Raspberry pi Jessie debian config files USB Audio adapter

On the Jessie (latest) version of Debian for Raspberry Pi, the configuration files are not located (or missing) as described in your setup document. Using aplay -l shows the adapter as device 1. However I cannot get the device to work. If I try to use the audio settings though system settings, the device shows up. If I select it and make it default, it changes but does not save.

I have a wifi usb as the only other usb device plugged in.

There is no alsa-base.conf file, but there is a alsa.conf file in /usr/share/alsa but I don’t see any lines that have the options line as suggested by the setup. Even if I add the lines, nothing changes.

What do I do?

Hello Robert,

I am looking into this, but I have been trying off an on all day to get the audio adapter to work with Raspbian Jessie. The only thing I have learned so far is that /lib/modprobe.d/aliases overrides everything else and if you edit the file as you want, then the audio adapter does not enumerate… I am at a loss for now unfortunately.

Kind regards,
Patric
Plugable Technologies

I suggest you document that the lib/modprobe.d folder contains the configuration file.

Hi Robert,

Our article is a how-to for Raspbian Wheezy and not Jessie.

I can force the Pi to recognize the audio adapter when editing the ~/.asoundrc file replacing both 0 instances to 1, but after a reboot, the same file gets overwritten.

Kind regards,
Patric
Plugable Technologies

Hello Robert,

I finally figured it out. If you are using our audio adapter, you need to edit the .asoundrc hidden file in your home folder. Replace the current config with:

pcm.!default plughw:Device

ctl.!default plughw:Device

You might have to restart the also daemon (/etc/init.d/alsa-utils restart) but for me, it worked right after the writing the config to the file. I also rebooted a few times to ensure the config file is not overwritten.

Patric,
After an alsa-utils restart aplay reports an audio open error. It appears that alsa is looking for a driver related to the line I just edited in the .asoundrc file.

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 0: bcm2835 ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA]
Subdevices: 8/8
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
card 0: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 1: bcm2835 ALSA [bcm2835 IEC958/HDMI]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Device [USB Audio Device], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ cat .asoundrc
pcm.!default {
type plughw:usb
card 1
}

ctl.!default {
type plughw:usb
card 1
}

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ aplay /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/pygame/examples/data/secosmic_lo.wav
ALSA lib dlmisc.c:252:(snd1_dlobj_cache_get) Cannot open shared library /usr/lib/arm-linux-gnueabihf/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_plughw:usb.so

The .asoundrc config is very basic, all it has to have is two lines:

pcm.!default plughw:Device

ctl.!default plughw:Device

PS: Forgot to mention that I also uncommented "load card-specific configuration files (on request)” in /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf

Ah, thanks Patric but that wasn’t the problem. The braces syntax allows for additional parameters for the driver. My issue was the “device”. I had “usb” instead of “2”. All’s working now. Thanks again. :wink:

Hello Tom,

You are welcome. I am glad you have figured it out. I tried a similar config as you state, but after a reboot, the file would reset to defaults. I hope this works for you.

For all the other folks fighting with Raspbian Jessie and their USB audio adapters, here are two posts that helped me figure this out (somehow):

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/vi…

and

http://alsa.opensrc.org/Asoundrc#Defa….