snd-hda-intel options

[dabrowsa]

Thanks for your response.

The standard options line in /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf for this card seems to be:

options snd-hda-intel power_save=10 power_save_controller=N

which seems very environmentally conscientious but doesn't manage the card properly.



I would think this sound card jacks issue would be a deal breaker for any users like me who are interested in music creation. I was certainly very disappointed to discover I was going to have to spend hours and hours fiddling with system config issues just to record audio. I was used to those horrors with converted windows machines, but I thought buying a System76 box would mean smooth sailing. I'm a bit dismayed to learn that System76 apparently doesn't consider it very important that all hardware work out of the box.

It's nothing personal, Tom, I appreciate your attempts to help. But this episode has made it less likely that I'll but a System76 machine in the future.

[thomasaaron]

I would think this sound card jacks issue would be a deal breaker for any users like me who are interested in music creation.

I can certainly see that.

...but I thought buying a System76 box would mean smooth sailing.

Unfortunately, that's kind of the nature of ALSA and Pulseaudio. I remember when both of them absolutely stunk. They've come a long way in the past few years. They seem to have most of the basics down, but considering how much hardware there is out there to build in support for, it's still not unusual to run into issues like this from time to time. In fact, it is running into issues like this (and filing bug reports in the appropriate places) that betters open source software for the next user. (But I realize that's not what you signed up for. You just wanted something that worked.)

I'm a bit dismayed to learn that System76 apparently doesn't consider it very important that all hardware work out of the box.

We actually care a lot about providing customers with working hardware, and we put a HUGE amount of time into getting things to work and solving the problems (like this one) that inevitably come up. And we will do the best we can for you as well.

It's nothing personal, Tom, I appreciate your attempts to help. But this episode has made it less likely that I'll but a System76 machine in the future.

I am sorry to hear that. But, I promise, I'll do all I can to help you get it sorted out.

[thomasaaron]

OK, I just spoke called up Intel and asked them about this. Here's what they said...

1. speaker out to mic jack -- this will definitely NOT work.
2. speaker output to line in jack -- in theory, this should work, but (and this surprised me) they do not test it and could not guarantee it would work.

So, as we move forward with this, please realize that it may or may not even be possible on the Wild Dog's motherboard.

(I saw another post where you are looking for a sound card. Do you want me to continue?)

[dabrowsa]

OK, I just spoke called up Intel and asked them about this. Here's what they said...

1. speaker out to mic jack -- this will definitely NOT work.
2. speaker output to line in jack -- in theory, this should work, but (and this surprised me) they do not test it and could not guarantee it would work.

I'm confused. Do you mean:

(1) line-in jack to speaker-out, i.e. internal playthrough allowing e.g. audio daisychaining or simultaneous recording and audition; or

(2) speaker-out to line-in, i.e. running a cable from the audio output back to the line-in, allowing e.g. recording the product of sound generation software?

I want (1), and it was not a problem with the last two Dell machines I owned (running Ubuntu).

[thomasaaron]

I'm sorry, I just don't know a lot about audio recording.

My conversation with the Intel tech was more along the lines of number 2. But I see what you're getting at now with number 1.

I shall do more research on it.