[pulseaudio-discuss] Pulseaudio keeps messing up my ALSA mixer settings at random times

[Patrick May]

I've now worked out exactly when it's happening.
When I log in at a virtual terminal (and I'm already logged in with 
another session with pulseaudio daemon running), that's when pulseaudio 
decides it's the right time to set my ALSA mixer volume to absolute 100%.

It seems to be a bit random though - it either sets it to 100% or 0%. 
But it always does it one way or the other.

It also seems to happen when I log out at a virtual terminal.

Does anyone know why this is happening?

On 19/04/2020 17:52, Patrick May wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> Pulseaudio seems to like to set my ALSA mixer settings to ABSOLUTE 
> COMPLETELY MAXED OUT VOLUME seemingly at random, it seems like it 
> happens usually when I reboot the computer but I'm not sure.
> 
> I guess it's happening when the pulseaudio daemon gets started.
> 
> This is resulting in REALLY LOUD sound getting blasted at me through my 
> headphones without warning and I'm sick of it.
> 
> Is there a way to tell the pulseaudio daemon or whatever to leave the 
> ALSA mixer settings as they are when it starts up?
> 
> By the way I already had to add "load-module module-alsa-sink 
> control=Master" to my default.pa file because for some reason, it would 
> either set the volume to ABSOLUTELY MAXED OUT LOUD or completely muted 
> (PCM set to 0) presumably because my soundcard (sound blaster live 
> emu10k1) is not well supported by pulseaudio.
> 
> thanks.
> PM