[Pulseaudio] Low volume from microphone

alula_borealis · 2024-01-29 09:41:06

Hey! I have a USB microphone (Elegiant EGM-04) and have used it for years with things like OBS and Audacity with no problems. After not using it for a few months I tried using it but the volume is really low even when the input volume is maxed out in pulseaudio.

The internal microphone of my laptop seems to be working fine and is of the right volume.
Have updated and rebooted.
Looked around online for a solution but can't see to find anything similar/solved.

Potentially useful outputs:

pacmd list-sources:

3 source(s) available.
    index: 0
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo.monitor>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: IDLE
	suspend cause: (none)
	priority: 1030
	volume: front-left: 100270 / 153% / 11.08 dB,   front-right: 100270 / 153% / 11.08 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.00 ms
	max rewind: 4 KiB
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 0
	linked by: 0
	configured latency: 2000.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 2000.00 ms
	monitor_of: 0
	card: 0 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
	module: 6
	properties:
		device.description = "Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		device.class = "monitor"
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xb1220000 irq 139"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "9d71"
		device.product.name = "Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "0"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
    index: 1
	name: <alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo>
	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: 15729 /  24% / -37.19 dB,   front-right: 15729 /  24% / -37.19 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 6554 /  10% / -60.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.00 ms
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 0
	linked by: 0
	configured latency: 0.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 2000.00 ms
	card: 0 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
	module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC255 Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC255 Analog"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xb1220000 irq 139"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "9d71"
		device.product.name = "Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "352800"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "176400"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		analog-input-internal-mic: Internal Microphone (priority 8900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-headset-mic: Headset Microphone (priority 8800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
	active port: <analog-input-internal-mic>
  * index: 2
	name: <alsa_input.usb-KTMicro_K38_214b206000000178-00.mono-fallback>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: SUSPENDED
	suspend cause: IDLE
	priority: 9040
	volume: mono: 100270 / 153%
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100%
	volume steps: 101
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.00 ms
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	sample spec: s16le 1ch 96000Hz
	channel map: mono
	             Mono
	used by: 0
	linked by: 0
	configured latency: 0.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 2000.00 ms
	card: 1 <alsa_card.usb-KTMicro_K38_214b206000000178-00>
	module: 22
	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 = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "K38"
		alsa.long_card_name = "KTMicro K38 at usb-0000:00:14.0-1, full speed"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:14.0-usb-0:1:1.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-1/1-1:1.0/sound/card1"
		udev.id = "usb-KTMicro_K38_214b206000000178-00"
		device.bus = "usb"
		device.vendor.id = "31b2"
		device.vendor.name = "KTMicro"
		device.product.id = "0011"
		device.product.name = "K38"
		device.serial = "KTMicro_K38_214b206000000178"
		device.string = "hw:1"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "384000"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "192000"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "mono-fallback"
		device.profile.description = "Mono"
		device.description = "K38 Mono"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-usb"
	ports:
		analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 7000 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
	active port: <analog-input-mic>

amixer:

 Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65536
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 65536 [100%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 65536 [100%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cvolume-joined cswitch cswitch-joined
  Capture channels: Mono
  Limits: Capture 0 - 65536
  Mono: Capture 100270 [153%] [on]

Let me know if any more outputs are needed! Thanks!

V1del · 2024-01-29 10:49:43

For cases like these it's very likely your USB microphone has a HW knob that is independent of - and not reflected by - the software. Make sure a potentially existing HW volume/slider is relevantly increased -- and FWIW microphones are prone to clipping if you overdrive them on the software side so get that down to "normal" 100% and then make sure you set the HW knob appropriately.

alula_borealis · 2024-01-29 21:10:19

My microphone doesn't have any physical ways to turn the volume up and down on it. As I said before I've used this microphone plenty of times before and it was definitely louder, I've even gone back to my old videos to check and it was definitely louder and wasn't clipping. When using pavucontrol and having the slider maxed out, the maximum volume I can get it about 20% of that bar.

Also apologies for the late reply!

Last edited by alula_borealis (2024-01-29 21:14:23)

Arch Linux

#1 2024-01-29 09:41:06

[Pulseaudio] Low volume from microphone

#2 2024-01-29 10:49:43

Re: [Pulseaudio] Low volume from microphone

#3 2024-01-29 21:10:19

Re: [Pulseaudio] Low volume from microphone

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