Sound (HDMI and mic) issues on 11.4

After updating to 11.4 (32bit, as always), I got two problems with sound. On bunch of previous versions (up to 11.3) everything was OK. Under Windows Vista 32bit works fine too.

First issue: audio via HDMI sometimes works, sometimes not, and sometimes makes buzzing sound. When it works, it stops suddenly after some time with no reason. Analog-out works fine all the time. I have internally connected digital output of integrated sound card to my GTX 260 graphics card.

Second issue: I am not able to record anything with microphone. I tried some kmix configurations, also tried front panel and rear socket - nothing helps.

My output of alsa-info: http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=0005a14fd259cc1ba3e26eb5918e61f276f3e959

I do not use HDMI so I will not attempt to answer questions there.

Reference your mic, I notice somethings …

These model options that I note you have applied could be causing your problem:

snd-hda-intel: power_save=0
snd-hda-intel: model=auto

Why do you have those applied ? What happens if you remove them and restart ? The entire script output is based on those options being applied, so if they are not in place now, then you need to rerun the script.


ARECORD

**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: AD198x Analog [AD198x Analog]
  Subdevices: 3/3
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
  Subdevice #2: subdevice #2

According to arecord you have 3 possible record subdevices: hw:0,0 , hw:0,1 , hw:0,2

When testing the capability to record, I recommend this general command from a terminal:


arecord -vv -f cd test.wav

and play back the file ‘test.wav’ with a multimedia player. If one knows the EXACT subdevices (such as you know) then one can try to record per specific device:


arecord -D hw:0,0 -vv -f cd test.wav

or


arecord -D hw:0,1 -vv -f cd test.wav

or


arecord -D hw:0,2 -vv -f cd test.wav

That assumes of course, that the mixer is setup to record. Your mixer is not setup to record from what I can see from the script.


**!!Amixer output
**!!-------------
!!-------Mixer controls for card 0 [Intel]
**Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf9ff8000 irq 41'**
  Mixer name    : 'Analog Devices **AD1989B**'
  Components    : 'HDA:11d4989b,10438311,00100300'
**Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0**
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] -34.50dB] **[off]**
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] -34.50dB] **[off]**
**Simple mixer control 'Front Mic Boost',0**
  Front Left: 0 **[0%]**
  Front Right: 0 **[0%]**
**Simple mixer control 'Capture',0**
  Front Left: Capture 54 [100%] [22.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 54 [100%] [22.50dB] [on]
**Simple mixer control 'Capture',1**
  Front Left: Capture 39 [72%] [0.00dB] **[off]**
  Front Right: Capture 39 [72%] [0.00dB] **[off]**
**Simple mixer control 'Capture',2**
  Front Left: Capture 39 [72%] [0.00dB] **[off]**
  Front Right: Capture 39 [72%] [0.00dB] **[off]**
**Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0**
  Items: 'Front Mic' 'Rear Mic' 'Line' 'CD' 'Mix'
  Item0: **'Front Mic'**
**Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1**
  Items: 'Front Mic' 'Rear Mic' 'Line' 'CD' 'Mix'
  Item0: **'Front Mic'**
**Simple mixer control 'Input Source',2**
  Items: 'Front Mic' 'Rear Mic' 'Line' 'CD' 'Mix'
  Item0: **'Front Mic'**
**Simple mixer control 'Rear Mic',0**
  Front Left: Playback 0 **[0%]** -34.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 0 **[0%] **-34.50dB] [on]
**Simple mixer control 'Rear Mic Boost',0**
  Front Left: 0 **[0%]**
  Front Right: 0 **[0%]**

The mixer has all 3 capture devices (input-source-0, 1, 2 ) all set to the front mic. The rear mic, in fact has boost at 0% and capture at 0% so it can’t possibly capture. The front mic set to all 3 devices has input-source(capture)-1 and 2 set at OFF so they can’t capture. Only input-source-0 (capture-0) has any chance to capture. But its boost is at 0% effectively muting the capture. And the Front mic playback is at 0% so its impossible to get any feedback when tuning as to how the mic capture may be working.

I think you need to fix those settings.

Also I typically find in openSUSE-11.4 it is also useful to install the pulse audio volume control ‘pavucontrol’ and use that to tune the audio, and when I run any multimedia app (to play or record) for the first time, I also run ‘pavucontrol’ and tune the audio/recording. I note one MUST select SHOW for all streams, all devices, for each pavucontrol tab (as appropriate - input devices, output devices, recording, playback) else one has insufficient information to tune properly.

Thanks! Issues with mic resolved. Removing these options and running pavucontrol helped (I had to select mic2 in pavucontrol). New log:
http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=1f7c38239b5562353b45a26c3107d651761b9dd8

Anyway, HDMI still works randomly in four “modes”:

  • working fine (rare)
  • buzzing
  • silence (most of the time)
  • switching between “buzzing” and “silence” every 1-2 seconds

Interesting that your PC’s mic work, as an inspection of the alsa-info.sh output would suggest otherwise. I can only assume the pulse audio bypasses the alsa driver API and hence makes the script settings for the mic less than useful.

Reference the HDMI, I know nothing about this so I can’t provide any accurate advice here.

I note previously you attempted a couple of model options. Note your PC has an AD1989A (according to the script) and if you wanted to try a model option (only ONE at a time - thats important) then the list of options for your AD1989A is (from the HD-Audio-Models.txt file in the alsa documentation) :


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)

A restart of the alsa sound driver being needed in every case after a model option is changed. Some of those may break your sound/record, but its possible one of them may make it better.

For information (more my own curiosity) I note this from the aplay:


APLAY

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
**card 0:** Intel [HDA Intel], **device 0:** AD198x Analog [AD198x Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
**card 0:** Intel [HDA Intel], **device 1**: AD198x Digital [AD198x Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

indicating your hardware audio playback devices are hw:0,0 (analog), and hw:0,1 (digital - possibly the HDMI)

and from arecord:


ARECORD

**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
**card 0:** Intel [HDA Intel], **device 0:** AD198x Analog [AD198x Analog]
  Subdevices: 3/3
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
  Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
**card 0:** Intel [HDA Intel], **device 1:** AD198x Digital [AD198x Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Interesting to see this has changed, with an analog and a digital record, and now in addition to sub-devices there are ‘devices’, and the record hardware device assignments likely changed … ie: hw:0,0, and hw:0,1 likely the only record devices. There is an analog and a digital record.