[gentoo-amd64] sudden sound loss

[gentoo-amd64] sudden sound loss

[Mark Haney]

I've beat my head on this for a week now and I can't come up with any 
answers.  For some reason sound has stopped working completely on my 
laptop.  I've checked dmesg and syslog for any errors and nothing shows 
up concerning the kernel having problems loading the driver (ATI IXP). 
I've not updated the kernel until yesterday (was using 2.6.23-r9 for a 
month prior to this morning when I booted up into the new .24 kernel 
(-r4) and still no sound.  It seems rather obvious that it's a 
library/software problem, but I have no idea how to start looking for 
that.  I've run revdep-rebuild a couple of times and it's rebuilt 
non-sound related packages.  alsamixer has the sound ard right and the 
volume level right.

I'm out of ideas, anyone else have any?

-- 
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
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sudden sound loss

[Raffaele BELARDI]

I had the same problem on an NVIDIA 430, alsamixer levels ok, sound
unmuted, no syslog errors, after boot sound was ok but when I tried to
change the volume it muted and I had to reboot to get it back. It turned
out that the default card model for the alsa driver had changed to one
not compatible with mine (6 jacks vs 3 jacks). I added one option on the
kernel command line ('snd-had-intel model=3stack', default is 6stack)
and now it is again ok.

I doubt it applies to your case, but better than nothing... You might
try to check
the /usr/src/linux/Documentation/sound/alsa/ALSA-Configuration.txt for
any changes that apply to your driver.

raf

On Thu, 2008-04-10 at 07:43 -0400, Mark Haney wrote:
> I've beat my head on this for a week now and I can't come up with any 
> answers.  For some reason sound has stopped working completely on my 
> laptop.  I've checked dmesg and syslog for any errors and nothing shows 
> up concerning the kernel having problems loading the driver (ATI IXP). 
> I've not updated the kernel until yesterday (was using 2.6.23-r9 for a 
> month prior to this morning when I booted up into the new .24 kernel 
> (-r4) and still no sound.  It seems rather obvious that it's a 
> library/software problem, but I have no idea how to start looking for 
> that.  I've run revdep-rebuild a couple of times and it's rebuilt 
> non-sound related packages.  alsamixer has the sound ard right and the 
> volume level right.
> 
> I'm out of ideas, anyone else have any?
> 
> -- 
> 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

-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sudden sound loss

[Mark Haney]

Raffaele BELARDI wrote:
> I had the same problem on an NVIDIA 430, alsamixer levels ok, sound
> unmuted, no syslog errors, after boot sound was ok but when I tried to
> change the volume it muted and I had to reboot to get it back. It turned
> out that the default card model for the alsa driver had changed to one
> not compatible with mine (6 jacks vs 3 jacks). I added one option on the
> kernel command line ('snd-had-intel model=3stack', default is 6stack)
> and now it is again ok.
> 
> I doubt it applies to your case, but better than nothing... You might
> try to check
> the /usr/src/linux/Documentation/sound/alsa/ALSA-Configuration.txt for
> any changes that apply to your driver.
> 
> raf
> 
>

I'll do that, but it doesn't make a lot of sense for it to work 
flawlessly for over a month with the same configuration then suddenly 
stop working.  At least not without logging some sort of hardware 
problem, which I'm not seeing.

-- 
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
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sudden sound loss

[Beso]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1127 bytes --]

2008/4/10, Mark Haney <mhaney@ercbroadband.org>:
>
> I've beat my head on this for a week now and I can't come up with any
> answers.  For some reason sound has stopped working completely on my laptop.
>  I've checked dmesg and syslog for any errors and nothing shows up
> concerning the kernel having problems loading the driver (ATI IXP). I've not
> updated the kernel until yesterday (was using 2.6.23-r9 for a month prior to
> this morning when I booted up into the new .24 kernel (-r4) and still no
> sound.  It seems rather obvious that it's a library/software problem, but I
> have no idea how to start looking for that.  I've run revdep-rebuild a
> couple of times and it's rebuilt non-sound related packages.  alsamixer has
> the sound ard right and the volume level right.
>
> I'm out of ideas, anyone else have any?


check in a console if alsa is working. try out alsaconf and reinstall the
configuration. it should automatically add the modules at startup and run
the daemon. to me the only explanation seem to be that either alsa daemon
doesn't start or the modules aren't loaded at startup.

