noise at login, mixer setting problem?

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt]]

After logging in at gdm, but before hearing the login sound there is a some second long 'white noise' like sound which is very annoying for my ears even at high volumes :) The problem may caused (afaik) but the analogue tv tuner card, at least I have this idea (because I have one). Pulseaudio may have initialized its mixer settings (sound card hw mixer levels or its selection where its sound sources are?) after some seconds later? Sometimes I had this issue at console switching as well, when I switch back from text based console to the virtual console where X is running! I've just tried to run a TV viewer application (tvtime) after this, console switching back from text mode produces the sound from the last seen TV channel so I'm quite sure now that this is the problem. Can you produce a fix for this problem? Thanks in advance!

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt] (lgb)]

Version of pulseaudio package is 0.9.9-1ubuntu2, from 32 bit version of ubuntu hardy.

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt] (lgb)]

Hmm, I have not notice bug for a while nowdays ...

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt] (lgb)]

Guess it has been fixed since I can't trigger this bug any more since a while.

[[e-mail] (dominik-roblek)]

I have exactly the same problem on the 32 bit x86 version of Ubuntu Hardy with all the updates installed. My version of pulseaudio package is 0.9.10-1ubuntu1.

I have Pinnacle PCTV Stereo TV tuner card.

[alexroat (alexroat)]

I've got the same problem.
I hear a white noise for a couple of seconds before the tam-tam sound of gnome login.
I get the same problem even restarting the graphic session with CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE and the re-logging in.
Maybe the solution can be found in the log file ~/.xsession-errors , mine is that

/etc/gdm/Xsession: Beginning session setup...
Setting IM through im-switch for locale=it_IT.
Start IM through /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/all_ALL linked to /etc/X11/xinit/xinput.d/scim.
SESSION_MANAGER=local/deimos:/tmp/.ICE-unix/9605
ALSA lib control.c:909:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL front:0
ALSA lib control.c:909:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL front:0
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1286:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.SAA7134.pcm.front.0:CARD=1'
ALSA lib conf.c:3513:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib conf.c:3985:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2145:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM front:1
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1286:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.SAA7134.pcm.surround40.0:CARD=1'
ALSA lib conf.c:3513:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib conf.c:3985:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2145:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM surround40:1
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1286:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.SAA7134.pcm.surround51.0:CARD=1'
ALSA lib conf.c:3513:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib conf.c:3985:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2145:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM surround41:1
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1286:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.SAA7134.pcm.surround51.0:CARD=1'
ALSA lib conf.c:3513:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib conf.c:3985:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2145:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM surround50:1
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1286:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.SAA7134.pcm.surround51.0:CARD=1'
ALSA lib conf.c:3513:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib conf.c:3985:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2145:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM surround51:1
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1286:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.SAA7134.pcm.surround71.0:CARD=1'
ALSA lib conf.c:3513:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib conf.c:3985:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: Nessun file o directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2145:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM surround71:1

Moreover, sometimes there are some applications which cannot open the audio device.
For example, skype does not work while totem is playing a movie, I've to turn off totem.

lspci output is:

alex@deimos:~$ lspci
00:00.0 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation C51 Host Bridge (rev a2)
00:00.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation C51 Memory Controller 0 (r...

[alexroat (alexroat)]

The bug has not been fixed yet ...
I'm still hearing the same 2 seconds of noise after the gnome login sound.
Moreover, sometimes is impossible to run multiple (more than 2 or 3) applications which need to access to the sound card/mixer (example firefox on youtube with totem o vlc or skype).
This is the ouput of my lspci:
alex@deimos:~$ lspci
00:00.0 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation C51 Host Bridge (rev a2)
00:00.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation C51 Memory Controller 0 (rev a2)
00:00.2 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation C51 Memory Controller 1 (rev a2)
00:00.3 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation C51 Memory Controller 5 (rev a2)
00:00.4 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation C51 Memory Controller 4 (rev a2)
00:00.5 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation C51 Host Bridge (rev a2)
00:00.6 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation C51 Memory Controller 3 (rev a2)
00:00.7 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation C51 Memory Controller 2 (rev a2)
00:02.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1)
00:03.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1)
00:04.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation C51 PCI Express Bridge (rev a1)
00:05.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation C51G [GeForce 6100] (rev a2)
00:09.0 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP51 Host Bridge (rev a2)
00:0a.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP51 LPC Bridge (rev a2)
00:0a.1 SMBus: nVidia Corporation MCP51 SMBus (rev a2)
00:0b.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP51 USB Controller (rev a2)
00:0b.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP51 USB Controller (rev a2)
00:0d.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP51 IDE (rev a1)
00:0e.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP51 Serial ATA Controller (rev a1)
00:10.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP51 PCI Bridge (rev a2)
00:10.2 Multimedia audio controller: nVidia Corporation MCP51 AC97 Audio Controller (rev a2)
00:14.0 Bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP51 Ethernet Controller (rev a1)
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
04:0a.0 Multimedia controller: Philips Semiconductors SAA7134/SAA7135HL Video Broadcast Decoder (rev 01)

