Pulse Audio Sound Levels

[Ric Moore]

On 03/15/2013 04:15 AM, Basil Chupin wrote:
> On 15/03/13 17:04, Ric Moore wrote:
>> On 03/14/2013 10:13 PM, Basil Chupin wrote:
>>> On 15/03/13 08:03, Ric Moore wrote:
>>>> On 03/14/2013 10:25 AM, Basil Chupin wrote:
>>>>> On 15/03/13 00:14, Lanoxx wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 14/03/13 01:24, Ric Moore wrote:
>>>>>>> On 03/13/2013 07:35 PM, Lanoxx wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 13/03/13 21:23, Ric Moore wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> What does alsamixer show you?? Maybe the aux input is muted there?
>>>>>>>>> Happens. Ric
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Here is what I do:
>>>>>>>> alsamixer -> F6 -> "USB Multimedia Audio Device" -> F4 (Capture):
>>>>>>>> I can
>>>>>>>> see three categories: "Line", "Mic" and "S/PDIF in" the first two
>>>>>>>> (line
>>>>>>>> and mic are set to 94), the "S/PDIF" section does not have a
>>>>>>>> volume bar
>>>>>>>> to change. Additinally the all sections show "L Capture R" in red
>>>>>>>> letters.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> When I open pulse audio in the recording tab for the Usb sound
>>>>>>>> card I
>>>>>>>> can also choose between Line and Microphone and when I choose Line
>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> connect the radio, then I can see the sound bar juming around
>>>>>>>> 80%-90%,
>>>>>>>> when I unplug the cable, then the bar drops to 0. But still no
>>>>>>>> sound.
>>>>>>>> Any further ideas?
>>>>>>> Yes, while you see the pulsing record level, you know you have
>>>>>>> input.
>>>>>>> So, while the radio is plugged in, chose "playback" and the playback
>>>>>>> device should have a drop-down selection. It's not always readily
>>>>>>> apparent. But, click on the device in use and you should see a
>>>>>>> selection. Pick the output you want. See if that works.
>>>>>> Here are two screen shots from my current configuration. I'm not sure
>>>>>> what else I could activate in alsamixer [1]. The second section
>>>>>> allows
>>>>>> me to choose between "Line", "Mic" and "S/PDIF" and changing it
>>>>>> has no
>>>>>> effect to the ouput. The other sections are all on maximum. In
>>>>>> Puluseaudio [2] in the Port dropdown i can only choose "Speakers" and
>>>>>> the sound is already at 100% and not muted.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> [1]
>>>>>> http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/823/screenshotfrom201303141.png/
>>>>>> [2]
>>>>>> http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/15/screenshotfrom201303141.png/
>>>>>
>>>>> To begin with, Line and Mic are not activated.
>>>>>
>>>>> The only active channels are Speaker and some mysterious and blank,
>>>>> black space on the right-hand side.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Doesn't he also need to turn OFF the HDMI output since that is not in
>>>> use??
>>>
>>> Having it on even though not being used won't do anything any harm
>>> UNLESS there is some incampatability with some other channel. Which is
>>> why I told the OP to always use F6 to see ALL the channels, and if
>>> something is not working correctly then switch on/off channels until it
>>> all works.
>>>
>>> I found that different cards even from the same manufacturer (I always
>>> use Creative Sound Blaster) need different channels to be on or off
>>> before it all works.
>>>
>>>> Do that in configuration in pavucontrol, use the HDMI drop down box
>>>> set to none or off ... Ric
>>>
>>> As we know, pulse sits on top of alsa. You first get alsa to
>>> activate/deactivate channels after which you can then use pulse. I mean,
>>> it's no use trying to get pulse to turn up the volume on a channel when
>>> that channel is not made active by alsa.
>>
>>
>> Exactly... isn't that what I said before? But, pulse will try to use a
>> device you have configured, so if the HDMI is not in use, best turn it
>> off, so pulse never attempts to use it. :) Ric
>
> If pulse is stupid enough to suddenly decide to use HDMI when it has no
> need to use it then one can make a case for having alsa switch off that
> channel so as not to have pulse confuse itself into a state of apoplexy


And you can set X11 to weird states as well. Or point your nameserver 
somewhere non-existent. The dumb computer will do as you set it to. In 
this case, if HDMI is not in use, while it has an HDMI port that is 
recognized, then best to turn it off. ~~Just in case~~.

Computers like simple. I like simple, too, Pulse is not clairvoyant, it 
doesn't know if that port is in use, only that it exists. Ric



-- 
My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say:
"There are two Great Sins in the world...
..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity.
Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad.
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