Getting Echo Mona sound device to work

Problems and successes with specific brands/models of computer audio hardware
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jukingeo
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun 20 Jul 2008, 16:45

Getting Echo Mona sound device to work

#1 Post by jukingeo »

Hello all,

I recently purchased an Echo Mona sound device mainly because it was supposed to be Linux compliant and it has the features I want. However, I have having trouble getting the device to work.

I am on a triple boot computer in which I have Ubuntu Studio, Puppy Linux and Windows XP loaded on. All three OS's boot fine through Grub.

The Echo Mona IS fully functional in Windows XP, so I know the device works.

Anyway, I have a fellow friend that has been trying to help me and he suggested a few things. Iinstead of retyping everything here, I am just going to post my response to him here.

This is my response to him....hopefully this info helps.

<<Hello Graham,

Long time, no speak. Well anyway, I have had my 'rest' from Linux and I am back on the wagon again. I have decided to tackle Puppy Linux first because it seems like there is 'something going on' between Puppy and my sound device.

I am going to start with my desktop Puppy first and then the JOrgan variant on my USB Memory Stick.

First things first, I did as you said below, however I have the folders 2.6 and 2.6.25 in my /lib/modules folder, not 2.21.7 (remember I have the RT version of Puppy for use with Jack).

Ok, moving forward both of these folders I can navigate down to /lib/modules/2.6 (or 2.6.25) /kernel/sound/pci/echoaudio.

Within the /echoaudio folder, there is the file snd-mona.ko.

When I saw this, I was taking it that this is a good thing. But WAIT! It gets better. Going into my etc/modules/modprobe.conf file, the lines:

alias snd-card-0 snd-mona
alias sound-slot-0 snd mona

are already present! I didn't have to add them.

I also looked for the zdrv_400.sfs file and it appears to be on my system. But where is the question. I get three lines on my system when I search for that file:

Filename Path

+zdrv_400.sfs /mnt/+zdrv_400.sfs
zdrv_400.sfs /tmp/searchresult11192/zdrv_400.sfs
zdrv_400.sfs /zdrv_400.sfs

What does this all mean? To me it doesn't make sense.

Now here is the klincher; when I go into Menu =>Multimedia =>Alsamixer it just flashes really quick on screen and goes away. It does that everytime. The little speaker on the taskbar isn't present and of course there is no sound.

Any suggestions as how I should proceed from here?

Thanx,

Geo>>

That was my response.


So apparently it seems that Puppy IS seeing the sound device. But for some reason it doesn't know what to do with it. Given that everything seems to be there that my friend, Graham, mentioned, I am wondering what I should do next. What should I do with the snd-mona.ko file? Why isn't Alsamixer working, and most of all, how come I don't have sound?

I will say I am MUCH further along in getting this card to work in Puppy than I am in Ubuntu. Ubuntu will not even see the card. But there is a procedure in the Ubuntu forums (and on the ALSA website) that I have still yet to try.

I have not tried it here because I don't know my way around the Puppy Console. It works much differently than Ubuntu's terminal.

Anyway, some assistance would be much appreciated.

Thank You,

Geo

Edit: [Problem Solved: The sarcastic method] Due to the lack of support for the Echo Mona device I have (and the many emails to the ALSA developer that created the driver that have gone unanswered), I have decided I am not going to wait any longer. The Echo Mona is currently up on Ebay and I have ordered an M-Audio Delta 44 from Musician's Friend. It seems people are having more success with this device as in most cases it is automagically recognized AND it has Linux support from M-Audio. So my advice is to steer clear of the Echo line of audio devices, (or any other audio product that requires a major procedure to get installed) unless you have a good knowledge of the inner workings of Linux and ALSA. This is NOT the realm for beginners.

I am hoping that this time will be the charm and I can finally get sound in all my Linux aps without any more hoop jumping. I want to create music mixes...not jump hoops. If I wanted to jump hoops I would join the circus.