[alexroat (alexroat)]

ooops,
the noise appears before the login sound and not after.
Sorry.

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt] (lgb)]

Yes, I have this again, too. Also at swithing users with the user switch applet, it's quite annoying to hear that noise especially when the amplifier is set up to hear some music, and it's loud ...

[Igor Gomes (igorgomes)]

I confirm the issue. Here was a problem with the PCM volume. I solved with the following steps:

- pulseaudio -k
- sudo mv /etc/asound.conf /etc/asound.conf.temp
- sudo alsamixer
- Correct the PCM level
- sudo alsactl store
- sudo mv /etc/asound.conf.temp /etc/asound.conf
- sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-base restart
- pulseaudio -D

[alexroat (alexroat)]

I'm using hardy.
I haven't found the init script /etc/asound.conf, instead I have /etc/init.d/alsa-utils
I don't have an asound.conf file in /etc and alsamixer does not create it.
I noticed that after a sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-utils restart and a pulseaudio -D I can hear the same noise.

How can I build a correct asound.conf for my distribution ?

Thanks

[mmalmeida (mmalmeida)]

I have the same issue, but I hear audio instead of static.

The sound comes from my tv capture card, which is connected to the AUX/CD input of my soundcard.

Issue described here:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/239122

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt] (lgb)]

Yes well I hear audio too, if my TV capture card had been initialized before. I've confirmed that bug.

[Ludovic Claude (ludovicc)]

I've got the exact same specifications as alexroat, an internal GeForce 6100 card, but I'm running Ubuntu 8.04 64 bits. All sounds, including login sound, music from Rhythmbox and Flash movies have lots of statics, so it's a pain to hear. What's strange, is that I have been running Ubuntu for 2 years now on this computer, and the issue only appeared about 3 weeks ago after some package upgrade. Initially, after upgrading to Hardy (on its release day), the sound was perfect, but now it's very horrible. I've tried lots of different things, including the 'perfect Pulse audio setup' http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=776739, the shuttering audio fix from this thread http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=789578, upgrading my Linux Kernel to the latest version available in the Proposed repository, the guide from Igor Gomes above, but nothing works.

[Ludovic Claude (ludovicc)]

Solved for me at last! The sound was indeed saturated, I don't know what changed, but Igor pointed me in the right direction, at last!
What I did was this:

pulseaudio -k
sudo mv /etc/asound.conf /etc/asound.conf.temp
sudo alsamixer
- For the PCM, Front, Surround, Center and LFE, I set the level to 50% approximately.
sudo alsactl store
sudo mv /etc/asound.conf.temp /etc/asound.conf
sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-utils restart
pulseaudio -D

Note that you can also test if that works quickly with the Volume applet on the desktop: double click on the volume icon, in the file menu, select the Alsa device, then twick your settings there.

Thanks, Ludovic

[Ludovic Claude (ludovicc)]

It's better indeed, but the sound at login is still saturated, the sound level is quite low, and for some applications the sound still sounds strange.

[Folkert (fbleichrodt)]

I have exact the same issue, though the proposed fix of Igor Gomes doesn't work for me :(

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt] (lgb)]

Also, the strange thing, when I logging in using my notebook, the noise is came from the other (desktop PC) machine! I know, it's something about the avahi advertising of pulseaudio daemon, but it's strange for me, to use noise from another computer when everything will be normal after it: any further audio event generated by the notebook is really produces sound on the notebook.

[Julian Alarcon (julian-alarcon)]

Samer problem here.. But I didn't have this problem with Hardy, but when I update to Intrepid to RC I got this error.

