Linux - HardwareThis forum is for Hardware issues.
Having trouble installing a piece of hardware? Want to know if that peripheral is compatible with Linux?
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
Distribution: Gentoo 2004.2: Who needs exmmpkg when you have emerge?
Posts: 1,795
Rep:
ALSA surround center speaker problems
I have a CMedia 8738 (supported by ALSA), and Im using a Surround 5.1 speaker set from creative with it. Everything is fine hardware-wise, connections are in the right place, etc. All my speakers work, except for the center one. Ive done some searching, tried numerous things (like recompiling ALSA with different options, etc.), and none seem to work. However, I did pick up a little info. In the alsamixer, there should be some options called Surround, Center, and Wave that should be turned on. I dont seem to have that in mine. All the ones this has are these (output of amixer scontrols):
Code:
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
Simple mixer control '3D Control - Switch',0
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
Simple mixer control 'Synth',0
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
Simple mixer control 'Line-In As Bass',0
Simple mixer control 'Line-In As Rear',0
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
Simple mixer control 'Mic As Center/LFE',0
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 5V',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Copyright',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 In Monitor',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 In Phase Inverse',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 In Select',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 In Valid',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Loop',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Output',0
Simple mixer control 'PC Speaker',0
Simple mixer control 'Aux',0
Simple mixer control 'Four Channel Mode',0
Does anyone have any ideas?
Last edited by LavaDevil94; 06-14-2004 at 07:14 PM.
Have you used this sound card (on-board I am guessing) with full 5.1 before?
if your center is not working then your LFE (subwoofer) channel is out too... can you confirm this?
(note that 5.1 speakers (when connected through the subwoofer will offload low tones to the subwoofer by default. But the subwoofer can't go to loud. If it gets a direct LFE signal it can be a lot louder)
Which version of ALSA are you using?
Some of the drivers are different between the alsa packages for 2.4 and the 2.6 kernel version of alsa. (my audigy for example, sounds like shit with 2.4 and alsa vs. 2.6 with built in alsa (much better. It's a driver issue with hardware mixing.)
Distribution: Gentoo 2004.2: Who needs exmmpkg when you have emerge?
Posts: 1,795
Original Poster
Rep:
I use ALSA 1.0.5, which I compiled myself (the driver is in 1.0.5a, so I use that. Whats that about hardware mixing?). I havent used this soundcard with any speakers before except 2 older speakers. I have a Mic As Center/LFE option, but nothing else mentioning Center or LFE, although my subwoofer DOES work.
Distribution: Gentoo 2004.2: Who needs exmmpkg when you have emerge?
Posts: 1,795
Original Poster
Rep:
No, I have that turned off, since I have a free Mic socket in the back of my soundcard.
PS: I forgot to mention that the card is onboard, but has the same capabilities (like 6 channel sound, ALSA has a swtich for 4 channel sound, but no 6 channel...)
Distribution: Gentoo 2004.2: Who needs exmmpkg when you have emerge?
Posts: 1,795
Original Poster
Rep:
Just turned the option on. Nothing out of the center speaker still. Anything else I can do? Maybe theres a way to turn those Surround/Center options on...
Distribution: Gentoo 2004.2: Who needs exmmpkg when you have emerge?
Posts: 1,795
Original Poster
Rep:
You mean check that alsamixer actually did its job with setting that option to on? I have gnome-alsamixer, and it confirms that its on. Oh well. Thanks for the help, Ill keep searching. And when I find a solution, Ill post a mini-howto !
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.
ALSA surround center speaker problems
!
