[X1 Carbon 6th, Realtek ALC285, Mic, Internal] Sound is distorted

[Tyler Singer-Clark]

Hopefully all the necessary info is in the extra stuff that automatically got sent.

Basically, I didn't do anything fancy, but audio recorded with my microphone (through Skype, and arecord in the Terminal) has tons of static and the voice is distorted or saturated.

Booting this computer on Windows doesn't have issues, so that's why I don't think it's the computer, I think it's the OS.

Thanks!

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-48.51-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-48-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: tyler 1499 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Thu May 2 19:04:55 2019
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-01-09 (113 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180725)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_AlsaRecordingTest: ALSA recording test through plughw:PCH successful
Symptom_Card: Built-in Audio - HDA Intel PCH
Symptom_Jack: Mic, Internal
Symptom_PulseAudioRecordingTest: PulseAudio recording test through plughw:PCH successful
Symptom_Type: Digital clip or distortion, or "overdriven" sound
Title: [20KHS1TG00, Realtek ALC285, Mic, Internal] Sound is distorted
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 02/19/2019
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: N23ET62W (1.37 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20KHS1TG00
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0J40697 WIN
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrN23ET62W(1.37):bd02/19/2019:svnLENOVO:pn20KHS1TG00:pvrThinkPadX1Carbon6th:rvnLENOVO:rn20KHS1TG00:rvrSDK0J40697WIN:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.family: ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th
dmi.product.name: 20KHS1TG00
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0c: tyler 1562 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: tyler 1562 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: tyler 1562 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-01-09 (113 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180725)
MachineType: LENOVO 20KHS1TG00
Package: linux (not installed)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-48-generic root=UUID=c2e26270-73b4-4394-b77a-979175820906 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-48.51-generic 4.15.18
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-4.15.0-48-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-4.15.0-48-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.173.5
Tags: bionic
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-48-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True
dmi.bios.date: 02/19/2019
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: N23ET62W (1.37 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 20KHS1TG00
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0J40697 WIN
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrN23ET62W(1.37):bd02/19/2019:svnLENOVO:pn20KHS1TG00:pvrThinkPadX1Carbon6th:rvnLENOVO:rn20KHS1TG00:rvrSDK0J40697WIN:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNone:
dmi.product.family: ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th
dmi.product.name: 20KHS1TG00
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I wonder if another fix similar to bug 1817263 is required?

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1827440

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

apport information

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

Could you upload a wav file recorded by internal mic?

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

Ya, here's a quick wav file I just recorded with arecord.

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

The sound in the #19 is not that bad.

If want to get better sound (adding the denoise filter), you could run "pactl load module-echo-cancel", then choose the echo-cancelled input device from gnome-sound-setting.

[Tyler Singer-Clark (tscizzle)]

Cool, I will try that!

As a heads up though, this sound quality is only after uninstalling and reinstalling pulse audio and maybe something else (apologies for not giving better details there, I didn't think to submit a bug until I ran out of things to try). Before I did that, a voice recorded by the microphone was impossible to understand (during a job interview we could not hold a conversation and we had to switch to phone).

[kent christopher (kent-3)]

Tyler, did you ever find a solution to this? I'm having the same problem with a the same laptop (X1 Carbon 6th gen) running Kubuntu 18.04. The only "solution" I've found is to turn off "internal mic boost" using alsa-mixer (hit F5 to show all channels, cursor all the way to the right) and keep the mic capture level below 20%. So it works, but far from ideal since the mic is low (but better than making the person on the other end of a call hearing a shitload of white noise that's produced otherwise).

[kent christopher (kent-3)]

Update: a kernel upgrade solved the mic white noise for me. I had been running a 5.0 kernel. Updating to a 5.4 kernel fixed it.