-- 
dott. ing. beso

[-- Attachment #2: Type: text/html, Size: 1447 bytes --]

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sudden sound loss

[Raffaele BELARDI]

On Thu, 2008-04-10 at 08:22 -0400, Mark Haney wrote:

> I'll do that, but it doesn't make a lot of sense for it to work 
> flawlessly for over a month with the same configuration then suddenly 
> stop working.  At least not without logging some sort of hardware 
> problem, which I'm not seeing.
> 

You are right, I had missed that the problem had shown up _before_
kernel upgrade. Sorry, no other ideas.

raf


-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

[gentoo-amd64] Re: sudden sound loss

[Duncan]

"Mark Haney" <mhaney@ercbroadband.org> posted
47FDFD4E.1050301@ercbroadband.org, excerpted below, on  Thu, 10 Apr 2008
07:43:10 -0400:

> I've beat my head on this for a week now and I can't come up with any
> answers.  For some reason sound has stopped working completely on my
> laptop.  I've checked dmesg and syslog for any errors and nothing shows
> up concerning the kernel having problems loading the driver (ATI IXP).
> I've not updated the kernel until yesterday (was using 2.6.23-r9 for a
> month prior to this morning when I booted up into the new .24 kernel
> (-r4) and still no sound.  It seems rather obvious that it's a
> library/software problem, but I have no idea how to start looking for
> that.  I've run revdep-rebuild a couple of times and it's rebuilt
> non-sound related packages.  alsamixer has the sound ard right and the
> volume level right.

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.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Mark Knecht]

On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 7:13 AM, Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@cox.net> wrote:
<SNIP>
>
>  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.

It is almost always a good idea to delete (or hide) /etc/asound.state
and then run alsamixer. This will create a new asound.state file
that's correct for whatever version of Alsa is running and is often
recommended after Alsa updates. It's helped me out a number of times.

- Mark
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

[gentoo-amd64] Re: sudden sound loss

[Duncan]

"Mark Knecht" <markknecht@gmail.com> posted
5bdc1c8b0804100730w6ac7e2c3n8bbb43ebde704abc@mail.gmail.com, excerpted
below, on  Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:30:12 -0700:

> It is almost always a good idea to delete (or hide) /etc/asound.state
> and then run alsamixer. This will create a new asound.state file that's
> correct for whatever version of Alsa is running and is often recommended
> after Alsa updates. It's helped me out a number of times.

Good point.  Thanks.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-amd64] sudden sound loss

[Chris Brennan]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

I would check that the device is unmusted w/ alsamixer, if alsasound
didn't properly terminate on the reboot, then alsa will default to a
muted state.

Raffaele BELARDI wrote:
| On Thu, 2008-04-10 at 08:22 -0400, Mark Haney wrote:
|
|> I'll do that, but it doesn't make a lot of sense for it to work
|> flawlessly for over a month with the same configuration then suddenly
|> stop working.  At least not without logging some sort of hardware
|> problem, which I'm not seeing.
|>
|
| You are right, I had missed that the problem had shown up _before_
| kernel upgrade. Sorry, no other ideas.
|
| raf
|
|
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v2.0.7 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org

iD8DBQFH/je58hUIAnGfls4RAnG4AKCXwy5QK3uuali2d56XaBqE6RrP4gCdGMc7
WAP1iOyFK2d+5/LsgrIhAII=
=7O+P
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Mark Haney]

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
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Mark Knecht]

On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 9:49 AM, Mark Haney <mhaney@ercbroadband.org> wrote:
<SNIP>
>
>  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.
>

Again, did you actually delete /etc/asound.state and then run
alsamixer again to recreate it anew? When you run alsamixer in this
way once again make sure everything is unmuted and both master and PCM
volumes are up.

If your version of Alsa changed through an update or this file becomes
corrupted then you can have some very strange results.

Just for kicks what's in /proc/asound? Do the expected sound cards
show up? lsmod results look reasonable?

Good luck,
Mark
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Mark Haney]

Mark Knecht wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 9:49 AM, Mark Haney <mhaney@ercbroadband.org> wrote:
> <SNIP>
>>  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.
>>
> 
> Again, did you actually delete /etc/asound.state and then run
> alsamixer again to recreate it anew? When you run alsamixer in this
> way once again make sure everything is unmuted and both master and PCM
> volumes are up.
> 
> If your version of Alsa changed through an update or this file becomes
> corrupted then you can have some very strange results.
> 
> Just for kicks what's in /proc/asound? Do the expected sound cards
> show up? lsmod results look reasonable?
> 
> Good luck,
> Mark


I'm a total idiot.  There was ONE option muted in alsa mixer that I over 
looked.  Actually it wasn't overlooked so much that I /thought/ that 
setting had always been like that.  I apologize to everyone for missing 
the obvious and wasting bandwidth and time.  I'll try not to be a moron 
in the future.

