[pow3rtr1p]

To clarify, I am running Optical Out from my PC's onboard to my Receiver. Just to be sure.

In Slackware, if I go into my System Settings, 2 output choices will make noise on the receiver when I choose to Test Sound. Those 2 are HDA Intel (VT2020 Digital) and HDA Intel, VT2020 Digital (IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output). As I said, I click the Test button at the bottom, and I hear noise. The pretty little keyboardy thing.

However, I don't get sound from apps. No Flash videos have sound, and I doubt Aqualung will have sound, though I am ripping a CD right now.

So it appears my sound files aren't reaching the frontend. What should I check, or change? I've checked both mixers (Mixer and Sound Mixer) and really can't see what the problem could be.

Any help is obviously REP-able.

 

[gonX]

If you have a microphone, go to the terminal and type this:

Code:

arecord -t cd | aplay

Now try speaking in your microphone. If you hear sound, ALSA works perfectly and you don't need a new asound.conf. However, if you don't hear sound, you need a new asound.conf, or need to check alsamixer.

We're gonna start off with alsamixer first, because for most people the real issue is forgetting to unmute stuff. So, simply type 'alsamixer' in console and look at the pretty bars. You want to make sure the obvious stuff is unmuted, such as wave, master and so on. To see if it's muted, it should say "MM" to indicate that both left and right channel is muted. To swap the mute state for both channels, click M. To swap the mute state for the left channel click comma, and for the right channel, click period.
Anyway, after you've made sure that it's not muted, make sure the volume is at least decently audible. You can do this by going to the mixer and clicking either the up or down arrow.

Now, try the command I gave you earlier again to see if there's sound. If there's not, I'll help you make a new asound.conf file. I need the output of this, nothing else:

Code:

aplay -L

 

[pow3rtr1p]

When I run alsamixer, the 2 S/PDIF channels are just 00 in boxes. No level bar above them. It's not muted, though. I don't see Wave or Master, though...

 

[enorbet2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pow3rtr1p When I run alsamixer, the 2 S/PDIF channels are just 00 in boxes. No level bar above them. It's not muted, though. I don't see Wave or Master, though...

00 is effectively the same as muted, Arrow over and "up" each one to raise the volumes. or use Kmix

 

[gonX]

What does aplay -L return then? It sounds like it's not detecting your sound card correctly. Is something plugged in to your soundcard?

 

[pow3rtr1p]

The only thing plugged in is the Optical out. When I try to arrow up, they don't move.

Code:

[email protected]:~$ aplay -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
default:CARD=Intel
    HDA Intel, VT2020 Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT2020 Analog
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT2020 Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT2020 Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT2020 Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT2020 Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT2020 Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT2020 Digital
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=HDMI
    HDA ATI HDMI, ATI HDMI
    HDMI Audio Output

 

[gonX]

So you only need optical out?

 

[enorbet2]

Everything I see for that mobo shows onboard sound is Creative Labs X-Fi. I may be way off the mark but seeing Intel chipset and ATi HDMI is making me wonder why Intel is default. Plus there is this

http://www.mail-archive.com/alsa-use.../msg21618.html

which leads me to believe the relatively new alsa drivers for X-Fi are having some difficulties w/ digital outs. I'm thinking conflicts and blacklisting may be needed.

So first - Is the SPDIF you're connecting part of Intel or Creative?

 

[gonX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by enorbet2 Everything I see for that mobo shows onboard sound is Creative Labs X-Fi. I may be way off the mark but seeing Intel chipset and ATi HDMI is making me wonder why Intel is default. Plus there is this http://www.mail-archive.com/alsa-use.../msg21618.html which leads me to believe the relatively new alsa drivers for X-Fi are having some difficulties w/ digital outs. I'm thinking conflicts and blacklisting may be needed. So first - Is the SPDIF you're connecting part of Intel or Creative?

If you look at the aplay -L output it should be the Intel output.

 

[enorbet2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gonX If you look at the aplay -L output it should be the Intel output.

Well although I saw that right away that's part of what is bothering me. Lacking any word yet from pow3rte1p, where is X-Fi? Do you know what sound chips ATi uses for HDMI?

From AMD's ATI forum here
http://forums.amd.com/game/messagevi...hreadid=122279

Quote:

I have a Radeon HD 4550 card with HDMI audio. After installing the graphic card and drivers, the HDMI audio worked fine ... except that the motherboard audio was no longer visible as an audio device.

Notice this can be a problem in Windows as well. It may even be a driver dependent bug.

So this leads me to at least wonder if pow3rtr1p has the onboard, X-Fi based spdif port connected, which is not driver'ed and working, having been clobbered by ATi's which could easily have spdif capability whether there exists a connector or not, other than HDMI.

I suppose we'll know soon.

 

[pow3rtr1p]

The X-Fi is software, only. It's not an actual X-Fi chip on the motherboard.

And yes, the only output I need is Optical.

And it's only running out of the box ATI drivers right now. I haven't tried using the Proprietary or Open Source drivers yet. It's smoother with the out of the box drivers half the time for general use, anyway.

