I have a problem with one computer I recently built. It is a fresh install of OpenSuSE 12.1 on x86_64 and the audio is incredibly quiet even when the volume is at 100%. At first I thought it might be PulseAudio (I have had so many problems with Pulse in the past you wouldn't believe it) But then I uninstalled it, and it didn't solve anything. I tried to up the volume with pavucontrol, yast and alsamixer, I even tried installing a post-processing audio booster plugin for Pulse and it sort of worked... After boosting the output 400%, I could hear something but it was horribly distorted. Here are some more details:
Yup, everything. VLC (which has a volume booster, but it is still not enough to hear more than a whisper), videos in a browser, mp3s, Skype, system sounds… I have tried in Xfce and KDE with the same results so I don’t think this is the problem. I also tried with the KDE Live CD to no avail.
>
> caf4926;2476448 Wrote:
> > Volume playing what… everything?
> > I find with some vids, VLC will get me higher volume
> >
> > Oh and KDE or Gnome?
>
> Yup, everything. VLC (which has a volume booster, but it is still not
> enough to hear more than a whisper), videos in a browser, mp3s, Skype,
> system sounds… I have tried in Xfce and KDE with the same results
> so I don’t think this is the problem. I also tried with the KDE Live
> CD to no avail.
>
I often have this problem. Solution for me is to disable PulseAudio and
then check the volumes of the channels in Kmix and which is set as the
master channel.
After disabling PulseAudio, it is necessary to log off and on again for
Kmix to pick up the correct list of channels instead of those left by
PulseAudio.
Sometimes, the master has been defaulted to “PCM” and I’ve switched to
“Master.” Sometimes, “Master” has been the master channel and at 100%
but still quiet so I’ve increased “PCM” and that has cured it. On one
occasion, “Master” wasn’t listed so I had to go to “Settings - configure
channels” and there found “Master Front,” shifted that to the main list
and made it the master channel.
–
Graham Davis, Bracknell, Berks.
openSUSE 12.1 (64-bit); KDE 4.8.4; AMD Phenom II X2 550 Processor;
Video: nVidia GeForce 210 (using nouveau driver);
Sound: ATI SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA); Wireless: BCM4306
On 07/25/2012 09:06 PM, duenez wrote:
> I have a problem with one computer I recently built.
there are two facets to this problem…and i may not be a problem with
openSUSE or linux…
i suspect a hardware glitch might be the problem…
if you boot a live CD from this or any other distro (or operating
system) does the sound system work as expected?
if not you have go through the motherboard docs and make sure the
switches and wires are in the right places…and, probably check the
BIOS for relevant settings…and, maybe check the board’s maker’s web
site and see if there is a BIOS/firmware upgrade needing to be applied
you didn’t say, but if you have installed a sound board you may (or may
not, depending on what the motherboard docs say) have to disable the
on-board sound AND take your speaker feed off the installed card, and
not the motherboard outlets…
many many many variables need to be checked in hardware and BIOS and
set as the board’s doc says…
!!Soundcards recognised by ALSA
!!-----------------------------
0 [SB ]: HDA-Intel - HDA ATI SB
HDA ATI SB at 0xfeb00000 irq 16
1 [Generic ]: HDA-Intel - HD-Audio Generic
HD-Audio Generic at 0xfea40000 irq 74
2 [U0x46d0x992 ]: USB-Audio - USB Device 0x46d:0x992
USB Device 0x46d:0x992 at usb-0000:00:12.2-4, high speed
you have 3 sound devices.
If not careful, you could end up having your applications pointed to the wrong device, and by jacking up volume to 100% you may be only hearing cross talk.
I didn't think about using kmix because the computer is using gnome. In any case, I just installed it, and it doesn't change. I have had that problem of selecting the right master channel, and somehow having a conflict between PCM and Master. However, it didn't work this time. In kmix all channels are still at 100% (and I checked the list avail channels to make sure all were there too), and changing the master channel to and from PCM doesn't help.
As for having three sound cards, yes, I thought that was funny too. One of them "soundcards" is a USB webcam with integrated microphone, kmix, alsa and the lie can see only that channel. The other two puzzle me, because I am just using the integrated soundcard in the motherboard. The HD-audio generic one has no available channels whatsoever, so, while I think it odd, I imagine the only one that truly matters is the HDA-Intel SB, which has the usual channels (LFE, Master, PCM, Mic, etc). All channels at 100% still make it for a very very faint sound. Also, Yast sees both sound cards, but I can only hear something (faintly, of course) when playing the Test sound in the HDA card.
I had also suspected it could be a hardware issue, but I was really hoping it wouldn't be that way. I have only checked with booting the LiveOpenSuSE, and it doesn't improve. I have not tried another distro because the computer doesn't have an optical drive, and I couldn't use the ImageWriter to boot another LiveDistro unfortunately.
*Sigh*, I was really hoping it would be a reasonably easy solution I had somehow overlooked. Alas, I shall check the firmware of the mo.bo. and/or the jumpers and the like.
Basic, but did you check the speakers? Signal strength is so low in onboard systems that speakers without an amplifier or with defective amplifier will only “whisper”. Sometimes I miss my really really old soundblaster that would feed even 7" speakers.
>
> Hi community,
>
> I have a problem with one computer I recently built. It is a fresh
> install of OpenSuSE 12.1 on x86_64 and the audio is incredibly quiet
> even when the volume is at 100%. At first I thought it might be
> PulseAudio (I have had so many problems with Pulse in the past you
> wouldn’t believe it) But then I uninstalled it, and it didn’t solve
> anything. I tried to up the volume with pavucontrol, yast and alsamixer,
> I even tried installing a post-processing audio booster plugin for Pulse
> and it sort of worked… After boosting the output 400%, I could hear
> something but it was horribly distorted. Here are some more details:
>
This has been a problem for me with intel onboard HDA audio for as long as
I’ve had motherboards with this audio chip.
I’ve been lurking round the forum for a while, but just joined to ask a question. I’m having the same problem, but the above doesn’t work, it says there are no HDA codecs
I have a dual-boot Dell D810 laptop, Windows XP and I used to have an older Ubuntu. All the audio worked a treat, including Skype. I removed Ubuntu and installed openSUSE 12.2, and when I use openSUSE, the mic level is desperately low. It still works fine when I boot into Windows.
All the other ideas have failed so far, any suggestions?