Sheesh.


-- 
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
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Mark Knecht]

On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 10:20 AM, Mark Haney <mhaney@ercbroadband.org> wrote:
>
> Mark Knecht wrote:
>
> > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 9:49 AM, Mark Haney <mhaney@ercbroadband.org>
> wrote:
> > <SNIP>
> >
> > >  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.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Again, did you actually delete /etc/asound.state and then run
> > alsamixer again to recreate it anew? When you run alsamixer in this
> > way once again make sure everything is unmuted and both master and PCM
> > volumes are up.
> >
> > If your version of Alsa changed through an update or this file becomes
> > corrupted then you can have some very strange results.
> >
> > Just for kicks what's in /proc/asound? Do the expected sound cards
> > show up? lsmod results look reasonable?
> >
> > Good luck,
> > Mark
> >
>
>
>  I'm a total idiot.  There was ONE option muted in alsa mixer that I over
> looked.  Actually it wasn't overlooked so much that I /thought/ that setting
> had always been like that.  I apologize to everyone for missing the obvious
> and wasting bandwidth and time.  I'll try not to be a moron in the future.
>
>  Sheesh.
>

<hehe> Glad to help.

I cannot even remember anymore how many times these setting have
fooled me. I use a lot of audio apps and they have a tendency to leave
some of these settings in somewhat unknown states so starting here
generally works for me.

Enjoy,
Mark
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

[gentoo-amd64] Re: sudden sound loss

[Duncan]

"Mark Knecht" <markknecht@gmail.com> posted
5bdc1c8b0804101043pdfacaeep2d6793d11ceac10@mail.gmail.com, excerpted
below, on  Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:43:10 -0700:

> I cannot even remember anymore how many times these setting have fooled
> me. I use a lot of audio apps and they have a tendency to leave some of
> these settings in somewhat unknown states so starting here generally
> works for me.

Same here.  No one's an idiot for missing some of those obscure function 
settings with even more obscure names, once in awhile.  It happens, which 
is exactly why I suggested covering the simple basics like that first.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Mark Knecht]

On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 12:33 PM, Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@cox.net> wrote:
> "Mark Knecht" <markknecht@gmail.com> posted
>  5bdc1c8b0804101043pdfacaeep2d6793d11ceac10@mail.gmail.com, excerpted
>  below, on  Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:43:10 -0700:
>
>
>  > I cannot even remember anymore how many times these setting have fooled
>  > me. I use a lot of audio apps and they have a tendency to leave some of
>  > these settings in somewhat unknown states so starting here generally
>  > works for me.
>
>  Same here.  No one's an idiot for missing some of those obscure function
>  settings with even more obscure names, once in awhile.  It happens, which
>  is exactly why I suggested covering the simple basics like that first.
>

I don't know if others have the same problem I do but every time I
look at alsamixer I don't have a clue whether something is muted or
not. I generally have to hit 'm' a few times to refresh my memory of
which way it is set.

Something about the visual design of that app doesn't automatically
trigger for me.

- Mark
>
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Beso]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1500 bytes --]

2008/4/10, Mark Knecht <markknecht@gmail.com>:
>
> On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 12:33 PM, Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@cox.net> wrote:
> > "Mark Knecht" <markknecht@gmail.com> posted
> >  5bdc1c8b0804101043pdfacaeep2d6793d11ceac10@mail.gmail.com, excerpted
> >  below, on  Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:43:10 -0700:
> >
> >
> >  > I cannot even remember anymore how many times these setting have
> fooled
> >  > me. I use a lot of audio apps and they have a tendency to leave some
> of
> >  > these settings in somewhat unknown states so starting here generally
> >  > works for me.
> >
> >  Same here.  No one's an idiot for missing some of those obscure
> function
> >  settings with even more obscure names, once in awhile.  It happens,
> which
> >  is exactly why I suggested covering the simple basics like that first.
> >
>
>
> I don't know if others have the same problem I do but every time I
> look at alsamixer I don't have a clue whether something is muted or
> not. I generally have to hit 'm' a few times to refresh my memory of
> which way it is set.
>
> Something about the visual design of that app doesn't automatically
> trigger for me.


to me alsamixer is quite a bore. i prefer to use alsa only to configure the
modules to load and the starting volumes. after that i use kde mixer to
adjust them. i think it's better, clearer and simpler. also i only have
front, sw-synth and cd out as mixers, since the other are useless and making
them visible might provoke problems like your.


