Bad Sound w SuSE 11 & Asus M3N-HT/Deluxe Mobo

English Hardware
#1

I have openSuSE 11.0 64bit on Asus M3N-HT/Deluxe SLI Mobo with
the Nvidia nForce 780a SLI using the AD1988B HDA Codec

I get ‘sound’ when I select the OSS Sound Device - but it is badly distorted and reverbed (at times) - and very ‘low’ output when it works at all.

Here are the paste/outputs from the ALSA scripts I ran:

tsalsa.txt - nopaste.com (beta)

general pastebin - chris - post number 1077870

I’ve never had trouble with Nvidia / nForce (before); but this could just be a problem with the ‘newness’ of the mobo and 780a chipset in general.

Is there a way to find out if this Sound Card/Device supported -yet?

I tried the Nvida website - sadly they only posted video drivers; but my Video is working fine thanx.

Chris M.

#2

Thanks! The output of those scripts is very useful.

From what I have read, the AD1988B is supported, although possibly not as well as some other sound card/devices. Its possible we can improve the quality of your sound by adding some extra code to your /etc/modprobe.d/sound file. I base that view on this section taken from the ALSA-Configuration.txt file (where that file comes with every alsa tarball update):

  	AD1988
	  6stack	6-jack
	  6stack-dig	ditto with SPDIF
	  3stack	3-jack
	  3stack-dig	ditto with SPDIF
	  laptop	3-jack with hp-jack automute
	  laptop-dig	ditto with SPDIF
	  auto		auto-config reading BIOS (default)

So please, could you also post the output of:**
rpm -qa | grep alsa
rpm -qa | grep pulse
rpm -q libasound2
cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound**
and with the above, I will provide a recommendation for an edit to your /etc/modprobe.d/sound file, which I hope will work.

#3

Sorry I took so long to respond… I’ve been busy and for some reason I didn’t get a notification that you ‘replied’ to my post.

I guess I’ll have to check my forum user/profile etc.

BTW - I just did some updates with kernel patches; and now I get absolutely NO-SOUND at all… but I also see that I’m missing the libsound2 package. So I’ll try that and your suggested mods to the modprobe.d

Here’s the info you wanted:

amdx3:/home/chris/Desktop # rpm -qa | grep alsa
alsa-oss-1.0.15-48.1
alsa-1.0.16-39.1
alsa-oss-32bit-1.0.15-48.1
alsa-utils-1.0.16-35.1
alsa-firmware-1.0.16-24.1
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.16-57.1
alsa-plugins-1.0.16-57.1
amdx3:/home/chris/Desktop # rpm -qa | grep pulse
pulseaudio-module-bluetooth-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-module-zeroconf-0.9.10-26.3
libpulse0-0.9.10-26.3
libpulse-mainloop-glib0-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-utils-0.9.10-26.3
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.16-57.1
gstreamer-0_10-pulse-0.9.7-42.pm.1
libpulse0-32bit-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-module-x11-0.9.10-26.3
libpulsecore4-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-module-lirc-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-module-gconf-0.9.10-26.3
libpulse-browse0-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-esound-compat-0.9.10-26.3
amdx3:/home/chris/Desktop # rpm -q libsound2
package libsound2 is not installed
amdx3:/home/chris/Desktop # cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound

options snd slots=snd-hda-intel

M71A.IBGOrOFSaa6:nVidia Corporation

alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel

#4

Its libasound2 … Not libsound2. You need libasound2 else you will get no sound.

Since you have changed your audio configuration, and your kernel, would you please run those audio diagnostic scripts again. If I try to work with outdated information, I could give a wrong recommendation.

#5

Thanx again… for your help.

Yes the libasound2 is there - just a typo on my part.

I’m going to need a little time to dig up those diagnostic scripts and run them again.

So, if you don’t mind - let’s give it a week and I will have it ready for you.

Have a good weekend…

#6

A caution … you say a week, … thats fine, BUT what I need is a snapshot of the above all at the exact same time … and then no change to your configuration .

If you can only give the information required in drips and drabs, and if you play with your configuration in between the information, then please don’t waste your time. Don’t bother with getting what I ask. Because I can not help with a changing configuration. If it becomes clear to me that this is the case, I simply won’t reply, as that will be a waste of your time (and mine).

Good luck.

#7

Here we go again…

Ok,

I just spent another 2 hrs on this - trying the steps/suggestions from:

SDB:AudioTroubleshooting

I’ve done all my latest updates/upgrades (for 11.0) and FROZEN my config.

