[SOLVED] Sound for notifications but nothing else

Wardub · 02-19-2012, 02:22 PM

I installed Slackware on my brothers computer, and he hasn't had any problems until recently he doesn't get any sound. I wasn't sure if he did anything, so I just reinstalled but I'm not getting sound.

I'm using KDE, and under system settings > multimedia > phonon it lists "default audio output preference" and it has four items

HDA Intel, (ALC887 Analog)
HDA Intel, (ALC887 Digital)
HDA Intel, HDMI 0
HDA Intel, HDMI 1

I used "test" on all of them, and I found that HDA Intel HDMI 0 gives me sound. So I set that to prefer. Now notifications give me sound, but there really loud and the mixer doesn't seem to have any effect on the sound. But I still don't get audio from youtube, or mplayer.

With Umplayer I can get audio if I go to options, preferences and change the output driver from "alsa" to "alsa (.3 HDA - Intel)".

I'm using onboard sound, and Alsaconf finds nothing, I don't think I ever ran alsaconf when I set it up cause sound was working fine.

So does anyone know what I have to do to get sound working and have it controllable by the mixer?

Thanks.

edit
aplay -l

Code:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC887 Analog [ALC887 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: ALC887 Digital [ALC887 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

The monitor has the speaker and is using hdmi.

Looks like I need to set device 3 to default. How do I do this?

Wardub · 02-19-2012, 05:31 PM

Update: I managed to get sound, but there are some problems.
I put this in ~/.asoundrc

Code:

pcm.!default {
      type hw
      card 0
      device 3
 }

Problem is, it seems only one thing can use sound at a time, and I can't control the volume. It's extremely loud and I don't have a way to turn it down.

So is there a better way?

Also I was able to get alsa to find my card, by manually adding it to the database.
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio [8086:3b56] (rev 06)
But if I run alsaconf again it won't find it, not really the biggest problem since it doesn't seem like alsamixer controls the volume for me.

T3slider · 02-19-2012, 06:32 PM

If it's outputting through HDMI then you won't be able to change the volume (unless you use a software mixer, which would require a sound server and/or setting the volume in each application you use). Since HDMI is usually demodulated at some receiver, the volume is generally controlled there instead. If the sound is coming through the monitor over HDMI, then I'd look to see if the monitor has some hardware volume control. Otherwise, you would need to make sure some sound server is running and find a way to reduce the volume outputted artificially.

Wardub · 02-19-2012, 07:15 PM

Good idea, the control was kind of hidden, but I was able to turn it down. But when I first installed it, it seemed like kmix worked fine for adjusting the volume, it does nothing now. Now the problem is it seems only one application can use sound at a time. If I have youtube in firefox, and I can't open a video in umplayer. Not the worst thing in the world, but still a problem. Any ideas?

Bindestreck · 02-19-2012, 07:33 PM

Use "dmix" plugin in your alsaconf: http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Asoundrc

EDIT:

And there is actually another plugin "SoftVol", that can add a volume control in your alsamix for a specific sound-card:http://alsa.opensrc.org/Softvol

Wardub · 02-20-2012, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXpander_

Use "dmix" plugin in your alsaconf: http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Asoundrc

EDIT:

And there is actually another plugin "SoftVol", that can add a volume control in your alsamix for a specific sound-card:http://alsa.opensrc.org/Softvol

I tried dmix and it didn't seem to work.

Code:

cat .asoundrc
pcm.!default {
        type plug
        slave.pcm "dmixer"
}

pcm.dmixer  {
        type dmix
        ipc_key 1024
        slave {
                pcm "hw:0,3"
                period_time 0
                period_size 1024
                buffer_size 4096
                rate 44100
        }
        bindings {
                0 0
                1 1
        }
}

ctl.dmixer {
        type hw
        card 0
}

Here's what I have. I went and played a youtube video, I got sound, then I tried to test the sound in phonon, and it said can't play falling to backup.

Wardub · 02-20-2012, 12:28 PM

Ok, nevermind it did work once I set umplayer to use alsa instead of alsa (HDA .3 Intel).

But I can't get softvol to work with dmix. Anyone know what I have to add to my current configuration above?

Thanks to everyone so far, I'm almost there.

Bindestreck · 02-20-2012, 12:42 PM

Try this:

Code:

pcm.dmixer  {
        type dmix
        ipc_key 1024
        slave {
                pcm "hw:0,3"
                period_time 0
                period_size 1024
                buffer_size 4096
                rate 44100
        }
        bindings {
                0 0
                1 1
        }
}

pcm.add_volume_control {
    type            softvol
    slave.pcm       "dmixer"
    control.name    "Vol_for_HDMI"  # <<< Name to whatever you want
    control.card    0
}

pcm.!default "add_volume_control"

A control named "Vol_for_HDMI" should appear on your alsamix.

Wardub · 02-20-2012, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXpander_

Try this:

A control named "Vol_for_HDMI" should appear on your alsamix.

Brilliant, now is there a way to control this through KMix? It doesn't seem to show up, I've tried restarting.

Never mind, it came up the second time I restarted kmix.

Thanks everyone, this is now solved.

Wardub · 02-20-2012, 01:24 PM

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/1738/hdmicontrol.jpg
Spoke a little too soon, it shows up in KMix, and I can control from there. But I can't set it to master and control it from the icon tray. When I choose select master it shows up, but clicking won't change it. You'll also notice it doesn't have a sound icon at the bottom.