one more update with this .asoundrc:::: pcm.limit { type ladspa slave.pcm "plughw:0,0"; #slave.pcm "default"; path "/usr/lib/ladspa"; plugins [ { label fastLookaheadLimiter input { controls [ 0 -10 0.01 ] } } ] } this doesn't play mplayer /usr/share/xemacs21/xemacs-packages/etc/sounds/hammer.wav -ao alsa:device=limit this is the error: [AO_ALSA] Unable to set access type: Invalid argument but this plays fine: aplay -v -Dplug:limit /usr/share/xemacs21/xemacs-packages/etc/sounds/hammer.wav Here's the log from aplay - Anyone see something useful applicable to pulseaudio? I still get the same error in pacmd as before Playing WAVE '/usr/share/xemacs21/xemacs-packages/etc/sounds/hammer.wav' : Unsigned 8 bit, Rate 8000 Hz, Mono Plug PCM: Linear Integer <-> Linear Float conversion PCM (FLOAT_LE) Its setup is: stream : PLAYBACK access : RW_INTERLEAVED format : U8 subformat : STD channels : 1 rate : 8000 exact rate : 8000 (8000/1) msbits : 8 buffer_size : 4000 period_size : 1000 period_time : 125000 tick_time : 0 tstamp_mode : NONE period_step : 1 sleep_min : 0 avail_min : 1000 xfer_align : 1000 start_threshold : 4000 stop_threshold : 4000 silence_threshold: 0 silence_size : 0 boundary : 9007199254740992000 Slave: LADSPA PCM Playback: Policy: none Filename: /usr/lib/ladspa/fast_lookahead_limiter_1913.so Plugin Name: Fast Lookahead limiter Plugin Label: fastLookaheadLimiter Plugin Unique ID: 1913 Instances: Depth: 0 InChannels: 0, 1 InPorts: 4 "Input 1", 5 "Input 2" OutChannels: 0, 1 OutPorts: 6 "Output 1", 7 "Output 2" Control input port initial values: 0 "Input gain (dB)" = 0.00000000 1 "Limit (dB)" = -10.00000000 2 "Release time (s)" = 0.01000000 Control output port initial values: 3 "Attenuation (dB)" = 0.00000000 8 "latency" = 0.00000000 Capture: Its setup is: stream : PLAYBACK access : MMAP_NONINTERLEAVED format : FLOAT_LE subformat : STD channels : 1 rate : 8000 exact rate : 8000 (8000/1) msbits : 32 buffer_size : 4000 period_size : 1000 period_time : 125000 tick_time : 0 tstamp_mode : NONE period_step : 1 sleep_min : 0 avail_min : 1000 xfer_align : 1000 start_threshold : 4000 stop_threshold : 4000 silence_threshold: 0 silence_size : 0 boundary : 9007199254740992000 Slave: Plug PCM: Linear Integer <-> Linear Float conversion PCM (S16_LE) Its setup is: stream : PLAYBACK access : MMAP_NONINTERLEAVED format : FLOAT_LE subformat : STD channels : 1 rate : 8000 exact rate : 8000 (8000/1) msbits : 32 buffer_size : 4000 period_size : 1000 period_time : 125000 tick_time : 0 tstamp_mode : NONE period_step : 1 sleep_min : 0 avail_min : 1000 xfer_align : 1000 start_threshold : 4000 stop_threshold : 4000 silence_threshold: 0 silence_size : 0 boundary : 9007199254740992000 Slave: Hardware PCM card 0 'SBLive! Value [CT4832]' device 0 subdevice 0 Its setup is: stream : PLAYBACK access : MMAP_INTERLEAVED format : S16_LE subformat : STD channels : 1 rate : 8000 exact rate : 8000 (8000/1) msbits : 16 buffer_size : 4000 period_size : 1000 period_time : 125000 tick_time : 0 tstamp_mode : NONE period_step : 1 sleep_min : 0 avail_min : 1000 xfer_align : 1000 start_threshold : 4000 stop_threshold : 4000 silence_threshold: 0 silence_size : 0 boundary : 9007199254740992000 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/pulseaudio-discuss/attachments/20081127/c1b3110c/attachment.htm>