[USB-Audio - Logitech G35 Headset, playback] Headset does not appear in playback menus (only input)

[JFKenney]

Release: Ubuntu 11.10
Headset: Logitech USB Headset G35

The headset was working flawlessly on 11.04, and at first on 11.10 (after update). Then, about 3 weeks ago, after an update, and deplugging and replugging the headset (for Windows reasons). It stopped working. Or more precisely, it stopped being recognized as an Output device, just an Input device. No amount of unplugging & replugging, changing USB ports, rebooting, and updating the computer fixed the problem.

More info:
in System Settings -> Sound Settings:
Hardware tab:

    Logitech G35 Headset
    1 Input
    Analog Mono Input
    (and in Profile, its Analog Mono Input or Off)

Input tab:

    Logitech G35 Headset Analog Mono

And the Headset does appear under the Output Tab
(I also have a Internal Audio device, and a GF110 High Def Audio Controller (HDMI) device)

aplay -l
card 2: Headset [Logitech G35 Headset], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

lspci -v = can't see the headset in there

wget -O alsa-info.sh http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-info.sh; chmod +x ./alsa-info.sh; ./alsa-info.sh
result: http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=2b9b395792dea886f2dfb3fd733b8238322b0001

sudo lshw -C sound = can't see the headset in there

lsusb
Bus 005 Device 002: ID 046d:0a15 Logitech, Inc.

I've already posted on the forums: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=11457501

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: alsa-base 1.0.24+dfsg-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xfbff4000 irq 45'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC889'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0889,1458a102,00100004'
   Controls : 37
   Simple ctrls : 22
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'NVidia'/'HDA NVidia at 0xfaffc000 irq 17'
   Mixer name : 'Nvidia GPU 18 HDMI/DP'
   Components : 'HDA:10de0018,10de0101,00100100'
   Controls : 16
   Simple ctrls : 4
Card2.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:2 'Headset'/'Logitech Logitech G35 Headset at usb-0000:06:00.0-2, full speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB046d:0a15'
   Controls : 8
   Simple ctrls : 4
Card3.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:3 'StudioTM'/'Microsoft Microsoft® LifeCam Studio(TM) at usb-0000:06:00.0-1.3, high speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB045e:0772'
   Controls : 2
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card3.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
   Capabilities: cvolume cvolume-joined cswitch cswitch-joined penum
   Capture channels: Mono
   Limits: Capture 0 - 127
   Mono: Capture 127 [100%] [3.00dB] [on]
Date: Mon Nov 14 19:17:56 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_CA:en
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_AlsaPlaybackTest: ALSA playback test through plughw:Headset failed
Symptom_AlsaPlaybackTestStderr: U n a b l e t o s e t h w p a r a m s f o r p l a y b a c k : I n p u t / o u t p u t e r r o r
Symptom_Card: USB-Audio - Microsoft® LifeCam Studio(TM)
Symptom_Type: None of the above
Title: [USB-Audio - Logitech G35 Headset, playback] Playback problem
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-14 (31 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 05/13/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: Award Software International, Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F3
dmi.board.name: Z68X-UD3H-B3
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAwardSoftwareInternational,Inc.:bvrF3:bd05/13/2011:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnZ68X-UD3H-B3:pvr:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnZ68X-UD3H-B3:rvr:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Z68X-UD3H-B3
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.

[deusex1983 (deusex1983)]

I have the same problem with Xubuntu 11.10, is there workaround or a bugfix for this problem?

[JFKenney (jean-francois)]

deusex1983: Actually the bug fixed itself in my case. After swapping around my USB devices, rebooting a couple of times, and the latest batch of Updates from the Update Manager (around December 10th), everything magically started working again (even my Microsoft webcam, which also didn't work in Ubuntu).
I'm not sure I'd flag this bug as fixed, since I'm pretty sure there's still an issue somewhere, an instability, which makes me dread the moment where I'll need to unplug and swap around USB devices again...
Good luck!

[deusex1983 (deusex1983)]

JFKenney it does not work for me I tried it but with no effort. Maybe in future there will be a bugfix for my headset that would be great.

[JFKenney (jean-francois)]

deusex1983: Only other thing I can think of, is do you have a USB hub connected to your PC (for ex. a LCD monitor that also acts as a hub)? And is your headset connected to that hub? I found that I had most of my problems (even on Window 7, since I dual boot) when I had my Headset and other "complex" USB devices (gamepad, webcam) on the USB hub when the OS boots and detects the hardware...
Anyway, I'm sorry that I can't help you more.

On a completely unrelated note, I find it funny that you have "deusex" in your login name, and I just started working at the studio that made the latest Deus Ex game. ;) But maybe there's no link at all between the games and your name, when I thin about it.

Good luck!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Knut Hauge (kohauge)]

I have also the problem that my USB audio device doesen't show up in Sound setting Output tag.
I doesen't shows up before I have isued the command sudo killall pulseaudio
My distro is Oneiric.

[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.]