M-Audio/Fast Track Ultra/Linux

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Image 2: QasMixer set up to send system stereo to outputs 7 and 8, in stereo

The FTU works in Linux without any special drivers (at least as of e.g. Ubuntu 20.04 or so), though you will need to install a mixer app to handle the details.

The FTU has an internal routing system which can be accessed via ALSA, using QasMixer: a matrix of every possible connection between input and output is presented to ALSA as a long row of volume-sliders. In order to route system output to, say, outputs 7 and 8, you would set all outputs to zero except Din1-Out7 and Din2-Out8 (see image 2), routing each of those two inputs to their respective outputs.

ALSA will also let you use the internal reverb effects, and route signals to/from those effects and to/from external effects sends – in theory allowing the FTU to be used like a mixing board, but with software controlling most of the features.

I'm still working out the details of how to implement some configurations. It seems to be easier to monitor all inputs than to record them...

Links

• 2020-08-09 How to fix Ubuntu 18.04/20.04 not recognizing M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB audio interface
  • This did not make anything work that wasn't working before, but offers some clues about how to tinker with the system.
• 2013-04-29 M-Audio Fast Track Pro
  • missing screenshots: 1 2
• https://www.linux.com/news/making-music-m-audio-linux/
• http://usb-midi-fw.sourceforge.net/
• https://www.alsa-project.org/wiki/Main_Page
  • https://www.alsa-project.org/wiki/Matrix:Vendor-MAudio
    • https://www.alsa-project.org/wiki/Matrix:Module-usb-audio - probably has to do with that line which the l3ku post said to comment out
• Linux Audio Wiki
  • Linux and Fast Track Ultra: how to make it work with Alsa.
    • The Alsamixer described is no longer available under that name; use QasMixer instead.
• fast-track-ultra "Automatic setup of M-Audio Fast Track Ultra for JACK on Linux": udev rules and an installer