My external sound card is recognized as speaker but not mike

Reinhardvdd · 03-21-2018, 06:21 AM

Hi everyone !

I'm a new ubuntu user. I use ubuntu 16.04 LTS
My external sound card is a Focusrite Saffire USB 6 that i used on windows to record sounds.

When i connect it on ubuntu, the sound settings of ubuntu show it as "output" connection like my speakers, but not as "input" connection (my microphone is connected to my card). I especially need it to record on audacity.

I found very few informations about that problem. Apparently, that card should works fine on ubuntu, the problem is the step for to make it work correctly.
Some users use jack (with the same card, but they dont really have the same problem like me, so even if i follow what they do, my problem isnt solved.

Do you have any idea of what i should do ? Steps to follow ?

Thank you in advance for your help

Code:

0 [PCH            ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
                      HDA Intel PCH at 0xdf320000 irq 323
 1 [NVidia         ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
                      HDA NVidia at 0xdf080000 irq 17
 2 [USB            ]: USB-Audio - Saffire 6 USB
                      Focusrite Saffire 6 USB at usb-0000:00:14.0-5, full speed

ferrari · 03-22-2018, 06:21 PM

Do you have the PulseAudio volume control (pavucontrol) installed? That should allow you to configure the desired profile for access to the mic.

You can check the available profiles and current active profile with

Code:

pacmd list-cards|egrep "output|active"

Shadow_7 · 03-22-2018, 08:17 PM

In audacity if your mic isn't channel 1 (left), then you need to record "all" channels until it includes the channel that is your mic. With ardour, and other apps you can avoid that issue.

Reinhardvdd · 03-23-2018, 10:25 AM

Thank you for your answers. I indeed have pulseaudio installed. But it detects my Saffire as an output, not input.

with pacmd list-cards|egrep "output|active" i get this:

Code:

pacmd list-cards|egrep "output|active"
		output:hdmi-stereo: Sortie Digital Stereo (HDMI) (priority 5400, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround: Sortie Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) (priority 300, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround71: Sortie Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) (priority 300, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Sortie Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) (priority 5200, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Sortie Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) (priority 5200, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Sortie Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) (priority 100, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Sortie Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) (priority 100, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Sortie Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) (priority 5200, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Sortie Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) (priority 100, available: unknown)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra3: Sortie Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) (priority 100, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:hdmi-stereo-extra1>
		alsa_output.pci-0000_01_00.1.hdmi-stereo-extra1/#0: HDA NVidia Digital Stereo (HDMI 2)
		alsa_output.pci-0000_01_00.1.hdmi-stereo-extra1.monitor/#0: Monitor of HDA NVidia Digital Stereo (HDMI 2)
		hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
		hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
		hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
		hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (priority 5600, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
		output:analog-surround-40: Sortie Surround analogique 4.0 (priority 700, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-surround-40>
		alsa_output.usb-Focusrite_Audio_Engineering_Saffire_6USB-00.analog-surround-40/#1: Saffire 6 Surround analogique 4.0
		alsa_output.usb-Focusrite_Audio_Engineering_Saffire_6USB-00.analog-surround-40.monitor/#1: Monitor of Saffire 6 Surround analogique 4.0
		analog-output: Sortie analogique (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo: Sortie Stéréo analogique (priority 6000, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Duplex stéréo analogique (priority 6060, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-21: Sortie Surround analogique 2.1 (priority 800, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-21+input:analog-stereo: Sortie Surround analogique 2.1 + Entrée Stéréo analogique (priority 860, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-40: Sortie Surround analogique 4.0 (priority 700, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-40+input:analog-stereo: Sortie Surround analogique 4.0 + Entrée Stéréo analogique (priority 760, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-41: Sortie Surround analogique 4.1 (priority 800, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-41+input:analog-stereo: Sortie Surround analogique 4.1 + Entrée Stéréo analogique (priority 860, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-50: Sortie Surround analogique 5.0 (priority 700, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-50+input:analog-stereo: Sortie Surround analogique 5.0 + Entrée Stéréo analogique (priority 760, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-51: Sortie Surround analogique 5.1 (priority 800, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-51+input:analog-stereo: Sortie Surround analogique 5.1 + Entrée Stéréo analogique (priority 860, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo: Sortie Stéréo numérique (IEC958) (priority 5500, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Sortie Stéréo numérique (IEC958) + Entrée Stéréo analogique (priority 5560, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo>
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo/#2: Audio interne Stéréo analogique
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo.monitor/#2: Monitor of Audio interne Stéréo analogique
		analog-output-lineout: Entrée ligne (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
		analog-output-headphones: Casques analogiques (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
		iec958-stereo-output: Sortie numérique (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)

My mic is in channel 1 mono, but still, no sound. I tried in stereo also. I dont understand how people who have that card can make it works. I'm sure i miss a step somewhere.
Is there any way to change an output and to make it input ?

Shadow_7 · 03-24-2018, 12:12 PM

$ find /proc/asound/ -iname '*pcm*'

Code:

/proc/asound/pcm
/proc/asound/card0/pcm3p
/proc/asound/card1/pcm0c
/proc/asound/card1/pcm0p

The ones that end in "C" are your inputs / captures. With "P" for playback (output). Where card1 == hw:1 in alsa speak. And card0 == hw:0 (default). It could be that it's muted, low level, or a permission issue (audio group).

$ groups

$ amixer | grep -i 'capture\|mixer'

Code:

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 65536
  Front Left: Capture 65536 [100%] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 65536 [100%] [on]

If it's muted, it'll say [off]

Reinhardvdd · 03-25-2018, 01:32 AM

Here's the result:

Code:

reinhard@reinhard-MS-7977:~$  find /proc/asound/ -iname '*pcm*' 
/proc/asound/pcm
/proc/asound/card0/pcm0c
/proc/asound/card0/pcm0p
/proc/asound/card0/pcm1p
/proc/asound/card0/pcm2c
/proc/asound/card1/pcm0p
/proc/asound/card2/pcm3p
/proc/asound/card2/pcm7p
/proc/asound/card2/pcm8p
/proc/asound/card2/pcm9p
reinhard@reinhard-MS-7977:~$ amixer | grep -i 'capture\|mixer'
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic Boost',0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Simple mixer control 'Surround',0
Simple mixer control 'Center',0
Simple mixer control 'LFE',0
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
Simple mixer control 'Line Boost',0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Default PCM',0
Simple mixer control 'Beep',0
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 63
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-17.25dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-17.25dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 63
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-17.25dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-17.25dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Auto-Mute Mode',0
Simple mixer control 'Digital',0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 60 [50%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 60 [50%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
Simple mixer control 'Loopback Mixing',0
Simple mixer control 'Rear Mic',0
Simple mixer control 'Rear Mic Boost',0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right

This one is off

Code:

  Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 63
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-17.25dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-17.25dB] [off]

But just above i see on

Code:

Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 63
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-17.25dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-17.25dB] [on]

Shadow_7 · 03-26-2018, 09:47 PM

I see both of those last two with 0% as the input level. That might be hard to hear.

Reinhardvdd · 03-27-2018, 01:42 AM

If you talk about the sound in pulseaudio, when i raise the sound of the micro it is still the same result. Maybe a bug ?

Shadow_7 · 03-29-2018, 08:21 AM

Try alsamixer to change the levels. Some "special" hardware have things ONLY accessible in alsamixer. I recently got a steinberg ur22mkII and there is no mixer stuff. The levels are ONLY controlled by the knobs on the device. Not related, but certainly "special" hardware.