internal mic records at very low volume, if at all

English Hardware
#1

a while ago i upgraded skyp to its 2.1 beta version, and ever since, my internal mic doesn’t work properly anymore … it does record, but at a very low volume … when i tried arecord, i got static … any suggestions … thanks, theo

rpm -qa | grep alsa
gmerlin-alsa-0.4.0-0.pm.1
alsa-oss-32bit-1.0.17-1.37
alsa-plugins-jack-32bit-1.0.18-6.12
alsa-firmware-1.0.17-1.42
alsa-plugins-pulse-32bit-1.0.18-6.12
alsa-plugins-1.0.18-6.13
alsa-1.0.18-8.12.1
FA_clalsadrv-1.2.2-0.pm.3
alsa-plugins-jack-1.0.18-6.13
alsa-plugins-maemo-32bit-1.0.18-6.12
python-alsaaudio-debuginfo-0.5-0.pm.1
alsaplayer-0.99.80-1.pm.13.6
kalsatools-1.5.0-499.110
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.18-6.13
alsa-tools-1.0.18-1.16
alsa-devel-1.0.18-8.12.1
python-alsaaudio-debugsource-0.5-0.pm.1
alsamixergui-0.9.0rc1-584.91
bluez-alsa-4.22-6.1.10
alsa-plugins-32bit-1.0.18-6.12
tritonus-alsa-0.3.7-3.pm.cvs20090319
alsa-utils-1.0.18-6.4
alsa-plugins-maemo-1.0.18-6.13
python-alsaaudio-0.5-0.pm.1
alsa-plugins-samplerate-1.0.18-6.13
alsa-plugins-samplerate-32bit-1.0.18-6.12
alsa-oss-1.0.17-1.43
alsa-tools-gui-1.0.18-1.16

rpm -qa | grep pulse
libpulse-browse0-0.9.14-2.2.1
vlc-aout-pulse-1.0.2-0.pm.1.8
pulseaudio-module-zeroconf-0.9.14-2.2.1
libpulse0-0.9.14-2.2.1
pulseaudio-module-x11-0.9.14-2.2.1
alsa-plugins-pulse-32bit-1.0.18-6.12
pulseaudio-esound-compat-0.9.14-2.2.1
gmerlin-pulseaudio-0.4.0-0.pm.1
libxine1-pulse-1.1.16.3-2.pm.6.2
pulseaudio-lang-0.9.14-2.2.1
pulseaudio-module-jack-0.9.14-2.2.1
pulseaudio-module-lirc-0.9.14-2.2.1
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.18-6.13
pulseaudio-0.9.14-2.2.1
libao-pulse-0.9.3-1.152
pulseaudio-module-bluetooth-0.9.14-2.2.1
libpulse0-32bit-0.9.14-2.2.1
pulseaudio-utils-0.9.14-2.2.1
xmms-pulse-0.9.4-0.pm.1
libpulse-mainloop-glib0-0.9.14-2.2.1
pulseaudio-module-gconf-0.9.14-2.2.1
audacious-plugins-output-pulse-2.1-4.pm.8.1
libpulsecore4-0.9.12-9.5
libpulse-devel-0.9.14-2.2.1
libmpg123-0-pulse-1.9.0-0.pm.1

rpm -q libasound2
libasound2-1.0.18-8.12.1

uname -a
Linux linux-g1bf 2.6.27.29-0.1-default #1 SMP 2009-08-15 17:53:59 +0200 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

#2

This is way more alsa applications than the average user needs. I do not know what most of those alsa apps do myself. What do you use them for? Most of them are not needed for nominal sound. Are you using “jack”? What application are you using that needs “jack” ? On my openSUSE-11.1 with KDE-3.5.10 (where I updated to the 1.0.20 version of alsa) I have:

alsa-plugins-1.0.18-6.13
alsa-docs-1.0.20-46.1
alsa-oss-32bit-1.0.17-1.37
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.18-6.13
alsa-oss-1.0.17-1.43
alsa-driver-kmp-default-1.0.20.20090822_2.6.27.29_0.1-1.1
alsa-utils-1.0.18-6.4
alsa-1.0.20-46.1
alsa-devel-1.0.20-46.1

So I am scratching my head over the list that YOU provided, as to what those applications do? They are NOT needed for nominal sound NOR for mic recording … Perhaps you could explain their purpose (and the reason you installed so many) to me so I can ensure I do not give you a bad recommendation?