[Julian Alarcon (julian-alarcon)]

There is a forum thread about the problem:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=944485

With this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_fz861sr3o

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt] (lgb)]

Hmm I am a pctv tv-tuner card as well! However what I don't understand how this bug is related to the effect I've described in my previous message: the noise through the network thing (and by the way, the notebook running intrepid while the desktop PC is hardy).

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt] (lgb)]

Ehh, of course "I have" and not "I am" ... :)

[MT (micdhack)]

i want to verify that indeed solution that Ludovic Claude wrote that it is based on Igor's works.
In my case the problem was that PCM sound was on the bottom(0%) and this distorted for some strange reason the gnome sound(although exaile and other programs worked).

[Julian Alarcon (julian-alarcon)]

I have a workaround!!!

I edit the file /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist
using this comand: gksudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

And add this line at the end:
blacklist saa7134_alsa

No more noise!! And my tv card is working fine.

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt] (lgb)]

Well, confirmed that workaround really works. I can use my tv tuner card (with tvtime for example) since the audio output of the tv card is plugged into the input line of the sound card. But if I would like to record something from the tuner card, it can be a problem, since I would like to grab the audio directly from the tuner card, using the sound card (with that loop cord between the two cards) just adds more noise, need mixer setting adjustment and other things, so it's not optimal at least ...

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

Not a pulseaudio bug

[Folkert (fbleichrodt)]

This bug is again prevalent in ubuntu 9.10. The proposed workaround does not work anymore. Although this bug is not that important it totally destroys the user experience and I hope that it gets the right attention and is solved soon. Other distributions do not suffer from it, so why should ubuntu?

[LGB [Gábor Lénárt] (lgb)]

Indeed, since I've upgraded to karmic the problem returned .... Even with the blacklist, saa7134_alsa is loaded! I am not sure why, it wasn't the cause with older versions of ubuntu. And yes, I agree, that even if it work, it would be a workaround only, something is not ok maybe the mixer settings or whatever, that the noise can be heared for a second or so, then it disappears, I think it's a clear sign that there is something then which mutes that audio source so the noise stops then. Just we have to find it, which caused the _start_ of the noise :)

[Julian Alarcon (julian-alarcon)]

I think that alsa is the problem...

This problem is back in Ubuntu Karmic Koala. With last updates from Proposed and normal repos.

The workaround no works anymore.

[Julian Alarcon (julian-alarcon)]

Sorry, this is the right package.

[Folkert (fbleichrodt)]

I think that the blacklist configuration has changed and that, although you have blacklisted saa7134_alsa, it gets loaded anyway somehow. That's why the workaround doesn't work anymore. Maybe an Ubuntu developer can confirm this/give some detailes?

[Julian Alarcon (julian-alarcon)]

On Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 5:54 AM, Folkert <email address hidden> wrote:
> I think that the blacklist configuration has changed and that, although
> you have blacklisted saa7134_alsa, it gets loaded anyway somehow. That's
> why the workaround doesn't work anymore. Maybe an Ubuntu developer can
> confirm this/give some detailes?
>
> --
> noise at login, mixer setting problem?
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/199883
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>

More config files:

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

Thes are 2 lines:

# Load saa7134-alsa instead of saa7134 (which gets dragged in by it anyway)
install saa7134 /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install saa7134 $CMDLINE_OPTS
&& { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist saa7134-alsa ; : ; }

And

options saa7134-alsa index=-2

So, any ideas?? Cause, I'm commenting all this lines (and also the
lines on options.conf) and I'm still getting this modules.

This is my
lsmod | grep saa

darkhole@darkhole-desktop:~$ sudo lsmod | grep saa
saa7134_alsa 12128 1
snd_pcm 75296 4
snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,saa7134_alsa,snd_pcm_oss
snd 59204 18
snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,snd_mpu401_uart,saa7134_alsa,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
saa7134 152616 1 saa7134_alsa
ir_common 48512 1 saa7134
v4l2_common 17500 1 saa7134
videodev 36736 2 saa7134,v4l2_common
videobuf_dma_sg 12544 2 saa7134_alsa,saa7134
videobuf_core 17952 2 saa7134,videobuf_dma_sg
tveeprom 11872 1 saa7134

[Folkert (fbleichrodt)]

Fix: this card is controlled by PulseAudio and you hear sound everytime it is accessed. Since the saa7134_alsa is not really a soundcard, this is not a good idea.
Open System -> Preferences -> Audio
to open PulseAudio mixer settings.
Go to the tab "Hardware", here you probably see 2 cards. One has the profilename "Analog Stereo input" (note the "input" part).
Click on this card and choose from the profile list below "Off". Now PulseAudio does not control this card anymore and you shouldn't here the sound at login. (This fix is only tested for Ubuntu 9.10)
Probably you should repeat this steps for each user on your system.

