softhddevice with multiple audio-outputs

Rene · June 30, 2025 at 4:54 PM New

Hi,

I wonder if it is possible to have softhddevice to output the sound to multiple outputs? I have my tv connected to a Gforce GT1030, and my headphones to the motherboards analog audio output. Both audioroutes work, but indifidually..

Code

# Gforce HDMI
-a hw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3
-d :0.0
-f
-v vdpau
-xx

Code

# Analog audio
-a -a hw:CARD=SB,DEV=0
-d :0.0
-f
-v vdpau
-xx

I had such a setup with xineliboutput, but i lost my setting, and i can't get to work anymore

lnj · June 30, 2025 at 5:50 PM New

Use /etc/asound.conf for it, to create virtual multiple output device.

You can set only one device for softhddevice.

theonlychriss · **Stand: 17 Nov. 2024**

Quote from lnj

Use /etc/asound.conf for it, to create virtual multiple output device.
You can set only one device for softhddevice.

Hi Rene,

when you have mastered that, please let us (especially me ) know how you did it, because I have not been able to put together a working config .

Thanks in advance and cheers,
Chriss

Rene · June 30, 2025 at 8:18 PM New

Hi,

Thanks for the hint! I will have a look, and hopefully i will manage to get this to work First I have thogh to figure out how to get the plugin to output any sound to alsa, because what I have tried til now seem to return just silence

Rene · June 30, 2025 at 8:50 PM New

I guess this configuration is wrong for Alsa, when it returns just silence?

Code

-a alsa
-c PCM
-d :0.0
-f
-v vdpau
-xx

Or should I use

Code

-a hw:0,0

instead?

Rene · June 30, 2025 at 10:56 PM New

I got now some progress..

Code

# /etc/asound.conf
# reload with: alsa force-reload
# test output: aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav

pcm.multiout {
    type multi
    slaves.a.pcm "hw:0,0"  # Replace with your first card's ID
    slaves.b.pcm "hw:1,3"  # Replace with your second card's ID
    slaves.a.channels 2    # Example: 2 channels for the first card
    slaves.b.channels 2    # Example: 2 channels for the second card
    bindings.0.slave a
    bindings.0.channel 0
    bindings.1.slave a
    bindings.1.channel 1
    bindings.2.slave b
    bindings.2.channel 0
    bindings.3.slave b
    bindings.3.channel 1
}

pcm.!default {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "multiout"
}

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This plays the sound in through both devices. What i have not yet figuredout is how to force softhddevice to play to this new device..

to be continued...

lnj · July 1, 2025 at 4:29 AM New

look "aplay -L"

-a default

-a multiout

-a hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0

Rene · July 1, 2025 at 9:48 AM New

Ahaa, i was not aware of being able to use multiple times the same switch! I will test when i get back home!

lnj · July 1, 2025 at 2:50 PM New

No, not use multiple times the same switch, only one, this is an examples.

Rene · July 1, 2025 at 5:14 PM New

Ok. Unfortunately no combination seems to work. I would assume that multiout is the device to use, but that brings silence. All other combinations i have tested play the sound either via HDMI or the audio out port

Rene · July 1, 2025 at 5:50 PM New

BINGO!

Now i got it working! My asound.conf was wrong. I found the working /etc/asound.conf configuration here: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1191152#p1191152

So this is what is needed for vdr to get softhddevice working with two cards. First identify you cards. Here is how it looks for me

Code

# aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 0: ALC887-VD Analog [ALC887-VD Analog]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 1: ALC887-VD Digital [ALC887-VD Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 10: HDMI 4 [HDMI 4]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

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My internal card is card 0 and my Geforce hdmi card is card 1. You can use many notation ways: hw:0,0 and hw:1,3 OR hw:CARD=SB,DEV=0 and hw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3 OR probably any prefix visible by aplay -L

Next my vdr softhddevice config file looks like this.

Code

-a default
-d :0.0
-f
-v vdpau
-xx

and /etc/asound.conf looks like this:

Code

pcm.multiout {
    type route;
    slave.pcm {
        type multi;
        slaves.a.pcm "hw:CARD=SB,DEV=0"
        slaves.b.pcm "hw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3"
        slaves.a.channels 2;
        slaves.b.channels 2;
        bindings.0.slave a;
        bindings.0.channel 0;
        bindings.1.slave a;
        bindings.1.channel 1;
    
        bindings.2.slave b;
        bindings.2.channel 0;
        bindings.3.slave b;
        bindings.3.channel 1;
    }   
   
    ttable.0.0 1;
    ttable.1.1 1;
   
    ttable.0.2 1;  
    ttable.1.3 1;  
}

pcm.!default {
        type plug
        slave.pcm "multiout"
}

ctl.!default {
        type hw
        card SB
}

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You can reload alsa with alsa force-reload or reboot your vdr

That's it

softhddevice with multiple audio-outputs

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