Ok, I think I've tracked down the final version of this problem! I'm running Slackware 10.2 and have installed the latest alsa drivers/libs/utils configured for ca0106, which the alsa website says is correct for my card (Sound Blaster Audigy SE).

I've run alsaconf, alsamixer and even tried playing around with kmix as some people have reported seeing different options in that (I didn't).

The problem is that sound works, but badly - it's very, very scratchy. I can make out only the faintest part of the actual song through all the static and distortion. There's some constant output as well: even when there's no sound-producing applications running, there is still static coming through the speakers.

Has any one encountered this before, or have any idea how to fix it? All similar threads that I've found via here or Google seem to have different options in alsamixer than I have, and so aren't much help. I've played around with all of the channels to no effect.

Thanks!

Try lowering your main PCM volume control. I have the Audigy as well, and I noticed that sound is very distorted when I have the PCM above 70 (in alsamixer). THis is also true for Intel HD Audio interfaces, so I'm thinking that this is a control for the power levels, kind of like when you crank up the pre amp on a stereo system.

See, that's what I saw in a couple of other responses as well. The problem is, I don't think that I have a PCM channel to lower!

From left to right, alsamixer reports (when showing All):
Line In | Mic | Phone | IEC958 | IEC958 C | IEC958 R | IEC958 U | Aux | Analog C | Analog F | Analog S | Analog R | Capture | Digital (set to AC97 in) | Shared M (set to Line in)

I think I've tried changing the levels on all of them, without much success. Am I missing something? I have alsa-driver, alsa-lib and alsa-utils installed as per Alsa's instructions.

Thanks!

I have the Audigy 1, which apparently uses a different chip. Could you post the output from "amixer|fgrep control"?

Here's what mine reports:

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
Simple mixer control 'Tone',0
Simple mixer control 'Bass',0
Simple mixer control 'Treble',0
Simple mixer control '3D Control - Switch',0
Simple mixer control '3D Control Sigmatel - Depth',0
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
Simple mixer control 'PCM Center',0
Simple mixer control 'PCM Front',0
Simple mixer control 'PCM LFE',0
Simple mixer control 'PCM Surround',0
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
Simple mixer control 'Surround',0
Simple mixer control 'Center',0
Simple mixer control 'LFE',0
Simple mixer control 'Synth',0
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
Simple mixer control 'Line2',0
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost (+20dB)',0
Simple mixer control 'Mic Select',0
Simple mixer control 'Phone',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Optical',0
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Optical Raw',0
Simple mixer control 'PC Speaker',0
Simple mixer control 'Aux',0
Simple mixer control 'Aux2',0
Simple mixer control 'Analog Mix',0
Simple mixer control 'Audigy Analog/Digital Output Jack',0
Simple mixer control 'Audigy CD',0
Simple mixer control 'External Amplifier',0
Simple mixer control 'Sigmatel 4-Speaker Stereo',0
Simple mixer control 'Sigmatel Surround Phase Inversion Playback ',0

I have an Audigy1 also. Analogue speakers and digital output are not good bedfellows - helluva row. Switching off digital out works for me.

HTH

B

This worked for me; solved the distortion; had a very high amount of feedback when playing music.

ta