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howtos:hardware:sound_problems_on_slackware [2015/01/25 19:28 (UTC)] duganhowtos:hardware:sound_problems_on_slackware [2018/12/07 01:15 (UTC)] (current) – Add caveat to not apply alsa fixes to pulse-based systems bassmadrigal
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 <!-- Reviewed 2012-12-24 hazel --> <!-- Reviewed 2012-12-24 hazel -->
-======Sound Problems on Slackware======+<!-- Reviewed 2018-02-15 alienbob -->
  
-**Investigate the problem**+<note important>This only applies to systems running "pure alsa" and not systems that are running pulseaudio. Using the default installs, 14.2 and newer will have pulseaudio and many of the issues below can be fixed by running ''pavucontrol'' and changing the default output device.</note>
  
-1) See which kernel modules are loaded:+**NOTEon my systems, my default card is 1 and default device is 0 so I will use 1,0 through out this page**
  
-     lsmod | grep snd 
  
-Use this information along with your motherboard sound chipset to verify that the correct sound drivers are loading.+======Sound Problems on Slackware======
  
 +**Investigate the problem**
  
-2) See which sound devices are detected by alsa: +  - See which kernel modules are loaded: <code> 
- + lsmod | grep snd 
-     aplay -l +</code> Use this information along with your motherboard sound chipset to verify that the correct sound drivers are loading. 
- +  - See which sound devices are detected by alsa:<code> 
-Most likely, alsa is loading the correct modules but setting the wrong sound device as default. +aplay -l 
- +</code> Most likely, alsa is loading the correct modules but setting the wrong sound device as default. 
-3) Test sound devices to see which one(s) work: +  Test sound devices to see which one(s) work:<code> 
- +alsamixer 0 
-     alsamixer +<F6> 
-     <F6> +<select a card(s)> 
-     <select a card(s)> +<adjust volumes and make sure they aren't muted> 
-     <adjust volumes and make sure they aren't muted> +<ESC>
-     <ESC>+
            
-     aplay -D plughw:0,0 test.wav   (WHERE 0,0 is card/slot 0, device 0 and test.wav is a sound file e.g. /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Noise.wav) +aplay -D plughw:0,0 test.wav   (WHERE 0,0 is card/slot 0, device 0 and test.wav is a sound file e.g. /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Noise.wav) 
-     aplay -D plughw:0,1 test.wav +aplay -D plughw:0,1 test.wav 
-     aplay -D plughw:1,0 test.wav +aplay -D plughw:1,0 test.wav 
-     aplay -D plughw:1,1 test.wav +aplay -D plughw:1,1 test.wav 
 +</code>
  
 ---- ----
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     defaults.pcm.device 0     defaults.pcm.device 0
     defaults.ctl.card 1     defaults.ctl.card 1
 +
 +-or-
 +
 +    pcm.!default {
 +      type hw
 +      card 1
 +      device 0
 +      }
 +    ctl.!default {
 +      type hw
 +      card 1
 +      }
 +
  
  
 OR, if you just want the changes for a single user create ~/.asoundrc in the user's home directory and put the above in it... OR, if you just want the changes for a single user create ~/.asoundrc in the user's home directory and put the above in it...
  
 +-----
  
 +**PROBLEM:** Volume is low even with all controls at max.
  
 +**FIX:** Enable the alsa pre-amp.
  
 +1) Edit/Create /etc/asound.conf and add
 +    pcm.!default {
 +       type plug
 +       slave.pcm "softvol"
 +       }
 +       
 +    pcm.softvol {
 +       type softvol
 +       slave {
 +          pcm "dmix:1,0"
 +          }
 +       control {
 +          name "Pre-Amp"
 +          card 1
 +          }
 +       min_dB -5.0
 +       max_dB 20.0
 +       resolution 6
 +       }
 +**WHERE: "dmix:1,0" is  card 1 and device 0**
 +
 +2) Reboot
 +
 +3) After you reboot a PREAMP control is supposed to appear in your mixer controls but, it doesn't due to a quirk. To get it to appear, open and close a media player (mplayer, dragon player or etc.).  After you do this, it should appear in the mixer (you may have to SELECT CONTROLS to see it).  When you reboot, it will disappear again until you open a media player.  To make it 'stick', set your alsa volumes to where you want and run "alsactl store" The PREAMP controls should appear normally after that.
 +
 +-----
 +
 +**PROBLEM:** No equalizer.
 +
 +**FIX:** Enable the equalizer \\ <note>the ''alsaequal'' plugin is not part of Slackware. You can build it from source using [[https://slackbuilds.org/result/?search=alsaequal&sv=|slackbuilds.org]]</note>
 +
 +Output can either be from the audio device or the mixer. For the device use the following:
 +
 +1) Edit/Create /etc/asound.conf and add
 +   ctl.equal {
 +      type equal;
 +      }
 +      pcm.plugequal {
 +        type equal;
 +        slave.pcm "plughw:1,0";
 +        }
 +      pcm.!default {
 +        type plug;
 +        slave.pcm plugequal;
 +        }
 + 
 +**WHERE: "plughw:1,0" is card 1 and device 0 - modify this for a different card or device (default is 0,0 and does not have to be entered) **
 +
 +Should you wish to play from more than one application simultaneously via the mixer (dmix), use the below:
 +
 +   ctl.equal {
 +      type equal;
 +      }
 +      pcm.plugequal {
 +        type equal;
 +        slave.pcm "plug:dmix";
 +        }
 +      pcm.!default {
 +        type plug;
 +        slave.pcm plugequal;
 +        }
 +
 +
 +To access the equalizer, run "alsamixer -D equal"
 ====== Sources ====== ====== Sources ======
 +AlienBOB's webpages and ALOT of Googling.
 +
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 howtos:hardware:sound_problems_on_slackware ()