[SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

madomac · 2009-05-22 11:56:03

Servus!

Being rather new to Linux and completely new to ArchLinux I had a good time setting up ArchLinux x86_64 on my Dell Inspiron 1545.

When I tried "skype" from AUR, I identified a problem with sound input (not only in Skype but as well with the GNOME audio recorder). Whenever I change the input channel "Capture" from mute to unmute and close the mixer app, the "Capture" source is muted again. Same for all the other input sources ("Capture 1", "DAC0", ...) So basically all the input sources are always muted.

I added my user to the "audio" group. Sound hardware is "HDA Intel". Playback is fine. I can change all settings of the playback channels, and the settings are saved perfectly. So it's only the sources.

Any idea what I can look for?

TIA!
Marc

Last edited by madomac (2009-05-23 18:26:57)

wonder · 2009-05-22 12:07:11

maybe the input is set to use the input jack for a second microphone. personally i had to change it from alsamixer the Digital level, from Analog I which is the input jack for a second microphone to Digital which is my microphone embeded in monitor.

madomac · 2009-05-22 12:11:58

Well, the input source is set to "Front Mic", which is the built-in microphone of the Dell Inspiron. Worked like a charm w/ Ubuntu 9.04 (Alsa, GNOME as well).

grey · 2009-05-22 19:48:38

Type "amixer", then look for the Capture control entry and check if they are on.
It should look something like this:

Simple mixer control 'Capture',0            
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31                    
  Front Left: Capture 23 [74%] [22.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 23 [74%] [22.50dB] [on]

Last edited by grey (2009-05-22 19:50:50)

madomac · 2009-05-23 06:52:54

It does! So why does "Audio-Recorder" not record any sound? Any other way to test my sound input?

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 127
  Mono: Playback 97 [76%] [-22.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 127
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 127 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 127 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Default PCM',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 15
  Front Left: Capture 15 [100%] [22.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 15 [100%] [22.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 15
  Front Left: Capture 15 [100%] [22.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 15 [100%] [22.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Analog Loopback',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Analog Loopback',1
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'DAC0',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'DAC1',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 120 [100%] [30.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 120 [100%] [30.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Digital Input Source',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Analog Inputs' 'Mixer' 'Digital Mic 1'
  Item0: 'Mixer'
Simple mixer control 'Import0 Mux',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Import1 Mux',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Mux',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 3
  Front Left: Capture 3 [100%] [30.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 3 [100%] [30.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Mux',1
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 3
  Front Left: Capture 3 [100%] [30.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 3 [100%] [30.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'PC Beep',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 3
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] [-18.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 127
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 127 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 127 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]

grey · 2009-05-23 16:43:38

I think the most basic tools for testing input / output are arecord and aplay.

However I found their documentation not very helpful. For example there is

> man arecord
[...]
       -l, --list-devices
              List all soundcards and digital audio devices
       -L, --list-pcms
              List all PCMs defined
       -D, --device=NAME
              Select PCM by name

so you'd expect the possible values for the -D switch to be listed by either -l or -L, but that is not the case. Instead the following device names worked for me:

[plug]hw[:<card number>[:<subdevice number>]]

where "plughw" is the default. Also --verbose gives you a lot of information, but your mileage may vary.

For example

arecord -d 2 -D "plughw:0,2" test.wav
aplay test.wav

will record for 2 seconds from card 0, subdevice 2 and store the result in file test.wav.

Last edited by grey (2009-05-23 16:48:08)

madomac · 2009-05-23 17:09:35

Thanks everyone, the problem is solved. "alsamixer" works correctly, the GNOME mixer does not show the correct status of the input sources. Guess it's a bug. Well, that caused all the confusion. And what I did not know was that it is not sufficient to enable "capture" and set a decent recording level - "dac1" has to be enabled as well.

No I can record sounds, and Skype works as well.

Now - how do I set the [SOLVED] flag to a topic? Just edit the first post?

Thanks everyone!
Marc

wonder · 2009-05-23 17:11:38

madomac wrote:

Now - how do I set the [SOLVED] flag to a topic? Just edit the first post?

yes. edit the first post

Vladman · 2009-05-23 19:10:14

Shoot, I have the same problem with my dell 1405 after I updated the system last night.
Everything worked fine before...

What exactly do I need to enabe?
I cant seem to find this "dac1"

Can anybody help me out?

madomac · 2009-05-24 07:19:47

Vladman wrote:

Shoot, I have the same problem with my dell 1405 after I updated the system last night.
Everything worked fine before...
What exactly do I need to enabe?
I cant seem to find this "dac1"
Can anybody help me out?

I can try... First: Use "alsamixer" on the command line. Press <F4> to toggle the view and see the input sources. Activate all of them via the <Space> key, set an input level of apx. 60% to start with. Try "Audio-Recorder" to capture sound, try all input sources you can select in "Audio-Recorder". When you have a valid sound input, try switching off the input sources in "alsamixer" one by one, until you have identified all channels you need. In my case: "capture" and "dac1" - but that will be different on different hardware. Oh, I forgot one thing: in "alsamixer" you can also switch the microphone setting - on my system I have "mic" and "front mic" to choose from. It works with "front mic" - again this might be valid for my hardware only.

Cheers,
Marc

Vladman · 2009-05-24 15:52:16

Thanks Marc, my mic is on the usb webcam.
I have tried what you recommended but still no luck.
I can see the device under valume control, but it always goes back to muted after I close it.

No luck with audio-recorder, the thing just lucks up on me.

I keep trying though, appreciate you trying to help.

madomac · 2009-05-24 16:24:21

Vladman wrote:

Thanks Marc, my mic is on the usb webcam.
I have tried what you recommended but still no luck.
I can see the device under valume control, but it always goes back to muted after I close it.
No luck with audio-recorder, the thing just lucks up on me.
I keep trying though, appreciate you trying to help.

Did you try "alsamixer" on the command line? What's in your /etc/asound.state - does it match your settings? Maybe you want to check "alsactl", see the options in the manpage.

Cheers,
Marc

Vladman · 2009-05-25 21:10:55

Thanks Marc, not sure what I did but now its working again today!

Arch Linux

#1 2009-05-22 11:56:03

[SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#2 2009-05-22 12:07:11

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#3 2009-05-22 12:11:58

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#4 2009-05-22 19:48:38

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#5 2009-05-23 06:52:54

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#6 2009-05-23 16:43:38

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#7 2009-05-23 17:09:35

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#8 2009-05-23 17:11:38

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#9 2009-05-23 19:10:14

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#10 2009-05-24 07:19:47

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#11 2009-05-24 15:52:16

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#12 2009-05-24 16:24:21

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

#13 2009-05-25 21:10:55

Re: [SOLVED] Problem with sound input: "Capture" is always muted

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