# Help with balena-sound and usb sound card configuration **URL:** \ **Category:** Project help\ **Tags:** raspberrypizero\ **Created:** [July 13, 2019, 10:32pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/help-with-balena-sound-and-usb-sound-card-configuration/19796 "2019-07-13T22:32:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yn1v](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/yn1v/32/2240_2.png) [@yn1v](https://forums.balena.io/u/yn1v)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 10:32pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/help-with-balena-sound-and-usb-sound-card-configuration/19796/1 "2019-07-13T22:32:48Z")
I found balena etcher great. I liked the project suggestions. I decided to give a try to balena-sound. I have a raspberry pi zero and several usb sound cards. I do understand that the Digital Audio will provide better sound, but I have these USB adapters. Balena-sound is working. I plugged and HDMI cable and the audio was working on the TV. The USB adapter is shown in alsamixer. I have been looking different sources on how to configure alsa to use one adapter as default sound option. As balena-sound is a minimal installation there is a lot of configuration files that are not there. So I found some post suggesting about adding lines or editing mpd.conf .asoundrc or /etc/asound.conf but there are such files. I tried some years ago some command line sound stuff and in the end I gave up. I think that will be nice to have some tips to this setup as USB adapters are cheaper that a Digital Audio Hats. Even I am considering getting and HDMI to VGA adapter with stereo connector output. It is also cheaper than de Digital Audio. ---
**Author:** ![janvda](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/janvda/32/1271_2.png) [@janvda](https://forums.balena.io/u/janvda)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 6:58am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/help-with-balena-sound-and-usb-sound-card-configuration/19796/4 "2019-07-16T06:58:19Z")
Hi, Most likely (as you already suggested) you need to adapt/create a .asoundrc or /etc/asound.conf to use a USB connected device instead of the AUX port. I would also raise an issue (with label feature request) against the balena-sound github repository where you request the need to play sound via USB devices. kr Jan ---
**Author:** ![richbayliss](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/richbayliss/32/1054_2.png) [@richbayliss](https://forums.balena.io/u/richbayliss)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2019, 9:30am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/help-with-balena-sound-and-usb-sound-card-configuration/19796/9 "2019-07-16T09:30:57Z")
Hi, We are going to see if this is something that can be easily supported, and hopefully come back with a solution. Regards. ---
**Author:** ![Masterjuggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@Masterjuggler](https://forums.balena.io/u/Masterjuggler)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 3:43am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/help-with-balena-sound-and-usb-sound-card-configuration/19796/11 "2019-07-18T03:43:58Z")
I commented [here](https://github.com/balena-io-projects/balena-sound/issues/9) with a somewhat inelegant but simple workaround involving creating an /etc/asound.conf ---
**Author:** ![yn1v](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/yn1v/32/2240_2.png) [@yn1v](https://forums.balena.io/u/yn1v)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/help-with-balena-sound-and-usb-sound-card-configuration/19796/13 "2019-07-19T17:02:26Z")
Thanks … I posted [there](https://github.com/balena-io-projects/balena-sound/issues/9) my step by step implementation of your suggestion. I wouldn’t be able to do so without the community help.