[SOLVED] USB sound card

[mrflash3]

Hi,

I need your recommendation. I have 3.0 USB hub and I am trying to find some good but affordable USB sound card which will work on Linux Mint Cinnamon. I don't need effects and that stuff, I just want to plug my speakers to USB hub instead of 3.5mm jack on my laptop and have a good sound.
Does anyone have some suggestion?

Have a nice day

[phd21]

Hi mrflash3,

I have this very basic USB sound card and it works perfectly in my Linux Mint system (plug-in-play), see first link below. But, there are many others with more advanced features that are still reasonably priced, see second link below.

AmazonSmile: SYBA external USB Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows, Mac, Linux Extra Audio Source with Microphone SD-CM-UAUD: Computers & Accessories
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

Lots of various USB sound card for Linux
Amazon.com: usb sound card linux: Electronics
https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no ... card+linux

Note: If you want to be able to record what is playing through your desktop (speaker out) and a microphone (input) at the same time, then you will need a sound card that will allow "stereo mix" input capture option. The basic USB sound card I got does not do that, but the built-in sound card on the motherboard does.

Hope this helps ...

[mrflash3]

Hi phd21,

You are awesome, thank you so much for the reply! This information is very helpful, just what I was looking for and I will pick some of the cards you suggested.

Thank you again and all the best!

[phd21]

Hi mrflash3,

You are welcome...

[second.exodous]

Note: If you want to be able to record what is playing through your desktop (speaker out) and a microphone (input) at the same time, then you will need a sound card that will allow "stereo mix" input capture option. The basic USB sound card I got does not do that, but the built-in sound card on the motherboard does.

I want to get one just so in OBS I can tell the difference between my built in mic audio, which is horrible, and the audio jack. I have to fiddle with the setting quite a bit to get my computer to use the audio jack over the built in mic.

So would OBS be able to record game audio and the mic through this? I'm not quite sure if that would require "stereo mix" or not.

Thanx,
Stan

[phd21]

Hi Stan (second.exodous),

I just noticed your post.

Unfortunately, my ancient under-powered computer cannot run the superb OBS (Open Broadcasting System) software because it requires a video card that supports "openGL" v3 or higher.

I can, however, use SimpleScreenRecorder to record anything on my Desktop (including games) and my Microphone at the same time because my onboard sound card has the "stereo mix" option in the inputs. I do this for some video tutorials that I create. I always install the "qas" packages (qasmixer), pulse audio volume control, and the video for linux (V4L) packages from the "Synaptic Package Manager (SPM)".

You can use QasMixer, Sound Settings, and or pulse audio volume control to specify the default microphone (and turn it on if it is off) if you have more than one mic, along with other settings. In the Sound Settings or pulse audio volume control is where you can select the default configuration and inputs like which microphone.

I found that when recording desktop audio and my microphone using the Stereo Mix option, I had to reduce any running application volumes (desktop audio) to 16% using the application's volume control, or pulse audio volume control or Sound Settings which is barely audible in my headset, with mic volume at or over 100%, but the video recorded desktop audio normally and louder so that it would not overpower my microphone. This took some experimenting, recording video, playing them, changing settings, retrying, until I got what I wanted.

I have a nice low-cost USB sound card adapter (as a backup), but it does not have the stereo mix option for recording the desktop applications sound and a microphone at the same time.

Hope this helps ...
.

QasMixer1.jpg

[second.exodous]

Hmm, not sure if this will help anyone in the future or not but I messed with my settings over and over again and I couldn't get the settings correct. My mic was picking up a lot of noise even in a quite room. When turning up the volume on a recording it just sounded like static and that was before I had to apply gain because it recorded so low.

Anyway I record external audio through a Zoom H1 in the field because GoPro's audio sucks and mix the Gopros video with the H1s audio in post. When I was moving audio from my Zoom H1 to PC through USB, I noticed that there was an audio setting. I can use my zoom as an external mic and it sounds amazing. The funny thing is when I rout the same mics I tried on my PC that sounded like garbage through it to my PC they also sound amazing. Now I don't need to buy an external sound card to help the recordings on my PC sound better.

Like I said, don't know if this would help anyone, but it works in Linux and it recognizes it as 'H4 Digital Recorder Digital Stereo (IEC958)'. No drivers, it just shows up in sound settings, Alsa, and OBS Studio. The Zoom H1 is discontinued but they have a new Zoom H1n and supposedly has the same features. It really is amazing audio compared to the audio jacks on my notebook, very little noise and I don't have to apply any gain to raise the volume. It costs $100 so not worth buying it over another sound card, maybe better value that a nice mic though. However, if you have any kind of external recorder I would see if it has this feature before messing with settings, buying an external USB sound card, or buying an expensive mic.

[ThaCrip]

I figured I would make a post here to list a couple of USB sound cards that work on Linux Mint v19.3 (and I would assume newer versions of Linux Mint to)...

-Sabrent AU-MMSA
-TROND AC2-P (this one says it's TRRS which supposedly works with a headset with a built-in microphone. but I have not tested it as I only tested the basic stereo speakers with a 3.5mm jack which work well which is a basic TRS connection. NOTE: I am currently using this one as the Sabrent I am using as a backup in case this one dies)

both show up under Linux Mint 19.3 as 'Unitek Y-247A' on it's Sound icon in taskbar. right click sound icon, select 'Output device' and you will see it there under 'Speakers'.

NOTE: I noticed both default to 47% output volume upon initial connection but I just raise it to 100% (occasionally 130% if I need a little more volume amplification but doing that there can be a bit of distortion occasionally but it's no fault of the Sabrent/TROND devices as this is normal/expected behavior as at 100% volume there is no distortion) and adjust volume from my Klipsch Pro-Media speakers themselves from it's volume control.

p.s. I needed one for my main PC since the onboard sound died not long ago now (the motherboard has been in use for 8 years and 4 months) and these are a cheap/easy way to get sound restored to ones computer since they are right around $8-13 or so online right now.