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bruh-i-use-arch-cow

Member

Registered: 2020-07-01

Posts: 46

[SOLVED] Really strange sound lag

This is a very vague post, but ill try to describe my problem as best as i can. I have this strange sound lag that occurs randomly like every 1-5 minutes. This lag either leaves gaps (delay) between audio or make just skips audio. the lag is like 0.1 sec long (short but really noticeable and annoying). I'm not sure how to debug or somehow find the solution to this problem, i tried configuring sound settings. It might be hardware problem, considering it is getting pretty old, but again i never got this problem before, so maybe i should buy sound card, but I'm not sure if it will fit in my PC... any suggestions?

Last edited by bruh-i-use-arch-cow (2021-05-30 10:24:24)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 21,627

Re: [SOLVED] Really strange sound lag

Is this independent of which programs are used for outputting audio? Did this happen just recently? some audio chips have an issue with power saving that got enabled by default in the 5.10 kernel, try creating a /etc/modprobe.d/disablepower.conf

options snd-hda-intel power_save=0

and reboot.

Otherwise post some more information, which card is this, which applications are usually open, do you use pulseaudio, is there some specific process running in that timeframe that could starve resources, what's your  output of

pacmd list-cards
pacmd list-sinks

during/after this?

bruh-i-use-arch-cow

Member

Registered: 2020-07-01

Posts: 46

Re: [SOLVED] Really strange sound lag

yo thanks, this "options snd-hda-intel power_save=0" thing immediately fixed the problem. not only that, but i think my audio got even better - better bass (tho it might be placebo).

P.S. i see you at arch forums a lot, and i respect your technical knowledge. I just wish i could have as big brain as yours :$

edit: i was too quick to draw conclusions couse for some reason after 7 minutes the problem continued accruing (well this is awkward)

ok my sound card info:
pacmd list-cards output:

pacmd list-cards
2 card(s) available.
    index: 0
	name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_06_00.1>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA ATI HDMI"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA ATI HDMI at 0xfe960000 irq 78"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:06:00.1"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.1/0000:06:00.1/sound/card1"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "1002"
		device.vendor.name = "Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]"
		device.product.id = "aaf0"
		device.product.name = "Ellesmere HDMI Audio [Radeon RX 470/480 / 570/580/590]"
		device.string = "1"
		device.description = "Ellesmere HDMI Audio [Radeon RX 470/480 / 570/580/590]"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	profiles:
		output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5900, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output (priority 5700, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra4: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra4: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra4: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra5: Digital Stereo (HDMI 6) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra5: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 6) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra5: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 6) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <off>
	ports:
		hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (priority 5600, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
				device.product.name = "2D HD LG TV"
		hdmi-output-4: HDMI / DisplayPort 5 (priority 5500, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-5: HDMI / DisplayPort 6 (priority 5400, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
    index: 1
	name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_08_00.3>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 7
	properties:
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HD-Audio Generic"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HD-Audio Generic at 0xfe800000 irq 79"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:08:00.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:08.1/0000:08:00.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "1022"
		device.vendor.name = "Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD]"
		device.product.id = "1457"
		device.product.name = "Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) HD Audio Controller"
		device.string = "0"
		device.description = "Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) HD Audio Controller"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	profiles:
		input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 65, available: no)
		output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6500, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6565, available: no)
		output:analog-surround-21: Analog Surround 2.1 Output (priority 1300, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-21+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 2.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 1365, available: no)
		output:analog-surround-40: Analog Surround 4.0 Output (priority 1200, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-40+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 4.0 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 1265, available: no)
		output:analog-surround-41: Analog Surround 4.1 Output (priority 1300, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-41+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 4.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 1365, available: no)
		output:analog-surround-50: Analog Surround 5.0 Output (priority 1200, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-50+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 5.0 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 1265, available: no)
		output:analog-surround-51: Analog Surround 5.1 Output (priority 1300, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-51+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 5.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 1365, available: no)
		output:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output (priority 5500, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5565, available: no)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-surround-51>
	sinks:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_08_00.3.analog-surround-51/#0: Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) HD Audio Controller Analog Surround 5.1
	sources:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_08_00.3.analog-surround-51.monitor/#0: Monitor of Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) HD Audio Controller Analog Surround 5.1
	ports:
		analog-input-front-mic: Front Microphone (priority 8500, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-rear-mic: Rear Microphone (priority 8200, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-linein: Line In (priority 8100, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				
		analog-output-lineout: Line Out (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
		iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:

list-sinks output

list-sinks
\1 sink(s) available.
  * index: 0
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_08_00.3.analog-surround-51>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: SUSPENDED
	suspend cause: IDLE
	priority: 9039
	volume: front-left: 30129 /  46% / -20.25 dB,   front-right: 30129 /  46% / -20.25 dB,   rear-left: 30129 /  46% / -20.25 dB,   rear-right: 30129 /  46% / -20.25 dB,   front-center: 30129 /  46% / -20.25 dB,   lfe: 30129 /  46% / -20.25 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.00 ms
	max request: 0 KiB
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	monitor source: 0
	sample spec: s16le 6ch 48000Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right,rear-left,rear-right,front-center,lfe
	             Surround 5.1
	used by: 0
	linked by: 1
	configured latency: 0.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 1837.33 ms
	card: 1 <alsa_card.pci-0000_08_00.3>
	module: 7
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC1220 Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC1220 Analog"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HD-Audio Generic"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HD-Audio Generic at 0xfe800000 irq 79"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:08:00.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:08.1/0000:08:00.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "1022"
		device.vendor.name = "Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD]"
		device.product.id = "1457"
		device.product.name = "Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) HD Audio Controller"
		device.string = "surround51:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "1058304"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "529152"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-surround-51"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Surround 5.1"
		device.description = "Family 17h (Models 00h-0fh) HD Audio Controller Analog Surround 5.1"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		analog-output-lineout: Line Out (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				
	active port: <analog-output-lineout>

Last edited by bruh-i-use-arch-cow (2021-05-30 09:27:31)

bruh-i-use-arch-cow

Member

Registered: 2020-07-01

Posts: 46

Re: [SOLVED] Really strange sound lag

Update (solution):
Ok so i made I've made a few small changes and tested each change for 30 minutes this time, to not draw quick conclusions.
here were the changes:
1) switched form linux-lts to linux kernal
2) corrected /etc/modprobe.d/disablepower.conf where is says "options snd-hda-intel power_save=0" to => "options snd_hda_intel power_save=0".
3) disabled lightdm display manager (the reason being that i remember having a lot of other problems the moment i enabled lightdm display manager).
After those changes i had not probems whatsoever.

Last edited by bruh-i-use-arch-cow (2021-05-30 10:34:02)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 21,627

Re: [SOLVED] Really strange sound lag

whether you use dashes or underscores in module names doesn't matter for modprobe conf,  likely the kernel change has the best chance of having an appropriate effect. There's also the additional caveat that the LTS kernel is compiled with more conservative/server tuned settings so might've been some scheduling adjustments.

bruh-i-use-arch-cow

Member

Registered: 2020-07-01

Posts: 46

Re: [SOLVED] Really strange sound lag

You mean like cpu scheduling adjustments? in linux lts kernel there is more things that cpu has to do, for better server stability or something right?