Making Audacity "just work" with qjackctl

[reverendgreg]

When I open up audacity with qjack already open, then start monitoring mic/device input in audacity, I get a crash. Every single time.
Here's what I do to make Audacity run such that I can route audio with it through qjackctl:

1.) Open qjack
2.) Open audacity
*3.) Hit "record" in audacity, then quickly stop,
4.) erase step 3,
5.) hit "start monitoring" in the audacity toolbar,
6.) patch appropriately in qjackctl,
7.) go about my business.

I want to eliminate steps 3, 4, and 5.

Where do I look?
I think this might be addressing my problem:
http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic ... 18&t=29963
If it is, I don't understand which "patchbay" to enter the "regular expressions" into.

Is correct Jack functionality a priority for the Audacity Team?

[steve]

Which exact version of Audacity are you using?
I've just been testing Audacity 1.3.14 alpha with Jack, and Jack support is gradually improving. I've updated the Audacity wiki with my observations http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Linux_Issues#JACK

[reverendgreg]

I'm on 1.3.13-beta.

My issues are covered there, and now there's a "workaround."

So . . . where's this "patchbay"?

[steve]

where's this "patchbay"?

Click the button on the Jack Control (qjackctl) interface that says "Patchbay".

[reverendgreg]

Alright, the first time I opened up the patchbay and entered the proper values, and I could remove steps 3 and 4.
I saved my settings.
Then, I closed up audacity and qjack.

Then I started both up again, qjackctl first, then audacity.
I tried to get audacity to monitor input right off, and I got the crash again.
I went into qjackctl, and the changes I made in the patchbay are still there.
Those patchbay plugs are not connected to anything, and I don't know what they are to start with.

[steve]

It might be easier if you just update to the 1.3.14 version of Audacity and forget about the Patchbay.
What Linux distribution are you using?

[reverendgreg]

I'm on Fedora 13.
Isn't the wiki's list of bugs:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Linux_Issues#JACK
saying that my complaint/question is still an issue in 1.3.14?

Enabling the recording meter before any recording or playback has occurred is likely to cause Audacity to crash. Workaround: Before recording the first track in a session, click "Pause" then "Record" to enable the recording meter.

I want audacity to show up in Jack before it runs, and I want to check my levels without needing to record or load audio for its own sake.
The description I quoted above sounds like Audacity simply doesn't do that right now.

Am I missing something?

[steve]

I'm on Fedora 13.

For Ubuntu there are nightly binaries available, but for Fedora I think that to get the latest nightly version you may need to build Audacity from the sourcecode.

I want audacity to show up in Jack before it runs,

I believe this is an issue with PortAudio (which Audacity uses for cross platform audio support). The audio ports are opened on demand - that is, when Audacity starts playing, the output ports are created and when Audacity records, the input ports are created. However, in Audacity 1.3.14, this is not a problem as you can set where those ports will connect to using Audacity's Device Toolbar. For example, if you want to record from "Hydrogen" drum machine, you simply select "Hydrogen" as the recording source and the Audacity Portaudio inputs will automatically connect to Hydrogen when you press record. (it's pretty neat )

and I want to check my levels without needing to record or load audio for its own sake.

Presumably you want to check the recording levels prior to recording (why else would you want to check recording levels?).
Click "Pause" then "Record". You can now adjust the recording levels, and when correct, click the Pause button to start recording (just like an old fashioned cassette recorder).

[reverendgreg]

Right-o.
Sounds like it's time to learn to roll my own . . .

[reverendgreg]

Link me to 1.3.14 ?
I can find 1.3.13, but not .14