NAME

       pacat - Play back or record raw or encoded audio streams on a PulseAudio sound server

SYNOPSIS

       paplay [options] [FILE]

       parecord [options] [FILE]

       pacat [options] [FILE]

       parec [options] [FILE]

       pamon [options] [FILE]

       pacat --help

       pacat --version

DESCRIPTION

       pacat  is  a  simple  tool for playing back or capturing raw or encoded audio files on a PulseAudio sound
       server. It understands all audio file formats supported by libsndfile.

OPTIONS

       -h | --help
              Show help.

       --version
              Show version information.

       -r | --record
              Capture audio data and write it to the specified file or to STDOUT if none is  specified.  If  the
              tool is called under the name parec this is the default.

       -p | --playback
              Read  audio  data  from the specified file or STDIN if none is specified, and play it back. If the
              tool is called under the name pacat this is the default.

       -v | --verbose
              Enable verbose operation. Dumps the current playback time to STDERR during playback/capturing.

       -s | --server=SERVER
              Choose the server to connect to.

       -d | --device=SINKORSOURCE
              Specify the symbolic name of the sink/source to play/record this stream on/from. The special names
              , and can be used to specify the default sink, source and monitor respectively.

       --monitor-stream=INDEX
              Record from the sink input with index INDEX.

       -n | --client-name=NAME
              Specify the client name paplay shall pass to the server when connecting.

       --stream-name=NAME
              Specify the stream name paplay shall pass to the server when creating the stream.

       --volume=VOLUME
              Specify  the  initial  playback  volume  to use. Choose a value between 0 (silent) and 65536 (100%
              volume).

       --rate=SAMPLERATE
              Capture or play back audio with the specified sample rate. Defaults to 44100 Hz.

       --format=FORMAT
              Capture    or    play    back    audio    with    the     specified     sample     format.     See
              https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/PulseAudio/Documentation/User/SupportedAudioFormats/ for
              supported values. Defaults to s16ne.

       --channels=CHANNELS
              Capture or play back audio with the specified number of channels. If more than  two  channels  are
              used it is recommended to use the --channel-map option below. Defaults to 2.

       --channel-map=CHANNELMAP
              Explicitly  choose  a  channel  map  when playing back this stream. The argument should be a comma
              separated list of channel names: front-left, front-right,  mono,  front-center,  rear-left,  rear-
              right,  rear-center, lfe, front-left-of-center, front-right-of-center, side-left, side-right, top-
              center, top-front-center, top-front-left,  top-front-right,  top-rear-left,  top-rear-right,  top-
              rear-center, or any of the 32 auxiliary channel names aux0 to aux31.

       --fix-format
              If  passed, the sample format of the stream is changed to the native format of the sink the stream
              is connected to.

       --fix-rate
              If passed, the sampling rate of the stream is changed to the native rate of the sink the stream is
              connected to.

       --fix-channels
              If  passed,  the  number  of  channels  and the channel map of the stream is changed to the native
              number of channels and the native channel map of the sink the stream is connected to.

       --no-remix
              Never upmix or downmix channels.

       --no-remap
              Never remap channels. Instead of mapping channels by their name this will  match  them  solely  by
              their index/order.

       --latency=BYTES
              Explicitly configure the latency, with a time specified in bytes in the selected sample format. If
              left out the server will pick the latency, usually relatively high for power saving  reasons.  Use
              either this option or --latency-msec, but not both.

       --latency-msec=MSEC
              Explicitly  configure  the  latency, with a time specified in milliseconds. If left out the server
              will pick the latency, usually relatively high for power saving reasons. Use either this option or
              --latency, but not both.

       --process-time=BYTES
              Explicitly  configure  the  process  time,  with  a time specified in bytes in the selected sample
              format. If left out the server will pick the process time. Use either this  option  or  --process-
              time-msec, but not both.

       --process-time-msec=MSEC
              Explicitly  configure  the  process  time,  with a time specified in milliseconds. If left out the
              server will pick the process time. Use either this option or --process-time, but not both.

       --property=PROPERTY=VALUE
              Attach a property to the client and stream. May be used multiple times

       --raw  Play/record raw audio data. This is the default if this program is  invoked  as  pacat,  parec  or
              pamon.

       --file-format[=FFORMAT]
              Play/record  encoded  audio data in the file format specified. This is the default if this program
              is invoked as paplay and parecord.

       --list-file-formats
              List supported file formats.

LIMITATIONS

       Due to a limitation in libsndfile paplay currently does not always set the correct  channel  mapping  for
       playback  of  multichannel  (i.e.  surround)  audio  files,  even  if  the channel mapping information is
       available in the audio file.

AUTHORS

       The PulseAudio Developers <pulseaudio-discuss (at) lists (dot)  freedesktop  (dot)  org>;  PulseAudio  is
       available from http://pulseaudio.org/

SEE ALSO

       pulseaudio(1), pactl(1)