ALSA-only purists: Question, new GUI app for the mixer and EQ?

greenjeans · Yesterday 15:28:11

So I am one of the alsa-only hard-core holdouts, and I know there's a lot of us out there, so here's what popped into my head last night as I was trying to think about tackling a new project since my app-info project is done. I need something a little more complex to push myself forward in this learning experience and also wanted something even more useful to experienced linux users.

I use pure alsa, and in my systems I add a pair of menu entries, one that opens the alsa mixer in terminal, and another that does the same with the equalizer, looks and works fine but:

1. I'm a GUI guy, can't help it, there's no GUI at all for the EQ, and the mixer is shipped now with a tiny sad gui made with FLTK that just doesn't cut it.
2. It fits the bill for a more complex and potentially useful project.

So i'm thinking a simple gui, with a top pane and a bottom pane, mixer controls on top and EQ in the bottom pane, nice looking sliders, some info about your sound card and such similar to what's in the terminal apps and perhaps some other useful info and things. One simple app to deal with sound, and possibly very helpful to newer folks who might want to go the alsa-only route.

Would love to get folks thoughts on such. This thread will be about the build, I already mocked up a basic working crude protoype last night just for a few controls for the mixer and this seems very do-able and possibly groovy to boot.

EDIT: this thread is NOT about how to get rid of Pulse and Pipe, plenty of other threads cover that, so please no long-winded tutorials and dissertations on how to do so or the merits of doing so. This app will assume you have already converted.

Last edited by greenjeans (Yesterday 15:33:02)

Andre4freedom · Yesterday 18:29:00

Hello greenjeans,
Understanding your question perfectly, have you looked for these tools:

- alsamixergui
- alsa-tools-gui

I'm quite interested in your project.
Good luck!
Greetings, andre

fsmithred · Yesterday 19:53:34

libasound2-plugin-equal with .asoundrc like the example in the README that comes with that package and alsamixergui can show the equalizer.

There are some other mixers that work with alsa, but I don't know if they can display the equalizer. Try them all and make one that's better.

delgado · Yesterday 22:22:24

I remember having QasMixer in my alsa-only-time. It was recommended from someone in this forum and worked good.

It works - shows alsa channels and also pipewire and the inactive hdmi-sound-devices. There are more Qas* sound tools.

JWM-Kit · Today 00:46:57

Have you tried Aitor's amixer-gtk? It is a part of gnuinos.

https://git.devuan.org/aitor_czr/amixer … nch/master

I don't know if it's supports EQ, but it is a nicer ALSA mixer.

Last edited by JWM-Kit (Today 00:47:54)

greenjeans · Today 02:03:43

Thanks for the thoughts y'all! So here's a very rough prototype, got the logic worked out for the mixer that's in the top tab and it's working great, and have an empty bottom pane where the EQ will go, but it's gonna take more work on the EQ than it did the mixer. Plus there will be some stuff at the very bottom, info about sound cards and chips and some other things.
Screenie of progress so far:

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#1 Yesterday 15:28:11

ALSA-only purists: Question, new GUI app for the mixer and EQ?

#2 Yesterday 18:29:00

Re: ALSA-only purists: Question, new GUI app for the mixer and EQ?

#3 Yesterday 19:53:34

Re: ALSA-only purists: Question, new GUI app for the mixer and EQ?

#4 Yesterday 22:22:24

Re: ALSA-only purists: Question, new GUI app for the mixer and EQ?

#5 Today 00:46:57

Re: ALSA-only purists: Question, new GUI app for the mixer and EQ?

#6 Today 02:03:43

Re: ALSA-only purists: Question, new GUI app for the mixer and EQ?

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