Cannot get center/rear channels to work properly Pulseaudio [SOLVED]

ryanvade · 2014-07-20 04:59:32

Hello,

I am using Pulse with PlexHT on my HTPC. Audio/video is going out of an Nvidia GT 520 to my Tv. I have a 5.1 surround system and for some reason I cannot get the center and rear audio channels to work. No sound from them. I have read the wiki pages soo many times now. No idea what to do. Here are my config files:
daemon.conf:

# This file is part of PulseAudio.


; daemonize = no
; fail = yes
; allow-module-loading = yes
; allow-exit = yes
; use-pid-file = yes
; system-instance = no
; local-server-type = user
; enable-shm = yes
; shm-size-bytes = 0 # setting this 0 will use the system-default, usually 64 MiB
; lock-memory = no
; cpu-limit = no

; high-priority = yes
; nice-level = -11

; realtime-scheduling = yes
; realtime-priority = 5

exit-idle-time=0
; exit-idle-time = 20
; scache-idle-time = 20

; dl-search-path = (depends on architecture)

; load-default-script-file = yes
; default-script-file = /etc/pulse/default.pa

; log-target = auto
; log-level = notice
; log-meta = no
; log-time = no
; log-backtrace = 0

; resample-method = speex-float-1
; enable-remixing = yes
; enable-lfe-remixing = no

; flat-volumes = yes

; rlimit-fsize = -1
; rlimit-data = -1
; rlimit-stack = -1
; rlimit-core = -1
; rlimit-as = -1
; rlimit-rss = -1
; rlimit-nproc = -1
; rlimit-nofile = 256
; rlimit-memlock = -1
; rlimit-locks = -1
; rlimit-sigpending = -1
; rlimit-msgqueue = -1
; rlimit-nice = 31
; rlimit-rtprio = 9
; rlimit-rttime = 1000000

; default-sample-format = s16le
; default-sample-rate = 44100
; alternate-sample-rate = 48000
 default-sample-channels = 6
 default-channel-map = front-left,front-right,rear-left,rear-right,front-center,lfe

; default-fragments = 4
; default-fragment-size-msec = 25

; enable-deferred-volume = yes
; deferred-volume-safety-margin-usec = 8000
; deferred-volume-extra-delay-usec = 0

default.pa:

#!/usr/bin/pulseaudio -nF


.nofail

### Load something into the sample cache
#load-sample-lazy x11-bell /usr/share/sounds/gtk-events/activate.wav
#load-sample-lazy pulse-hotplug /usr/share/sounds/startup3.wav
#load-sample-lazy pulse-coldplug /usr/share/sounds/startup3.wav
#load-sample-lazy pulse-access /usr/share/sounds/generic.wav

.fail

### Automatically restore the volume of streams and devices
load-module module-device-restore
load-module module-stream-restore
load-module module-card-restore

### Automatically augment property information from .desktop files
### stored in /usr/share/application
load-module module-augment-properties

### Should be after module-*-restore but before module-*-detect
load-module module-switch-on-port-available

### Load audio drivers statically
### (it's probably better to not load these drivers manually, but instead
### use module-udev-detect -- see below -- for doing this automatically)
#load-module module-alsa-sink
#load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,7
#load-module module-oss device="/dev/dsp" sink_name=output source_name=input
#load-module module-oss-mmap device="/dev/dsp" sink_name=output source_name=input
#load-module module-null-sink
#load-module module-pipe-sink

### Automatically load driver modules depending on the hardware available
.ifexists module-udev-detect.so
load-module module-udev-detect
.else
### Use the static hardware detection module (for systems that lack udev support)
load-module module-detect
.endif

### Automatically connect sink and source if JACK server is present
.ifexists module-jackdbus-detect.so
.nofail
load-module module-jackdbus-detect channels=2
.fail
.endif

### Automatically load driver modules for Bluetooth hardware
.ifexists module-bluetooth-policy.so
load-module module-bluetooth-policy
.endif

.ifexists module-bluetooth-discover.so
load-module module-bluetooth-discover
.endif

### Load several protocols
.ifexists module-esound-protocol-unix.so
load-module module-esound-protocol-unix
.endif
load-module module-native-protocol-unix

### Network access (may be configured with paprefs, so leave this commented
### here if you plan to use paprefs)
#load-module module-esound-protocol-tcp
#load-module module-native-protocol-tcp
#load-module module-zeroconf-publish

### Load the RTP receiver module (also configured via paprefs, see above)
#load-module module-rtp-recv

### Load the RTP sender module (also configured via paprefs, see above)
#load-module module-null-sink sink_name=rtp format=s16be channels=2 rate=44100 sink_properties="device.description='RTP Multicast Sink'"
#load-module module-rtp-send source=rtp.monitor