Here are the updated alsa-info.sh and tsalsa outputs:

general pastebin - chris - post number 1092611

tsalsa.txt - nopaste.com (beta)

Here’s the output from the ‘shell’ you requested in an earlier post:

amdx3:/home/chris # rpm -qa | grep alsa
alsa-oss-1.0.15-48.1
alsa-1.0.16-39.1
alsa-oss-32bit-1.0.15-48.1
alsa-utils-1.0.16-35.1
alsa-firmware-1.0.16-24.1
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.16-57.1
alsa-plugins-1.0.16-57.1

amdx3:/home/chris # rpm -qa | grep pulse
pulseaudio-module-bluetooth-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-module-zeroconf-0.9.10-26.3
libpulse0-0.9.10-26.3
libpulse-mainloop-glib0-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-utils-0.9.10-26.3
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.16-57.1
gstreamer-0_10-pulse-0.9.7-42.pm.1
libpulse0-32bit-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-module-x11-0.9.10-26.3
libpulsecore4-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-module-lirc-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-module-gconf-0.9.10-26.3
libpulse-browse0-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-0.9.10-26.3
pulseaudio-esound-compat-0.9.10-26.3

amdx3:/home/chris # rpm -q libasound2
libasound2-1.0.16-39.1

amdx3:/home/chris # cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound

options snd slots=snd-hda-intel
options snd-hda-intel model=6stack-dig enable=1 index=0

M71A.IBGOrOFSaa6:nVidia Corporation

alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel

Let me know what to do ‘next’.

Thanx,

Chris M.

#8

Thanks.

OK, this puzzles me.

I see you have 6stack-dig noted in your /etc/modprobe.d/sound file. But tsalsa notes you have 3stack:

snd_hda_intel/parameters/model:3stack,<NULL>,<NULL>, .........

and alsa-info.sh has both 6stack-dig and 3stack:

# Modprobe options (Sound related)
# --------------------------------
# snd-hda-intel: model=6stack-dig enable=1 index=0
......... snipped ........
model : 3stack,<NULL>,<NULL> ......

This suggests to me that you tried 3stack in your /etc/modprobe.d/sound file. It did not work (as that is for 3 plugs and you have 6 plugs) and so you put model=6stack-dig in your /etc/modprobe.d/sound file, but then you did not restart alsa, but rather ran the script. Which may mean the script is giving me inaccurate information? I don’t know, … but this is not being made any easier by such.

In the tsalsa.sh script output I note:

Amixer contents for card 0 [NVidia] amixer set 'Surround',0 0%,0% on        
amixer set 'Center',0 0% on        
amixer set 'LFE',0 0% on

So you have surround sound turned ON, but you have no volume set!

I recommend you try two possibilities:
a. leave your surround sound ON and turn up the volume from 0%, and if that doesn’t work,
b. turn OFF the surround sound.

Also, can you please confirm you restarted alsa with the model “6stack-dig” because I don’t know how much to believe in the configuration information in the scripts.

#9

I note the ALSA-Configuration.txt file for alsa-1.0.16 (which is what you have installed) has no entry for the AD1988B. Only an entry for the AD1988.

However I noted the 1.0.17 alsa has modified the entry in the ALSA-Configuration.txt file, creating a combined AD1988/1988B entry:

  AD1988/AD1988B/AD1989A/AD1989B
	  6stack	6-jack
	  6stack-dig	ditto with SPDIF
	  3stack	3-jack
	  3stack-dig	ditto with SPDIF
	  laptop	3-jack with hp-jack automute
	  laptop-dig	ditto with SPDIF
	  auto		auto-config reading BIOS (default)

I do not know how relevant that is, but it does suggest you could consider updating to 1.0.17 of alsa if the mixer adjustments do not work.

The openSUSE audio troubleshooting guide links to the openSUSE alsa update page, for such an eventuality: Alsa-update - openSUSE

There are 6 zypper commands that MUST be sent in sequence for this to work … 3 “generic” zypper commands for openSUSE-11.0 alsa update, and 3 kernel version specific zypper commands for openSUSE-11.0. If you look at that Alsa-update URL, it hopefully will become clear.

#10

Hi again,

Yes I did try the 3-stack but I did to do the restart (I think) before I updated my post…

Let’s do this one more time - (this was taken after a cold reboot):

general pastebin - chris - post number 1092673

tsalsa.txt - nopaste.com (beta)

I’m happy to here ALSA 17 may have the right codec for my board/chip…

Let me know (based on the fresh info above) if I should go ahead and upgrade ALSA to v17 now.

