Update documentation for Scarlett 4th Gen and Vocaster
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Geoffrey D. Bennett
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docs/USAGE.md
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# ALSA Scarlett2 Control Panel Usage
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Refer to [INSTALL.md](INSTALL.md) for prerequisites, how to build,
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install, and run.
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## No interface connected
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If no interface is detected (usually because there isn’t one
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connected!) you’ll see this window:
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Plug in an interface or select the menu option File → Interface
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Simulation and load a demo file to make more interesting things
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happen.
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## First Time Usage
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If your interface is fresh out of the box (or you haven’t updated it
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using the manufacturer’s software), you may need to update the
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firmware and/or disable MSD Mode first.
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### Firmware Update Required
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Some interfaces require a firmware update before all their
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functionality is available. If the firmware is not available on your
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system, you’ll see this window:
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In this case, click on the link, download and install the firmware
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package, then restart `alsa-scarlett-gui`.
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If a firmware update is required and the firmware is available, you’ll
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see this window:
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Click “Update”, then “Yes” to update the firmware.
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The update will take about 15 seconds, and then your interface will
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restart, showing the main window.
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### MSD (Mass Storage Device/Quick Start/Easy Start) Mode
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If MSD Mode is enabled (as it is from the factory) and a firmware
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update is not available or required, then you’ll see this window:
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Click the “Enabled” button to disable MSD Mode, then click “Reboot” to
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restart the interface, and in a moment the main window will appear.
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## Startup Controls
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The View → Startup menu option opens a window to configure settings
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that only take effect when the interface is powered on.
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The options common to all interfaces are:
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- **Reset Configuration**: this will reset the configuration to the
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factory defaults. This is particularly useful with the 4th Gen and
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Vocaster interfaces if you’ve made a mess of the configuration and
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want to start again.
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- **Update Firmware**: if a firmware update is found in the
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`/usr/share/firmware/scarlett2` directory, then an option to update
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the firmware will be available here.
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## File Menu
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The File menu contains options to load and save the configuration,
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load a configuration in simulation mode, and to exit the application.
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### Load/Save Configuration
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The entire state of the interface can be loaded and saved using the
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File → Load Configuration and File → Save Configuration menu options.
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Internally, this uses `alsactl`:
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- **Load**: `alsactl restore USB -f <fn>`
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- **Save**: `alsactl store USB -f <fn>`
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The saved state files can be used to simulate an interface if you
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don’t have one attached. The `demo` directory in the distribution
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contains a sample file for every supported model.
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### Interface Simulation Mode
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The GUI can load an `alsactl` state file saved from a real interface
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and display a GUI as if the corresponding interface was connected.
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This is useful if you don’t have an interface connected and want to
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try, develop, or debug the GUI.
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Either specify the `.state` filename on the command line or select the
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menu option File → Interface Simulation to load.
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## Interface Controls
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The controls and menu items which are available vary widely, depending
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on your specific interface.
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There are three broad categories of interfaces with different
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capabilities; each category of interface is described in a separate
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ocument:
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- [Scarlett 3rd Gen Solo and 2i2](iface-small.md)
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Minimal number of controls, and they mostly accessible through
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hardware buttons anyway. Not very interesting.
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- [Scarlett 2nd Gen 6i6+, 3rd Gen 4i4+, Clarett USB, and
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Clarett+](iface-large.md)
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Full routing and mixing capabilities.
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- [Scarlett 4th Gen](iface-4th-gen.md)
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Full routing and mixing capabilities, remote-controlled input gain,
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but no output controls.
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## Known Bugs/Issues
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- Load/Save uses `alsactl` which will be confused if the ALSA
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interface name (e.g. `USB`) changes.
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- Load/Save is not implemented for simulated interfaces.
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- The read-only status of controls in interface simulation mode does
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not change when the HW/SW button is clicked.
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- When there’s more than one main window open, closing one of them
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doesn’t free and close everything related to that card.
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- There is no facility to group channels into stereo pairs (needs
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kernel support to save this information in the interface).
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- There is no facility to give channels custom names (needs kernel
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support to save this information in the interface).
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