Computer Plays Silence when Playing Audio CD

TGWDNGHN · 07-14-2005, 09:11 AM

I'm using a DVD-ROM and trying to play an audio CD.

1. It is at Maximum Volume
2. It is NOT Muted
3. My Speakers are NOT Off
4. My Speakers DO Work
5. The DVD-ROM reads data fine. Detects the audio CD, the songs, and their lengths, but plays silence when playing the CDs
6. My "Linux Cookbook" says that when it plays silence, you need to set the "record" option on your CDROM in the mixer... did that and it still won't work!

I have no idea what is wrong. I'm using the GNOME "CD Player". Can anyone help me? Thanks, I would really appreciate it!

cuiq · 07-14-2005, 11:15 AM

Have you tried to play your cds in totem or any other player? Just to be sure it's not the gnome-player only.

Also when I had this problem I turned up the pcm slider and one other (which I can't remember at the moment because I'm at work and so I can't check on my system). So turned down your volume on the speakers and move all sliders up in the mixer, then slowly turn your volume back up. See what you hear or don't hear.

DeusExLinux · 07-14-2005, 11:20 AM

also make sure you have the cd-audio cable connected from yoru dvd player to your sound card.

If you don't have a cable, use XMMS, and on the cd audio input plugin, turn on the digital audio extraction.

reddazz · 07-14-2005, 11:22 AM

You may also need a cable to be connected from your soundcard to your dvdrom drive if one isn't already available.

TGWDNGHN · 07-14-2005, 11:59 AM

I will check on the audi cable thing, but I doubt its needed because I just remembered something...

When I had I full install, I could listen to audio CDs fine. Then I went down to a minimal system with X (IceWm). then I decided to put back and WMs except KDE (Highest Level - GNOME)

Sound and evverything works, but no sound. The ONLY thing different from then to now is that I have new speakers and reinstalled my system.

Maybe I'm missing a driver or something? No idea. I hear sound.. but not from audio CDs..

I've tried a couple different CD players (including Totem) and like I said, pick up the tracks and length, but not the songs (Totem didn't even "play" the songs, although I can change tracks)

I know I have ALSA installed... put it this what, what is it that you needed to listen to audio CDs anyways? Or what drivers or programs or whatever do you need to have sound? Maybe I'm missing a thing or two...

reddazz · 07-14-2005, 01:52 PM

Well, if you have played cd's before then its definitely not a problem caused by a missing cable.

DeusExLinux · 07-14-2005, 02:45 PM

Hmm, did you upgrade your kernel at all?

I know I just recently upgraded my kernel, and accidentally compiled alsa into the kernel instead of as a module.

TGWDNGHN · 07-15-2005, 10:37 PM

Hey guys, I have good news and bad news...

The good news is that, for the first time ever- I'm online using Linux

. I bought myself an external 56k modem and I'm up and running.

I hooked up my computer to some new equipment: a flat panel, better speakers, and printer, etc.

Since I was using a minimal enviroment and I plan on using it as a General Use computer, I decided to reinstall the system...

Thats the good news. The bad news is that now on a reinstalled system I still don't hear anything when using audio cds!

Same stuff as before... sound works... tried different plays... "record" option set for CDROM in the Mixer... audio CD detected perfectly... no sound

BUT now... when my system boots up it says that Alsa-SOMETHING failed. Not sure what it is. Sound still works though. Actually, I occasionally get the message saying that the sound server is down and that sound is output to /dev/null. I usually get sound back in a few seconds after automatically... and still no sound from the audio cds...

Has anyone had this problem?

DeusExLinux · 07-16-2005, 01:24 AM

Do you use GNOME, or KDE. You might want to try disabling the sound service in KDE (that tends to throw alsa for a loop sometimes). and the strange alsa failed during boot thing might be fixed by this. Run, as root,
alsactl store

adn that might fix it.

the audio cd problem, I still don't get. Try flipping on the digital audio extraction in xmms and trying that.

Electro · 07-16-2005, 03:23 AM

Set DAE (Digital Audio Extraction) in xmms and many other programs that supports it. This way you do not need the audio CD cable. The audio CD cable can create other problems tlike noise from the CD-ROM/DVD drive in idle. If the program allows DAE, then use it for the best sound quality.