Nova Sonar

Nova Sonar is a Linux/PipeWire open-source replacement for SteelSeries GG desktop controller specifically for the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X (1038:22ad). It provides physical ChatMix-wheel support, persistent Game/Chat application routing, playback and microphone equalizers, RNNoise microphone suppression, live spectrum analyzers, and optional HRTF spatial audio.

The interface uses a dark Sonar-inspired mixer layout, application icons, automatic route restoration, and a system tray. Closing the window keeps it running; use the tray menu to quit completely.

Platform requirements

• Linux with PipeWire, PipeWire Pulse, and WirePlumber
• Python 3.11 or newer
• pactl, pw-cli, pw-dump, and parec
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X product ID 1038:22ad
• Read/write permission for the headset's SteelSeries HID interfaces

Advanced audio graphs additionally require LSP Plugins LV2, RNNoise LADSPA from noise-suppression-for-voice, and PipeWire's filter-chain/SOFA plugins.

Install from a clone

Before installation, connect and power on the Nova 7X and select a profile that exposes both its playback sink and microphone source. Install the LSP LV2 plugins and the RNNoise LADSPA plugin on the host; the installer verifies both and prints an actionable error without installing autostart if either is missing.

git clone https://github.com/Alody/nova-sonar.git
cd nova-sonar
chmod +x install-user.sh
./install-user.sh

The installer discovers the connected headset endpoints, renders and activates the playback and microphone graphs transactionally, creates an isolated stable environment under ~/.local/share/nova-sonar, installs launcher commands under ~/.local/bin, and only then enables desktop-session autostart. It does not use sudo or modify the immutable system image.

Install and activate optional spatial audio after the main installer succeeds:

nova-sonar-hrtf install
nova-sonar-hrtf use
systemctl --user enable nova-sonar-game.service
nova-sonar-diagnostics

nova-sonar-hrtf install downloads only the default ARI NH1230 file. Use nova-sonar-hrtf install --all to download the complete audition pack.

Launch it from anywhere with nova-sonar or ~/.local/bin/nova-sonar. Run nova-sonar-diagnostics at any time to check commands, Python packages, PipeWire services and nodes, headset discovery, and unresolved configuration tokens. Add --json for machine-readable output.

Bazzite

Run the installer from the normal Bazzite desktop session, not inside a Toolbox/Distrobox container. Nova Sonar needs the host session's PipeWire socket, HID devices, desktop autostart directory, and user systemd instance. The installer writes only to the clone and the user's home directory, so it does not modify Bazzite's immutable system image.

Fedora supplies the LSP dependency as lsp-plugins-lv2. If it is absent on the host, rpm-ostree install lsp-plugins-lv2 can layer it, followed by a reboot. Bazzite recommends package layering only for system-level software when a user-space option is unavailable. RNNoise must provide librnnoise_ladspa.so on the host in a standard LADSPA directory; use the upstream noise-suppression-for-voice installation instructions. Do not install audio plugins only inside Toolbox/Distrobox because the host PipeWire process cannot load them. The installer also verifies read/write access to the Nova 7X hidraw interface. If it reports permission denial, install a host udev rule for USB ID 1038:22ad, reconnect the dongle, and rerun the installer.

For development:

python3 -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/pip install -e .
.venv/bin/nova-sonar

PipeWire graph templates

The repository contains portable templates for the advanced output, microphone, and spatial Game graphs:

• 91-nova-sonar-advanced-eq.conf
• 90-nova-sonar-mic-eq.conf
• 92-nova-sonar-game.conf

The installer discovers and replaces these tokens automatically. They remain documented for manual or development installations:

Token	Meaning
@HEADSET_SINK@	Physical Nova 7X playback sink from pactl list sinks
@MIC_SOURCE@	Physical Nova 7X microphone source from pactl list sources
@RNNOISE_PLUGIN@	Absolute path to librnnoise_ladspa.so

For a manual installation, install rendered copies under ~/.config/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/, then restart pipewire, pipewire-pulse, and wireplumber. Never install templates containing unresolved @...@ tokens.

The Game/Chat buses are created automatically. Spatial audio uses a dedicated nova-sonar-game.service and a filter-chain graph under ~/.config/pipewire/filter-chain.conf.d/92-nova-sonar-game.conf. Use nova-sonar-hrtf install to download supported HRTFs.

The installer installs the spatial graph and registers the user service but deliberately does not enable it. The graph defaults to ARI NH1230. Run nova-sonar-hrtf install, select and validate it with nova-sonar-hrtf use, then persist it with systemctl --user enable nova-sonar-game.service. The HRTF command refuses to start spatial processing until nova_sonar_eq is available. Playback EQ, microphone EQ, ChatMix, routing, and the spectrum analyzers do not depend on this optional service. nova-sonar-diagnostics reports the graph and service independently so failures cannot be silent.

Uninstall

./uninstall-user.sh

This removes launchers, autostart, services, installed graphs, and the managed virtual environment, then restarts the user audio services. Saved application settings and downloaded HRTFs are retained.

State and privacy

Runtime state is stored under ~/.config/nova-sonar using atomic replacement. Application routes use stable application identities rather than temporary PipeWire IDs. Audio is processed locally; Nova Sonar does not upload recordings or settings.

Tests

.venv/bin/python -m compileall -q .
.venv/bin/python -m unittest discover -s tests -v

GitHub Actions runs these checks on Python 3.11 and 3.13 for every push and pull request.

Bazzite smoke test

After installation, save the initial report:

nova-sonar-diagnostics | tee nova-sonar-diagnostics.txt

Then verify:

1. Launch Nova Sonar and confirm the Game and Chat sinks appear.
2. Switch among all tabs; only the visible spectrum should capture audio.
3. Hide, minimize, and restore the window; spectrum capture should stop and resume without spawning repeated parec processes.
4. Move an application between Game and Chat, restart it, and confirm its route is restored.
5. Adjust playback and microphone EQ, wait one second, restart Nova Sonar, and confirm the settings persist.
6. Restart PipeWire and WirePlumber and confirm buses, routing, EQ, and spatial state recover.
7. Quit through the tray and confirm no nova-sonar, parec, or pactl subscribe process remains.

Useful live logs and state:

journalctl --user -b -u pipewire -u pipewire-pulse -u wireplumber --no-pager
journalctl --user -b -u nova-sonar-game.service --no-pager
pactl list short sinks
pactl list short sink-inputs
pw-cli ls Node

To capture application diagnostics, launch it from a terminal:

NOVA_SONAR_LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG nova-sonar 2>&1 | tee nova-sonar.log