I’ll need another couple days to do it though… life is busy with a 4 yr old daughter in the house…

BFN,

Chris M.

#11

The reboot made a difference. Clearly you had not restarted alsa. Look at the difference in your mixer!!

BEFORE with model=3stack:

Amixer contents for card 0 [NVidia] _____________________________________        
amixer set 'Master',0 74% on        
amixer set 'Headphone',0 on on        
amixer set 'PCM',0 70% 70%        
amixer set 'Front',0 74%,74% on        
amixer set 'Front Mic',0 0% off 0% off        
amixer set 'Front Mic Boost',0 0% 0%        
amixer set 'Surround',0 0%,0% on        
amixer set 'Center',0 0% on        
amixer set 'LFE',0 0% on        
amixer set 'Line',0 0% off 0% off        
amixer set 'CD',0 68%,68% on        
amixer set 'Mic',0 0% off 0% off        
amixer set 'Mic Boost',0 0% 0%        
amixer set 'Mono',0 off off        
amixer set 'Capture',0 Capture 39 72% off Capture 39 72% off        
amixer set 'Capture',1 Capture 39 72% off Capture 39 72% off        
amixer set 'Capture',2 Capture 39 72% off Capture 39 72% off        
amixer set 'Analog Mix',0 100%,100% on        
amixer set 'Beep',0 100% off 0% on        
amixer set 'Channel Mode',0 Items: '2ch' '6ch' Item0: '6ch'        
amixer set 'Input Source',0 Items: 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'Mic' 'CD' 'Mix' Item0: 'Mic'        
amixer set 'Input Source',1 Items: 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'Mic' 'CD' 'Mix' Item0: 'Mic'        
amixer set 'Input Source',2 Items: 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'Mic' 'CD' 'Mix' Item0: 'Mic'

and after, with model=6stack-dig

Amixer contents for card 0 [NVidia] _____________________________________        
amixer set 'Master',0 74% on        
amixer set 'Headphone',0 on on        
amixer set 'PCM',0 70% 70%        
amixer set 'Front',0 74%,74% on        
amixer set 'Front Mic',0 0% off 0% off        
amixer set 'Front Mic Boost',0 0% 0%        
amixer set 'Surround',0 0%,0% on        
amixer set 'Center',0 0% on        
amixer set 'LFE',0 0% on        
amixer set 'Side',0 0% off 0% off        
amixer set 'Line',0 0% off 0% off        
amixer set 'CD',0 68%,68% on        
amixer set 'Mic',0 0% off 0% off        
amixer set 'Mic Boost',0 0% 0%        
amixer set 'IEC958',0 100% off 100% off        
amixer set 'IEC958 Default PCM',0 on        
amixer set 'IEC958 Playback Source',0 Items: 'PCM' 'ADC1' 'ADC2' 'ADC3' Item0: 'PCM'        
amixer set 'Mono',0 off off        
amixer set 'Capture',0 Capture 39 72% off Capture 39 72% off        
amixer set 'Capture',1 Capture 39 72% off Capture 39 72% off        
amixer set 'Capture',2 Capture 39 72% off Capture 39 72% off        
amixer set 'Analog Mix',0 100%,100% on        
amixer set 'Beep',0 100% off 0% on        
amixer set 'Input Source',0 Items: 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'Mic' 'CD' 'Mix' Item0: 'Mic'        
amixer set 'Input Source',1 Items: 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'Mic' 'CD' 'Mix' Item0: 'Mic'        
amixer set 'Input Source',2 Items: 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'Mic' 'CD' 'Mix' Item0: 'Mic'

Can you see the difference? I certainly can.

How many other times did you try a code, and forget to restart alsa? I recommend you start again, and go through each model one by one.

Reference updating alsa, before updating alsa, please try the surround sound suggestion I gave:

also take note of your digital audio options:

amixer set 'IEC958',0 100% off 100% off        
amixer set 'IEC958 Default PCM',0 on        
amixer set 'IEC958 Playback Source',0 Items: 'PCM' 'ADC1' 'ADC2' 'ADC3' Item0: 'PCM'

It may be necessary to try different control settings there.

I hope you are keeping paper notes of the various setting combinations you have tried.

