My current configuration is Ubuntu 12.04.2 x64 and Audacity 2.0.0 with an on-board sound card, an Intel Panther Point High Definition Audio Controller with a Realtek ALC898 CODEC.
I am digitizing my LP collection (have been for several years now) using Audacity, and I find that pavucontrol is not adequate to control line-in volume to prevent overloading. So I have to use either alsamixer or gnome-alsamixer. This problem did not start until 12.04.
gnome-almixer has no markings to indicate volume amount, so I have to guess at what I am setting except for 0% or 100%. On the other hand, alsamixer seems to not be in synch with what the volume actualy is. That is, if I have the volume for Line-in at 81%, it overloads my Audacity waveform. The Audacity wave form shows many flat tops and bottoms, although there is no clipping and the meters are well below the maximum. If I run the same source (turntable through receiver to tape out) to my tape decks, I have no problems with sound levels. I have to set the alsamixer volume at about 50% to aviod overdriving my sound waves when sending my source to the sound card. At this setting, the wave form is so small as to be barely detectable (appears as a straight line with small protubances on it) and is usually anywhere from -20 to -30db. It is very hard to tell whether the wave is "clean" with it being so small.
So is there one application I can (should) use to set my volume levels so that I don't have to use 3 different ones? Or, is there a way I can set one of the above mixer apps so that the other is controlling what is actually happening?
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