 

[pow3rtr1p]

Here's the alsamixer:

 

[enorbet2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pow3rtr1p The X-Fi is software, only. It's not an actual X-Fi chip on the motherboard. And yes, the only output I need is Optical. And it's only running out of the box ATI drivers right now. I haven't tried using the Proprietary or Open Source drivers yet. It's smoother with the out of the box drivers half the time for general use, anyway.

Glad that X-Fi thing is now cleared up, but I'd still like to know whether the spdif output port comes off the mobo or off the video card. This might be important in light of the posts I've seen, one of which I linked, regarding HDMI disabling onboard sound and other digital issues. Is it possible to test other outputs? Do other outputs show the vertical rectangle for volume in alsamixer and only spdif has just the 00 block?

I'd rather keep on topic and get to cideo drivers later, since you seem to be reasonably satisfied as it is. Admittedly I am curious how Slack does for you with the latest proprietary ATi drvers, but "if it ain't broke..."

 

[pow3rtr1p]

Quote:

Originally Posted by enorbet2 Glad that X-Fi thing is now cleared up, but I'd still like to know whether the spdif output port comes off the mobo or off the video card. This might be important in light of the posts I've seen, one of which I linked, regarding HDMI disabling onboard sound and other digital issues. Is it possible to test other outputs? Do other outputs show the vertical rectangle for volume in alsamixer and only spdif has just the 00 block? I'd rather keep on topic and get to cideo drivers later, since you seem to be reasonably satisfied as it is. Admittedly I am curious how Slack does for you with the latest proprietary ATi drvers, but "if it ain't broke..."

I'm using the motherboard's optical. I only have DVI on my video card hooked up.

 

[enorbet2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pow3rtr1p I'm using the motherboard's optical. I only have DVI on my video card hooked up.

Nice looking Desktop BTW.

Once again I hope I am not being too tedious but I come from an Electronics background and I hate loose ends and assumptions. Is it possible to verify that the Line output works for example? Obviously you'd need to raise the level but at least we'd know the mixer is connected to the mobo sound chip if it works. Furthermore it would lend credence to the possibility that the problem is only in the digital arena, allowing us to narrow down and avoid "the shotgun method" which is a poor substitute for real troubleshooting at best.

If I were working on it I'd also rule out any receiver and cable problems. So has this arrangement worked with other systems recently and has anything at all changed ? This includes the really obvious like a level control or function switch.

 

[pow3rtr1p]

Quote:

Originally Posted by enorbet2 Nice looking Desktop BTW. Once again I hope I am not being too tedious but I come from an Electronics background and I hate loose ends and assumptions. Is it possible to verify that the Line output works for example? Obviously you'd need to raise the level but at least we'd know the mixer is connected to the mobo sound chip if it works. Furthermore it would lend credence to the possibility that the problem is only in the digital arena, allowing us to narrow down and avoid "the shotgun method" which is a poor substitute for real troubleshooting at best. If I were working on it I'd also rule out any receiver and cable problems. So has this arrangement worked with other systems recently and has anything at all changed ? This includes the really obvious like a level control or function switch.

Like I said, in the System Settings -> Multimedia menu, if I test sound, I can hear the test play on my headphones (which are connected to my receiver). So the signal's not getting lost between my PC and headphones, because I hear that sound. It must be getting lost between the source application and the front end. I'll test the headphone out. Maybe ALSA isn't receiving signal at all...

And thanks for the Desktop compliment.

I took my cues from Fedora as far as layout goes.

 

[enorbet2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pow3rtr1p Like I said, in the System Settings -> Multimedia menu, if I test sound, I can hear the test play on my headphones (which are connected to my receiver). So the signal's not getting lost between my PC and headphones, because I hear that sound. It must be getting lost between the source application and the front end. I'll test the headphone out. Maybe ALSA isn't receiving signal at all... And thanks for the Desktop compliment. I took my cues from Fedora as far as layout goes.

There are too many sound servers in Linux which makes things a little more complicated so let's narrow down some more. I'm posting below what I assume you mean by the "test [play" screen because I want to be sure that you are selecting SPDIF when ypu can hear through headphones with no other connection than optical allowing any "bleed through".

I assume yours looks something like mine and I want to point out that on mine only the top one is working. SPDIF is not connected and I get sound from "ESD" but I get a message from Phonon saying "ESD doesn;t work so dropping back to ICE1724". I only get this message sometimes and if I try ESD first it works (really LOUD) and then I get a weirder Phonon message saying "ICE 1724 doesn't work. dropping back to ICE 1724" [yes, you read right]

but then they both work. So you are right that there are conflicts often between sound servers but they sometimes sort it out.

I just want to have it nailed down that when you select "SPDIF" (afain, assuming yours looks like mine) you can hear the test sound through your phones?

 

[enorbet2]

Can you play any sounds... wav, mp3, ogg, or even a CD whatever with a simple player like aplay or XMMS? In XMMS preferences you can choose and try different sound servers.

 

[gonX]

If still isn't fixed try unmuting and turning up "Line"

 

[enorbet2]

Check out the last few posts and lets hear some answers/