Also, before I make any recommendations, with your PC connected to the internet, please run:
/usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh
and select the option to share your data, and it will give you a URL. Please post that URL here. Note if it asks to update, you need to be using a konsole with root permissions for the update to work.

#3

why i have got all these? … not really sure … just installed them with the distro

if i do not need them all, no problem, just let me know which ones to keep

/usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh produced the following url:

git.alsa-project.org Git - alsa-driver.git/history - utils/alsa-info.sh

thanks so much for looking into this … theo

#4

git.alsa-project.org Git - alsa-driver.git/history - utils/alsa-info.sh

git.alsa-project.org Git - alsa-driver.git/history - utils/alsa-info.sh

#5

Thats the change log rotfl!

When one runs /usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh, and selects to share the information (when asked) it will post the diagnositic information on a web site, and provide the URL. You posted a URL to the change history. I don’t want the change history. … I could not reproduce what you just gave me if I tried, so I have no idea how you got that. Just follow the instructions I gave.

If that does not work, then instead type:
/usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh --no-upload
and it will store the information under /tmp/alsa-info.txt
open that with a text editor and paste it in pastebin - Type, paste, share. and post here the URL.

DO NOT PASTE THE TEXT FILE HERE !! Just paste the URL here

#6

i did exactly what you said, and while there was a url in terminal, when i c/p into here, it changed to what you read …

i’ll try again … theo

#7

Your ALSA information is located at http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=0e69bafe62d7df7c3bf7a2ff0bacf2763c49dfb9

hope this works … theo

#8

OK, thanks, I note a Gateway T-1616 (per your sig) running a 64-bit openSUSE-11.1 with the 2.6.27.29 kernel and the alsa 1.0.17/1.0.18 mix that comes with openSUSE-11.1. The script also indicates your Gateway T-1616 has a stac9205 hardware audio codec. The script gives your mixer settings, and I was surprised at how few settings there were for your mic … That made me wonder if perhaps your audio configuration was not configured properly.

So I took a look at the alsa-configuration.txt file for 1.0.18 of alsa and noted nothing special for Gateway products (it was all Dell mentioned for custom configurations - suggesting your Gateway uses a configuration similar to Dell, or perhaps I should look at newer alsa versions):

	STAC9205/9254
	  ref		Reference board
	  dell-m42	Dell (unknown)
	  dell-m43	Dell Precision
	  dell-m44	Dell Inspiron

So I then looked at the HD-Audio-Models.txt file for the 1.0.21 version of alsa (as a lot of the model information that used to be in the alsa-configuration.txt is now in the HD-Audio-Models.txt file) and I noted this:

STAC9205/9254
=============
  ref		Reference board
  dell-m42	Dell (unknown)
  dell-m43	Dell Precision
  dell-m44	Dell Inspiron
  eapd		Keep EAPD on (e.g. Gateway T1616)
  auto		BIOS setup (default)

… hmm that was interesting, there is a custom setting for your Gateway T1616 in a very recent version of alsa.

So I recommend you update your alsa version and then if possibly apply a custom setting to your /etc/modprobe.d/sound file (please post here the contents of that file via: “cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound” so I can give you the syntax to apply).

To update your alsa, first send the following (copy and paste) six zypper commands in a terminal/konsole with root permissions, one at a time, in sequence, while your PC is connected to the internet:

zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/multimedia:/libs/openSUSE_11.1/ multimedia

zypper install alsa alsa-docs libasound2 alsa-oss-32bit alsa-plugins-jack alsa-firmware alsa-plugins-pulse-32bit alsa-plugins alsa-plugins-jack alsa-plugins-maemo-32bit alsa-plugins-pulse alsa-tools alsa-devel alsa-plugins-32bit alsa-utils alsa-plugins-maemo alsa-plugins-samplerate alsa-plugins-samplerate-32bit alsa-oss alsa-tools-gui


zypper rr multimedia

zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/multimedia:/audio:/KMP/openSUSE_11.1_Update/ multimedia

zypper install alsa-driver-kmp-default

zypper rr multimedia

You may be told in the second command that some of those alsa apps of the same version are already installed. I did not check every one.

Then restart your PC and test your mic. If you have the same limited mixer setup, then we can try a custom setting to your /etc/modprobe.d/sound file (once you give me the contents) or we can update your alsa further to the daily alsa snapshots.