Realtek ALC888 low sound

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the sound volume its low, apparently there is something wrong with the drivers because the sound its to low for the Realtek ALC888, its not the PMC problem where you just have to turn it up. I have tried installing the Realtek drivers, compiling the alsa drivers and its still low, its not hardware problem because xp can use the full sound, some people find that if the plug the sound in the front they get the expected volume, I cannot confirm this because I don't have a front jack. It seems that there is something in the drivers limiting the power the rear jacks can output, if I use the amarok equalizer to test the maximum volume achievable its still lower than xp with normal equalizer.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Could you please add the output requested in the Reporting Sound Bugs section of https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingSoundProblems as separate attachments? Thanks in advance.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

The Ubuntu Kernel Team is planning to move to the 2.6.27 kernel for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. As a result, the kernel team would appreciate it if you could please test this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. There are one of two ways you should be able to test:

1) If you are comfortable installing packages on your own, the linux-image-2.6.27-* package is currently available for you to install and test.

--or--

2) The upcoming Alpha5 for Intrepid Ibex 8.10 will contain this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. Alpha5 is set to be released Thursday Sept 4. Please watch http://www.ubuntu.com/testing for Alpha5 to be announced. You should then be able to test via a LiveCD.

Please let us know immediately if this newer 2.6.27 kernel resolves the bug reported here or if the issue remains. More importantly, please open a new bug report for each new bug/regression introduced by the 2.6.27 kernel and tag the bug report with 'linux-2.6.27'. Also, please specifically note if the issue does or does not appear in the 2.6.26 kernel. Thanks again, we really appreicate your help and feedback.

[zertz (zertz)]

i can confirm this problem still exists i intrepid with the 2.6.27 kernel with the ALC888. sad part is, problem did not exist in Hardy. here in Intrepid, i'm not getting audio, pauvcontrol shows the adjustment slidebar to be moveable, it maxes out at 0.0 db and, has the volume icon that indicates its got a playback problem (looks like mute, but under this mode, slider works) i can press the icon next to it, to mute it (disabling the slidebar) however the same symbol still exists there. its a good quality soundcard that alleges under some sources to have good support under other distros. its a shame its not working. i'll keep on trying.

[Marktrix (markgerlach)]

Some Problem, the Sound is to low. No Problems with Windows XP!

Add Also-info http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=d34ee331815efcf8fbe659183728a82f070c692e

[Hedgehog_57 (hedgehog57)]

Can confirm.

8.10 with all updates. Have normal volume in back jack. But very low on front jack. I get a sound on a front jack only after enabling microphone and microphone boost and putting them on maximum. Without that can't hear a sound on the front. Very strange behavior.

On the same computer was no problem with 8.04. Can't remember was it a sount on the back but on the front everything was perfect.

[Kent Clarstroem (kentclarstroem)]

Problem still exists in fully up-to-date 8.10. Very low volume despite all sliders at full. No such problem under XP on same hardware.

[Peter Frühberger (peter-fruehberger)]

I have the same soundcard you have (Realtek ALC888) and had the same problem (low sound) before (Mainboard MSI P35 Neo-F)

I added to my /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base the following line:
options snd-hda-intel model=6stack-dig

I read the Alsa Config File and this one seemed to be the correct one for me (6stacks on the back, 2 front and a not used digital out)

Perhaps it is worth a try for you.

Before trying:
dmesg |grep -i alc
should report something about unknown HDA model, asking bios iirc.

you can control with alsamixer -c0 or the gnome mixer applet the headphone (enable / disable). Please make sure to get a reasonable loud output for both "green outputs" Front and Back - one slider for both - while adjusting "front" to max.

Other model options for your hardware:
 ALC883/888
          3stack-dig 3-jack with SPDIF I/O
          6stack-dig 6-jack digital with SPDIF I/O
          3stack-6ch 3-jack 6-channel
          3stack-6ch-dig 3-jack 6-channel with SPDIF I/O
          6stack-dig-demo 6-jack digital for Intel demo board
          acer Acer laptops (Travelmate 3012WTMi, Aspire 5600, etc)
          acer-aspire Acer Aspire 9810
          medion Medion Laptops
          medion-md2 Medion MD2
          targa-dig Targa/MSI
          targa-2ch-dig Targs/MSI with 2-channel
          laptop-eapd 3-jack with SPDIF I/O and EAPD (Clevo M540JE, M550JE)
          lenovo-101e Lenovo 101E
          lenovo-nb0763 Lenovo NB0763
          lenovo-ms7195-dig Lenovo MS7195
          haier-w66 Haier W66
          3stack-hp HP machines with 3stack (Lucknow, Samba boards)
          6stack-dell Dell machines with 6stack (Inspiron 530)
          mitac Mitac 8252D
          clevo-m720 Clevo M720 laptop series
          fujitsu-pi2515 Fujitsu AMILO Pi2515
          auto auto-config reading BIOS (default)

Source:
zless /usr/share/doc/alsa-base/driver/ALSA-Configuration.txt.gz

Please report back if this makes the sound louder for you!

[Colin (fourthdown)]

I have an HP Pavilion with the ECS MCP61PM-HM board (HP/Compaq name: Nettle3-GL8E)

I tried adding "options snd-hda-intel model=3stack-hp" to /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base

This made the unknown HDA error in dmesg go away, and the volume controls which were previously set to 100% across the board were reset to somewhere in the 60% region. When I crank them back up to 100%, I believe it may have increased the volume somewhat from where it was previously, but its still nowhere near the volume you would expect (and that I was able to get on the PC I just replaced.) For the record, these are powered (by 110v) speakers.

