Patreon Logo Support us on Patreon to keep GamingOnLinux alive. This ensures all of our main content remains free for everyone. Just good, fresh content! Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal Logo PayPal. You can also buy games using our partner links for GOG and Humble Store.
Title: Audio
Ehvis 14 Sep 2018
User Avatar
  • Supporter Plus
It's about time to replace my PC, so I'm doing some preliminary investigations.

One thing that has always given me issues is sound. For instance, if I have a video player open and I go to the website of my bank using Firefox, I get a whole bunch of distortion in the audio.

Investigating this problem I managed to dig up that there are some issues with inaccurate hardware timers causing this and a pulseaudio option was given that could fix it. And it did! For that case. Next I found that the State of Mind game was now giving me crackling noises. So great, either this or that.

I have a few more but that doesn't really matter.

Since I'm not too picky about audio, it would be nice if the motherboard audio is actually good and doesn't have any issues. So far my new mainboard, what would be the audio chipsets to look out for or avoid? Does anybody have experience with that?
Xpander 14 Sep 2018
User Avatar
im using external one, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, zero issues, but also i use JACK with pulseaudio. Pulseaudio has JACK sinks and sources, never had audio crackling with this setup. I strongly recommend a good DAC instead of those integrated audio solutions, but i hear newer int audio chips are quite good, still theres some noise because its inside the machine where all the electrical parts are.
razing32 17 Sep 2018
User Avatar
I honestly have been using USB headset with its own sound system , i forgot about cracking issues.
I recall having some but not many.

Wasn't there a way around it ? Something like giving audio higher priority so as to reduce latency ?
I believe I saw it in a guide to use JACK.
Ehvis 17 Sep 2018
User Avatar
  • Supporter Plus
I only wear headsets when I absolutely have to, so that's not a solution for me.
Ehvis 18 Sep 2018
User Avatar
  • Supporter Plus
Quoting: GuestPulseaudio is buggy and slows your computer. Use alsa, gstreamer and jack for pro audio. Use chrome, firefox does not support alsa.
Pulse does appear to be problematic. Jack has always sounded interesting, but I haven't researched what is involved to do something like that. For now, I lack the time to do so.
Xpander 18 Sep 2018
User Avatar
Quoting: Ehvis
Quoting: GuestPulseaudio is buggy and slows your computer. Use alsa, gstreamer and jack for pro audio. Use chrome, firefox does not support alsa.
Pulse does appear to be problematic. Jack has always sounded interesting, but I haven't researched what is involved to do something like that. For now, I lack the time to do so.
JACK is fairly simple to setup with qjackctl, if you use jack with dbus it will automatically add jack sinks and sources to pulseaudio, if your pulseaudio jack package is installed. No need for manual config anymore.

External Media: You need to be logged in to view this.
Ehvis 18 Sep 2018
User Avatar
  • Supporter Plus
Quoting: XpanderJACK is fairly simple to setup with qjackctl, if you use jack with dbus it will automatically add jack sinks and sources to pulseaudio, if your pulseaudio jack package is installed. No need for manual config anymore.
Does that uninstall Pulseaudio and put its own pulse compatible thing in place? Or does it work together? I might experiment with it.
Xpander 18 Sep 2018
User Avatar
Quoting: Ehvis
Quoting: XpanderJACK is fairly simple to setup with qjackctl, if you use jack with dbus it will automatically add jack sinks and sources to pulseaudio, if your pulseaudio jack package is installed. No need for manual config anymore.
Does that uninstall Pulseaudio and put its own pulse compatible thing in place? Or does it work together? I might experiment with it.
i dunno how its done on ubuntu but on arch its just a separate pulseaudio-jack package that activates jack sink and source detection. probably ubuntu has similar or maybe its just packaged already inside the pulseaudio package there.
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon Logo Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal Logo PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
Login / Register
Register Forgot Login?
★ Support Us
Popular this week
Search or view by category
Contact
Latest Guides
MorrowindHow to setup OpenMW for modern Morrowind on Linux / SteamOS and Steam Deck
By Liam Dawe,
10
Hollow Knight: SilksongHow to install Hollow Knight: Silksong mods on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck
By Liam Dawe,
1
> View more Tips & Guides
Recently Updated
Buy Games
Buy games with our affiliate / partner links:
Latest Forum Posts
Misc