#12

For all of you ASUS M3N-HT/Deluxe Motherboard users and anyone potientially having trouble with the AD1988B Codec with OpenSuSE 11.x

Here is the ‘solution’.

The problem discussed in this tread (at length) is the alsa driver.

  1. You need to add the following repositories to your SuSE:

/repositories/multimedia:/audio:/KMP/openSUSE_11.0

/repositories/multimedia:/audio:/KMP/openSUSE_11.0_Update

  1. Then add/install the alsa-driver-kmp-default package.

  2. You can (if you wish) remove/uninstall the alsa-driver-kmp-unstable package; but I left it in and it doesn’t seem to matter interfer with my system.

  3. Make sure you have already updated your system with all of the multimedia and sound packages as discussed in the thread and others.

Here’s what my /etc/modprobe.d/sound config looks like:

M71A.IBGOrOFSaa6:nVidia Corporation

alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel
options snd-hda-intel model=6stack-dig enable=1 index=0
alias sound-slot-0 snd-hda-intel

  1. do a ‘#rcalsasound restart’ (or reboot your computer).

  2. You DONE! and it should work fine

Many Thanx to:

Takashi Iwai who answered the bug thread created by Bart Verweire and the many great people in this forum and the SuSE community.

[Bug 416083] Sound distorted on Asus M3N-HT Mobo with AD1988B HDA Codec](http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-bugs/2008-08/msg06084.html)

It can be frustrating for many end-users and newbies like me to spend $$$ on a new computer only to lose something as basic as ‘audio’.

I myself love all kinds of music and FLAC support in Linux is one of the many cool things that pulled me away from the M$-Windows camp.

Hey, I don’t even have Windows on my system anymore!!! OK, I still have a winxp VMware guest. Not by choice, only because my employer has email and business crap I can only use with xp via vpn.

#13

Congratulations on sorting your audio!

Note that there is a new kernel 2.6.25.16 out this week, and installing it “might” break your alsa driver (which “may” be specific to the older kernel), in which case you may need to install an update to the alsa-driver-kmp as appropriate for the new kernel. You’ll know if it is needed.

#14

Many thanks to you oldcpu for being the sound guru and helping so many of us newbies.

To follow-up I was very busy (at work) and didn’t notice that this issue was resolved on the bug report (dated Aug 22nd) until today.

So, as it happens - I did do a software ‘update’ and got the new kernel at the same time that I tried the ‘solution’ - the missing alsa driver package.

Here’s a quick look at my kernel as a baseline for everyone to know what/how this fix was tested & verified on my system:

chris@amdx3:~> uname -r
2.6.25.16-0.1-default
chris@amdx3:~> rpm -qa | grep alsa-driver
alsa-driver-kmp-default-1.0.16.20080911_2.6.25.16_0.1-1.2
alsa-driver-unstable-kmp-default-1.0.16.20080907_2.6.25.11_0.1-1.1

SUMMARY: Follow oldcpu’s advice - make sure you keep your kernel updates/patches in sync with any devices/drivers that have kernel modules - like the alsa-driver-kmp-default package.

NEWBIES: It always seems like a pain to ‘learn’ about adding repositories and adding special video, multimedia packages; and the KERNEL updates can be scary and even dangerous (at times); so make regular backups of your ENTIRE system before doing BIG updates (please); -BUT-
Learning these skills is just part of ‘your’ contribution to the use of a ‘free’ operating system and many open source products.

Once you have made the investment of your time (and patience) you will reap the benefits over and over and over and over… again.

Think of how much money I have saved in my household for my wife, daughter and myself this year!

3 PCs (that just replaced 4 older PCs) One PC for each of us.
2 laptops (for my wife & I: she travels/commutes on a train - I run a small IT business on the side).
2 ThinClient Surfing appliances (for the Kitchen/TV Multimedia Rooms)

1 Linux SERVER to rule them ALL (in the basement for firewall,vpn,web,email,file sharing and backup functions).

For the O/S current total: 7x $150cdn = $1,050
For the MS-Office software: 5x$399cdn = $1,995
For the SERVER at least!: 1x$799cdn = $799
Grand Total I saved with OpenSUSE = $3,844cdn (this is almost the same $$$ I spend this year on the hardware upgrades/purchases).

This does not include the money for all of the other FREE Open Source Products I use OR all of the computers I’ve owned over the last 8years.

Not a bad bargain - you learn and develop some simple linux skills (with the help of wonderful people, the community and forums like this one) and save big $$$$ OR you can upgrade to Vista (you decide).