Arch Linux

AltMz

Member

Registered: 2023-02-09

Posts: 4

Broken audio on pipewire (KDE plasma)

Hi guys, recently I was having an echo problem with my microphone, when I was talking to someone the microphone also reproduced the audio from my system and turned into a deafening echo, I tried loading the module libpipewire-module-echo-cancel under ~/ .config/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/
after I restarted pipewire I checked from the logs that it was unable to load the module, after I removed the module from the configuration file and restarted the service again my audio stopped completely, in the volume tray it says that the connection to the server audio was lost, this also somehow affected the startup of my system which is taking a long time to load the desktop environment, checking the status of the service using systemctl apparently it is working, but the audio is gone

systemctl status --user pipewire-pulse.service pipewire.service wireplumber.service
● pipewire-pulse.service - PipeWire PulseAudio
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire-pulse.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Sun 2024-11-17 04:59:43 -03; 3h 14min ago
Invocation: 3bafb25afe714a00b5713e4e485ae0f1
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire-pulse.socket
   Main PID: 1895 (pipewire-pulse)
      Tasks: 3 (limit: 38249)
     Memory: 1.7M (peak: 2.1M)
        CPU: 30ms
     CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/pipewire-pulse.service
             └─1895 /usr/bin/pipewire-pulse

nov 17 04:59:43 Alt systemd[1881]: Started PipeWire PulseAudio.

● pipewire.service - PipeWire Multimedia Service
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire.service; disabled; preset: enabled)
    Drop-In: /usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire.service.d
             └─00-uresourced.conf
     Active: active (running) since Sun 2024-11-17 04:59:43 -03; 3h 14min ago
Invocation: 889793decf374430b52fad67ebe867e7
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire.socket
   Main PID: 1892 (pipewire)
      Tasks: 1 (limit: 38249)
     Memory: 596K (peak: 1.8M)
        CPU: 22ms
     CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/pipewire.service
             └─1892 /usr/bin/pipewire

nov 17 04:59:43 Alt systemd[1881]: Started PipeWire Multimedia Service.
nov 17 04:59:43 Alt pipewire[1892]: pw.context: 0x6285e01c0000: no modules loaded from context.modules

● wireplumber.service - Multimedia Service Session Manager
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/wireplumber.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Sun 2024-11-17 04:59:43 -03; 3h 14min ago
Invocation: c9800824950d46798969c2a4dafc8eb4
   Main PID: 1893 (wireplumber)
      Tasks: 3 (limit: 38249)
     Memory: 1.2M (peak: 1.9M)
        CPU: 30ms
     CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/wireplumber.service
             └─1893 /usr/bin/wireplumber

nov 17 04:59:43 Alt systemd[1881]: Started Multimedia Service Session Manager

journalctl log: https://pastebin.com/ts3vtq3W
pipewire conf file: https://pastebin.com/hmjzUgB1

jazzlover

Member

Registered: 2024-11-17

Posts: 2

Re: Broken audio on pipewire (KDE plasma)

I just registered to to ask for help with the exactly same issue and found out that I am not alone. Sorry for the hijacking but it seems we can try to solve it together (if moderators don't object).
I was trying to solve a choppy sound with bluetooth and had been tinkering with quantum settings. The problem appeared right after I restarted pipewire service. It has not been solved with a reboot (several, actually).
The same thing is in the pipewire.service status: "no modules loaded from context.modules"
In addition I have

systemctl --user list-units | egrep -i "wire|pulse"
  pipewire-pulse.service                                                                             loaded active running   PipeWire PulseAudio
  pipewire.service                                                                                   loaded active running   PipeWire Multimedia Service
  wireplumber.service                                                                                loaded active running   Multimedia Service Session Manager
  pipewire-pulse.socket                                                                              loaded active running   PipeWire PulseAudio
  pipewire.socket                                                                                    loaded active running   PipeWire Multimedia System Sockets

Both

wpctl status

and

inxi -Aa

produce no responce, like a gui application running in console.

❯ aplay -lL
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
sysdefault
    Default Audio Device
lavrate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Libav/FFmpeg Library
samplerate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Samplerate Library
speexrate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Speex Resampler
jack
    JACK Audio Connection Kit
oss
    Open Sound System
pipewire
    PipeWire Sound Server
pulse
    PulseAudio Sound Server
speex
    Plugin using Speex DSP (resample, agc, denoise, echo, dereverb)
upmix
    Plugin for channel upmix (4,6,8)
vdownmix
    Plugin for channel downmix (stereo) with a simple spacialization
default
    Default ALSA Output (currently PipeWire Media Server)
usbstream:CARD=BRIO
    Logitech BRIO
    USB Stream Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, Gigabyte M32U
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
    HDA Intel PCH, DELL U2410
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=2
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 2
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=3
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 3
    HDMI Audio Output
usbstream:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH
    USB Stream Output
sysdefault:CARD=HID
    USB Audio and HID, USB Audio
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=HID,DEV=0
    USB Audio and HID, USB Audio
    Front output / input
surround21:CARD=HID,DEV=0
    USB Audio and HID, USB Audio
    2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=HID,DEV=0
    USB Audio and HID, USB Audio
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=HID,DEV=0
    USB Audio and HID, USB Audio
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=HID,DEV=0
    USB Audio and HID, USB Audio
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=HID,DEV=0
    USB Audio and HID, USB Audio
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=HID,DEV=0
    USB Audio and HID, USB Audio
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=HID,DEV=0
    USB Audio and HID, USB Audio
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
usbstream:CARD=HID
    USB Audio and HID
    USB Stream Output
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [Gigabyte M32U]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 7: HDMI 1 [DELL U2410]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: HID [USB Audio and HID], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Now I am with no sound and the system is lagging, like prolonged booting time, long responce to app launch etc.

Last edited by jazzlover (2024-11-17 16:05:13)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,836

Re: Broken audio on pipewire (KDE plasma)

in doubt just drop your broken config. FWIW sometimes pipewire/wireplumber stores invalid state so try removing ~/.local/state/wireplumber

jazzlover

Member

Registered: 2024-11-17

Posts: 2

Re: Broken audio on pipewire (KDE plasma)

in doubt just drop your broken config. FWIW sometimes pipewire/wireplumber stores invalid state so try removing ~/.local/state/wireplumber

Seems like removing ~/.local/state/wireplumber did the trick in my case.
As I understand, the root of the problem was in two config files for
changing the priority of the bluetooth headset (to switch to it when connected)

monitor.alsa.rules = [  
 {  
   matches = [  
     {  
       node.name = "bluez_output.40_ED_98_1B_A4_1B.1"  
     }  
   ]  
   actions = {  
     update-props = {  
        priority.driver = "500"  
        priority.session = "500"  
     }  
   }  
 }  
]

and to reverse channels on the speakers

monitor.alsa.rules = [  
 {  
   matches = [  
     {  
       node.name = "alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.hdmi-stereo"
     }  
   ]  
   actions = {  
     update-props = {  
       audio.position = "FR,FL"  
     }  
   }  
 }  
]

It appears that something in pipewire/wireplumber has been changed with the recent update and this configs are no longer working. That is another issue though.
At least I have my sound back, thank you very much for the suggestions. I would be happy to change the topic to a SOLVED one but I am not OP.

Last edited by jazzlover (2024-11-19 06:36:02)