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Rodecaster Pro - Bad audio out

Software & Operating Systems Linux
#1

Recently switched back to full time Linux from Windows and the only issue that i’m having is the usb audio output for the Rodecaster Pro is garbled. See following link for a recording of the output.

I’m currently running manjaro on the 5.12 kernel so it is after the alsa patches for the rodecaster to set it to 48000 hz. Input audio sounds fine from the rodecaster with the default settings for pulseaudio in manjaro. I’ve tried running through all of the troubleshooting steps in the audio quality section of the arch troubleshooting page here. I’ve also tried running jack and it has the same issue.

Looking for any further tips on troubleshooting the issue.

here’s the pacmd list-sinks output:
index: 0
name: <alsa_output.usb-RODE_Microphones_RODECaster_Pro_00000000001A-01.iec958-stereo>
driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
flags: HARDWARE DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY
state: IDLE
suspend cause: (none)
priority: 9048
volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB, front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
balance 0.00
base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
volume steps: 65537
muted: no
current latency: 100.11 ms
max request: 37 KiB
max rewind: 37 KiB
monitor source: 0
sample spec: s32le 2ch 48000Hz
channel map: front-left,front-right
Stereo
used by: 0
linked by: 0
fixed latency: 99.94 ms
card: 0 <alsa_card.usb-RODE_Microphones_RODECaster_Pro_00000000001A-01>
module: 6
properties:
alsa.resolution_bits = “32”
device.api = “alsa”
device.class = “sound”
alsa.class = “generic”
alsa.subclass = “generic-mix”
alsa.name = “USB Audio”
alsa.id = “USB Audio”
alsa.subdevice = “0”
alsa.subdevice_name = “subdevice #0”
alsa.device = “0”
alsa.card = “3”
alsa.card_name = “RODECaster Pro”
alsa.long_card_name = “RODE Microphones RODECaster Pro at usb-0000:0b:00.3-4.4.3, high speed”
alsa.driver_name = “snd_usb_audio”
device.bus_path = “pci-0000:0b:00.3-usb-0:4.4.3:1.1”
sysfs.path = “/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.2/0000:02:00.0/0000:03:08.0/0000:0b:00.3/usb3/3-4/3-4.4/3-4.4.3/3-4.4.3:1.1/sound/card3”
udev.id = “usb-RODE_Microphones_RODECaster_Pro_00000000001A-01”
device.bus = “usb”
device.vendor.id = “19f7”
device.vendor.name = “RODE Microphones”
device.product.id = “0011”
device.product.name = “RODECaster Pro”
device.serial = “RODE_Microphones_RODECaster_Pro_00000000001A”
device.string = “iec958:3”
device.buffering.buffer_size = “38376”
device.buffering.fragment_size = “9592”
device.access_mode = “mmap”
device.profile.name = “iec958-stereo”
device.profile.description = “Digital Stereo (IEC958)”
device.description = “RODECaster Pro Digital Stereo (IEC958)”
module-udev-detect.discovered = “1”
device.icon_name = “audio-card-usb”
ports:
iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:

	active port: <iec958-stereo-output>
#2

That might be your problem. Try setting it to s16le or s24le

1 Like
#3

I am not familiar with the audio happenings on Linux. Just happy I got both my soundcards to work.

Try running 24 bit and a 1024 sample buffer size (audio buffer).

1 Like
#4

So doing some research, it looks like most 24 bit cards use 24 bits packed into 32 which I think is why pulse is saying 32. That being said, i’ve tried setting the default-sample-format in /etc/pulse/daemon.conf to s24le, float24le, and float32le, but these settings seem not to change anything in pacmd list-sinks

Edit: I’ve also tried forcing 16 bit when using jack without any success, i also did read somewhere that the rodecaster pro only supports 24 bit

#5

Yeah, luckily the input is working and is the most important part with the rodecaster, i have another sound card that works for output, just less convenient to use both (and the rodecaster has better amps)

#6

tried switching to pipewire, still have the same issue, pw-dump output:

