PA input volume way too high on some steps

EvanPurkhiser · 2014-12-27 09:27:37

Hey guys,

I'm having a strange problem with my PulseAudio server. I'm not sure when it started or what caused it, but the input volume on my USB microphone when controlled by PulseAudio is just way too high.

When I start PulseAudio cleanly (remove cached configs), the volume is fine. However, when I touch the volume control in pavucontrol (or change it any other way, pacmd, etc) the input volume maxes out and I get tons of static / crackling (like really really loud and obnoxious, it makes the microphone unusable) The VU meter also pegs.

I've noticed a few interesting things.

If I use alsamixer to adjust the capture volume it works fine, volume is adjusted fine, in fact, pavucontrol reflects these volume changes as the slider moves from -12db to 0db.
When moving the slider in pavucontrol there are some places where the static stops and it acts normally.

Here's the output from pacmd list-sources

index: 1
	name: <alsa_input.usb-Sennheiser_Communications_Sennheiser_USB_Headset-00-Headset.analog-mono>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY 
	state: RUNNING
	suspend cause: 
	priority: 9049
	volume: mono: 54607 /  83% / -4.75 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 21535 /  33% / -29.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.54 ms
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	sample spec: s16le 1ch 44100Hz
	channel map: mono
	             Mono
	used by: 2
	linked by: 2
	fixed latency: 11.97 ms
	card: 1 <alsa_card.usb-Sennheiser_Communications_Sennheiser_USB_Headset-00-Headset>
	module: 5
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "USB Audio"
		alsa.id = "USB Audio"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "2"
		alsa.card_name = "Sennheiser USB Headset"
		alsa.long_card_name = "Sennheiser Communications Sennheiser USB Headset at usb-0000:00:14.0-2, full sp"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:14.0-usb-0:2:1.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb3/3-2/3-2:1.0/sound/card2"
		udev.id = "usb-Sennheiser_Communications_Sennheiser_USB_Headset-00-Headset"
		device.bus = "usb"
		device.vendor.id = "1395"
		device.vendor.name = "Sennheiser Communications"
		device.product.id = "3556"
		device.product.name = "USB Headset"
		device.serial = "Sennheiser_Communications_Sennheiser_USB_Headset"
		device.form_factor = "headset"
		device.string = "hw:2"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "1056"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "264"
		device.access_mode = "mmap"
		device.profile.name = "analog-mono"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Mono"
		device.description = "USB Headset Analog Mono"
		alsa.mixer_name = "USB Mixer"
		alsa.components = "USB1395:3556"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-headset-usb"
		device.intended_roles = "phone"
	ports:
		analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
	active port: <analog-input-mic>

I've also noticed things like this in dmesg

[   11.001006] snd_hda_intel 0000:01:00.1: Too big adjustment 128
[   11.140473] snd_hda_intel 0000:01:00.1: Too big adjustment 384
[   11.300272] snd_hda_intel 0000:01:00.1: Too big adjustment 128
[   11.433518] snd_hda_intel 0000:01:00.1: Too big adjustment 384
[   11.593422] snd_hda_intel 0000:01:00.1: Too big adjustment 128
[   13.019036] snd_hda_intel 0000:01:00.1: Too big adjustment 384

[    2.306596] usb 3-2: current rate 44100 is different from the runtime rate 48000
[    2.307353] usb 3-2: current rate 44100 is different from the runtime rate 48000
[    2.314235] usb 3-2: Warning! Unlikely big volume range (=464), cval->res is probably wrong.
[    2.314241] usb 3-2: [6] FU [Mic Playback Volume] ch = 1, val = -10496/-3072/16

Rob_H · 2014-12-27 15:21:53

There's already a recent forum topic on this. See:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=191392

EvanPurkhiser · 2014-12-28 01:09:36

Thank you for the link. My search foo must be failing me

Arch Linux

#1 2014-12-27 09:27:37

PA input volume way too high on some steps

#2 2014-12-27 15:21:53

Re: PA input volume way too high on some steps

#3 2014-12-28 01:09:36

Re: PA input volume way too high on some steps

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