.
.ifexists module-gconf.so
.nofail
load-module module-gconf
.fail
.endif

### Automatically restore the default sink/source when changed by the user
### during runtime
### NOTE: This should be loaded as early as possible so that subsequent modules
### that look up the default sink/source get the right value
load-module module-default-device-restore

### Automatically move streams to the default sink if the sink they are
### connected to dies, similar for sources
load-module module-rescue-streams

### Make sure we always have a sink around, even if it is a null sink.
load-module module-always-sink

### Honour intended role device property
load-module module-intended-roles

### Automatically suspend sinks/sources that become idle for too long
load-module module-suspend-on-idle

### If autoexit on idle is enabled we want to make sure we only quit
### when no local session needs us anymore.
.ifexists module-console-kit.so
load-module module-console-kit
.endif
.ifexists module-systemd-login.so
load-module module-systemd-login
.endif

### Enable positioned event sounds
load-module module-position-event-sounds

### Cork music/video streams when a phone stream is active
load-module module-role-cork

### Modules to allow autoloading of filters (such as echo cancellation)
### on demand. module-filter-heuristics tries to determine what filters
### make sense, and module-filter-apply does the heavy-lifting of
### loading modules and rerouting streams.
load-module module-filter-heuristics
load-module module-filter-apply

# X11 modules should not be started from default.pa so that one daemon
# can be shared by multiple sessions.

### Load X11 bell module
#load-module module-x11-bell sample=bell-windowing-system

### Register ourselves in the X11 session manager
#load-module module-x11-xsmp

### Publish connection data in the X11 root window
#.ifexists module-x11-publish.so
#.nofail
#load-module module-x11-publish
#.fail
#.endif

### Make some devices default
#set-default-sink output
#set-default-source input

load-module module-combine channels=6 channel_map=front-left,front-right,rear-left,rear-right,front-center,lfe

system.pa:

#!/usr/bin/pulseaudio -nF


### Automatically load driver modules depending on the hardware available
.ifexists module-udev-detect.so
load-module module-udev-detect
.else
### Use the static hardware detection module (for systems that lack udev/hal support)
load-module module-detect
.endif

### Load several protocols
.ifexists module-esound-protocol-unix.so
load-module module-esound-protocol-unix
.endif
load-module module-native-protocol-unix

### Automatically restore the volume of streams and devices
load-module module-stream-restore
load-module module-device-restore

### Automatically restore the default sink/source when changed by the user
### during runtime
### NOTE: This should be loaded as early as possible so that subsequent modules
### that look up the default sink/source get the right value
load-module module-default-device-restore

### Automatically move streams to the default sink if the sink they are
### connected to dies, similar for sources
load-module module-rescue-streams

### Make sure we always have a sink around, even if it is a null sink.
load-module module-always-sink

### Automatically suspend sinks/sources that become idle for too long
load-module module-suspend-on-idle

### Enable positioned event sounds
load-module module-position-event-sounds

aplay -l:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: VT82xx [HDA VIA VT82xx], device 0: ALC883 Analog [ALC883 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: VT82xx [HDA VIA VT82xx], device 1: ALC883 Digital [ALC883 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Looking at pactl I noticed some weird channel mapping:

Server String: /run/user/1000/pulse/native
Library Protocol Version: 29
Server Protocol Version: 29
Is Local: yes
Client Index: 3
Tile Size: 65472
User Name: ryanvade
Host Name: ryanvade-plex
Server Name: pulseaudio
Server Version: 5.0
Default Sample Specification: s16le 6ch 44100Hz
Default Channel Map: front-left,front-left-of-center,front-center,front-right,front-right-of-center,rear-center
Default Sink: alsa_output.pci-0000_02_00.1.hdmi-surround-extra1
Default Source: alsa_output.pci-0000_02_00.1.hdmi-surround-extra1.monitor
Cookie: 25e5:3d12

I have no idea where these extra channels are coming from. The extra-hdmi.conf file with the hdmi-surround-extra1 profile does not mention any of these other channels.

What shoul I do to get center/rear channels working?

Last edited by ryanvade (2014-07-22 00:44:41)

emeres · 2014-07-20 09:08:05

Try changing those channel mappings using a similar approach to that described on the wiki. When you post configuration files with lots of comments, consider dropping all the comments with 'egrep -v '#|;|^$' confile | xclip' or similar. If some comments are important edit/paste them in afterwards.

ryanvade · 2014-07-20 12:59:27

emeres wrote:

Try changing those channel mappings using a similar approach to that described on the wiki. When you post configuration files with lots of comments, consider dropping all the comments with 'egrep -v '#|;|^$' confile | xclip' or similar. If some comments are important edit/paste them in afterwards.

