How to enable 5.1 channel audio over HDMI

[Jonas_raspi]

Hey all,

I'm trying to use my Raspberry Pi to apply some room correction algorithms when playing my music. For this it is connected to my receiver via HDMI. In order for this to properly work, I need to be able to let the Pi give individual signals for each channel to the speakers (especially the subwoofer needs to be separate, so technically 2.1 would be sufficient (the receiver is able to handle up to 7.1).
I remember reading somewhere that this is possible, I just don't know how.
Right now when I connect the Pi to my reciever the receiver says "Audio input format: 2.0 ch (PCM, 48kHz), and when I run

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pi@raspberrypi:~ $ speaker-test  -c 6

speaker-test 1.1.3

Playback device is default
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 6 channels
Using 16 octaves of pink noise
Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
Buffer size range from 256 to 32768
Period size range from 256 to 32768
Using max buffer size 32768
Periods = 4
was set period_size = 8192
was set buffer_size = 32768
 0 - Front Left
 4 - Center
 1 - Front Right
 3 - Rear Right
 2 - Rear Left
 5 - LFE
Time per period = 16.757463
 0 - Front Left
 4 - Center
 1 - Front Right
 3 - Rear Right
 2 - Rear Left
 5 - LFE

I only hear something for 0 - Front Left and 1 - Front Right. For 5 - LFE it remains silent. (For all the other as well since I only have two speakers and a subwoofer connected :p)

Does anybody know how to activate 5.1 channel output?

Oh, in case its helpful, aplay -l shows 8 subdevices. (Maybe indicating 7.1 capability?)

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pi@raspberrypi:~ $ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 0: bcm2835 ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA]
  Subdevices: 8/8
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
  Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
  Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
  Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
  Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
  Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
  Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
card 0: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 1: bcm2835 ALSA [bcm2835 IEC958/HDMI]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

[goatherd]

Subdevices are used for sound mixing so that multiple applications can play sounds simultaneously without taking exclusive control of the output, so that does not indicate that surround-sound is active.

The snd_bcm2835 kernel module that is included with Raspbian requires a minor change in order to support multi-channel sound output. To get it working you will have to rebuild the kernel and patch the bcm2835-pcm file to increase the max_channels value from 2 to 8 (if you want to use 7.1 surround). If you also need to be able to redirect channels to other speakers then you will need to find a patch that adds that functionality as well since that is not implemented at all.

[yossichay]

I'm trying for long time to enable 8 channels over HDMI using Raspbian without much success.

Would you be able to share the process of patching snd_bcm2835 kernel module?

[innocent_bystander]

Sorry for beating a dead horse, but has anyone been able to successfully expand the number of channels in ALSA by patching snd_bcm2835 as @goatherd mentioned?

[innocent_bystander]

It turns out no patching is needed for 5.1 output in ALSA. I believe the 2 channel channels_max limit in snd_bcm2835 is for the analog output.

I am able to get 5.1 output with the following command:

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speaker-test -c6 -D hw:0,1

[pitibonom]

@innocent_bystander

you might have a special setup/hardware on your pi as your command line only outputs sound on FL and FR and not on other speakers ^^

[innocent_bystander]

Thanks @pitibonom. I was able to resolve it. It was indeed a problem with my hardware/setup. Had to add this to my pulse audio settings:

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load-module module-alsa-sink name=HDMI device=hw:0,1 channels=8 tsched=0

### Automatically load driver modules depending on the hardware available
.ifexists module-udev-detect.so
load-module module-udev-detect tsched=0
.else

[pitibonom]

errrrr....

what is 'load-module' ???? i don't have it in my raspbian !

[pitibonom]

awwww i just installed pulse audio and some things changed 8-D

read speakers give sound when

speaker-test -c6 -D hw:0,1



digging in this again
Thanks a lot @innocent_bystander !

[tlong]

Any updates on this? Is this still working for folks?

[shrinath]

Hi,

I am unable to get 5.1 playback in Rasp Pi 3B model. The speaker-test -c8 -t wave can playback only stereo output.

Here you mentioned like the 5.1 playback has been achieved. Could you please share me the exact steps that I need to follow to get 5.1 channels working?