Can't turn down volume with intel hda.
 

Hello,

I'm using a laptop with an HDA Intel card and a C-Media CMI9880 chip. The sound works, but I cannot turn the volume down using alsamixer, there is only the option to mute, and no vertical volume bar. I tried using xfce4-mixer as well, the volume bar exists but does nothing. Any ideas?

I'm using Linux 3.4.4 and these are the loaded modules:

If you're using pulseaudio, you might try pavucontrol

if PA controls don't work can you also post the audio bit for the output to

lspci -vvv

aplay -l

ignore if solved

PS when you run alsamixer pls ensure you have no mobile phones, modems or other sound devices connected....just in case you are not seeing your true audio device but the secondary device

Thanks for the reply, I'm not using pulse audio. Here is more info:
Also, this is what alsamixer looks like, the "PCM" sound doesnt actually control anything (originally, there wasnt even volume control for it...not that it does anything anyways), the speakers are muted by muting "Surround".

I know this will sound strange, but try upping the volume on the Beep channel. Long before Pulse Audio, I used to have to do that to get sound out of some of my older systems.

MM means muted

press the M key to unmute in alsamixer pls

2) if that does not work we will need to create an asoundrc file in your home folder to force pcm to hw:0,1

hang on....I guessed modem might be interfering but that device 6

so if (1) fails are you using that intel modem?

this has to be an on board device yes?

---------- Post added 17-07-12 at 20:36 ----------

MM means muted

press the M key to unmute in alsamixer pls

2) if that does not work we will need to create an asoundrc file in your home folder to force pcm to hw:0,1

hang on....I guessed modem might be interfering but that device 6

so if (1) fails are you using that intel modem?

this has to be an on board device yes?

Hello,

Well the sound works, it's just that it's at 100% volume all the time,
the only thing in alsamixer that makes any difference is muting the Surround
will mute the actual speakers.

I am not using the modem, and it is on board, it's a laptop with no external devices.

Thanks

have you tried pressing m at the pcm control and then press page down or down arrow?

Yes I've tried that, PCM does not affect the sound coming out at all (volume bar or mute),
actually, the first few times I started alsamixer, there was no volume bar for PCM either,
it just recently showed up for some reason.

ok well we may need to create an asoundrc file

can you post the full output to

aplay -l

aplay -L

cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#0 | grep Codec

cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#1 | grep Codec

oops you don't have a second card ...got confused with another poster

I must start taking the blue pill

and I can't edit

forgive me

ahh you may be missing ac97 codec...according to google

also post the output to

lsmod (inside a code box pls)

ahh found your device

http://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentat...dio-Models.txt

CMI9880
=======
minimal 3-jack in back
min_fp 3-jack in back, 2-jack in front
full 6-jack in back, 2-jack in front
full_dig 6-jack in back, 2-jack in front, SPDIF I/O
allout 5-jack in back, 2-jack in front, SPDIF out
auto auto-config reading BIOS (default)

we can ignore asoundrc for the moment

instead we create a model= to get your stacks to match

ok so we know you must have a spdif jack, look at how many jacks you have a choose one, lets say its 5 at back 2 at front with optical

now we do this with root powers

edit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

and add the following line then reboot and recheck your alsamixer image and see if you change things

naturally this may not be your model so change that string....allout to "whatever"


good luck

Thanks again for the help.

So I tried all the models, this is what I got:
Minimal: Center and LFE channels mute left and right speakers respectively, no volume bar
Min_fp: same as above
Full: same as above
Full_dig: same as above
Allout: same as above
auto: Surround mutes everything, no volume control, seems to be the default

I loaded the ac97 codec, so it will show up in this lsmod:
Here's some more info:

sorry I am wrong on the ac97 google result as you have snd_hda_codec_cmedia

can you reboot and try again pls?

I am struggling on this one

Have you ever installed pulseaudio on this distro? maybe one of its settings is interfering with alsa?