Microphone and Mixer settings

**xizzling** · 01-Aug-2009, 05:54

Hello everyone !

On my toshiba satellite A135, im testing microphone with the following command and mixer settings:

Recording sound by

HTML Code:

arecord -d 10 myrecording.wav

Getting my mixer settings by:

HTML Code:

wget -O alsa-info.sh http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-info.sh && bash alsa-info.sh --no-upload

HTML Code:

!!-------Mixer controls for card 0 [Intel]

Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xdc440000 irq 22'
  Mixer name	: 'Realtek ALC861-VD'
  Components	: 'HDA:10ec0862,11790104,00100001 HDA:11c11040,11790001,00100200'
  Controls      : 20
  Simple ctrls  : 13
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono: Playback 59 [92%] [-5.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 216 [85%] [-7.80dB]
  Front Right: Playback 216 [85%] [-7.80dB]
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 56 [88%] [-8.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 56 [88%] [-8.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 28 [90%] [7.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 28 [90%] [7.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 2 [67%]
  Front Right: 2 [67%]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 26 [84%] [4.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 26 [84%] [4.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 22 [71%] [-1.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 22 [71%] [-1.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 2 [67%]
  Front Right: 2 [67%]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 31 [100%] [33.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 31 [100%] [33.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Beep',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  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 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 118 [98%] [29.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 118 [98%] [29.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'

And unfortunately i hear no sound recorded ?

**oldcpu** · 01-Aug-2009, 06:38

Originally Posted by xizzling

Getting my mixer settings by:

Code:

wget -O alsa-info.sh http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-info.sh && bash alsa-info.sh --no-upload

OK, ... an easier way to get mixer settings is to type:

amixer > mixer-settings.txt

and open mixer-setting.txt with a text editor.

Originally Posted by xizzling

Code:

!!-------Mixer controls for card 0 [Intel]
Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xdc440000 irq 22'
  Mixer name	: 'Realtek ALC861-VD'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'

And unfortunately i hear no sound recorded ?

Are you using an integrated mic? Or an external mic? Have you tried the "Mic" setting as opposed to the "Front Mic" setting?

**xizzling** · 01-Aug-2009, 06:47

its an external headphone mic hooked to the jacks.
thanks for the shorter cmd.

the output:

HTML Code:

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono: Playback 59 [92%] [-5.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 216 [85%] [-7.80dB]
  Front Right: Playback 216 [85%] [-7.80dB]
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 56 [88%] [-8.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 56 [88%] [-8.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 28 [90%] [7.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 28 [90%] [7.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 2 [67%]
  Front Right: 2 [67%]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 26 [84%] [4.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 26 [84%] [4.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 15 [48%] [-12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 15 [48%] [-12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 2 [67%]
  Front Right: 2 [67%]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 22 [71%] [19.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 22 [71%] [19.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Beep',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  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 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 118 [98%] [29.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 118 [98%] [29.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono: Playback 59 [92%] [-5.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 216 [85%] [-7.80dB]
  Front Right: Playback 216 [85%] [-7.80dB]
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 56 [88%] [-8.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 56 [88%] [-8.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 28 [90%] [7.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 28 [90%] [7.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 2 [67%]
  Front Right: 2 [67%]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 26 [84%] [4.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 26 [84%] [4.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 15 [48%] [-12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 15 [48%] [-12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 2 [67%]
  Front Right: 2 [67%]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 22 [71%] [19.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 22 [71%] [19.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Beep',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  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 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 118 [98%] [29.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 118 [98%] [29.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'

**xizzling** · 01-Aug-2009, 07:05

Yep, its working now, though noisy ! thanks man, once again !

I was just wondering maybe you should post a smart guide command manual, as these small commands are pretty helpful, rather than the GUI !!

**oldcpu** · 01-Aug-2009, 08:05

Originally Posted by xizzling

Yep, its working now, though noisy ! thanks man, once again !

Glad to read its working.

Take a snapshot of your settings, so you can go back again in case you forget the working settings. Then move down the capture levels. You should be able to tune out a lot of the noise.

Originally Posted by xizzling

I was just wondering maybe you should post a smart guide command manual, as these small commands are pretty helpful, rather than the GUI !!

That is a good idea.

I've pondered updating the audio troubleshooting guide that I wrote, with a Link to testing mics: SDB:AudioTroubleshooting - openSUSE