[Advent 4211, Realtek ALC1200, Green Headphone Out, Rear] Playback problem

[alex]

After update to 11.10 I had sound hiss from internal speakers, and headphones do not work or disable the internal speakers

This bug appeared in 11.10 .9.04 to 11.04 had no sound issues

The problem is fixed by modifying alsa-base.conf with the following
options snd-hda-intel model=targa-dig

I sent the bug report after fixing. Hence why you will see the modified line in the alsa-base.conf

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: alsa-base 1.0.24+dfsg-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-13.22-generic 3.0.6
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-13-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: i386
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: alex 1445 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: alex 1445 F...m pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xffe00000 irq 43'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC1200'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0888,14620110,00100101'
   Controls : 34
   Simple ctrls : 20
Date: Mon Nov 28 21:34:30 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Netbook 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_AlsaPlaybackTest: ALSA playback test through plughw:Intel failed
Symptom_Card: Internal Audio - HDA Intel
Symptom_Jack: Green Headphone Out, Rear
Symptom_Type: Only some of outputs are working
Title: [Advent 4211, Realtek ALC1200, Green Headphone Out, Rear] Playback problem
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-22 (37 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 07/16/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 4.6.3
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: Advent 4211
dmi.board.vendor: DIXONSXP
dmi.board.version: Ver.001
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: DIXONSXP
dmi.chassis.version: Ver.001
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr4.6.3:bd07/16/2008:svnDIXONSXP:pnAdvent4211:pvrVer.001:rvnDIXONSXP:rnAdvent4211:rvrVer.001:cvnDIXONSXP:ct3:cvrVer.001:
dmi.product.name: Advent 4211
dmi.product.version: Ver.001
dmi.sys.vendor: DIXONSXP
mtime.conffile..etc.modprobe.d.alsa.base.conf: 2011-11-28T21:17:54.931053

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Robert Ringlstetter (furumaro)]

Im on a Medion E1210 Netbook. Sound card reports also as Realtek ALC1200. After Update to Oneiric Sound was completly muted when Headphone or external Speakers where plugged in. With unplugged Headphones/ext. Speakers sound was working correctly with built in speakers.

With all Versions before Oneiric (lucid to natty) everything worked fine.

The above mentioned fix workes perfectly well for me. Thanks a lot!

[Robert Ringlstetter (furumaro)]

Just noticed that while adding "options snd-hda-intel model=targa-dig" to alsa-base.conf solves the speaker problem, it creates another problem: plugging in an external microphone is no longer possible. That means while the internal mic (integrated in the lid) still works, the external mic can record nothing.

So i had to remove the "model=targa-dig" line from my alsa-base.conf and disabled the "Auto-Mut"-Switch in alsamixer. Now my external Speakers and the internal Speakers work at the same Time. This means also i can use no Headphones (e.g. in a Train) because the internal Speakers are always on.

I spent so much Time with this and must stop here. I hope someone provides a solution where external Speakers and external Microphone work both as expected. This was true for all Versions before oneiric!!!

[Zack Evans (zevans23)]

So simple example: Skype through a headset. That needs the headphone jack switch AND the external microphone to work so I'll try and figure out how to get both working.

To be absolutely clear: I don't HAVE an alsa-base.conf to begin with - is that the expected behaviour?

I'll add the file so the snd_hda_intel module picks up the config - if that fixes my headphones I'll mark my bug 909348 as a dupe of this one.

[Zack Evans (zevans23)]

OK tried the "targa-dig" model. Now if I plug the headphone jack in and then mute/unmute it comes to life, which is better than having to go into kcm, but still not ideal!

The Advent 4211 has an ALC888 chipset. I am sure there is a CORRECT model we should be using, guess I'll dig through the documentation some more. There don't seem to be many with only TWO jacks listed in /Documentation/sound/alsa/HD-Audio-Models.txt.

"targa" model gives similar results except the level is set incorrectly, so everything is too quiet both through speakers and through headphones.

Suspicious upstream bug: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=657388

[Daniel Letzeisen (dtl131)]

Zach, did you tried 'targa-2ch-dig'?...

[Zack Evans (zevans23)]

With targa-2ch-dig the headphone jack mutes correctly but it is still not possible to use an external mic. The mic on the netbook chassis is the "Front Microphone" and this works.

Meanwhile I thought I would investigate why alsa-base.conf was missing and it turns out I DIDN'T HAVE ALSA-BASE INSTALLED.

This suggests a dependency bug somewhere as I have been using pulseaudio and jackd for months without any problems apart from with the headphone jack and external mic problems we have been talking about.

After I installed alsa-base, the jack sensing works correctly WITHOUT adding the line to force the model. So I'm now interested to know why alex has a problem.

Meanwhile it doesn't matter if I use the packaged version of alsa-base.conf, or targa-dig, or targa-2ch-dig [I just tried], I can't use the mic jack.

[alex (aarw2)]

Zach and Robert are correct, the fix i posted applies only to the headphone. I now have no functional microphone at all. I so look forward to the day when linux is actually functional. Currently for me no Skype and no Spotify and Shotwell only reads 50% of my pictures. Ho hum. I have made my decision, my next lap top is Windows 7. I am sorry because I prefer Ubuntu but other than browsing and email i just can not get stuff to work, and no bug i have ever posted gets fixed. I noet there is no decision on this bug. good luck Zach and Robert.

[mediterran81 (kyoshuu)]

I have the same issue on a DELL XPS 15 L502X.

When I plug external speakers or headphones, there's no sound.
Modifying the Alsa config results in problems so the present workaround for me is this one:

- Just right after I plug the external speakers, I hit (Mute then Unmute) : This enables sound back.

Actually Alsa config should be modified in a manner that right after the external speakers jack is plugged a mute+unmute function is executed.

[Robert Ringlstetter (furumaro)]

I can confirm the workaround from mediterran81.

After plugging in the external speaker, the sound is mute. When i mute und unmute the sound via the symbol in the top bar, the external speakers work as expected and the internal speaker is muted (as it should be). At one time i also had to modify the volume (just using the slider a little down and up) to make this workaround work.

[Hanine HAMZIOUI (hanynowsky)]

May I add, that this bug has been fixed in 12.04 Beta 1. The Sound settings now switches automatically to Headphones Input and sound is not disabled no more. Enjoy Precise.

[Hanine HAMZIOUI (hanynowsky)]

Another addition, I don't know if the original hiss bug is related to the one w've been discussing in recent comments but:

While the hiss thing and sound being disabled issue was fixed, there a remaining symptom or call it regression:

If you're using 12.04, you might notice that when you login the sound is at very low volume even thought the volume bar is at a high position.

To reproduce the issue:
- Logout
- Login back
- Open TOTEM
- open a video or audio file

--> Do you hear any sound? Yes, but very low.
Workaround it:
- Type: Function key + Mute key
- Type Function key + Volume UP / Volume Down.

--> Recovred? Yes, the volume is back to its correct value.

I must point to the fact that this applies to a laptop. I don't know the bug is reproduceable in desktop machine.

[alex (aarw2)]

After 12.04 audio playback works perfectly. But no sound recording at all. Specs as at top of this. perhaps the moderator could decide to change from undecided to a fix since this has persisted in to an LTS

[alex (aarw2)]

Correction. Once i removed the modification to alsabase.config that I had made described in the first post, all is working in 12.04. This bug fixed. Thank you to ever did it.