View Full Version : [ubuntu] Scrambled Audio
Vock
June 4th, 2008, 04:42 AM
Hello all,
I'm having trouble getting any audio beyond my PC speaker in Ubuntu. I'm using the Sound Blaster Audgiy SE card in my computer.
I followed reassuringlyoffensive's guide "Comprehensive Multimedia & Video How-to" to install the codecs and Gnome's MPlayer, and from what I can tell i have decoders.
When i play back an mp3, it honestly sounds as if i'm listening to a really bad radio station, and when there is no music playing I get a constant hum in the background.
Any ideas on what the problem(s) are or where to start? I know it's not hardware as the soundcard works under XP.
Thanks
ZabiGG
June 4th, 2008, 02:34 PM
Did you install the Alsa Mixer?
Vock
June 5th, 2008, 03:29 AM
Just installed it, still no audio, the levels are all up as well. :(
I also get this error in Alsa Mixer:
Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/slider_display_names/SigmaTel_STAC9721,23-Master": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
iaculallad
June 5th, 2008, 03:32 AM
Navigate to System->Preferences->Sound, and on the "Device" tab, try changing "AutoDetect" to "ALSA - Advanced Linux Sound Architecture". (Sound Events, Music and Movies, and Audio Conferencing) Click on close button and retry playing your mp3.
Vock
June 5th, 2008, 04:44 AM
With that done, it plays the mp3 but it sounds like it's a radio station between frequencies... just a ton of static and barely make it out in the background... for both .ogg and .mp3 files
iaculallad
June 5th, 2008, 05:02 AM
Had you tried to remove and reinstall the ALSA package?
-Remove
sudo apt-get --purge remove linux-sound-base alsa-base alsa-utils
-Reinstall
sudo apt-get install linux-sound-base alsa-base alsa-utils
and do a Reboot and check your sound.
Vock
June 9th, 2008, 12:59 AM
Sorry it's been late in replying, hopefully someone still reads this and helps me out. I'll write down everything I did and what i got back from the terminal, sorry for the length of the post, but I really would like to get this issue settled so i can move on to everything else i'm sure i need to do for my first linux setup:
Following the steps in the Comprehensive Sound Problem Solutions Guide v0.5e by LordRaiden:
aplay -l
Which gives me:
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: ICH6 [Intel ICH6], device 0: Intel ICH [Intel ICH6]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: ICH6 [Intel ICH6], device 4: Intel ICH - IEC958 [Intel ICH6 - IEC958]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Audigy [Audigy 1 ES [SB0160]], device 0: emu10k1 [ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback]
Subdevices: 32/32
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
Subdevice #8: subdevice #8
Subdevice #9: subdevice #9
Subdevice #10: subdevice #10
Subdevice #11: subdevice #11
Subdevice #12: subdevice #12
Subdevice #13: subdevice #13
Subdevice #14: subdevice #14
Subdevice #15: subdevice #15
Subdevice #16: subdevice #16
Subdevice #17: subdevice #17
Subdevice #18: subdevice #18
Subdevice #19: subdevice #19
Subdevice #20: subdevice #20
Subdevice #21: subdevice #21
Subdevice #22: subdevice #22
Subdevice #23: subdevice #23
Subdevice #24: subdevice #24
Subdevice #25: subdevice #25
Subdevice #26: subdevice #26
Subdevice #27: subdevice #27
Subdevice #28: subdevice #28
Subdevice #29: subdevice #29
Subdevice #30: subdevice #30
Subdevice #31: subdevice #31
card 1: Audigy [Audigy 1 ES [SB0160]], device 2: emu10k1 efx [Multichannel Capture/PT Playback]
Subdevices: 8/8
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
card 1: Audigy [Audigy 1 ES [SB0160]], device 3: emu10k1 [Multichannel Playback]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
I'm trying to get my Audigy to work, haven't tried the onboard ICH6 beyond just plugging it in and trying an MP3, didn't tinker around with it at all, focussing on the Audigy.
Next, I typed
lspci -v
which listed all my pci cards, which gave me this:
03:03.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Audigy (rev 03)
Subsystem: Creative Labs Unknown device 0052
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 18
I/O ports at d000 [size=32]
Capabilities: <access denied>
03:03.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Audigy Game Port (rev 03)
Subsystem: Creative Labs SB Audigy MIDI/Game Port
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32
I/O ports at d100 [size=8]
Capabilities: <access denied>
Don't know if the <access denied> part is supposed to be there or not, but every other thing on that list had the same under Capabilities, and they're working.
Next, went to the Alsa website, to check which specific driver my soundcard needed, from what I saw at the website (http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Matrix:Vendor-Creative_Labs), I'm using the Sound Blaster Audigy ES (From what i see in the aplay -l), and I need the driver emu10k2, (right now it's using emu10k1?)