Thread Closed.
Last edited by jukingeo on Mon 29 Sep 2008, 17:59, edited 2 times in total.

bill
Posts: 490
Joined: Wed 28 May 2008, 15:32

Getting Echo Mona sound device to work

#2 Post by bill »

Hello Geo,I am bumping this back to the top in hopes someone with way more experience than I have can resolve this issue.Good luck !

muggins
Posts: 6724
Joined: Fri 20 Jan 2006, 10:44
Location: hobart

#3 Post by muggins »

Geo,

It looks like you maybe having problems with your full install not loading required drivers from the zdrv_400.sfs. (The /mnt/+zdrv_400.sfs is just a mountpoint for zdrv_400.sfs).

The simplest solution is to try booting from a CD into RAM, (by entering the prefix puppy pfix=ram in the first few seconds when you reboot), then seeing if your device works OK. If it does, then mount your full install puppy using pmount, then copy across the CD's /lib directory to overwrite the full install /lib directory. e.g. if your full install was located on /dev/hda2 then, after you've booted the CD into RAM & mounted the full install on /mnt/hda2, then:

Code: Select all

cp -rf /lib/* /mnt/hda2/lib

jukingeo
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun 20 Jul 2008, 16:45

#4 Post by jukingeo »

muggins wrote:Geo,

The simplest solution is to try booting from a CD into RAM, (by entering the prefix puppy pfix=ram in the first few seconds when you reboot), then seeing if your device works OK. If it does, then mount your full install puppy using pmount, then copy across the CD's /lib directory to overwrite the full install /lib directory. e.g. if your full install was located on /dev/hda2 then, after you've booted the CD into RAM & mounted the full install on /mnt/hda2, then:

Code: Select all

cp -rf /lib/* /mnt/hda2/lib
I tried it tonight and did as you said and loaded from my CD into Ram. It didn't work. It is doing the same thing. Alsamixer comes up for a half a second and shuts off, there is no volume control on the taskbar, and no audio.

Any ideas at what to do next?

muggins
Posts: 6724
Joined: Fri 20 Jan 2006, 10:44
Location: hobart

#5 Post by muggins »

Oh! I was hoping it was OK with the live CD. Does it work
with Ubuntu? With puppy, what output do you get if you
run lsmod?

I don't know the Echo Mona device, but have you tried running
the Alsa Sound wizard, and trying the legacy option?

jukingeo
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun 20 Jul 2008, 16:45

#6 Post by jukingeo »

muggins wrote:Oh! I was hoping it was OK with the live CD. Does it work
with Ubuntu? With puppy, what output do you get if you
run lsmod?

I don't know the Echo Mona device, but have you tried running
the Alsa Sound wizard, and trying the legacy option?
I haven't tried lsmod yet, but I have tried the Alsa Sound Wizard and it doesn't show up. It mostly comes up with sound blaster and really old formats such as Adlib and Roland Sound Canvas. But neither Echo nor Mona shows up.

The Echo Mona isn't working in Ubuntu either. I did post the issue there as well, but thusfur not much help has come forward.

Supposedly the Mona is recognized in Linux, but it doesn't seem like there are many that tried to get Echo products to work. The M-Audio and RME stuff is supposed to be "automagically" recognized, but the reason why I didn't go with one of those cards is because M-Audio is really cheap junk and RME is way too expensive. The Echo products come in on a nice price level and it is a good piece. However, Echo doesn't directly support the product in Linux (Alsa supports it though), whereas both M-Audio and RME directly make Linux drivers for their product.

Anyway, I am open to more ideas as to getting this to work.

Geo

maggotspawn
Posts: 355
Joined: Tue 19 Aug 2008, 21:12
Location: Los Angeles, CA.
Contact:

#7 Post by maggotspawn »

You might try the OSS driver. I got Puppy to see and use my M-Audio Ozone USB audio/midi interface that way. Available at www.agitprop666.com/Puppy.html
It's a deb package, download, extract, and put the files and folders where they should go in the usr folder.

jukingeo
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun 20 Jul 2008, 16:45

#8 Post by jukingeo »

maggotspawn wrote:You might try the OSS driver. I got Puppy to see and use my M-Audio Ozone USB audio/midi interface that way. Available at www.agitprop666.com/Puppy.html
It's a deb package, download, extract, and put the files and folders where they should go in the usr folder.
My device is not supported by OSS, only ALSA.

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