ALSA re-verb (severe buzzing/audio distortion.) EG: When playing Pidgin alerts/YouTube

[fleamour]

Getting very glitchy sound with Pidgin alerts. The alert will sound off but then what I would describe as severe audio distortion or reverberation. The buzzing can last until there is another sound output. Very annoying. Can also come and go when on YouTube. This is within both Xubuntu Maverick Meerkat & Xubuntu Lucid on IBM T21 hardware.

Moderator may want to close down duplicate bug #605556 as I wrongly filed under pulse audio. Hopefully attached right info this time as of what package instructions on Ubuntu Wiki.

Many thanks.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: alsa-base 1.0.22.1+dfsg-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-24.38-generic 2.6.32.15+drm33.5
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-24-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.21.
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: CS46xx [Sound Fusion CS46xx], device 0: CS46xx [CS46xx]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: fleamour 1285 F.... xfce4-volumed
                      fleamour 1292 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: fleamour 1292 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC29: fleamour 1285 F.... xfce4-volumed
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'CS46xx'/'Sound Fusion CS46xx at 0xe8100000/0xe8000000, irq 11'
   Mixer name : 'Cirrus Logic CS4297A rev 4'
   Components : 'AC97a:43525914'
   Controls : 45
   Simple ctrls : 26
Card29.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:29 'ThinkPadEC'/'ThinkPad Console Audio Control at EC reg 0x30, fw unknown'
   Mixer name : 'ThinkPad EC (unknown)'
   Components : ''
   Controls : 2
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card29.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Console',0
   Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Limits: Playback 0 - 14
   Mono: Playback 2 [14%] [on]
Date: Sat Jul 24 19:41:47 2010
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_GB.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
dmi.bios.date: 04/28/2004
dmi.bios.vendor: IBM
dmi.bios.version: KZET34WW (1.16 )
dmi.board.name: 26474BU
dmi.board.vendor: IBM
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: IBM
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnIBM:bvrKZET34WW(1.16):bd04/28/2004:svnIBM:pn26474BU:pvrNotAvailable:rvnIBM:rn26474BU:rvrNotAvailable:cvnIBM:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 26474BU
dmi.product.version: Not Available
dmi.sys.vendor: IBM
---
AlsaVersion:
 Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.23.
 Compiled on Jul 26 2010 for kernel 2.6.32-24-generic (SMP).
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: CS46xx [Sound Fusion CS46xx], device 0: CS46xx [CS46xx]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: fleamour 1262 F.... xfce4-volumed
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'CS46xx'/'Sound Fusion CS46xx at 0xe8100000/0xe8000000, irq 11'
   Mixer name : 'Cirrus Logic CS4297A rev 4'
   Components : 'AC97a:43525914'
   Controls : 45
   Simple ctrls : 26
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
Package: alsa-driver (not installed)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_GB.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-24.38-generic 2.6.32.15+drm33.5
Tags: lucid
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-24-generic i686
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare
dmi.bios.date: 04/28/2004
dmi.bios.vendor: IBM
dmi.bios.version: KZET34WW (1.16 )
dmi.board.name: 26474BU
dmi.board.vendor: IBM
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: IBM
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnIBM:bvrKZET34WW(1.16):bd04/28/2004:svnIBM:pn26474BU:pvrNotAvailable:rvnIBM:rn26474BU:rvrNotAvailable:cvnIBM:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 26474BU
dmi.product.version: Not Available
dmi.sys.vendor: IBM

---
AlsaVersion:
 Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.23.
 Compiled on Jul 26 2010 for kernel 2.6.32-24-generic (SMP).
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: CS46xx [Sound Fusion CS46xx], device 0: CS46xx [CS46xx]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: fleamour 3298 F.... xfce4-volumed
                      fleamour 3309 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: fleamour 3309 F...m pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'CS46xx'/'Sound Fusion CS46xx at 0xe8100000/0xe8000000, irq 11'
   Mixer name : 'Cirrus Logic CS4297A rev 4'
   Components : 'AC97a:43525914'
   Controls : 45
   Simple ctrls : 26
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
Package: alsa-driver (not installed)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_GB.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-24.38-generic 2.6.32.15+drm33.5
Tags: lucid
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-24-generic i686
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare
dmi.bios.date: 04/28/2004
dmi.bios.vendor: IBM
dmi.bios.version: KZET34WW (1.16 )
dmi.board.name: 26474BU
dmi.board.vendor: IBM
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: IBM
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnIBM:bvrKZET34WW(1.16):bd04/28/2004:svnIBM:pn26474BU:pvrNotAvailable:rvnIBM:rn26474BU:rvrNotAvailable:cvnIBM:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 26474BU
dmi.product.version: Not Available
dmi.sys.vendor: IBM

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Thanks for reporting this bug and any supporting documentation. Since this bug has enough information provided for a developer to begin work, I'm going to mark it as confirmed and let them handle it from here. Thanks for taking the time to make Ubuntu better!

[Luke Yelavich (themuso)]

Could you please install the package linux-alsa-driver-modules-generic from the Ubuntu Audio Dev PpA, https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-audio-dev/+archive, and reboot your system. Once you reboot, could you please test to see whether you still get audio distortion/breaking up.

If you still get distorted/broken up audio, could you please add the following line to /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf, and once again, reboot:

options snd-hda-intel position_fix=1

Once you reboot, please check again to see whether the audio is distorted/breaks up.

Please report back with your findings on both the above.

Thanks

 affects ubuntu/alsa-driver
 status incomplete

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

I added the PPA via terminal with:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-audio-dev/ppa

but when checking for new software via "sudo apt-get update" or using update manager, nothing is downloaded.

I am a bit of a newb to all this, for which I apologise! How do I actually download the "linux-alsa-driver-modules-generic" package?