Just edited my post. Removed the big comment blocks. Sorry about that.

Maybe something like this?

load-module module-alsa-sink sink_name=HDMI_OUT device=hw:0,7  channels=6 channel_map=front-left,front-right,rear-left,rear-right,front-center,lfe

emeres · 2014-07-20 13:24:04

Does it work? PA probably needs to be restarted. You could try to find out the mapping by running speaker-test with pulseaudio killed:

speaker-test -c 8 -t wav -D plug:surround71
# or for 5.1
speaker-test -c 6 -t wav -D plug:surround51

Mapping should be in the output. Or look up the relevant surround pcm in /usr/share/alsa/{cards,pcm}.

Side note: Selecting the configuration/copying it into clipboard and then running the following should filter things out for you (needs xclip package):

xclip -o | egrep -v '#|;|^$' | xclip

Last edited by emeres (2014-07-20 13:33:40)

ryanvade · 2014-07-20 22:20:19

emeres wrote:

Does it work? PA probably needs to be restarted. You could try to find out the mapping by running speaker-test with pulseaudio killed:
speaker-test -c 8 -t wav -D plug:surround71
# or for 5.1
speaker-test -c 6 -t wav -D plug:surround51
Mapping should be in the output. Or look up the relevant surround pcm in /usr/share/alsa/{cards,pcm}.
Side note: Selecting the configuration/copying it into clipboard and then running the following should filter things out for you (needs xclip package):
xclip -o | egrep -v '#|;|^$' | xclip

adding

load-module module-alsa-sink device=hw:0,7  channels=6 channel_map=front-left,front-right,rear-left,rear-right,front-center,lfe

did not work. speaker-test gives me this now:

[ryanvade@ryanvade-plex ~]$ speaker-test -c 6 -t wav -D plug:surround51

speaker-test 1.0.28

Playback device is plug:surround51
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 6 channels
WAV file(s)
Playback open error: -2,No such file or directory
[ryanvade@ryanvade-plex ~]$ speaker-test -c 6  -D plug:surround51

speaker-test 1.0.28

Playback device is plug:surround51
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 6 channels
Using 16 octaves of pink noise
Playback open error: -2,No such file or director

I killed and started pulse with no success.

Last edited by ryanvade (2014-07-20 22:23:16)

emeres · 2014-07-20 22:38:03

So there was no change in pulseaudio, but the sound was still there or was everything quiet? Right, speaker-test can probably do nothing with surround configuration for the HDMI. Command 'aplay -l' should show HDMI with default device number 3, so running this should work:

speaker-test -c 6 -t wav -D plughw:HDMI,3

I do not use pa any more, so there might be something obvious missing here. Find out where exactly you have to add this line. There are already some default mapping options in your configuration by the way. Not to mention that this mapping you posted, is the default one, so you probably want to change that.

ryanvade · 2014-07-21 02:53:35

After re-reading the wiki pages, hours of tinkering, I decided to check if a hardware problem could be happening. I am using pc surround sound with a tv, which means I have to convert from digital-analog. It turns out the converter broke.

I connected the analog connectors to the built-in connectors and I get full surround sound. Unfortunately internet TV/Bluray disks cannot play 5.1 surround but I rarely use them.

Thanks for the help emeres

jasonwryan · 2014-07-21 03:49:37

Please don't use [Closed], it denotes a locked thread, use [Solved] instead.

emeres · 2014-07-21 09:41:18

Always check every element in the signal path hardware and software. You are welcome ryanvade.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-07-20 04:59:32

Cannot get center/rear channels to work properly Pulseaudio [SOLVED]

#2 2014-07-20 09:08:05

Re: Cannot get center/rear channels to work properly Pulseaudio [SOLVED]

#3 2014-07-20 12:59:27

Re: Cannot get center/rear channels to work properly Pulseaudio [SOLVED]

#4 2014-07-20 13:24:04

Re: Cannot get center/rear channels to work properly Pulseaudio [SOLVED]

#5 2014-07-20 22:20:19

Re: Cannot get center/rear channels to work properly Pulseaudio [SOLVED]

#6 2014-07-20 22:38:03

Re: Cannot get center/rear channels to work properly Pulseaudio [SOLVED]

#7 2014-07-21 02:53:35

Re: Cannot get center/rear channels to work properly Pulseaudio [SOLVED]

#8 2014-07-21 03:49:37

Re: Cannot get center/rear channels to work properly Pulseaudio [SOLVED]

#9 2014-07-21 09:41:18

Re: Cannot get center/rear channels to work properly Pulseaudio [SOLVED]

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