Sound problems with Acer Aspire 8942G

[Flavelle]

Binary package hint: pulseaudio

The Acer Aspire 8942G has an internal sound card and 5 speakers to support 5:1 Surround sound. They are called CineSurround 5:1 in the marketing material. When installing ubuntu (9.10 or 10.04 Beta 1), the sound card can only recognise two channel stereo. In addition to the PulseAudio output, I am attaching the output from lshw for multimedia.

What should happen is that the sound card is recognised as supporting 5:1 surround sound, appropriate configuration options provided, and sound should come out of all five speakers. At the moment, the sound only comes out of two speakers (on the right).

The second problem is that the integrated microphone does not work at all. It is recognised, but no matter how high the input volume is raised, there is no sound recorded.

The final problem is that the headset jacks do not work as expected. When I plug in a headset (yes, I have checked to make sure that the jacks are right and the headset volume is set), I would expect sound to come out of the headphones and the to be able to record sound through the microphone. I get no sound and there is no recording.

I can only attach one file, so I will add a comment to attach the output for lspci in a comment.

ProblemType: Bug
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.21.
Architecture: amd64
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: HDA Generic [HDA Generic]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: fballem 1506 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf8a00000 irq 22'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ID 670'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0670,10250308,00100002'
   Controls : 4
   Simple ctrls : 3
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'Generic'/'HD-Audio Generic at 0xf8420000 irq 17'
   Mixer name : 'ATI R6xx HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:1002aa01,00aa0100,00100200'
   Controls : 4
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card1.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
   Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Mono: Playback [off]
Date: Sat Mar 27 08:28:44 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/pulseaudio
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Beta amd64 (20100318)
Package: pulseaudio 1:0.9.22~0.9.21+stable-queue-32-g8478-0ubuntu14
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_CA.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-17.26-generic 2.6.32.10+drm33.1
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-17-generic x86_64

[Flavelle (flavelle.ballem)]

This is the lspci output for the Acer Aspire 8942G.

I also failed to mention that I am running ubuntu 10.04 Beta1, but I have the same problem with ubuntu 9.10. I would like the problem fixed for 10.04, but I suspect there may be others who would like to have the problem corrected for 9.10 as well.

Thanks

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

Please use linux-alsa-driver-modules from ppa:ubuntu-audio-dev. Append the appropriate (uname -r) after -modules.

[Flavelle (flavelle.ballem)]

Daniel. I understood part of your suggestion and have added the ppa to my software sources. Once this was installed, I was able to install the alsa driver from synaptic.

This resulted in improved stereo sound, but no options to do the 5:1 surround sound. The headphones still do not work.

I don't understand the second part of your instruction, to put the appropriate (uname -r) after -modules. But at least the sound is better than it was. Thanks!

[Flavelle (flavelle.ballem)]

Just wondering if there is any update to this?

Thanks

[Flavelle (flavelle.ballem)]

This bug is primarily around the sound output, not the sound input. In particular, the fact that the sound card supports 5:1 sound, which works in Windows, but not in ubuntu - all sound comes out of the two speakers on the right. The referenced but (412862) is primarily around the microphone - and doesn't address the sound card at all.

Please remove the duplicate status. Any suggestions to solve this particular problem would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

[madhat (madhat-81)]

I have the same problem with my Acer Aspire 8942G. What can i do to get sound out of my headphonejack and only out ouf it?! Thx

[Raoul (scorn-gmx)]

I think this is not a "dupe".

My Aspire 8942G has the same problem.

I installed the linux-alsa-modules for my current version 2.6.32-22-generic, then the microphone and headphone jack worked (before only stereo output worked)

i tried a lot of things, found on www with the effect that i had to reinstall ubuntu (10.4)

On Alsamixer i have the Levelers for Headphone and Speakers, but Speakers does not react. When i lower Headphones the output of the whole system is lowered, same with PCM.

What i could see: When i plug / unplug the headphones, it seems to activate / deactivate some of the speakers (its getting louder / silent)

If you need further information, i could provide them. I would really like to have this working. :)

br

Raoul

[buzzsaw (36tkr)]

I'm having the same experience as Raoul on my Aspire 9842g. I too would be happy to provide information in order to have this resolved. Many thanks.

[Amresh (amresh-hanoeman)]

I also have this problem on my Acer Aspire 8942G. I only get sound out of two speakers after installing the required modules. When I plug in my headphones, some speakers are still active.
Have searched forums and tried everything, but nothing fully worked.

[Ulises Rainoldi (urainoldi)]

I have an Acer Aspire 8942G and I have the same problems mentioned here. I'm running Ubuntu 10.04,

$ uname -r
2.6.32-24-generic

I don't think this bug has to do with #412862