Fedora Core 6 not recording sound from microphone
 

Hello all.

I've been using Fedora Core 6 and I have Alsa sound driver for my SBLive! Value sound card.

I can listen to music and talk into the microphone on my Verbatim headphone head set.

I can't seem to record any sound though.

I've tried using Audacity to record some sound and the Audio I/O device is set to /dev/dsp (not sure if thats right) in the preference.

I have "capture" channel turned on for my task bar sound controller and the capturing meter for the microphone is turned all the way up.

Still can't record sound.

Anyone have any ideas?

the best way to see exactly whats going on with alsa mixer is to learn to use the
amixer
command

amixer typed alone will show all the controlls available for your card and their current settings
commands like
amixer set Capture 15 cap
and
amixer set Mic cap

are places to start
even different soundblaster cards have different controlls so you just have to play with it a learn what works for yours.

there is also a very good gui mixer for soundblaster here
http://alsamodular.sourceforge.net/
called QAMix
it was originally made for SUSE so compiling it can be tricky
you have to alter the PATH variables at the top of the makefile
and for newer distributions you have to do some hacking on the source code.
I can show how if you get that far.
it has a default config for soundblaster that is WAY more funtional than other mixers.

Typing "amixer" in the shell gave this output:

*******************************************************
[chuong@localhost ~]$ amixer
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [on]
Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone LFE',1
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',1
Capabilities: pvolume
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 69 [69%]
Front Right: Playback 69 [69%]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone Center',1
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Tone',0
Capabilities: pswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Mono:
Front Left: Playback [off]
Front Right: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Bass',0
Capabilities: volume
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: 0 - 40
Front Left: 20 [50%]
Front Right: 20 [50%]
Simple mixer control 'Treble',0
Capabilities: volume
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: 0 - 40
Front Left: 20 [50%]
Front Right: 20 [50%]
Simple mixer control '3D Control - Switch',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control '3D Control Sigmatel - Depth',0
Capabilities: volume volume-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Capture channels: Mono
Limits: 0 - 3
Mono: 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 25 [81%] [on]
Front Right: Playback 25 [81%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
Capabilities: cvolume cswitch cswitch-joined
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Capture 0 - 100
Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Surround',0
Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 100 [100%] [off]
Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 100 [100%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Center',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Limits: Playback 0 - 100
Mono: Playback 100 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'LFE',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Limits: Playback 0 - 100
Mono: Playback 100 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'Synth',0
Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
Front Left: Playback 75 [75%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Front Right: Playback 75 [75%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Wave',0
Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
Front Left: Playback 75 [75%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Front Right: Playback 75 [75%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Wave Center',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Limits: Playback 0 - 100
Mono: Playback 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'Wave LFE',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Limits: Playback 0 - 100
Mono: Playback 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'Wave Surround',0
Capabilities: pvolume
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100
Mono:
Front Left: Playback 0 [0%]
Front Right: Playback 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture [off]
Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Line LiveDrive',0
Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Line2 LiveDrive',1
Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 23 [74%] [on] Capture [off]
Front Right: Playback 23 [74%] [on] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Mono
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono: Playback 31 [100%] [on]
Front Left: Capture [on]
Front Right: Capture [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost (+20dB)',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Select',0
Capabilities: enum
Items: 'Mic1' 'Mic2'
Item0: 'Mic1'
Simple mixer control 'Video',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Phone',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Mono
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono: Playback 0 [0%] [off]
Front Left: Capture [off]
Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Coaxial',0
Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 LiveDrive',0
Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Optical Raw',0
Capabilities: pswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Mono:
Front Left: Playback [off]
Front Right: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 TTL',0
Capabilities: pvolume cvolume cswitch
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'PC Speaker',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Limits: Playback 0 - 15
Mono: Playback 15 [100%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Aux',0
Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
Capabilities: cvolume cswitch cswitch-joined
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Capture 0 - 15
Front Left: Capture 15 [100%] [on]
Front Right: Capture 15 [100%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mix',0
Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Front Left: Capture [off]
Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mix Mono',0
Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Front Left: Capture [off]
Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'AC97',0
Capabilities: pvolume cvolume
Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 100 Capture 0 - 100
Front Left: Playback 75 [75%] Capture 0 [0%]
Front Right: Playback 75 [75%] Capture 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'External Amplifier',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'SB Live Analog/Digital Output Jack',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Sigmatel 4-Speaker Stereo',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Sigmatel Surround Phase Inversion Playback ',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback [off]
******************************************************


and "amixer set Mic cap" gave these result:

[chuong@localhost ~]$ amixer set Mic cap
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-exclusive
Capture exclusive group: 0
Playback channels: Mono
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
Limits: Playback 0 - 31
Mono: Playback 31 [100%] [on]
Front Left: Capture [on]
Front Right: Capture [on]



I'm guessing from the line "Simple mixer control 'Mic',0" means that the microphone capturing is set to off?

no it's right
'Mic',0
just means mic input for card 0
Front Left: Capture [on]
Front Right: Capture [on]
is the important part

thats a pretty complex soundcard so
this is just a guess but Mic says
Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right

and you have under Simple mixer control 'Front',0
Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [off]

i guess that would be
amixer set Front 100 cap

answer might also be to turn on capture for Wave or something
like i said you just have to play with it til you find the right combination

Hey hey!

It's working!

I can see my wave on Audacity now!

I don't know what it was but I did what you said, tried the Front to on but it didn't work yet.

So I try turning Wave and Wave Capture on then it worked.

However when I disabled wave and wave capture it still works . . .

Oh man, that's really bad. Now it's not working after updating. . . why does sound have to be so hard to set up, *goes on a tantrum*.

-_-!

EDIT: Ah right I nailed the little bugger now. It was the AC97 capture not on or was it?

What's AC97?

Not that care too. As long as it works and my sound is crystal clear ^.^!

It's so confusing with sound on Linux.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't . . . so weird!!!

AC'97 is your analog to digital converters. definitly needed for a Mic signal.
it's most likely working consistently it's just very confusing.