Next i typed this into the console
sudo modprobe -snd and hit tab twice, which i'm assuming listed all the drivers i have installed:
snd-ac97-codec snd-cs4236-lib snd-hdsp snd-opl3-synth snd-seq-device
snd-ad1816a snd-cs4281 snd-hdspm snd-opl4-lib snd-seq-dummy
snd-ad1848 snd-cs46xx snd-hifier snd-opl4-synth snd-seq-midi
snd-ad1848-lib snd-cs5530 snd-hwdep snd-opti92x-ad1848 snd-seq-midi-emul
snd-ad1889 snd-cs5535audio snd-i2c snd-opti92x-cs4231 snd-seq-midi-event
snd-adlib snd-cs8427 snd-ice1712 snd-opti93x snd-seq-oss
snd-ak4114 snd-darla20 snd-ice1724 snd-oxygen snd-seq-virmidi
snd-ak4117 snd-darla24 snd-ice17xx-ak4xxx snd-oxygen-lib snd-serial-u16550
snd-ak4531-codec snd-dt019x snd-indigo snd-page-alloc snd-sgalaxy
snd-ak4xxx-adda snd-dummy snd-indigodj snd-pcm snd-sis7019
snd-ali5451 snd-echo3g snd-indigoio snd-pcm-oss snd-soc-core
snd-aloop snd-emu10k1 snd-intel8x0 snd-pcsp snd-sonicvibes
snd-als100 snd-emu10k1-synth snd-intel8x0m snd-pcxhr snd-sscape
snd-als300 snd-emu10k1x snd-interwave snd-pdaudiocf snd-tea575x-tuner
snd-als4000 snd-emu8000-synth snd-interwave-stb snd-pdplus snd-tea6330t
snd-asihpi snd-emux-synth snd-korg1212 snd-portman2x4 snd-timer
snd-atiixp snd-ens1370 snd-layla20 snd-pt2258 snd-trident
snd-atiixp-modem snd-ens1371 snd-layla24 snd-rawmidi snd-usb-audio
snd-au8810 snd-es1688 snd-maestro3 snd-riptide snd-usb-caiaq
snd-au8820 snd-es1688-lib snd-mia snd-rme32 snd-usb-lib
snd-au8830 snd-es18xx snd-miro snd-rme96 snd-usb-usx2y
snd-azt2320 snd-es1938 snd-mixart snd-rme9652 snd-util-mem
snd-azt3328 snd-es1968 snd-mixer-oss snd-rtctimer snd-via82xx
snd-bt87x snd-es968 snd-mona snd-sb16 snd-via82xx-modem
snd-bt-sco snd-fm801 snd-mpu401 snd-sb16-csp snd-virmidi
snd-ca0106 snd-gina20 snd-mpu401-uart snd-sb16-dsp snd-virtuoso
snd-cmi8330 snd-gina24 snd-msnd-pinnacle snd-sb8 snd-vx222
snd-cmipci snd-gusclassic snd-mtpav snd-sb8-dsp snd-vx-lib
snd-cs4231 snd-gusextreme snd-mts64 snd-sbawe snd-vxpocket
snd-cs4231-lib snd-gus-lib snd-nm256 snd-sb-common snd-wavefront
snd-cs4232 snd-gusmax snd-opl3-lib snd-sc6000 snd-ymfpci
snd-cs4236 snd-hda-intel snd-opl3sa2 snd-seq
And from what I can see, there is no emu10k2, so I then did what you suggested:
sudo apt-get --purge remove linux-sound-base alsa-base alsa-utils
and then
sudo apt-get install linux-sound-base alsa-base alsa-utils
rebooted, and still no luck... about to move on to compiling the drivers myself following the guide, i'll let you know how that goes
RequinB4
June 9th, 2008, 01:13 AM
Right click on teh speaker on your panel, right click, click Open Volume Control, turn PCM down to a reasonable level.
That's it. No compiling required.
Vock
June 9th, 2008, 01:25 AM
Aborted the recompile idea then, but I still have this really wierd buzzing from my speakers, and still no sound coming out, even dropping down the PCM and turning it off. Sorry this is turning out to be so difficult...
Vock
June 9th, 2008, 01:36 AM
I realized the buzzing is a result of the digital audio out connection, so after toggling the digital/audio output jack on ASLA mixer i got rid ofthe buzzing, but now I just have no audio.
RequinB4
June 9th, 2008, 01:36 AM
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=629585&pid=589313746&st=0&#entry589313746
I'd play around in volume control, try dropping down mic playback or the optical.
kansasnoob
June 9th, 2008, 02:09 AM
My daughters Soundblaster card required the alsa-firmware package from Medibuntu. But I don't have her build sheet and I don't know if it was the same sound card.
Couldn't hurt to try, and it's easily reversible if it doesn't help.
Vock
June 9th, 2008, 02:45 AM
Already have the latest alsa-firmware package installed, and mucking around with the volume controls didn't help any either...
Would doing a fresh wipe/reload be beneficial anyone think?
Vock
June 9th, 2008, 02:56 AM
Okay, so funny enough, i tried playing a game and i got sound out of it, so i'm guessing my hardware problems are fixed. I still don't understand why i can't play any MP3s, or videos either, but at least i know the sound is working...
EDIT:
Here's what the fix was:
sudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base
and then at the very end of the file i added
options snd-emu10k1 enable=1
I'm guessing for the other playback issues, it's the codecs i'm lacking?
Edit 2: Got it working, thanks all
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