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#1 2010-08-06 22:47:34

Jordanlw
Member
Registered: 2010-07-27
Posts: 44

[solved]Unable to get microphone working

I'm trying to get my new microphone working and I've been unable to get any output when recorded.

Here's the output of amixer:

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined penum
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono: Playback 7 [23%] [-36.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume penum
  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 'Front',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 0 [0%]
  Front Right: 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'Surround',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-46.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-46.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Center',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined penum
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] [-46.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'LFE',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined penum
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] [-46.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Side',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-46.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-46.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 0 [0%]
  Front Right: 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined penum
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off] Capture [on]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Default PCM',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Beep',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch penum
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 9 [29%] [-3.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 9 [29%] [-3.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch penum
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 8 [26%] [-4.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 8 [26%] [-4.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Channel Mode',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: '6ch' '8ch'
  Item0: '6ch'
Simple mixer control 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume penum
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 26 [22%] [-17.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 26 [22%] [-17.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Mic'

Last edited by Jordanlw (2010-08-10 08:32:49)

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#2 2010-08-06 23:11:34

cesura
Package Maintainer (PM)
From: Tallinn, Estonia
Registered: 2010-01-23
Posts: 1,867

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

What are you attempting to record in?

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#3 2010-08-06 23:38:48

Jordanlw
Member
Registered: 2010-07-27
Posts: 44

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

arecord & gnome sound recorder

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#4 2010-08-07 01:12:15

cesura
Package Maintainer (PM)
From: Tallinn, Estonia
Registered: 2010-01-23
Posts: 1,867

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

Do either of those know which device to use? You can get a list of devices with:

arecord -l

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#5 2010-08-07 02:32:53

Acecero
Member
Registered: 2008-06-21
Posts: 1,373

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

Did you try increasing the Mic Boost?  Sometimes a microphone might not be sensitive enough to reception.

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#6 2010-08-07 13:40:06

Jordanlw
Member
Registered: 2010-07-27
Posts: 44

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

I tried increasing the Mic boost in the recording section of alsamixer, I was still unable to record any sound I also recorded from every input Gnome sound recorder supports: "Fronts Mic Boost' 'Mic Boost' 'IEC958' 'Capture' 'Capture 1' 'Digital'

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#7 2010-08-07 20:02:09

Jordanlw
Member
Registered: 2010-07-27
Posts: 44

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

Would the recording section or the playback section effect the output?

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#8 2010-08-07 20:49:51

DeletedUser210616
Banned
Registered: 2010-07-07
Posts: 43

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

itsbrad212 wrote:

Do either of those know which device to use? You can get a list of devices with:

arecord -l

analog or usb?

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#9 2010-08-07 22:12:57

Jordanlw
Member
Registered: 2010-07-27
Posts: 44

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

It's a analog headset, The speakers on it work fine.

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#10 2010-08-08 17:37:40

Jordanlw
Member
Registered: 2010-07-27
Posts: 44

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

What information should I provide? I also wasn't able to get the microphone working on my arch laptop.

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#11 2010-08-09 14:28:13

Inxsible
Forum Fellow
From: Chicago
Registered: 2008-06-09
Posts: 9,183

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

in alsamixer, you need to enable the capture on your microphones. have you done that ?

use the arrow keys to highlight the microphone bar. then press space bar to activate it. This should show the word "Capture" in red just below the bar. That will enable the microphone. You can then adjust the Mic Boost accordingly to make sure that your mic doesn't shrill and the sensitivity is not too high.

Last edited by Inxsible (2010-08-09 14:29:06)


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There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots !

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#12 2010-08-09 17:23:04

Jordanlw
Member
Registered: 2010-07-27
Posts: 44

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

Here's a screen shot of the alsamixer recording section: http://imgur.com/Z9Rza

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#13 2010-08-09 17:38:11

Inxsible
Forum Fellow
From: Chicago
Registered: 2008-06-09
Posts: 9,183

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

Hmm, have you tried upping the Front mic and the Mic Boost? also enable both capture bars.


Forum Rules

There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots !

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#14 2010-08-09 17:43:37

Jordanlw
Member
Registered: 2010-07-27
Posts: 44

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

Yes I have.

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#15 2010-08-09 23:12:32

jlr1701
Member
From: Anchorage, AK
Registered: 2010-08-01
Posts: 19
Website

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

This is just a shot in the dark here, but I was not able to get my microphone working until I unchecked Smart 5.1 under "Switches" in the Alsa mixer. My sound card is the HDA ATI SB. If you have that option, try unchecking it and see what happens.

Hope that helps,

Jeff

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#16 2010-08-10 06:14:33

Jordanlw
Member
Registered: 2010-07-27
Posts: 44

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

I could find any option labelled "Smart 5.1" or anything similar.

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#17 2010-08-10 06:35:38

cesura
Package Maintainer (PM)
From: Tallinn, Estonia
Registered: 2010-01-23
Posts: 1,867

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

Can you confirm the mic even works? Do you have a friend with a Windows machine you could test it out on so that you know if it is even operational?

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#18 2010-08-10 06:59:25

Acecero
Member
Registered: 2008-06-21
Posts: 1,373

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

Is there by any chance that the microphone is disabled through the bios?  Have you checked and enabled any audio or microphone option?

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#19 2010-08-10 08:02:49

Jordanlw
Member
Registered: 2010-07-27
Posts: 44

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

I booted into a Ubuntu live session and the mic worked perfectly there, I noted down the details within alsamixer under the Ubuntu system, so I could re-implement them in my arch system. When I booted in arch I fiddled with the input source, setting one of them (the first) as "Front Mic", which I had already done early. It's currently working fine and I managed to get it working on my laptop also (Which was easy consider I only tried it once and that was before I knew you needed to activate the capture with space bar) Thanks for all your help! (Truly thank you!)

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#20 2010-08-10 08:21:55

Inxsible
Forum Fellow
From: Chicago
Registered: 2008-06-09
Posts: 9,183

Re: [solved]Unable to get microphone working

Glad to know its working. Please mark the thread as solved.


Forum Rules

There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots !

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