Renoise on Ubuntu -- No Sound at all, + Failed to Create a RealTime priority thread for ALSA

[sf999]

Hey everyone,

I just downloaded Renoise for Ubuntu, and was excited to see that it’s one of the few DAWs that you can easily download for Ubuntu.

I have used Ubuntu for a while, but I know literally nothing about Linux. I use it because it’s faster and simpler and less annoying than windows, but I know virtually nothing about directories, editing files in the text editor, etc. Keep that in mind in your responses, I probably have little idea what you’re talking about but I can follow step by step instructions if they’re truly step by step.

I’m having two issues. One, I get the “Failed to create a RealTime priority thread for ALSA” message when opening Renoise.

Second issue, I load in some of the demo songs and play them, but 0 sound at all comes out. Renoise shows that there is audio playing, but I hear nothing. I can play audio in other programs both with Renoies open and not open. I have all of the files that downloaded when I downloaded Renoise in my home directory.

Lots of the solutions for RealTime priority ofr ALSA reference etc/security/limits.conf, but I have no idea how to open this file, and nothing I’m finding on the internet helps.

when I run cd rns_x_y_z_reg

the response is

bash: cd: rns_x_y_z_reg: No such file or directory

What can I do to get sound + RealTime priority for ALSA?

Thanks, excited to get started.

[schranzonator]

try installing jackd with packagemanager or sudo apt-get install jackd
should automatically add realtime priority
if you dont want jack edit the file with sudo nano /etc/security/limits.conf
you’ve to add a line with rtprio something

[sf999]

That fixed the realtime priority, but i still have no sound at all! I don’t get the realtime priority message anymore, but renoise still doesn’t have any sound at all come out when I play one of the demo tracks

[stoiximan]

You cant use Renoise and other apps with alsa that have sound.Close all programs and open Renoise first.If you want to hear all apps do this

1.sudo apt-get install qjackctl pulseaudio-module-jack

2.Start QJackCtl and in Setup…–> Options–> Execute script after Startup paste the following:

pactl load-module module-jack-sink channels=2; pactl load-module module-jack-source; pacmd set-default-sink jack_out

[sf999]

Please bear with me because as I said I’m a total newbie here.

installing qjackctl worked fine

I added the execute script after startup text. I also tried to open renoise with no other programs running, still no audio.

When I try to “start” qjackctl, I get this error data

09:34:09.108 Statistics reset.
09:34:09.112 ALSA connection change.
09:34:09.115 D-BUS: Service not available (org.jackaudio.service aka jackdbus).
connect(2) call to /dev/shm/jack-1000/default/jack_0 failed (err=No such file or directory)
attempt to connect to server failed
09:34:09.132 ALSA connection graph change.
09:34:14.136 JACK is starting…
09:34:14.136 /usr/bin/jackd -dalsa -dhw:0 -r44100 -p1024 -n2
connect(2) call to /dev/shm/jack-1000/default/jack_0 failed (err=No such file or directory)
attempt to connect to server failed
jackd 0.125.0rc1
Copyright 2001-2009 Paul Davis, Stephane Letz, Jack O’Quinn, Torben Hohn and others.
jackd comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY
This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
under certain conditions; see the file COPYING for details
JACK is running in realtime mode, but you are not allowed to use realtime scheduling.
Please check your /etc/security/limits.conf for the following line
and correct/add it if necessary:
@audio - rtprio 99
After applying these changes, please re-login in order for them to take effect.
You don’t appear to have a sane system configuration. It is very likely that you
encounter xruns. Please apply all the above mentioned changes and start jack again!
09:34:14.148 JACK was started with PID=13488.
09:34:14.149 JACK was stopped
09:34:16.360 Could not connect to JACK server as client. - Overall operation failed. - Unable to connect to server. Please check the messages window for more info.
connect(2) call to /dev/shm/jack-1000/default/jack_0 failed (err=No such file or directory)
attempt to connect to server failed

still no sound from Renoise, although the mixer levels show audio output

[4tey]

Just a quick suggestion. If it was me sf999 (as far as ALSA is concerned) I’d start with Renoise loaded and I’d have a look at the ALSA output device in the Audio tab is in the preferences (just to make sure that the output device is what you want.) (https://tutorials.renoise.com/wiki/Preferences)

[stoiximan]

In qjackctl setup you must choose the right output for you device your speakers.If you have a usb audio interface find out what is the default sample rate and choose the same in qjackctl .Enable d bus in qjackctl and see if that helps or even disable real time priority

[sf999]

How do I do that? For now, I’m just outputting straight from my laptop or headphones. Neither makes any sound and idk how to change that setting in qjackctl

[4tey]

@sf999

How do I do that?

If you are referring to the preferences thing, with Renoise loaded you should find it under the Edit menu around the top left.

Personally I would’ve just concentrated on seeing if the Renoise ALSA device would output audio rather than bring JACK setup into it. At least you can get audio from other programs on your laptop so that’s good (shows that Linux can drive your sound card in the laptop.) Something muted somewhere can also be a problem.

[stoiximan]

Look at these photos and when I get home I will prepare a small tutorial for you
https://qjackctl.sourceforge.io/qjackctl-screenshots.html

[sf999]

It doesn’t let me select jack as the output for some reason, only ALSA. But it still won’t output audio. And I’m not sure how to ensure that it does output audio!

[dd_claws]

Hi! I use pop!_os which is based on Ubuntu and when I select alsa it defaults the output to the HDMI on my laptop. I have to change the output to analog out and then it works. Sorry if you already tried this. Good luck!

[sf999]

lol that was it! I had to change the output to analog. Stupid simple, but the audio is working now. Thank you!

[sf999]

Just replied to another user but I was able to fix it in the settings and get sound out! It was a super simple fix but worked. Thanks for taking the time to write this all out in any case.

[stoiximan]

Do you have a radio extension in Ubuntu?I had some problems also when I used one,disable all extensions reboot open Renoise go to preferences and choose alsa again and under choose your output

[sf999]

no radio extension but this was the solution in the end – I had tried to change the output but didn’t do the solution fully so it didn’t work.

[stoiximan]

Glad you solved the issue now make some music