[Julian Alarcon (julian-alarcon)]

Ok Folkert, your «workaround» works.. (And.,, yes, you must to do it with all the users)..
But, now I don't get sound using Tvtime, soo.. If PulseAudio is not controlling anymore the sound of the tv card, who is controlling it??

[C. Reis (reic)]

Hi guys - I'm currently testing the Lucid Lynx Beta, and the problem with the white noise cutting through the login sound in gdm is still persistent. This appeared first after installing tvtime. I've been using this TV Card with every release since Breezy Badger and tvtime, always with the same result, there were some workarounds though, but they don't seem to work in Lucid.

Since this bug is marked invalid now, but the problem is still persistent, I wonder how we should go on with this bugreport. Revive this one or should I open up a new one? Cheers,
Clemens

[Vladimir Darak (vladimir-darak)]

I can confirm this issue. In Ubuntu 9.04 all works fine but after upgrade to 9.10 and 10.04 noise or sound is there. Same is in clean installation of 10.04. tvtime works but mythtv or vlc do this:

after open vlc and config capture device sounds came with video but after close vlc player sound still play.
if I upgrade 9.10 to 10.04 saa7134 sound device not listed in Sound Preferences in Input Tab.

$ lsmod | grep saa
saa7134 166866 0
ir_common 43415 2 ir_kbd_i2c,saa7134
v4l2_common 18357 2 tuner,saa7134
videobuf_dma_sg 12370 1 saa7134
videodev 40486 4 tuner,saa7134,v4l2_common,gspca_main
videobuf_core 19269 2 saa7134,videobuf_dma_sg
tveeprom 13882 1 saa7134

in loaded moduls list can't see saa7134_alsa
If I want to load module saa7134 error message show up

$ sudo modprobe saa7134_alsa
WARNING: All config files need .conf: /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf_bak, it will be ignored in a future release.
FATAL: Error inserting saa7134_alsa (/lib/modules/2.6.32-22-generic/kernel/drivers/media/video/saa7134/saa7134-alsa.ko): Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)

dmesg output:
$ dmesg | grep saa
[ 9.799282] saa7130/34: v4l2 driver version 0.2.15 loaded
[ 9.799790] saa7134 0000:01:08.0: PCI INT A -> Link[APC1] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 9.799797] saa7133[0]: found at 0000:01:08.0, rev: 208, irq: 16, latency: 16, mmio: 0xfdeff000
[ 9.799803] saa7133[0]: subsystem: 1462:6231, board: MSI TV@Anywhere plus [card=82,autodetected]
[ 9.799819] saa7133[0]: board init: gpio is 40
[ 9.799825] IRQ 16/saa7133[0]: IRQF_DISABLED is not guaranteed on shared IRQs
[ 9.970022] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom 00: 62 14 31 62 10 28 ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970033] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom 10: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970041] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom 20: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970049] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom 30: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970056] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom 40: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970064] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom 50: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970072] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom 60: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970079] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom 70: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970087] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom 80: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970095] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom 90: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970103] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom a0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970110] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom b0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970118] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom c0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970125] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom d0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970133] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom e0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 9.970140] saa7133[0]: i2c eeprom f0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff
[ 10.300123] tuner 2-004b: chip found @ 0x96 (saa7133[0])
...

[Mirek Rewak (mrewak)]

I am also affected by this problem. I don't know if it is correct path but think that this noise can be stopped by muting CD or AUX input line on the soundcard.
I've two saa7134 cards but only one of them is connected to the soundcard (integrated with my mainboard). I checked the audio preferences: System -> Preferences -> Audio: and in Hardware tab I was turning on and off both of the cards. When I turned on again the one card which is connected by the cable to the soundcard I noticed the same noice.
So I think that the possible workaround could be to mute CD or AUX on system shutdown and unmute after session loads but I haven't tried this yet.