Alesis IO|2

Wednesday, February 22. 2006

Today I received a new toy: a brand new Alesis IO|2 device. It's a USB audio device with two microphone/line/guitar inputs (with insert plugs), MIDI in and out, 2 output channels and a headphone connector. The device is completely powered by the USB port and seems quite robust (haven't tested throwing it at the ground - and won't do that anytime soon ). It seems to be good for low latency setups: A simple test with jack connecting input and output, and speaking into a microphone made it feel almost like plugging the microphone directly into the mixer connected to the amp.

Getting it to work with Linux was painless, except for one caveat: The device only does 24bit, no 16bit or even 8... That means, most programs won't work with it. Only jackd opens the device without throwing errors.

Since I wanted to test other programs with the device I started playing with the ~/.asoundrc file. With a simple trick, ALSA can automatically convert 16Bit audio data to 24Bit:

pcm.io2 {
type hw
card io2
}
ctl.io2 {
type hw
card io2
}

pcm.intel {
type hw
card I82801CAICH3
}
ctl.intel {
type hw
card I82801CAICH3
}

pcm.!default {
type plug
slave {
pcm io2
format S24_3LE
}
}

The important part is the !default clause that defines the conversion to S24_3LE (omitting the format statement works as well - seems like ALSA knows the right format to use in that case).

I tried the ALSA softvol plugin (as the device has no mixing controls) but didn't succeed. Dmix also seems to be only supported for S16 and S32 hardware, so no dmix... But aRts, mplayer, ogg123, xine and of course jackd work without problems now.

Update:

There seem to be problems - either in aRts or in the ALSA format converter. After some time the music turns into static. Not nice

Now testing with JuK directly outputting using aKode...

Posted by Matthias Kretz in Linux at 22:24 | Comments (28) | Trackbacks (0)

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Hi,

I've very interested in this sweet device! where can i buy it?

#1 Samuel Mukoti (Homepage) on 2006-02-23 15:31 (Reply)

I have the same device in parallel to the standard AC97 and
the system seems to see it, but I cannot access it at all.
When I plug in the io2, /proc/asound/io2/ appears, but I still
cannot access it through any program. I tried "audacity", but this
offers only "/dev/dsp". I also didn't find out how to call alsamixer
to use the io2. My main target is to use the io2 for recordings and
the AC97 for playback. Do you have any suggestions?

Tnx, Armin

#2 armin on 2006-04-19 22:21 (Reply)

I don't think OSS emulation for the USB ALSA driver works. At least I wasn't able to use it. So you have to use the ALSA output and I guess it's the hw:1 device for you as well. If you use my asoundrc file the default ALSA output will be the IO|2, making things a little easier.

alsamixer (or kmix or whatever) won't show a mixer for the IO|2 as the IO|2 doesn't have a mixer at all. The knobs on the device are all the mixer elements you ever gonna get (and need).

#2.1 Matthias Kretz (Homepage) on 2006-04-20 14:24 (Reply)

Thanks for your info, I got the device basically running. I'm still looking for a good
recording software and I will try to fine-tune the asoundrc-file, but I already
succeded with aplay/arecord/xmms.
BTW: I tried playing music continuously for about one hour now and I don't have the problem of the music turning static. The only difference I see: I'm currently using the esd instead of aRts

#2.1.1 Armin on 2006-04-20 23:10 (Reply)

The static noise, isn't that an effect from the buffering?
I used IO|2 in cubase and sometimes, when the system "overworked" everything turned into static noise.

Can't you access some sort of controlpanel for IO|2 and increase the buffer-size?
That solved the problem in Cubase, XP...

#2.1.1.1 Viktor Svensson on 2007-11-16 15:39 (Reply)

hi, i also have a alesis io/2 witch has been working fine but i have recently brought a mic and can not get a input on cubase,can u help?

#2.1.2 brian on 2008-05-16 00:12 (Reply)

Hi,
I just bought the device and used it successfully to record to muse.
BUT: Playback is terrible. I used to have a PCI SB16 card (ensoniq chipset) wich performaned perfect on playback with jack. But the Alesis constantly "stumbles". It´s a shame as I wanted to use it as my primary sounddevice and it also interferes with the Ensoniq card (you hear the midi and mousemovement as ticks in the headphone. Do you have any special hints for jacksetup? Maybe my USB-port is too slow? It "should" be a USB2.0 though. Kinda stuck, but I get lots of xruns wich I didn´t get with the Ensoniqcard. Pitty, because apart that the device is awesome.

#3 lispy on 2006-09-27 20:04 (Reply)

I used the IO|2 on both a USB 1 and USB 2 system. No interference was audible and I don't understand how it could be as the audio data is transferred digitally to the IO|2 where the DAC finally converts it to an analog signal, only then can interference affect the output. The only thing that could happen is that the digital signal is interrupted which should sound like "stumbling".

#3.1 Matthias Kretz (Homepage) on 2006-09-30 15:03 (Reply)

I installed alsa with apt-get, i made a .asoundrc file in my home directory. Usb modules are loaded and io 2 appears in /proc. When I try to play a sound with aplay, i've got the message : aplay: set_params:857: Sample format non available. When I try with jack : ALSA: cannot set hardware parameters for playback
ALSA: cannot configure playback channel
So it doesn't work with any application...
Can someone help me please ???

