5.1 Surround with Realtek ALC887-VD2 onboard

[bmanone]

Hello,

I have just recently built a new Ubuntu 13.10 machine, and I am having issues getting the 5.1 onboard sound working. The motherboard is an ASUS B85M-G, with onboard Realtek ALC887-VD2 8-channel audio. I have been reading around the forums, but can't find any solution that will work for me.

The motherboard only has 3 audio jacks however the microphone and blue line in double as Bass/Center and Rear speakers respectively (according to the user manual).

Under the PulseAudio Volume control settings I can see the "Built-in Audio" as a device under "Configuration", however the only available profiles listed are stereo.

Anyone have any ideas what the issue could be? Thanks in advance!

[bmanone]

Hi All, does anyone have any ideas?

[sdowney717]

http://www.thinkdigit.com/forum/cpu-motherboards/177960-7-1-audio-output-asus-b85mg-motherboard-fake-real.html

A configuration issue. Someone posted the page from manual which shows it can be done.

[sdowney717]

I just looked at my old PM8M-V which is running windows 7.
Realtek driver allows me to reassign microphone to woofer-center, and line in to rear.

When I downloaded the realtek AC97 sound drivers, they listed a linux driver.
http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=23&PFid=23&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

HD audio chip also shows linux driver.
http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=24&PFid=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

Does your board have a realtek sound chip?
I have not explored a driver like this. So dont know how to install that.
But I imagine it would have a control panel option like windows to reassign the minijacks.

[sdowney717]

Realtek® ALC887-VD2 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
- Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking, Anti-pop Function

Looks like it does, so you likely need that linux driver installed from realtek

[sdowney717]

I dont think that driver will do it.

here it talks of configuring ports.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SurroundSound

[sdowney717]

looking at my ubuntu install, I can select various sound configs.
I selected 5.1 here

Do you have a drop down list to select that?

[bmanone]

Thanks for the reply!

I don't have any "5.1" profiles available in the drop down, when I get home i'll post a screenshot of what I have available, it's generally just stereo options only from memory.

I have gone through https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SurroundSound previously (i.e. updating config in /etc/pulse/daemon.conf) and have also tried running speaker-test -Dplug:surround51 -c6 -l1 -twav which only outputs sound via the left and right speakers.

On your ubuntu install, do you also have the similar mini jacks setup (i.e. only 3, that can be assigned different roles (microphone, or used as 5.1/surround)?

[sdowney717]

The screen I showed had a full set of jacks on the back.
I do have another with only 3 on the back and will let you know later today.

[sdowney717]

Ok, I just checked and DO NOT have anything other than analog stereo output available on this MSI 7529 with intel g31 chipset board. And I think it should show up.

http://us.msi.com/product/mb/G31M3L_V2__G31M3LS_V2.html

Audio

• Chip integrated by Realtek® ALC888
- Flexible 7.1-channel audio with jack sensing
- Compliant with Azalia 1.0 Spec
- Meet Microsoft Vista Premium SPEC

[sdowney717]

running sudo alsamixer, I can select 2, 4, 6 channel sound.
But the sound settings panel still shows only stereo.

[sdowney717]

http://drona.csa.iisc.ernet.in/~uday/alsamch.shtml

talks about configuring alsa to play with these jacks surround sound.
If you can figure it out.

[bmanone]

Good news it's all working now thankyou so much! There was an extra setting to choose the number of channels in the alsamixer in which I didn't notice until I saw your screenshot (when I first brought it up, only 5 options were visible). Changing this from 2 to 6 appears to have enabled to the 5.1 profile options in the sound settings. Now I just need to work on getting it to all sound a little more crisp (it sounds quite flat the output) but that would be just playing around with the settings again.

Thanks again!

[sdowney717]

Alsamixer is wide so must scroll to see that.

Interesting, I will look again but when I select 6 channel sound, I still only see stereo profile on that motherboard.
Realtek 888 chip on this motherboard, 3 ports on back.

Is there also some other setting needs checking off?

[sdowney717]

I just checked and it does now have the 5.1 sound and all 3 ports works properly 5.1
I am on Trusty beta, so updates fixed this.