USB Mixer [Solved]

[JayBird707]

I have a Sound Blaster SB X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro USB sound card that I want to use as an external mixer. I can't figure out how to get the Sound Blaster USB signal routed as an input to my on board sound card.
The Sound Blaster is recognized by Linux. The inputs and outputs are listed and configurable in Pulse Audio. The problem is when i go into a mixer there are no configurable controls. In QasMixer the Sound Blaster is listed but when you select it there are no controls.
In ALSA Mixer when you select the Sound Blaster it gives the message : "This sound device does not have any controls".

Any and all guidance appreciated.

[catweazel]

I went to the website and looked at the pictures, I also downloaded and read the manual for you. Specifically see the picture to the left of the heading "Comprehensive connectivity for all your audio needs". From reading the manual and looking at that picture, it doesn't use USB for sound, only power. That explains why you don't have any controls. The USB is for power. You need to run line out cables from your machine to the box's line in, and from the box to your speakers. This is easily seen because the picture shows that the box requires a line input.

The manual clearly shows that you must use cables as I described above.

To put all that into 6 words or less, the device is not a mixer. In 3 words or less, it's an emulator.

[JayBird707]

The problem was resolved once I found: http://jackaudio.org/faq/multiple_devices.html and got pointed to the ALSA commands 'alsa_in' and 'alsa_out'. I then found this very clear and concise explanation of the command usage that addressed exactly what I wanted to accomplish http://www.penguinproducer.com/Blog/201 ... -with-jack .
I can now mix (using JACK or Ardour) any input or output on my On Board audio card, a Creative SB X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro and a generic C-Media Electronics, Inc. CM106 Like Sound Device.