HOWTO: PulseAudio Fixes & System-Wide Equalizer Support

[cacus]

It's rocking now!!!!


Listen, I've lost almost all my afternoon but worth it.
Didn't read your suggestions before making my tweaks but I think this is no more necessary.

Here's what I did:

First, in /etc/asound.conf:

[...]
pcm.equalizer {
  type ladspa
  slave.pcm "plug:surround40"
  path "/usr/lib/ladspa"
[...]

Just to check, in /etc/pulse/daemon.conf:

[...]
default-sample-channels = 4
[...]

In /etc/pulse/default.pa:

[...]
load-module module-alsa-sink device=equalized
[...]

That's gonna work for any Audigy2 LS (or any other CA0106) I guess... Just change surround40 with the option you need taking care about the sample channels in the daemon.conf. (for surround41, 5 channels; surround51, 6 channels; surround71, 8 channels).
I really don't know why I didn't find it before, because I've already tried that config, maybe I forgot to completely reboot the system and just ctrl+alt+backspace (which I don't know why don't work for this kind of stuff) and mess up myself trying pathetic config combinations.
Sorry about the bother, and really thanks a lot. I messed it just for being a stupid anti-reboot silly person.
Greetings from Argentina.

cacus

[psyke83]

It's rocking now!!!!

I'm glad you got it working . By the way, you don't need to reboot after tweaking PulseAudio; all you need to do is kill the process and restart it, i.e.:

pkill pulseaudio; pulseaudio

[timothius]

Hi, I did fix number one and now I get this on bootup:

May 29 00:19:56 hplappy kernel: [   47.799470] ALSA /build/buildd/linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-2.6.24/debian/build/build-generic/sound/alsa-driver/pci/ac97/ac97_codec.c:2061: AC'97 1 does not respond - RESET
May 29 00:19:56 hplappy kernel: [   47.833344] ALSA /build/buildd/linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-2.6.24/debian/build/build-generic/sound/alsa-driver/pci/ac97/ac97_codec.c:2070: AC'97 1 access is not valid [0xffffffff], removing mixer.
May 29 00:19:56 hplappy kernel: [   47.855456] ALSA /build/buildd/linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-2.6.24/debian/build/build-generic/sound/alsa-driver/pci/ali5451/ali5451.c:1927: ali mixer 1 creating error.

.

I can't get rid of these messages whatever I do. Any ideas? Thanks.

[psyke83]

Hi, I did fix number one and now I get this on bootup:

May 29 00:19:56 hplappy kernel: [   47.799470] ALSA /build/buildd/linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-2.6.24/debian/build/build-generic/sound/alsa-driver/pci/ac97/ac97_codec.c:2061: AC'97 1 does not respond - RESET
May 29 00:19:56 hplappy kernel: [   47.833344] ALSA /build/buildd/linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-2.6.24/debian/build/build-generic/sound/alsa-driver/pci/ac97/ac97_codec.c:2070: AC'97 1 access is not valid [0xffffffff], removing mixer.
May 29 00:19:56 hplappy kernel: [   47.855456] ALSA /build/buildd/linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-2.6.24/debian/build/build-generic/sound/alsa-driver/pci/ali5451/ali5451.c:1927: ali mixer 1 creating error.

.

I can't get rid of these messages whatever I do. Any ideas? Thanks.

If you google the error, it appears to be kernel related. Did you do a kernel upgrade? If that's the case, boot to the old kernel and see if it's fixed. Otherwise see Appendix 2... but it's not PulseAudio related.

[djhig]

Thanks, i was getting really sick of the firefox crashes with libflashsupport this did the business

[timothius]

If you google the error, it appears to be kernel related. Did you do a kernel upgrade? If that's the case, boot to the old kernel and see if it's fixed. Otherwise see Appendix 2... but it's not PulseAudio related.

Thats the thing, I followed the removal instructions to the letter and I still get:

[   49.901133] ALSA /build/buildd/linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-2.6.24/debian/build/build-generic/sound/alsa-driver/pci/ac97/ac97_codec.c:2061: AC'97 1 does not respond - RESET
[   49.936109] ALSA /build/buildd/linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-2.6.24/debian/build/build-generic/sound/alsa-driver/pci/ac97/ac97_codec.c:2070: AC'97 1 access is not valid [0xffffffff], removing mixer.
[   49.958047] ALSA /build/buildd/linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24-2.6.24/debian/build/build-generic/sound/alsa-driver/pci/ali5451/ali5451.c:1927: ali mixer 1 creating error.

I'm using the default kernel that installs when you install from the Hardy CD.

It seems that some configuration file change or something has been left even after install. I have no idea how to fix this

Thanks for the help.

[psyke83]

It seems that some configuration file change or something has been left even after install. I have no idea how to fix this

Thanks for the help.

If you follow the removal instructions of Appendix 2, then all configuration files and packages will be restored to Hardy defaults. Again as I said, this is a kernel issue and not related to PulseAudio or its configuration.

Was sound working for you before you tried this guide? Does booting from the LiveCD present this issue as well? I cannot troubleshoot a kernel issue for your hardware since it's different to mine, and I don't believe this guide caused the issue. The removal instruction will restore your system to its original state.

For a start to your troubleshooting, see these bug reports and links:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s....20/+bug/65529
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s....20/+bug/94333
http://groups.google.com/group/linux...e7d1ef18639869

[timothius]

If you follow the removal instructions of Appendix 2, then all configuration files and packages will be restored to Hardy defaults. Again as I said, this is a kernel issue and not related to PulseAudio or its configuration.

Was sound working for you before you tried this guide? Does booting from the LiveCD present this issue as well? I cannot troubleshoot a kernel issue for your hardware since it's different to mine, and I don't believe this guide caused the issue. The removal instruction will restore your system to its original state.

For a start to your troubleshooting, see these bug reports and links:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s....20/+bug/65529
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s....20/+bug/94333
http://groups.google.com/group/linux...e7d1ef18639869

Ah, I might have had the message before I followed the guide - I only checked after I followed the guide, so assumed that it was the cause. I'll try to boot from the live cd to see.

My audio works the same currently as it always has - the sound crackles and randomly speeds up and down. I was following the guide as it was linked from a bug report.

[psyke83]

My audio works the same currently as it always has - the sound crackles and randomly speeds up and down. I was following the guide as it was linked from a bug report.

Sound crackling certainly can occur because of PulseAudio, but speeding up and down does not. This indicates a problem with your audio chipset and not PulseAudio, so the fix is probably needed either in ALSA or with a BIOS update. The links I posted have lots of useful information.

[timothius]

Sound crackling certainly can occur because of PulseAudio, but speeding up and down does not. This indicates a problem with your audio chipset and not PulseAudio, so the fix is probably needed either in ALSA or with a BIOS update. The links I posted have lots of useful information.

Yup you were right I booted from the livecd and checked dmesg - those errors were present.

I'll look into configuring ALSA (although i've tried in vain for days) and check my bios version.