Arch Linux

buttface_mcgee

Member

Registered: 2007-11-02

Posts: 9

amixer / microphone help

Hello,

I am having trouble getting my onboard microphone to work.  I have a Dell Inspiron 1521, and I am running Arch64.  With the standard Alsa install, the speakers and headphone jack worked perfectly, but not the microphone.

I have re-compiled alsa-driver, alsa-lib and alsa-util to the latest version (1.0.15), but this did not help.  I compiled the latest hg driver, though, and now I can get a terrible quality recording from my mic, and a few other problems (but at least its closer to working )

What happens is this.  I am trying to record using audacity.  I have to select "Capture 1" or "Capture 0" as the input in order to get something to register..when I do that, I get a hissing sound through the speakers that does not stop until I turn Audacity off.  Also, I get a poor quality recording from the mic like that.

Has someone else had this problem, or can discover what is happening?  Or can someone help me to debug this issue?

Here is the result of amixer:

[***@horace ~]$ amixer
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 127
  Mono: Playback 124 [98%]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 127
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 127 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 127 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Surround',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 127
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 127 [100%] [0.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 127 [100%] [0.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 15
  Front Left: Capture 7 [47%] [10.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 7 [47%] [10.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 15
  Front Left: Capture 9 [60%] [13.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 9 [60%] [13.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Analog Loopback',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 60 [50%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 60 [50%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Digital Input Source',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Analog Inputs' 'Digital Mic 1' 'Digital Mic 2'
  Item0: 'Digital Mic 1'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Line'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Line'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Mux',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 4
  Front Left: Capture 4 [100%] [40.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 4 [100%] [40.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Mux',1
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 4
  Front Left: Capture 4 [100%] [40.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 4 [100%] [40.00dB]

mini

Member

Registered: 2006-12-18

Posts: 132

Re: amixer / microphone help

The same here. HP 6910p, and I am running Arch64

bgc1954

Member

From: Edmonton, AB, Canada

Registered: 2006-03-14

Posts: 1,160

Re: amixer / microphone help

I don't know if this will apply to your problem but I also had recording problems with the onboard mike on a thinkpad--not great quality I guess.  I ended up using a cheap sony mike from futureshop--around $20 CAD--and that did the trick.

Last edited by bgc1954 (2008-03-28 14:00:54)

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils ... - Louis Hector Berlioz