-- 
dott. ing. beso

[-- Attachment #2: Type: text/html, Size: 2207 bytes --]

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

[Mark Haney]

Mark Knecht wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 12:33 PM, Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@cox.net> wrote:
>> "Mark Knecht" <markknecht@gmail.com> posted
>>  5bdc1c8b0804101043pdfacaeep2d6793d11ceac10@mail.gmail.com, excerpted
>>  below, on  Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:43:10 -0700:
>>
>>
>>  > I cannot even remember anymore how many times these setting have fooled
>>  > me. I use a lot of audio apps and they have a tendency to leave some of
>>  > these settings in somewhat unknown states so starting here generally
>>  > works for me.
>>
>>  Same here.  No one's an idiot for missing some of those obscure function
>>  settings with even more obscure names, once in awhile.  It happens, which
>>  is exactly why I suggested covering the simple basics like that first.
>>
> 
> I don't know if others have the same problem I do but every time I
> look at alsamixer I don't have a clue whether something is muted or
> not. I generally have to hit 'm' a few times to refresh my memory of
> which way it is set.
> 
> Something about the visual design of that app doesn't automatically
> trigger for me.
> 
> - Mark

Well for me, the trick in alsamixer is to look at the bottom of each 
'bar graph' and see if it has 'MM' in it instead of the infinity symbol. 
  I am pretty sure that's a standard set of symbols for that.  The 'MM' 
is for muted' and the infinity symbol is for unmuted.



-- 
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
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Raffaele BELARDI]

On Fri, 2008-04-11 at 07:16 -0400, Mark Haney wrote:
> Well for me, the trick in alsamixer is to look at the bottom of each 
> 'bar graph' and see if it has 'MM' in it instead of the infinity symbol. 
>   I am pretty sure that's a standard set of symbols for that.  The 'MM' 
> is for muted' and the infinity symbol is for unmuted.
> 

I have a question related to alsamixer, although not related to the
subject.

On my box with VIA chipset, alsamixer has a 'spread front to surround'
control that duplicates the same signal on front and surround output
jacks.

There is no similar control on the box with the NVIDIA 430. Is it a
configuration problem on my side? Anybody know how could I obtain the
same effect without that control?

raf

-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Mark Knecht]

On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 4:33 AM, Raffaele BELARDI
<raffaele.belardi@st.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 2008-04-11 at 07:16 -0400, Mark Haney wrote:
>  > Well for me, the trick in alsamixer is to look at the bottom of each
>  > 'bar graph' and see if it has 'MM' in it instead of the infinity symbol.
>  >   I am pretty sure that's a standard set of symbols for that.  The 'MM'
>  > is for muted' and the infinity symbol is for unmuted.
>  >
>
>  I have a question related to alsamixer, although not related to the
>  subject.
>
>  On my box with VIA chipset, alsamixer has a 'spread front to surround'
>  control that duplicates the same signal on front and surround output
>  jacks.
>
>  There is no similar control on the box with the NVIDIA 430. Is it a
>  configuration problem on my side? Anybody know how could I obtain the
>  same effect without that control?
>
>  raf
>

The controls shown in alsamixer are based on hardware features
revealed by the driver. My guess is that the nvidia 430 doesn't have
this feature, or it's driver hasn't turned it on by default. Possibly
there is a module parameter switch that shows up with modinfo that you
could play with?

If you think the hardware supports this feature but the driver isn't
enabling it then your best bet would be to contact the alsa developers
to look for some support. (Or do it yourself if you have the skill
set!)

cheers,
Mark
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Raffaele BELARDI]

On Fri, 2008-04-11 at 06:24 -0700, Mark Knecht wrote:
> The controls shown in alsamixer are based on hardware features
> revealed by the driver. My guess is that the nvidia 430 doesn't have
> this feature, or it's driver hasn't turned it on by default. Possibly
> there is a module parameter switch that shows up with modinfo that you
> could play with?
> 
> If you think the hardware supports this feature but the driver isn't
> enabling it then your best bet would be to contact the alsa developers
> to look for some support. (Or do it yourself if you have the skill
> set!)
> 
> cheers,
> Mark

Actually it's the ADC/DAC that performs the mixing (the AD1986A in this
case). I checked the chip specs, it supports spreading 2ch over 6ch so
probably the feature is not yet supported by ALSA. Also some search in
the Gentoo forums confirm this
(http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-414308-postdays-0-postorder-asc-start-25.html)

Thanks anyway, it cleared my ideas!