#4 Corbet Etienne on 2006-12-10 01:17 (Reply)

[quote]aplay: set_params:857: Sample format non available. When I try with jack : ALSA: cannot set hardware parameters for playback[/quote]

You need to use a 24 bit format. The io|2 hw doesn't support anything else except S24_3LE.

#4.1 Matthias Kretz (Homepage) on 2007-03-13 14:52 (Reply)

Hey - Is this USB 2 ? If its usb 1 it might not be able to record and play at the same time ..or ? I need to be monitoring effects while recording.Is it possible with this card?
from Jesper

#5 Jesper on 2007-03-13 14:29 (Reply)

It is USB 1. And it does full-duplex 24 bit, 48kHz, 2 channels. I actually did that: record two signals while playing back what I already recorded.

AFAIK USB 2 audio devices are not very common. It's either Firewire or USB 1.

#5.1 Matthias Kretz (Homepage) on 2007-03-13 14:49 (Reply)

Has anyone used this device in conjunction with a mixer to get the sound right going into the computer? I've got a little 4-channel mixer and I'm trying to run the mic I have through that, then into the io2 and into the computer, but it's not working. Anyone have experience with this?

#6 April on 2007-03-23 01:42 (Reply)

well, I have it passing sound through, but I keep getting clicks. Every time I get a click, it shows "xrun of at least ...". Are these latency hits? Is there some parameter I can change to make this go away?" Thanks for the great info.

#7 David on 2007-05-06 05:26 (Reply)

You say that after some time the music turns into static when you run artsd, does this happen with jackd on top of alsa as well?

#8 Anonymous on 2007-06-30 13:10 (Reply)

Yes, playback from Ardour using jackd I get static sometimes.

#8.1 Matthias Kretz (Homepage) on 2007-07-22 11:59 (Reply)

Im new to linux (sad but true i know) and I have this wonderful Alesis since a year ago. Obviously Windows recognises it and Fruityloops (My Music Creator Engine) sings beautifully through it but I hav'ent tried yet to get fruityloops working with Ubuntu through Alesis - Should I bother?? Or will fruity loops only turn with windows through my alesis?

#9 faeirywoman on 2007-07-13 16:35 (Reply)

I'm having issues with mine, similar to everyone else's. I use Adobe Audition, and then moved to Fruity Loops. It seems no program works flawlessly with this unit without issues. I'm disappointed.

#10 Mark on 2007-07-21 23:42 (Reply)

after upgrading to gutsi gibbon there's just for a split of a second sound on my external usb-soundcard (alesis io|2) (usb2)

dieter@Cepheus:~$ cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [VT82xx ]: HDA-Intel - HDA VIA VT82xx
HDA VIA VT82xx at 0xfbffc000 irq 22
1 [io2 ]: USB-Audio - io|2
Alesis io|2 at usb-0000:00:10.4-2.1, full speed

dieter@Cepheus:~$ asoundconf list
Names of available sound cards:
VT82xx
io2

#11 cepheus on 2007-11-14 19:59 (Reply)

Hi,
so, all in all, the Alesis IO|2 is not that good for recording with linux? Would you not buy it again?
I am asking, because i am searching fopr a cheap recordinginterface with phantom-power...

#12 Julian on 2008-01-01 15:35 (Reply)

It works fine (and full featured, for all I know) on Linux. I'd buy it again...

ALSA now has support for dmix for the io|2, but it's buggy (i.e. it'll make all apps crash). But if you don't use dmix with the io|2 everything works fine.

#12.1 Matthias Kretz (Homepage) on 2008-01-01 18:18 (Reply)

Im having a problem with my io2... i installed the device thing and when i hooked up the usb it doesnt even detect the io2 and when i try using programs like acid to record it cant even dectect the thing. i need help..

#13 Rag on 2008-02-20 06:05 (Reply)

This sounds a lot like you're talking about Windows. I can't help with that.

#13.1 Matthias Kretz on 2008-02-20 10:33 (Reply)

thanks 1000x! this worked perfect for me, my io2 is working connected to a laptop running ubuntu gutsy. cool...

#14 bulb on 2008-03-31 18:31 (Reply)

did u get this asoundrc to work with the oss drivers?
my realplayer and xmms will not play sound anymore when the second sound card is disconnected.
if than i remove asoundrc, realplay and xmms plays again sound.
dmix?
how?
i find setup asoundrc very confusing...
xorg.conf was for me much easier to understand, back than...
any hint would be veryvery apriciated

#15 bulb on 2008-04-07 22:55 (Reply)

I saw your comment about the windows. Bloody bill gates. I bought the device and I could connect but the sound disappears in the USB cable. once i could manage to get some responds in the cubase LE 4 program but i can forget the recording...

What have you done to us Bill!!!!!!!11

#16 Crhis on 2008-04-13 23:02 (Reply)

i solved all issues for now concerning second sound card io2 with dmix and dsnoop:
to write a asoundrc by myself is quite boring.
i found asoundconf-gtk:
it does the job for u:
it writes an .asoundconf automatically when u switch the card.
so skype and realplay work now automatically.
for other programs like rosegarden qjackctl does the job perfectly.
so: install asoundconf-gtk and your problems are solved.
byebye and thx

#17 bulb on 2008-04-14 12:40 (Reply)

hey, I have alesis io 2 and ubuntu studio. I have'nt managed to get Jack to work the io2 realtime without Xruns on Gutsy Gibbon or Hardy Hardy Heron yet: I have a realltime kernel and properly configered access to realtime for all audio apps... Any suggestions?

#18 robin on 2008-05-12 20:31 (Reply)

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