[pulseaudio-discuss] Input sound random detection.

[Tanu Kaskinen]

On Wed, 2016-08-10 at 11:43 -0300, Gustavo Duarte wrote:
> Hi Tanu, thank you for the feedback.
> 
> 
> No, i can't break the microphne after it started to working.
> 
> 
> The sequence is following:
> 
> 1) Boot the laptop.
> 
> 2) Mic with conf apps, like skype and Hangout isn't working.
> 
> 3) Mic on other sound apps type, like QArecord, working well.
> 
> 4) Changing volume input level on gnome settings.
> 
> 5) Mic start to working with Skype.
> 
> 5) Change the volume to 100%, and MIC still working.
> 
> 6) Reboot the laptop, and back to beheavoirs from step 1),
> 
> I wonder why, mic is start to working if change the volume from 
> gnome-settings ?
> 
> I tried to change de volume with:
> 
> amixer set Mic 20 on
> 
> or
> pacmd set-source-volume 1 13106
> pacmd set-sourece-mute 1 0
> 
> and without effects.
> 
> Is like, the settings should be changed from a gui apps, may be 
> something related with a dbus signal ?

D-Bus problems are extremely unlikely, because Gnome sound settings
doesn't use D-Bus to communicate with pulseaudio.

> I'm going to see the source code of gnome-settings, to see what it does 
> to change the volume, and see if a can find a clue for this side.
> 
> Do you have another test, i can do ?

Right after boot, before running any other applications, you can try to
record something with this command:

parecord --device=alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo test.wav

Does that work? That is, does test.wav contain any non-silence audio?

If not, you can also try

pasuspender -- arecord --device=plughw:0 test.wav

Does that work? If not, it's an alsa bug.

If both commands work, you can try opening Gnome audio settings. If it
shows that the volume is 100%, but the volume meter shows no activity,
try the parecord command again while the sound settings is open. Is
parecord capable of recording audio while the sound settings indicates
that the mic doesn't work? While the sound settings is open and
parecord is running, run "pactl list" and send the output to the
mailing list.

-- 
Tanu