raf

-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

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

[Mark Knecht]

On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 7:33 AM, Raffaele BELARDI
<raffaele.belardi@st.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 2008-04-11 at 06:24 -0700, Mark Knecht wrote:
>  > The controls shown in alsamixer are based on hardware features
>  > revealed by the driver. My guess is that the nvidia 430 doesn't have
>  > this feature, or it's driver hasn't turned it on by default. Possibly
>  > there is a module parameter switch that shows up with modinfo that you
>  > could play with?
>  >
>  > If you think the hardware supports this feature but the driver isn't
>  > enabling it then your best bet would be to contact the alsa developers
>  > to look for some support. (Or do it yourself if you have the skill
>  > set!)
>  >
>  > cheers,
>  > Mark
>
>  Actually it's the ADC/DAC that performs the mixing (the AD1986A in this
>  case). I checked the chip specs, it supports spreading 2ch over 6ch so
>  probably the feature is not yet supported by ALSA. Also some search in
>  the Gentoo forums confirm this
>  (http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-414308-postdays-0-postorder-asc-start-25.html)
>
>  Thanks anyway, it cleared my ideas!
>
OK, sounds like you're on top of it.

As for spreading from 2 to 6 channels if the 6 channels are visible in
Jack then you could easily do this graphically with QJackCtl or even
do the Jack connections in a script if you were interested. The issue
would be whether your audio apps support Jack and how well they
support Jack. The downside would be that it would likely end up being
an app by app solution which wouldn't be fun.

Anyway, just an idea.

Cheers,
Mark
-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

[gentoo-amd64] Re: sudden sound loss

[Duncan]

Beso <givemesugarr@gmail.com> posted
d257c3560804110114uf816b41oaebdf65cb5f5867a@mail.gmail.com, excerpted
below, on  Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:14:47 +0200:

> to me alsamixer is quite a bore. i prefer to use alsa only to configure
> the modules to load and the starting volumes. after that i use kde mixer
> to adjust them. i think it's better, clearer and simpler. also i only
> have front, sw-synth and cd out as mixers, since the other are useless
> and making them visible might provoke problems like your.

Same here, but when I've got a problem, I always use alsamixer, since it 
seems to work where others don't, at times.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list

[gentoo-amd64] Re: sudden sound loss

[Duncan]

Raffaele BELARDI <raffaele.belardi@st.com> posted
1207924415.6155.35.camel@ws2912.agr.st.com, excerpted below, on  Fri, 11
Apr 2008 16:33:35 +0200:

> Actually it's the ADC/DAC that performs the mixing (the AD1986A in this
> case). I checked the chip specs, it supports spreading 2ch over 6ch so
> probably the feature is not yet supported by ALSA. Also some search in
> the Gentoo forums confirm this
> (http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-414308-postdays-0-postorder-asc-
start-25.html)

In parallel with the other reply (which I was going to reply to but hit 
the wrong key and deleted instead, sorry) suggesting jack, AFAIK, ALSA 
does have software mixing for this sort of thing as well, but it involves 
rather "deeper magic" with the various plugins than I've ventured into, 
myself.  It's apparently extremely flexible -- if you know how to setup 
the plugins in the right order, output of one into the input of the next, 
etc.  

There ought to be documentation out there for it and I've always been 
going to look into it, but then I got a 5.1 Onkyo amp and now just use 
its surround mixing and send the standard two-channel out the digital PCM 
out on the computer, via the coax, to the digital PCM coax input on the 
Onkyo.  I figure it's about the same anyway, since the source I'm playing 
is two-channel stereo to begin with.  Except, if I really knew what I was 
doing, doing it in software on the computer side would probably give me 
rather more flexibility, but doing it on the Onkyo has been "good 
enough", and offloads those extra CPU cycles compared to doing it in 
software on the computer, as well.

BTW, the going opinion (at least the going opinion on /. whenever a 
computer audio article comes up, however you judge /that/ opinion) is 
that it's basically impossible to get good quality on-computer sound no 
matter /what/ board you have in the computer, simply because there's too 
much electrical noise in there.  Not that it's going to matter on say 128 
kbps MP3s or cheap computer speakers anyway, but for good recording or 
decent quality source and playback over a decent system, the 
recommendation is to NOT do the DAC in-computer, but either use digital-
out (even on the built-in sound) and an external amp (as I'm doing now), 
or one of those USB or firewire based soundcards, thus getting the DAC 
out of the computer case and into its own somewhat more electrically 
isolated environment.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

-- 
gentoo-amd64@lists.gentoo.org mailing list