sound quits working...not muted, no error messages

adrianmariano · 01-25-2010, 07:15 AM

I'm using Debian testing and am told that the last time the sound worked was while using Xine to watch a DVD. We didn't do any updates or change anything about the system configuration...but now the system is silent.

The sound using software all thinks the sound is working. If I run aplay it seems to think it's playing. Xmms thinks it's playing. I do not get error messages from anything. I didn't see anything in any log files pertaining to alsa or sound. And yet, there is no sound.

I tried swapping out the speakers. But that wasn't it. Actually I realized that if I do /etc/init.d/alsa-utils restart I hear a noise from the speakers, so apparently the system still knows how to access the speakers.

The only software that shows any indication that the sound is dead is Xine. When I start Xine it shows a high volume initially, and then after 10 seconds or so Xine lowers the volume to zero. If I raise it up it lowers it to zero on its own after a delay of a few seconds.

I checked the mixer settings and nothing is muted, and the sound levels are set high. What could be the explanation?

Code:

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Line in',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 255
  Front Left: Capture 207 [81%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 207 [81%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 255
  Front Left: Capture 127 [50%] [-40.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 127 [50%] [-40.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Phone',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 255
  Front Left: Capture 202 [79%] [-2.50dB]
  Front Right: Capture 202 [79%] [-2.50dB]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Center/LFE',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 174 [68%] [-8.25dB]
  Front Right: Playback 174 [68%] [-8.25dB]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Front',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 169 [66%] [-9.50dB]
  Front Right: Playback 169 [66%] [-9.50dB]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Rear',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 170 [67%] [-9.25dB]
  Front Right: Playback 170 [67%] [-9.25dB]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Unknown',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 192 [75%] [-3.75dB]
  Front Right: Playback 192 [75%] [-3.75dB]
Simple mixer control 'Aux',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 255
  Front Left: Capture 207 [81%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 207 [81%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Analog Center/LFE',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 219 [86%] [3.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 219 [86%] [3.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Analog Front',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 125 [49%] [-20.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 125 [49%] [-20.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Analog Rear',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 193 [76%] [-3.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 193 [76%] [-3.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Analog Side',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 198 [78%] [-2.25dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 198 [78%] [-2.25dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Analog Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Phone' 'Mic' 'Line in' 'Aux'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'CAPTURE feedback',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [12.00dB]
  Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [12.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Digital Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'IEC958 out' 'i2s mixer out' 'IEC958 in' 'i2s in' 'AC97 in' 'SRC out'
  Item0: 'i2s in'
Simple mixer control 'Shared Mic/Line in',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Line in' 'Mic in'
  Item0: 'Mic in'

slightlystoopid · 01-26-2010, 12:06 AM

I've had similar problems with versions of pulse after 0.9.15 (and so I stick with that version), but it seemed for me that volume levels were no longer controlled independently. Verify all volumes in both alsamixer and pavucontrol are unmuted and set to some audible level.

adrianmariano · 01-26-2010, 08:07 AM

I don't believe I have pulseaudio on my system. The pulseaudio package is not installed. There is no pavucontrol program.

I tried removing my sound card and reverting to the motherboard sound and the motherboard sound is working. Not sure what to conclude. (I might think the sound card is just dead if it weren't for the fact that Xine seems to know that the volume is low. Sound card is Audigy SE, with CA-0106 chipset.)

adrianmariano · 02-04-2010, 08:58 AM

We solved the problem. It turns out that a certain channel needs to be muted in order for the sound to work. We muted one of the IEC958 channels and the sound came back.