cards = (although they have names similar to some supported ones): =95 ... =95 All Creative X-Fi series sound cards. Too bad because the ad for "Creative Labs SB0880 PCI Express Sound = Blaster X-Fi Titanium Sound Card" =20 on = . It "System Requirements" list seems to fit, as far as I'm aware at the = present, of what barriers could get in the way. It appears to tell me that its work for my slots: Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, or XP;=20 Intel Pentium 4 1.6 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor or = equivalent;=20 available PCI Express (x1, x4, x8, or x16) slot;=20 256MB RAM (512 MB RAM for Vista);=20 600MB of free hard-disk space;=20 CD or DVD-ROM for software installation; <<<< [not needed] headphones or amplified speakers;=20 Internet connection to download PowerDVD player software. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the chipset, but having the PCI = types listed is encouraging. The FreeBSD doc, although very helpful, does not tell me which X-Fi = models are NOT supported by theFreeBSD's "snd_emu10kx(4)" driver. So, if anyone knows the "supported X-Fi" list that would be very = helpful. FreeBSD doc's "not specific enough" list for me, logic-wise, arise from = the phrases "does not support" (from the list intro) and "All"..." (from = the actual list). Together they form the phrase "does not support... all", which = delineates a set, N, with an indeterminant # of elements. It can support (0-to-N) of the X-Fi sound cards. Supporting only (1-of-N) X-Fi sound cards meets the criteria of "not = supporting all" as does supporting (N-1) X-Fi sound cards. Even supporting 0 meets the logic of the chosen phraseology. Thus, I will stay away from the X-Fi family due to the "non-specific = list" factor, unless I hear of a very matchable, qualified application = by someone. That's not too much of a loss w/so many supported devices.=20 My first list from the FreeBSD doc, is still quite vast, as far as a = list goes, though availability may narrow that down a bit. =20 I have also read bad reviews of the Audigy family which have proprietary = cables.=20 Non-standard proprietaries so well-deployed by Microsoft and Apple. No = thanks.=20 They are the 180-degree flip-sides of clones. The "chipset" is never listed with the sound card descriptions on = Amazon.com, SoundBlaster.com, or Creative.com web pages. Some of a chipset's models may not be supported so I must know all vars = before I can select and order a card. Does a list of specific models (selling name as well as actual model = nomenclature) exist. The four-variable algorithm (chipset; x1/x4/x8/-X; model #; = FreeBSD-supported) list is what I seek so that I avoid the = somewhere-documented failure. My dragged-out question can be pared down to this: which of the FreeBSD driver-supported Creative Labs sound cards = (listed above) are made for {x4, x8, -X) slots AND are built with a = supported chipset? It would appear that I am trying to find exact model #s -- and not just = the all-encompassing advertisement family called "Creative SoundBlaster = Live! - EMU10K1 Chipset)" that will fit one of my PCIe x4. PCIe x8, or = PCI-X slots. [Note: it would also be great to find one that will work with my Ensoniq = TS-10 Sampler-Sequencer-Synthesizer via MIDI, so I can move away from = another Apple-broken tool, MIDI (like NFS, X11, mail, BSD, ad finitum), = however, that would just add another variable into the 'find-a-card' = algorithm. Even considering this seems foolhardy. I just want some audio = for my Python/PHP/Java/Javascript/Perl/C development server.]=20 best wishes (and sorry for the elongated clarification), Chris Gray frankfenderbender@council124.org