I experimented with "options snd-hda-intel model=6-stack-dig" since this system does have 6 jacks on the back, 2 in the front (but no unused digital out that I can see). The dmesg error is still gone, but the volume seems identical. One side effect though, is that the volume slider in xmms no longer actually adjusts the volume.

For what its worth, this is not limited to Ubuntu - the same behavior occurs in Fedora Core 10, so I'm thinking that this is related to Alsa perhaps as your post would suggest.

I will experiment with some of the others and see if I do any better. Thanks a ton for the pointers!!!

CAB

[Colin (fourthdown)]

After intense amounts of experimentation (and googling) I found a post which suggested that this was related to pulseaudio (and that their removal of it fixed a similar problem.) Since half my system depends on pulseaudio, its not easily removable but I see that others simply killed it and removed the reference to it from /etc/asound.conf

Turns out I didn't do either, but rather just used "alsamixer -c 0" and two of the sliders were set real low (despite the Pulseaudio volume control being maxed on every channel. I cranked those up, and all of a sudden my speakers have life :)

Yes, I'm a bit red-faced, but maybe this will help somebody else with a simple fix. I don't remember seeing those channels in the console-based alsamixer before, so its possible that Peter's fix enabled me to see those?

Thanks to all!

[Kent Clarstroem (kentclarstroem)]

Peter/Colin:
Adding hda-sound-intel=6stack-dig does not improve the levels although it does remove the errormessage in boot. PCM and Front at max is the only way to get any sound at all but the level is still far far below the output that you get under XP. Isn't this a really common chipset in HTPCs?

[Kent Clarstroem (kentclarstroem)]

Alsa-info output:
http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=18233f06efa0f2a026dd1c0e92b88a4830769f24

[Peter Frühberger (peter-fruehberger)]

It really helped me on my MSI Mainboard - had low sound before. My ALC888 is a realtek though - you own a nvidia.

Can you choose the oss mixer from the gnome applet? and adjust the levels there?

I know this is just a guess, probably not working - but there was a time in my linux audio history, where changing these levels made a higher output happen (Soundblaster Live years ago - alsa was just included into the kernel)

Peter

[Luke Yelavich (themuso)]

Could you all please try jaunty alpha 2, or if you can, install jaunty and update to the latest kernel, and indicate whether the problem has been fixed?

Thanks.

[Flavelle (flavelle.ballem)]

Luke - per your request, I have just installed the Jaunty Beta. I have the Realtek alc888 and I am confirming that the volume is still unacceptably low. I am running 64-bit.

I am a relative newbie, so if there is something that you would like me to try to fix the problem, then please provide very specific instructions.

Many thanks,

[Sune Bredahl (sune-bredahl-deactivatedaccount)]

I can confirm the issue still exists in Jaunty release candidate (amd64) which I installed this morning.

I have Abit IP35 Pro board with onboard Realtek ALC888.

Note that only the rear audio jack has very low volume - the front audio jack has normal volume. However, in my case, the front connector is very noisy as the mobo audio connector cable picks up static so is is really not an option for quality audio.

[niceguyeddie (daviez)]

Hi folks,
  I'm running Ubunut 9.04, 2.6.28-11-generic, amd64, on a Foxconn A7GM-S Motherboard that has the Realtek ACL888 sound device. I was having a problem with the sound being very choppy at any volume level above ~70% on both the master and front channel level (basically when the levels in alsamixer where turned up into the red zone). It sounded like the music was clipping when turned up this high. This was when I was connected to the analog rear panel (on-mobo) front speaker jack.

After reading this bug report I tried switching to the front panel audio output and the problem went away even when the volume is in the red, 100%. The volume level seems to be about the same from the back panel connector vs the front panel so I'm not sure if this is the same issue.

Do you guys think this should this be considered the same bug? I'm willing to do some testing to resolve. LMK if that's the case.

Regards,
Dave

[Xploit (dangio)]

Hi guys,

I'm running ubuntu 9.04 (2.6.28-13-generic), on a dell studio 540 -> Realtek ACL888 sound device.
My jaunty is up to date. I confirm the bug is still there. The jack from the rear panel has a very low sound level whereas the front headphone jack seems to work well ...
Also willing to help testing ...

Best regards,

JD

[Xploit (dangio)]

Hi again guys,

I tried the options proposed by Peter Frühberger and one worked and I have a higher sound level and the sound quality seems to be good...

the model option that worked with my dell studio 540 running jaunty is

                    "options snd-hda-intel probe_mask=1 model=6stack-dig 6-jack digital with SPDIF I/O"

thanks for your help !

[Xploit (dangio)]

HI guys,

What a mess, after a few reboots, the congif of alsa of my previous post isn't working anymore.
I attach a file that show you the result in the volume manager ...
Why did it work once and not today ? with no modification made and no update either.

I thought I had the good configuration for my desktop but it seems it's more complicated than that.

[Kent Clarstroem (kentclarstroem)]

Finally got around to upgrading to 9.04 and the problem remains exactly like before. Very low (compared to XP on same hardware) volume output.

[Sune Bredahl (sune-bredahl-deactivatedaccount)]

Same issue in Karmic Koala

[Annie Mack (lunargirl32)]

I am using Karmic Koala as well and I have been able to get the sound to work briefly but now it is not working again.

[MuffinFlavored (muffinflavored)]

What is the status of this bug?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]