Alsa problem, PCM not unmuting

Message

Tyir · Post by **Tyir** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 7:55 pm

I've had this problem for a while..

2.6.11 kernel, alsa built in, with a sbLive, with alsa-lib, etc. at 1.0.8

Problem:
I have a 4 speaker system, and only the *rear* two are working.

Say I start from a clean asound.state:

Code: Select all

zeta-root:/etc/init.d/alsasound stop
 * Storing ALSA Mixer Levels ...                                                                                    [ ok ]
 * Unloading ALSA ...                                                                                               [ ok ]
 * Unloading ALSA modules ...                                                                                       [ ok ]
15:50:46 ~
zeta-root:rm /etc/asound.state 
15:50:51 ~
zeta-root:/etc/init.d/alsasound start
 * Loading ALSA modules ...                                                                                         [ ok ]
 * Restoring Mixer Levels ...
 * No mixer config in /etc/asound.state, you have to unmute your card!                                              [ ok ]

The rear speakers work.
Then:

Code: Select all

zeta-root:amixer set Master 100 unmute 
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 63
  Front Left: Playback 63 [100%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 63 [100%] [on]
15:51:32 ~
zeta-root:amixer set PCM 100 unmute 
amixer: Unknown playback setup 'unmute'..

The PCM, which I think will control the front speaker volume, will not unmute. If I go to it from alsamixer, it is at 100, and doesn't look muted, but pressing m has no effect.

Any ideas? I've sort of gone around it by switching the jacks, so the front speakers get the sound.
Note: at one point, it worked fine, but stopped when I upgraded the alsa-* stuff. Going back didn't fix it.

Thanks.

Additional info:

Code: Select all

zeta-root:amixer
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 63
  Front Left: Playback 63 [100%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 63 [100%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone LFE',1
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',1
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone Center',1
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Tone',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [off]
  Front Right: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Bass',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 40
  Mono: 20 [50%]
  Front Left:
  Front Right:
Simple mixer control 'Treble',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 40
  Mono: 20 [50%]
  Front Left:
  Front Right:
Simple mixer control '3D Control - Center',0
  Capabilities: volume volume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: 0 - 15
  Mono: 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control '3D Control - Depth',0
  Capabilities: volume volume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: 0 - 15
  Mono: 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control '3D Control - Switch',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'Surround',0
  Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 100 [100%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 100 [100%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Center',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100
  Mono: Playback 100 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'LFE',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100
  Mono: Playback 100 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'Wave',0
  Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 100 [100%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 100 [100%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Wave Center',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100
  Mono: Playback 100 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'Wave LFE',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100
  Mono: Playback 100 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'Wave Surround',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 100 [100%]
  Front Right: Playback 100 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'Music',0
  Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 100 [100%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 100 [100%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 3 [10%] [off] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 1 [3%] [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Line LiveDrive',0
  Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Line2 LiveDrive',1
  Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Left: Capture [on]
  Front Right: Capture [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost (+20dB)',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Select',0
  Capabilities:
  Mono:
Simple mixer control 'Video',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Phone',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Left: Capture [off]
  Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Coaxial',0
  Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 LiveDrive',0
  Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Optical Raw',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Playback [off]
  Front Right: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 TTL',0
  Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'PC Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 15
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Aux',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch cswitch-joined
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 15
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mix',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Capture [off]
  Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mix Mono',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Capture [off]
  Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'AC97',0
  Capabilities: pvolume cvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
  Front Left: Playback 100 [100%] Capture 100 [100%]
  Front Right: Playback 100 [100%] Capture 100 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'EMU10K1 PCM',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right - Front Center
  Limits: 0 - 65535
  Mono: 65535 [100%]
  Front Left:
  Front Right:
  Front Center:
Simple mixer control 'EMU10K1 PCM Send',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right - Front Center - Rear Left - Rear Right - Woofer - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
  Limits: 0 - 255
  Mono: 255 [100%]
  Front Left:
  Front Right:
  Front Center:
  Rear Left:
  Rear Right:
  Woofer:
  ?:
  ?:
  ?:
  ?:
  ?:
  ?:
Simple mixer control 'EMU10K1 PCM Send Routing',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right - Front Center - Rear Left - Rear Right - Woofer - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ?
  Limits: 0 - 15
  Mono: 0 [0%]
  Front Left:
  Front Right:
  Front Center:
  Rear Left:
  Rear Right:
  Woofer:
  ?:
  ?:
  ?:
  ?:
  ?:
  ?:
Simple mixer control 'External Amplifier',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'SB Live Analog/Digital Output Jack',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]

Martux · Post by **Martux** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 8:12 pm

Hi!
I've got no real clue what this could be...
But maybe you wanna try alsamixergui (in portage), which in my opinion is much nicer then amixer.
Or, if you use kde, try playing around with kmix.
hth, marcus

Vortex375 · Post by **Vortex375** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 8:16 pm

You may have to unmute some other channel.
On my Audigy2, for example, I have to unmute "Audigy Analog/Digital Output Jack" in Order to get any Sound from my Speakers.

Tyir · Post by **Tyir** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 10:52 pm

No such luck... I muted/unmuted the odd channels at the right, including SB Live Analog/Digital Output Jack.

Also, it doesn't explain why PCM doesn't want to unmute, which is what is controlling the front speakers...

Vortex375 · Post by **Vortex375** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:39 pm

My PCM can not be muted. Since you use the same driver as I do (I think) it could be the same for you.

This does not explain why you get no sound though. Could the soundcard be defective?

Tyir · Post by **Tyir** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:04 am

Vortex375 wrote:
This does not explain why you get no sound though. Could the soundcard be defective?

Nope, I check by rebooting into Windows, it works fine on both outputs (front and back)

And sorry, I should have mentioned this clue earlier, at boot, when ALSA starts, right after it says
Resting Mixer Levels, it does:

Code: Select all

 * Loading ALSA modules ...                                                                                                         [ ok ]
 * Restoring Mixer Levels ...
/usr/sbin/alsactl: set_control:894: warning: name mismatch (PCM Playback Volume/PCM Playback Switch) for control #61
/usr/sbin/alsactl: set_control:896: warning: index mismatch (0/0) for control #61
/usr/sbin/alsactl: set_control:1015: bad control.61.value.0 content                                                                 [ !! ]

Which would lead me to believe something is wrong with my asound.state... but if I remove it and restart, it doesnt help, as I have said.

Ok, this is really odd, I removed it, and restarted, and then I could unmute PCM, and now it works again. This has happened before though, and it stops working on reboots, anyway, lets see how this goes...