Audio recording via USB poor quality from 3.5.5 onwards

[Moo-Lefty]

Your system information

• Steam client version: ?
• SteamOS version: 3.5.7
• Opted into Steam client beta?: Yes
• Opted into SteamOS beta?: Yes
• Have you checked for updates in Settings > System?: [Yes

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

I use steam deck to record music

I use an adat to usb interface (minidsp usb streamer) and record in Reaper on desktop mode.

Prior to 3.5.5 this worked flawlessly.

After updating to 3.5.5 (and trying every subsequent beta) the audio in is garbled and has heavy aliasing. It sounds "lo-fi" in comparison to 3.4.11.

The playback of previously recorded tracks (prior to the OS update) is fine, the problem seems isolated to audio IN from usb

I have tried messing with the quantum clock rates but no change. I did a full factory reset on 3.5.7 to rule out any other changes I may have made, no change.

I use the application Carla to route audio and it seems like filter sink/source is a new option in 3.5.5, so clearly something major with the audio setup has changed.

I have also used Carla to route a simple audio pass through, in to out, to rule out Reaper being the issue. The quality problem remains.

I had hoped the recent mic fix might help with this, but there's no noticeable difference in 3.5.7.

Downgrading is the only thing that works at present.

I am now back on steamOS 3.1 as I had to reimage the entire deck using an old image, as sadly there doesn't seem to be an archive of previous images, only https://steamdeck-images.steamos.cloud/recovery/

One of my images stored 3.5.5, the other 3.5.7, so now I am stuck with 3.1 from a previous recovery image. 3.4.11 was the last working version.

I have also recorded into iPad with the same setup, to rule out that the problem is any other hardware. That works fine, as it did previously , so it seems to be entirely related to steamos version.

[felakuti4life]

Hi @Moo-Lefty ,

If you feel comfortable with editing files in the OS, would you mind attempting the following:

1. Go to the file /usr/share/wireplumber/main.lua.d/60-alsa-card0-config.lua

2. remove the following line:

   ["api.alsa.period-size"] = 256,

3. reboot the console.

[Moo-Lefty]

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestion. Tried this on 3.5.7 - unfortunatley no change, still poor quality.

Not sure if relevant but I also tried amending the BIOS settings:

Audio DMIC Clock Control - 1.536 Mhz - changed to 3.072 Mhz USB Dual Role Device - tried DRD & XHCI

No change.

Perhaps I need to specify a higher or lower period size rather than delete altogether?

[Moo-Lefty]

Hi @felakuti4life ,

Any update here? No change on 3.5.8 - It's quite frustrating to no longer be able to use steam deck for one of the main reasons I bought it (other than gaming), when it worked perfectly before.

[Moo-Lefty]

@felakuti4life any more suggestions, please? I have a project which I am now unable to complete

[Moo-Lefty]

@felakuti4life is this likely to be fixed in 3.6 or 3.7? Thanks