Thanks in advance in anticipation of your patience! : D

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

Figured it out & installed now, will let you know if a success or not, YouTube seems fine, just need some peeps to start signing in/out of Pidgin...

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

Installed package, no improvement.

Added the line:

options snd-hda-intel position_fix=1

To the end of alsa-base.conf text file via terminal command:

gksudo mousepad /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

...
# Ubuntu #62691, enable MPU for snd-cmipci
options snd-cmipci mpu_port=0x330 fm_port=0x388
# Keep snd-pcsp from being loaded as first soundcard
options snd-pcsp index=-2
options snd-hda-intel position_fix=1

Is this the correct postion?!? If so, I'm still getting glitchy sound as before.

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

Your sound hardware is AC97-based and doesn't use snd-hda-intel, so that
line won't have any effect. Please try disabling SIMD for pulse by
disabling autospawn, exporting PULSE_NO_SIMD=1, and restarting pulse. See
wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingSoundProblems/KarmicCaveats

On Jul 26, 2010 4:35 PM, "fleamour" <email address hidden> wrote:

Installed package, no improvement.

Added the line:

options snd-hda-intel position_fix=1
To the end of alsa-base.conf text file via terminal command:

gksudo mousepad /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

...
# Ubuntu #62691, enable MPU for snd-cmipci
options snd-cmipci mpu_port=0x330 fm_port=0x388
# Keep snd-pcsp from being loaded as first soundcard
options snd-pcsp index=-2

options snd-hda-intel position_fix=1
Is this the correct postion?!? If so, I'm still getting glitchy sound
as before.

--
ALSA re-verb (severe buzzing/audio distortion.) EG: When playing Pidgin
alerts/YouTube
https:...
Status in “alsa-driver” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete

Bug description:
Getting very glitchy sound with Pidgin alerts. The alert will sound off but
then w...

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

"Please try disabling SIMD for pulse by disabling autospawn, exporting PULSE_NO_SIMD=1, and restarting pulse."

F3 in Chrome does not find any of these terms at referenced website:

wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingSoundProblems/KarmicCaveats

Do you still want me to run through each step as stated?

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

No, the wiki reference is to clarify the steps for disabling autospawn.

On Jul 26, 2010 6:30 PM, "fleamour" <email address hidden> wrote:

"Please try disabling SIMD for pulse by disabling autospawn, exporting
PULSE_NO_SIMD=1, and restarti...
F3 in Chrome does not find any of these terms at referenced website:

wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingSoundProblems/KarmicCaveats
Do you still want me to run through each step as stated?

--
ALSA re-verb (severe buzzing/audio distortion.) EG: When playing Pidgin
alerts/YouTube
https:...
Status in “alsa-driver” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete

Bug description:
Getting very glitchy sound with Pidgin alerts. The alert will sound off but
then w...

[Luke Yelavich (themuso)]

Yes your changes to /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf are correct. Did you reboot after making those changes?

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

@Luke, yes.

@Daniel, you may as well be speaking a foreign language:

"For truly, if the trumpet sounds an indistinct call, who will get ready for battle? In the same way also, unless you utter speech easily understood, how will it be known what is being spoken? You will, in fact, be speaking into the air."

(Right, bed.)

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PulseAudio/Log

Between "LANG=C" and "pulseaudio" you need to add "PULSE_NO_SIMD=1" such that the line looks like:

LANG=C PULSE_NO_SIMD=1 pulseaudio -vvvv > ~/pulseverbose.log 2>&1

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

No sound during verbose logging so could not confirm reproduction of bug.

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

Please attach amixer output while running the above invocation of pulseaudio.

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

How do I do that?

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

The easiest way is probably to restart pulse and immediately rerun
apport-collect 609556

On Jul 27, 2010 4:01 PM, "fleamour" <email address hidden> wrote:

How do I do that?

--
ALSA re-verb (severe buzzing/audio distortion.) EG: When playing Pidgin
alerts/YouTube
https:...
Status in “alsa-driver” package in Ubuntu: Incomplete

Bug description:
Getting very glitchy sound with Pidgin alerts. The alert will sound off but
then w...

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

apport information

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

I think I did all that without re-spawning pulse.

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

apport information

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

apport information

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

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[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

Problem has seemingly disappeared, maybe latest Alsa dev update? Can no longer reproduce bug. Most strange.

[Hansen (moteprime)]

HI.
I just installed 10.10 and are having the same issue with buzzing and cracking when playing alerts in pidgin.
It also seems to happen when playing mp3 files with movie player. It does not seem to be happening through the hole system though. Only through some applications.
I found a thread with others having this error:
http://wwww.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9954876

Using Asus eee 1005P

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

@mote: Did you try the suggestions above? Did they have any effect for you?

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

This solved it for me:

http://monespaceperso.org/blog-en/2010/05/02/upgrade-alsa-1-0-23-on-ubuntu-lucid-lynx-10-04/

[Hansen (moteprime)]

Hi.
I could not figure out how to make it work, and ended up finding a fix in ubuntu forums.
In Pidgin preferences -> sound -> i changed Method: from Automatic to Alsa. That fixed it in Pidgin.
For Mplayer the problem seems to have disappeared. But i use VLC half the times.

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

Without compiling ALSA from source this bug is still troublesome in stock Natty 11.04 Xubuntu on my hardware. Selecting Pidgin preferences -> sound -> & changing Method: from Automatic to ALSA does not solve.

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

Will carry out steps 12 & 16 tomorrow. Bit more technically adept this time round...

[fleamour (gtx-swift)]

Actually I'm a bit lost reading through old posts TBH. If someone could please guide me through the necessary steps to nail this bug...

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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