Re: [gentoo-amd64] Re: sudden sound loss

["Mark Haney" <mhaney@ercbroadband.org>]

Duncan wrote:
> "Mark Haney" <mhaney@ercbroadband.org> posted
> 47FDFD4E.1050301@ercbroadband.org, excerpted below, on  Thu, 10 Apr 2008
> 07:43:10 -0400:
> 
  > OK, simple stuff first.
> 
> If you hadn't changed the kernel or alsa about the time it happened... 
> you mentioned the sound card was still right and the volume was up, but 
> didn't mention whether you checked the mute.
> 
> Also, check any switches.  On some cards, switching the digital sound on 
> switches analog sound off and the reverse.  There may also be a toggle 
> switch for the on-card amplifier.
> 
> You don't mention your setup.  Here for instance the computer output is 
> to a regular home audio system channel input.  If your system is similar, 
> check that the system in question still plays the radio or other input, 
> IOW, that it's the computer that's out not the home audio system, and 
> check the cabling between the two.  If you run directly off the card to 
> speakers, make sure they're plugged in, and if powered, that they have 
> power and are on.
> 
> Try using alsamixer from a terminal window or the console command line as 
> your mixer.  I've noted that sometimes the regular GUI mixers get mixed 
> up and don't show the critical controls.  In particular, I had a card at 
> one point that had a mute or toggle of some sort that about half of the 
> GUI mixers couldn't see or control, but alsamixer could.  It had to be in 
> the right position to play, so for awhile, at every boot, I had to load 
> alsamixer and toggle that switch, before I got sound.  After that, I 
> could use whatever GUI mixer I wanted to control volumes and the like, 
> but I had to use alsamixer to turn it on properly at every boot.  While 
> that issue is long since resolved, since then, every time I have a 
> problem, I use alsamixer to see what's really going on.
> 
> Finally, while testing, use a player that has a visual output as well.  
> That way, you can /see/ if it's actually playing, too.  I've had a couple 
> times with sound servers and/or Internet audio streams where it was 
> supposed to be playing according to the input graph (the incoming 
> Internet stream or player into the sound server), but the output graphic 
> was flatlined, indicating there was no actual sound being played (due to 
> a buffering error, either with the Internet stream or with the sound 
> server).  In both cases, I thought it was alsa or the amplifier until I 
> noticed the flatlined activity monitor indicating nothing actually 
> playing.
> 

I've only ever run alsamixer from the console. I've never used a gui to 
configure sound.  It doesn't look muted in alsamixer.

This system is a laptop and the output goes either out the onboard 
speakers, or most of the time headphones connected to the on board jack.

And on of the first things I checked was whether I wasn't hearing sound 
because of a funny stream, etc, so I loaded up audacious and played a 
couple of MP3s to see the output.  Still no sound.  I'm so totally 
confused by this.  I don't recall a recent alsa update, and I know the 
hardware is okay (at least it seems to be) since my system dual boots to 
XP and I get great sound from it.  (Sadly)




-- 
Libenter homines id quod volunt credunt -- Caius Julius Caesar


Mark Haney
Sr. Systems Administrator
ERC Broadband
(828) 350-2415

Call (866) ERC-7110 for after hours support
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