[SOLVED] Strange alsamixer problem: arrow keys don't work on Master

Xyne · 2013-01-20 08:14:35

I have a laptop with an HDA Intel PCH hard. Until recently everything has worked as expected. I do not know when this problem appeared, but I think it was in the last week or two.

I'll just present what I know in a list:

I can change the volume of Master with "amixer set Master...".
The volume range has changed: before "60" was about 1/3 of the scale, now 140 is 0% and 255 is 100%.
I can still adjust the level by pressing number keys in alsamixer, but they are no longer level with even 10s (e.g. pressing 5 sets it to 47).
I can also change the volume over the full range with the page up and page down keys (keysym Next and Prior)
If I set the volume below 36, I can use the arrow keys to adjust it, but as soon as it hits 36, it stops responding to the arrow keys.
I can use q and z to adjust the sound. They increase and decrease the left channel by one step, then pull the right channel with it.
w and x work as the arrow keys (i.e. they don't, at least not above 36)
e and c do not work. Pressing either once changes the right channel by one step as expected, but pressing it again undoes the step.
I do not have ~/.asoundrc, /etc/asound or any other configuration file (and have not had any when it worked before)
I have not found any errors in journalctl or elsewhere (although I have disabled the syslog-ng server as recommended by the wiki... not sure if that might prevent some errors from being logged)
Incidentally, at 36 the dB gain is near 100... no idea if that is related: Master [dB gain: 99.75, 99.75]

Here are the loaded sound modules.

$ lsmod | grep '^snd' | column -t
snd_hda_codec_hdmi     24529  1
snd_hda_codec_realtek  61420  1
snd_hda_intel          26181  1
snd_hda_codec          98034  3  snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep              6429   1  snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm                75735  3  snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel
snd_page_alloc         7218   2  snd_pcm,snd_hda_intel
snd_timer              18935  1  snd_pcm
snd                    60189  9  snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_pcm,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel

I have no idea wtf is going on but this is really annoying. Does anyone have any idea of what I can check or try? Any help would be appreciated.

Last edited by Xyne (2013-05-09 05:32:29)

shauder · 2013-04-13 01:55:53

I am not 100% sure when this started but I have recently noticed it. I don't change my volume through the OS often. However I am unable to control the Master volume.

* I found it stuck at 24% and using the arrow keys does not seem to change it at all.
* I can mute the channel.
* I can control other channels such as PCM just fine
* I can use the number controls 1 = 9%, 2 = 24%, 4 = 40%, 6 = 63%, 8 = 100%
* I do not have ~/.asoundrc, /etc/asound
* I cannot use q and z or w and x or e and c
* It did used to work fine, possibly an upgrade messed with it.

[501]shauder@arch-desktop [~] $ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 0: ALC888 Analog [ALC888 Analog]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 1: ALC888 Digital [ALC888 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 8: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 9: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1

[502]shauder@arch-desktop [scr:1][~] $ lsmod | grep '^snd' | column -t
snd_hda_codec_hdmi     27793   4
snd_hda_codec_realtek  61415   1
snd_usb_audio          111097  0
snd_hda_intel          33786   4
snd_usbmidi_lib        19091   1   snd_usb_audio
snd_rawmidi            18870   1   snd_usbmidi_lib
snd_seq_device         5212    1   snd_rawmidi
snd_hda_codec          101730  3   snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep              6332    2   snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm                77212   5   snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel
snd_page_alloc         7298    2   snd_pcm,snd_hda_intel
snd_timer              18719   2   snd_pcm
snd                    59181   17  snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_usb_audio,snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_seq_device

[556]shauder@arch-desktop [scr:1][~] $ aplay -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
pulse
    PulseAudio Sound Server
default:CARD=SB
    HDA ATI SB, ALC888 Analog
    Default Audio Device
sysdefault:CARD=SB
    HDA ATI SB, ALC888 Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC888 Analog
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC888 Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC888 Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC888 Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC888 Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC888 Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=SB,DEV=0
    HDA ATI SB, ALC888 Digital
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=1
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=2
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output

This thread is almost an identical issue - mod edit: merged threads

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Last edited by Xyne (2013-04-13 14:37:31)

shauder · 2013-04-13 02:00:18

I have a similar issue - https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 1#p1258381

Xyne · 2013-04-13 14:33:56

The problem is indeed nearly identical and very likely related, so I will merge this post with the previous thread.

Thanks for posting reference links in both.

shauder · 2013-05-08 23:55:19

Xyne wrote:

The problem is indeed nearly identical and very likely related, so I will merge this post with the previous thread.
Thanks for posting reference links in both.

I took the cheaters way out and did a reinstall. It is working normally now.

brebs · 2013-05-09 00:17:17

Xyne wrote:

The volume range has changed: before "60" was about 1/3 of the scale, now 140 is 0% and 255 is 100%.

This is specified in /var/lib/alsa/asound.state, e.g.:

    control.26 {
        iface MIXER
        name 'Master Playback Volume'
        value 38
        comment {
            access 'read write'
            type INTEGER
            count 1
            range '0 - 64'
            dbmin -6400
            dbmax 0
            dbvalue.0 -2600
        }
    }

Do you have a backup of that file, to compare?

Xyne · 2013-05-09 05:41:36

Thanks for the replies. They both pointed me in the right direction and I have finally solved the problem with the following steps:

1) rm /var/lib/alsa/asound.state{,.lock}
2) pacman -R alsa-utils
3) reboot
4) pacman -S alsa-utils
5) alsactl store

The systemd services provided by alsa-utils are statically enabled, so I removed the package before rebooting to prevent the recreation of the deleted state file during shutdown. I didn't save a copy of the state file before removing it, but there were definitely some changes (e.g. dbvalue.0 for "Master Playback Volume" and extra controls).

Arch Linux

#1 2013-01-20 08:14:35

[SOLVED] Strange alsamixer problem: arrow keys don't work on Master

#2 2013-04-13 01:55:53

Re: [SOLVED] Strange alsamixer problem: arrow keys don't work on Master

#3 2013-04-13 02:00:18

Re: [SOLVED] Strange alsamixer problem: arrow keys don't work on Master

#4 2013-04-13 14:33:56

Re: [SOLVED] Strange alsamixer problem: arrow keys don't work on Master

#5 2013-05-08 23:55:19

Re: [SOLVED] Strange alsamixer problem: arrow keys don't work on Master

#6 2013-05-09 00:17:17

Re: [SOLVED] Strange alsamixer problem: arrow keys don't work on Master

#7 2013-05-09 05:41:36

Re: [SOLVED] Strange alsamixer problem: arrow keys don't work on Master

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