Pulseaudio crackling on application volume change

rwo · 2020-05-16 14:23:31

When i change the volume of any application my audio output for that channel crackels. Changing the master volume for the hole sound device doesen't produce any crackels. The audio is also fine in normal playback without volume change. I already tried the follwing change to /etc/pulse/default.pa together with the following changes(incrementally) to /etc/pulse/daemon.conf. None of the parameters changed the behavior. I guess the problem is somewhere rooted in the application to pulseaudio interface/resampling. How could i diagnose or fix the problem?

default.pa

load-module module-udev-detect tsched=0

daemon.conf

default-fragments = 2 #2-6 tried
default-fragment-size-msec = 5 #5-125 tried

default-sample-format = s16le
default-sample-rate = 44100

resample-method=speex-float-0

resample-method = src-sinc-best-quality

avoid-resampling = true

V1del · 2020-05-16 14:40:02

None of these options are likely to help with this, revert them all.

By which means are you changing the output? Which mixer application? It might use too fine grained in-/decrements. E.g. I can reproduce this moving around the slider like crazy manually in plasma-pa but not when using well defined increments of like +/-5% via shortcut buttons doing it in pavucontrol also seems to work properly.

Also the crackle does not persist right? Just during the volume changing?

Last edited by V1del (2020-05-16 14:57:40)

archimboldo · 2020-05-16 14:48:48

Have you checked this https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ad … g_playback

rwo · 2020-05-16 15:26:30

I tried the power saving options with stock pulseaudio configs (yes i rebooted). The creative pci soundcard uses snd_hda_intel module. The behavior didn't change. For volume control i use the KDE volume sliders and the embedded volume sliders in firefox and spotify. If i increment the volume in small amounts like 5% the crackling almost silent but still there.

Adding parameters:

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf

snd_hda_intel power_save=0 power_save_controller=N
options snd_hda_intel power_save=0

Reduced pactl output

pactl list

Card #2
        Name: alsa_card.pci-0000_04_00.0
        Driver: module-alsa-card.c
        Owner Module: 8
        Properties:
                alsa.card = "2"
                alsa.card_name = "HDA Creative"
                alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Creative at 0x91204000 irq 18"
                alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
                device.bus_path = "pci-0000:04:00.0"
                sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1c.6/0000:04:00.0/sound/card2"
                device.bus = "pci"
                device.vendor.id = "1102"
                device.vendor.name = "Creative Labs"
                device.product.id = "0012"
                device.product.name = "Sound Core3D [Sound Blaster Recon3D / Z-Series] (SB1570 SB Audigy Fx)"
                device.string = "2"
                device.description = "Sound Core3D [Sound Blaster Recon3D / Z-Series] (SB1570 SB Audigy Fx)"
                module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
                device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"

kilix · 2020-05-19 08:30:28

I had the same problem. When I changed volume with XF86Volume buttons, the crackling was almost non-existent. If I changed the volume using the GUI bar controller in programs such as vlc or youtube, the crackling was very prominent. The faster I swiped the bar, the more it popped.
I tried almost everything from this wiki https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pu … leshooting, but nothing helped, not even messing with the fragment count or fragment size.
Finally I remembered, that I tried to use an equalizer and therefore my default sink was FFT equalizer, not the sound card. This caused the crackling . I changed default sink in pavucontrol from FFT equalizer to sound card and the crackling is gone. But still, this was not an elegant solution, it's more of a workaround. See if that is the case with you.

Last edited by kilix (2020-05-19 08:34:27)

rwo · 2020-05-19 15:30:27

Based on kilix's answer i disabled the module echo-cancel. After this change the crackling disappeared. Because i need the noise cancellation for my microphone i changed the echo cancel sink form my headphones to a null sink. The problem is now solved.

load-module module-null-sink sink_name=MySink
set-default-sink MySink
load-module module-echo-cancel use_master_format=1 aec_method=webrtc aec_args="high_pass_filter=1\ voice_detection=1\ noise_suppression=1\ analog_gain_control=0\ digital_gain_control=0 experimental_agc=0"
set-default-source echoCancel_source
set-default-sink alsa_output.pci-0000_04_00.0.analog-stereo

kilix · 2020-05-20 05:27:09

I will tinker with this later, when I have more free time, because I really want the FFT equalizer to work and this solution is a workaround. If sinking to equalizer causes popping no matter what, then it is a bug and should be resolved. But I doubt it, I think that it's something that can be solved with configuration.

rwo, I will let you know if I find something useful.

Zibi1981 · 2024-03-17 21:41:43

I'm experiencing exactly the same problem with EasyEffects - the annoying popping is present everytime I click on the sound icon or even a webpage that contains some audio-video content.

I don't wan't to drop using EasyEffects as it levels up my sound experience on headphones substantially. Any ideas how to resolve this without disabling the sink?

Last edited by Zibi1981 (2024-03-17 21:49:35)

Arch Linux

#1 2020-05-16 14:23:31

Pulseaudio crackling on application volume change

#2 2020-05-16 14:40:02

Re: Pulseaudio crackling on application volume change

#3 2020-05-16 14:48:48

Re: Pulseaudio crackling on application volume change

#4 2020-05-16 15:26:30

Re: Pulseaudio crackling on application volume change

#5 2020-05-19 08:30:28

Re: Pulseaudio crackling on application volume change

#6 2020-05-19 15:30:27

Re: Pulseaudio crackling on application volume change

#7 2020-05-20 05:27:09

Re: Pulseaudio crackling on application volume change

#8 2024-03-17 21:41:43

Re: Pulseaudio crackling on application volume change

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