[intrepid] digital microphone sensitivity control is missing

[Rocko]

Binary package hint: linux-source

The digital microphone sensitivity control for my hda_intel sound chip is not available in Intrepid, which is a regression from Hardy. The digital microphone works (eg in sound-recorder) but is set to very low sensitivity, and it's not possible to change it. In Hardy I could select the sensitivity control by selecting gnome-volume-control Edit / Preferences / Digital, but Digital no longer appears in the Preferences list in Intrepid. Digital Input Source does still appear, so I can select the microphone.

Some h/w and version info:

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 02)
kernel 2.6.27-7-generic i386
pulseaudio 0.9.10-2ubuntu10~ppa1

Might this be a pulseaudio problem instead of a kernel problem? It also might be related to https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/277532, but that bug is primarily about no sound from the microphone (and the reporter also indicates that he has a digital sensitivity control, just that it is always muted).

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

I should add that I first reported this in bug #280534, but that report had too many issues so I've opened a new report.

In that report, unimatrix confirmed the same problems with the same chipset so I'll mark this as confirmed.

[Matthew Specker (matthewspecker)]

I can confirm this bug on a Dell 1420n. Built in digital mic records but at very low levels and no level control exists in alsamixer.

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

I tried using some of the quirks to specify the card by adding (eg) this to /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base:

options snd-hda-intel model=6stack-digout

I tried 6stack-digout, dell-3stack, 5stack, dell-bios (which is supposedly the default), auto.

Since the BIOS reports that the card is actually a SigmaTel 9205 (Ubuntu is using SigmaTel 9208 codecs), I also tried dell-m42, dell-m43, dell-m44.

To be sure it was applied, I rebooted completely after each change.

But none of the options made any difference - there is still no digital sensitivity control.

I also tried:

options snd-hda-intel probe_mask=1

but this disabled audio completely.

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

Is anything happening for this bug? Is it a linux kernel bug or pulseaudio or alsa? Are there any upstream bugs that are handling this? Is any more info required?

I reckon the microphone is a vital feature in any modern laptop and O/S and in Intrepid, it just doesn't work.

[xtsbdu3reyrbrmroezob (xtsbdu3reyrbrmroezob)]

I am also noticing that the microphone does not work. I have a Dell Latitude laptop E6500 with built-in mic. I do not get sound even though I have unmuted and increased the volume via alsamixer, the Gnome panel item, etc. Something appears to be wrong :-( Many people are reporting that the microphone worked prior to 8.10 upgrade.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=956565

[bro (matthijsbro)]

I have XPS 1330 with built in mic. Worked fine with 8.04 (32-bit) and works with some (to much) tinkering in 8.10. However I have the same bug, it is way to soft in the pick up. The mic I can plug in however is quite loud and can't be regulated properly too: if it's all the way down it's still quite loud. This last thing is however much less of a problem, the internal mic is just useless like this.

[Jack Deslippe (jdeslip)]

This is almost certainly related to Bug 275998