   "id": 42,
   "type": "PipeWire:Interface:Node",
   "version": 3,
   "permissions": [ "r", "w", "x", "m" ],
   "info": {
     "max-input-ports": 64,
     "max-output-ports": 0,
     "change-mask": [ "input-ports", "output-ports", "state", "props", "params" ],
     "n-input-ports": 2,
     "n-output-ports": 2,
     "state": "suspended",
     "error": null,
     "props": {
       "object.path": "alsa:pcm:3:iec958:3:playback",
       "api.alsa.path": "iec958:3",
       "api.alsa.pcm.card": 3,
       "api.alsa.pcm.stream": "playback",
       "audio.channels": 2,
       "audio.position": "FL,FR",
       "device.routes": 1,
       "alsa.resolution_bits": 32,
       "device.api": "alsa",
       "device.class": "sound",
       "alsa.class": "generic",
       "alsa.subclass": "generic-mix",
       "alsa.name": "USB Audio",
       "alsa.id": "USB Audio",
       "alsa.subdevice": 0,
       "alsa.subdevice_name": "subdevice #0",
       "alsa.device": 0,
       "alsa.card": 3,
       "alsa.card_name": "RODECaster Pro",
       "alsa.long_card_name": "RODE Microphones RODECaster Pro at usb-0000:0b:00.3-4.4.3, high speed",
       "alsa.driver_name": "snd_usb_audio",
       "device.profile.name": "iec958-stereo",
       "device.profile.description": "Digital Stereo (IEC958)",
       "card.profile.device": 5,
       "device.id": 37,
       "factory.name": "api.alsa.pcm.sink",
       "priority.driver": 816,
       "priority.session": 816,
       "media.class": "Audio/Sink",
       "node.nick": "RODECaster Pro",
       "node.name": "alsa_output.usb-RODE_Microphones_RODECaster_Pro_00000000001A-01.iec958-stereo",
       "node.description": "RODECaster Pro Digital Stereo (IEC958)",
       "node.pause-on-idle": false,
       "factory.id": 18,
       "client.id": 30,
       "node.driver": true,
       "factory.mode": "merge",
       "audio.adapt.follower": 0,
       "library.name": "audioconvert/libspa-audioconvert",
       "object.id": 42,
       "node.max-latency": "32768/48000"
     },
     "params": {
       "EnumFormat": [
         {
           "mediaType": "audio",
           "mediaSubtype": "raw",
           "format": "S32LE",
           "rate": 48000,
           "channels": 2,
           "position": [ "FL", "FR" ]
         }
       ],
       "PropInfo": [
         {
           "id": "volume",
           "name": "Volume",
           "type": { "default": 1.000000, "min": 0.000000, "max": 10.000000 }
         },
         {
           "id": "mute",
           "name": "Mute",
           "type": {
             "default": false,
             "alt1": false,
             "alt2": true
           }
         },
         {
           "id": "channelVolumes",
           "name": "Channel Volumes",
           "type": { "default": 1.000000, "min": 0.000000, "max": 10.000000 },
           "container": "Array"
         },
         {
           "id": "channelMap",
           "name": "Channel Map",
           "type": 0,
           "container": "Array"
         },
         {
           "id": "device",
           "name": "The ALSA device",
           "type": "iec958:3"
         },
         {
           "id": "deviceName",
           "name": "The ALSA device name",
           "type": ""
         },
         {
           "id": "cardName",
           "name": "The ALSA card name",
           "type": ""
         },
         {
           "id": "minLatency",
           "name": "The minimum latency",
           "type": { "default": 16, "min": 1, "max": 2147483647 }
         },
         {
           "id": "maxLatency",
           "name": "The maximum latency",
           "type": { "default": 8192, "min": 1, "max": 2147483647 }
         },
         {
           "id": "id-01000000",
           "name": "Use the driver channelmap",
           "type": false
         }
       ],
       "Props": [
         {
           "volume": 1.000000,
           "mute": false,
           "channelVolumes": [ 0.399992, 0.399992 ],
           "channelMap": [ "FL", "FR" ],
           "monitorMute": false,
           "monitorVolumes": [ 0.399992, 0.399992 ]
         },
         {
           "device": "iec958:3",
           "deviceName": "",
           "cardName": "",
           "minLatency": 16,
           "maxLatency": 8192,
           "id-01000000": false
         }
       ],
       "Format": [ ],
       "EnumPortConfig": [
         {
           "direction": "Input",
           "mode": "dsp"
         },
         {
           "direction": "Output",
           "mode": "dsp"
         },
         {
           "direction": "Input",
           "mode": "convert"
         },
         {
           "direction": "Output",
           "mode": "convert"
         }
       ],
       "PortConfig": [
         {
           "direction": "Input",
           "mode": "dsp"
         },
         {
           "direction": "Output",
           "mode": "convert"
         }
       ]
     }
   }
 },```


Edit: corrected pw-dump output