Using external USB mic as input, with built in speakers as output?

Installation & Configuration Mac OS X
#1

Hi there. I just got a USB mic that I would like to use with Ardour, but I just can’t figure out how to use it.

When I plug the mic in, I see in in my system preferences pane as an input that I can select and use, and it works just fine with Audacity and Amadeus II(some other basic editors for the mac), but it seems that I can use only one input or output set with the JackPilot app at once.

In the JackPilot preferences, under the “Interface” drop down list, I see “Built-in Audio” and my USB mic. If I select “Built-in Audio”, start the Jack server, then start Ardour, when I create a track I have the options to use coreaudio as my ins and outs in the track/bus inspector. I can even create a new track and start recording audio from the built-in mic(it’s a laptop) to a track and play it back through the speakers.

When I do all the same but select my USB mic in the JackPilot app’s preferences, when I open Ardour, I get the message

[ERROR]: AudioEngine: cannot connect ardour:auditioner/out1 (ardour:auditioner/out1) to coreaudio:Built-in Audio:in1 (coreaudio:Built-in Audio:in1) [ERROR]: AudioEngine: cannot connect ardour:auditioner/out2 (ardour:auditioner/out2) to coreaudio:Built-in Audio:in2 (coreaudio:Built-in Audio:in2)

and my USB mic is listed as inputs that I can use with my tracks, but the built-in audio out is no longer an option for output, so I can’t hear anything. Not only that, but even when I am able to select my USB mic as an input for my track, record enable the track and try to do a test recording, all the track records silence.

Is there a way to use the input that I select in my system preferences pane in Ardour, or add both the built-in audio and my USB mic in the JACK interface options?

#2

Hey! Many years later, I’m running into the same issue- I cannot seem to configure JACK for the external-in/builtin-out scenario. Any insights?

#3

@vastus

Short version is it is discouraged for multiple reasons.

Longer version: http://jackaudio.org/faq/multiple_devices.html

Other version, if you use something like the ALSA backend instead of Jack, you can use two half duplex devices, so long as you don’t need the power Jack provides.

 Seablade
#4

@seablade: The ALSA backend will only start with one half-duplex or a full-duplex device. It won’t resample or allow to combine two half-duplex devices.

JACK with alsa_in/out or zita-a2jbridge is currently the only option to use multiple devices on GNU/Linux.

#5

on OSX, upcoming Ardour 4.1 will allow to combine devices.

Short of using a nightly build or wait for 4.1, you can use the OSX “Audio Midi Setup” (Applications > Utilities) and create an Aggregate Device manually.