Microphone Problem, Used to Work, Now Nothing [SOLVED]

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Eathray
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Microphone Problem, Used to Work, Now Nothing [SOLVED]

#1 Post by Eathray »

Hi all,

I never used to do much with the microphone, but then my kiddo got into high school... two years of foreign language required... so we're learning French.

The school site has a little flash dialogue where Kiddo speaks his French stuff into the mic, it gets recorded, and the teacher grades his answers, pronunciation, etc.

Initially it didn't work in Lucid or Fatdog, but I found it to work in Lighthouse64 (514b). Because it was working there, I never really investigated it further. We just started booting into Lighthouse whenever doing French.

K, I decided to upgrade my computer. Pulled my personals off Lighthouse 514 and upgraded to 602. Never thought about the mic. Crap... doesn't work. Threw in my 514 disk and re-installed... mic doesn't work... had I done something previously to get it to work and don't remember? Added a lib or found just the right setting or something?

So, I have Lucid, Fatdog and Lighthouse on this machine as my main gigs.

Lucid 520 and 525
Fatdog64 520 and 621
Lighthouse64 514b and 602b

I have played with the alsamixer, retrovol, and the flash settings, but I can't get this thing going. Been reading and reading, puppy threads, alsa site, etc. Can't figure out what I'm missing.

I really need to stop, and ask you guys for an education on how this sound system works.

Attached below is a pic of my settings in alsamixer for Lucid, about the same as Fatdog and Lighthouse. I notice that 'mic' remains red regardless of what I do, but I'm not sure if that indicates a problem.

1. Is this a settings problem?
2. Does it matter which mixer I use (alsa/retrovol/other)?
3. Have I done something wrong with the soundcard selection?
4. Am I missing a driver?
5. Missing a lib?

These are all the questions I can think of as to what could be the problem.

Specs:

HDA-Intel AD1981 SoundCard

Compaq nc6400
64bit Dual-core
1gig ram, 4gig swap
Lucid 520, 525 Frugals
Fatdog64 520,621 Frugals
Lighthouse64 514b, 602b Frugals

Any other info you need, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Eathray
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Eathray
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#2 Post by Eathray »

I'm here all day to resolve this problem, so if anyone wants to throw out any thought whatsoever...

I'm game to jump on it.

Even if you'd just like to eliminate something it might not be...

Throw me a bone, please :)

Eathray

watchdog
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#3 Post by watchdog »

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsamixer

It seems you have a stereo capture. Try to mute one channel. I don't know what Off-hook refers: try to toggle it (typing M).

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Eathray
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#4 Post by Eathray »

Watchdog,

Thanks for the reply.

I'm looking at your link now because I don't understand the stereo part. Like an old t.v., left channel is primary? Turn off the right?

I will activate off-hook now.

Be back with results in a bit.

Thx again.

Eathray

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Eathray
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#5 Post by Eathray »

Watchdog,

I turned on 'off-hook.' no results.
I turned on 'caller-ID.' no results.
'Internal' and 'mic boost' both work as two channels and do not adjust independently. Attempted to toggle right and left side of both to off. no results.
Toggled 'capture.' no results.

Does the stereo suggestion mean I could have the wrong sound card loaded, or possibly not the correct driver? The mic is not being identified correctly?

Thanks again.

Eathray

watchdog
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#6 Post by watchdog »

I had the same problem installing in the past Solus OS (debian based) on a laptop. The audio card needed a hack which I found on the internet: I rememeber that muting a channel I got the audio and the mic working. Can you try another more recent kernel on the same machine? Try Upup-raring for example.

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Eathray
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#7 Post by Eathray »

Watchdog,

Sure, but just to mention, LH514 has K 3.0.3, and the mic used to work on my previous install. I don't at all understand why it isn't wanting to work now, unless I did something that I don't remember doing previously, like you said, found a hack out there somewhere.

I'll start downloading Upup-raring and dig out a disk to burn it.

I also have a couple releases of Dpup Exp from Pemasu I could try.

Here's one thing though, the new Lighthouse64 602b has K 3.0.8 which is pretty recent... shouldn't I be having success there if a newer kernel could fix it?

Okay, I'm gonna go find Upup. I'll report back after I burn it.

Thx

Eathray

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mikeb
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#8 Post by mikeb »

HDA-Intel AD1981 SoundCard
Intel move the goalposts with every release of their sound system (and video)... pain in the neck... alsa does keep up but usually you need the latest you can get.... alsa can be updated independantly but the newer kernel simple approach would have the same effect.

Might be worth googling for any module parameter hacks for that card.... might get lucky.

Plan B...get a usb sound card....cheap temp fix.

Plan C ... tell the school that learning french is psycologically damaging your child and you refuse to let him continue..... (I did it for 7 years at school and could not speak or understand a word... :D )

mike

ok read you simultaneous post.... could be newer kernel with older alsa... cat /proc/asound/version gives version ... or its not an alsa version issue.

watchdog
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#9 Post by watchdog »

Another thing I should try that helped me in the past is to install sgmixer from puppy4 repository: it has a level called "Igain" you can set which is not showed by retrovol or alsamixer.

