Re: RME HDSP+Multiface: Pipewire crackling playback

Hello,

In the Message; 

  Subject    : RME HDSP+Multiface: Pipewire crackling playback
  Message-ID : <jwvqgjdoxtuwpjvkypjc7bblissacph42h3xj243avbir5kbio@gpdirylg3zsl>
  Date & Time: Tue, 4 Aug 2026 01:04:39 +0200

[PP] == "Peter P." <peterparker-97jfqw80gc5Wk0Htik3J/[email protected]> has written:

PP>  Hi list,

PP>  I am having constantly crackling drop-outs when trying to use my RME
PP>  HDSP+Multiface card under pipewire. Let me add that the card works
PP>  flawlessly under native jack.

PP>  Here is what pw-top tells me. The ERR count for the card goes up while I
PP>  am playing back audio from mpv through it:

PP>  S   ID   QUANT RATE  WAIT    BUSY     W/Q   B/Q   ERR    FORMAT        NAME
PP>  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
PP>  R   44   1024  48000 325.4us 111.5us  0.02  0.01  365    S32P 18 48000 alsa_output.pci-0000_04_00.0.multichannel
PP>  R  121      0  44100  60.1us  89.1us  0.00  0.00    0     F32P 2 44100 + mpv

PP>  The problem persists with other playback software such as a browser too:
PP>  R  121   3600  48000  29.9us  46.5us  0.00  0.00    0    F32LE 2 48000 + Firefox

PP>  I can make the error go away by manually switching the HDSP card to
PP>  44.1kHz using the hdspconf control panel. Then audio will playback at wrong
PP>  speed/pitch but without drop-outs. Switching back to 48kHz will now
PP>  produce playback at correct speed/pitch and without dropouts.

PP>  The drop-outs return almost always when the playback software is
PP>  restarted.

PP>  I don't think it is an issue that can be resolved by increasing quant
PP>  further.

PP>  I have also tried to tinker with pw-metadata, first querying settings:
PP>  $ pw-metadata -n settings
PP>  [...]
PP>  	update: id:0 key:'clock.rate' value:'48000' type:''
PP>  	update: id:0 key:'clock.allowed-rates' value:'[ 48000 ]' type:''
PP>  	update: id:0 key:'clock.force-rate' value:'0' type:''

PP>  and the trying to force a different rate:
PP>  $ pw-metadata -n settings 0 clock.force-rate 44100
PP>  which yields no updated rate:
PP>  	update: id:0 key:'clock.rate' value:'48000' type:''
PP>  	update: id:0 key:'clock.allowed-rates' value:'[ 48000 ]' type:''
PP>  	update: id:0 key:'clock.force-rate' value:'44100' type:''
PP>  possibly since 44100 is not found in the allowed-rates? 

PP>  I am not trying to add more possible rates with
PP>  $ pw-metadata -n settings 0 clock.allowed-rates 44100,48000
PP>  (unsure about the exact syntax and not finding any docs on it)
PP>  followed by 
PP>  $ pw-metadata -n settings 0 clock.force-rate 44100
PP>  still gives:
PP>  	update: id:0 key:'clock.allowed-rates' value:'44100,48000' type:''

PP>  Is there a config file I can set that cards sampling rate in?
PP>  Can anyone recommend anything else I can try to get clean playback?

It's an old sound card, so I'm not entirely sure, but how about this?

    1. Set the clock source to "Internal" in hdspconf

    2. make 10-rate.conf file  in ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire.d.conf

       context.properties = {
       			  default.clock.rate = 48000
       			  default.clock.allowed-rates = [ 48000 ]
       			  default.clock.force-rate = 48000
			  default.clock.quantum = 1024
       }

     3. $ systemctl --user restart piprewire pipewire-pulse.soscket wirfeplumber

     4. If the problem persists, increase the quantum value to

     	   default.clock.quantum = 2048

If that still doesn't work, please either play the audio using the
pw-jack layer ($ pw-jack mpv ) or report the issue to the PipeWire
bug tracker.

--
┏━━┓彡    Masaru Nomiya                  mail-to: nomiya @ ab.auone-net.jp
┃＼／彡
┗━━┛     　　 "It was a sin to be delicious. -- Abstinence preached by
	     	  Christianity."

  -- "The History of the mind in French Cuisine" Chikako Hashimoto (in JP) --