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Eathray
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#10 Post by Eathray »

Oops! Double post.

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Eathray
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#11 Post by Eathray »

Hey there Mike!

Remember years ago when you helped me get Gxine working in 4.2.5 with the lib32 micro stuff...?

Hahaha... that was for the school site too! videos :)

Well, Upup is coming down, we'll give it a try.

It's a little frustrating because I already had this mic thing working before. I must have done something, but I really don't remember doing anything.

Thanks for jumping in Mike

Eathray
Last edited by Eathray on Fri 01 Nov 2013, 19:48, edited 1 time in total.

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Eathray
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#12 Post by Eathray »

watchdog wrote:Another thing I should try that helped me in the past is to install sgmixer from puppy4 repository: it has a level called "Igain" you can set which is not showed by retrovol or alsamixer.
K, I gotta do the 32lib stuff to install something from 4 in lighthouse or fatdog. What does 'lgain' do? I've never heard of that setting.

Thanks

Eathray

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greengeek
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#13 Post by greengeek »

Your alsamixer pic lists two internal mics which suggests to me that this mixer screen does not handle the external mic port.. Maybe if you are plugging in an external mic there is some other method of activating it (eg using jack, or even having to select a second sound card to get access to the external mic)

What happens if you DONT plug in the external mic and try to record via mhwaveedit using the exact alsa settings shown in your pic? The settings look as if they should allow you to get something out of the internal mics as a starting point at least...

watchdog
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#14 Post by watchdog »

greengeek wrote:Your alsamixer pic lists two internal mics which suggests to me that this mixer screen does not handle the external mic port
Two internal mics or the two channels of the same mic? Capture has Left and Right settings but can't be adjusted. In my opinion the alsamixer can't handle the hardware mic. Waiting for explanation from Eathray.

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Eathray
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#15 Post by Eathray »

greengeek,

Thanks for jumping in.

I have primarily always used the internal, built in mic, but I do have the mic jack (pci?) that I could try. In the course of doing this I have mainly been focused on the internal since that's what I was always using before.

Watchdog and Mikeb,

I'm posting this post from a live-boot Upup with a save-file. I'm updating the package manager so I can add the stuff to firefox I need for the school site. should be able to give it a try within an hour.

Thanks all. report back shortly.

Eathray

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Eathray
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#16 Post by Eathray »

watchdog wrote:
greengeek wrote:Your alsamixer pic lists two internal mics which suggests to me that this mixer screen does not handle the external mic port
Two internal mics or the two channels of the same mic? Capture has Left and Right settings but can't be adjusted. In my opinion the alsamixer can't handle the hardware mic. Waiting for explanation from Eathray.
Okay,

The computer has two microphones. The first is an internal built in above the keyboard on the right. This is the one I have always used on the past. I believe it's designated '0' in the Alsa settings.

The other mic is a (I think) pci mic/headphone combo. I have never used this mic effectively, but have occasionally used the headphone jack associated with it. This jack mic is designated '1' in one file, and I think '6' in another. The only reason it is unused is because I don't really like the using headphone/mic deal. It's inconvenient for typing with the cord.

I know that the alsa in Lighthouse64 514b is capable of dealing with the internal mic because it used to work... I thought it had worked out of the box, but I have considered that maybe I did something and just don't remember. It was a while ago, and if I did and a lib or hack, and it worked right away on the first try... it's possible I just don't remember doing it.

Anyway, working on Upup and will report back shortly.

Eathray

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Eathray
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#17 Post by Eathray »

Watchdog,

Did that explain what you wanted to know?

You were wondering about two mics, correct?

eathray

watchdog
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#18 Post by watchdog »

Eathray wrote: Did that explain what you wanted to know?
Yes, it did. But it's unusual to me. If you open recording in mhwaveedit how many levels of recording do you get? I think they are muted but I'm sure you get two levels: duplex-mic. This is a situation that I encountered with some laptops. If the mic works both the levels move when you speak and are recorded.
I found something that can help to activate the capture level. Look if you have: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf. Open it and change the right line in:

Code: Select all

options snd-hda-intel enable_msi=1
Then in console:

Code: Select all

rmmod snd-hda-intel
modprobe snd-hda-intel
Give it a try.

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Eathray
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#19 Post by Eathray »

Watchdog,

It depends. I was interpreting the data as either the settings control both mics so that your settings are the same regardless of which you wanted to use, or it's only left and right channel in the case of stereo, but if single channel, they are both combined as one control.

Either way, it doesn't seem like it should prevent the internal mic from functioning...?

I almost have Upup functional. I'll move on to the new stuff as soon as I test Upup, to determine if it's the kernel/alsa version issue.

Report back soon.

Eathray

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greengeek
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#20 Post by greengeek »

Just one other thought - I have got a netbook which does not use the microphone properly unless I have the headphones plugged in at the same time. (no idea why - maybe the sound card designer was trying to avoid feedback???). Worth a try anyway.

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