[USB-Audio - Z-10 USB Speaker] Volume scaling wrong in lucid, regression

[Ernst Persson]

Binary package hint: linux-image

Kernel 2.6.32 no longer gives the correct volume range information about these speakers.
It works fine in karmic. This is really an upstream bug report, I have filed it here:
https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/alsa-bug/view.php?id=4803
With kernel 2.6.31 and libasound 1.0.20 I got perfect volume ranges for my Logitech Z-10 USB Speakers, -41,00 dB to 1,24 dB feels just about right.

When I upgraded to 2.6.32-rc6 I didn't get any range information at all until I upgraded to libasound 1.0.21. Now I'm getting completely bogus volume range information, 0 dB to 3 dB

ProblemType: Bug
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.21.
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC2: ernst 1692 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: ernst 1692 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'NVidia'/'HDA NVidia at 0xfe024000 irq 22'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC888'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0888,147ba601,00100001'
   Controls : 35
   Simple ctrls : 20
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'HDMI'/'HDA ATI HDMI at 0xfddfc000 irq 16'
   Mixer name : 'ATI R6xx HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:1002aa01,00aa0100,00100100'
   Controls : 4
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card1.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
   Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Mono: Playback [off]
Card2.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:2 'Speaker'/'Logitech Z-10 USB Speaker at usb-0000:00:04.0-1, full speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB046d:0a07'
   Controls : 4
   Simple ctrls : 3
Date: Mon Mar 1 17:05:11 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Alpha amd64 (20100113)
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Alpha amd64 (20100215.1)
Package: pulseaudio 1:0.9.22~0.9.21+stable-queue-32-g8478-0ubuntu11
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=sv_SE.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-14.20-preempt
SelectedCard: 2 Speaker USB-Audio - Z-10 USB Speaker
SourcePackage: pulseaudio
Symptom: audio
Title: [USB-Audio - Z-10 USB Speaker] PA test tone failed (alsa tone succeeded)
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-14-preempt x86_64

[Marco Milone (milozzy)]

same problem!

[jarip (jarip)]

Exact same problem here as well.. (lucid 32-bit)

[Mikkel Carlsen (mail-mikkelcarlsen)]

Me too (lucid 64-bit)

[Amaury (ambagot)]

Same problem for me, it worked fine in 9.10 but in 10.04 32-bits the volume control is not accurate at all (jumps from low to high without a possibility to really adjust the volume).

[Marco Milone (milozzy)]

I forgot to mentione that I have the problem on Lucid 64-bit.
The only minor work around that I found is to set the speakers volume high and then adjust the volume of the sistem with the player (Totem or Rhythmbox)....but clearly this is not a solution.

[Christian Berrer (nikon)]

Same problem here on lucid (32 and 64 bit).

[mightymouz (mightymouz)]

same problem, i guess.
as workaround i created 2 new keybindings with gnome-keybinding-properties
raisevolume: amixer -c 1 sset PCM 20+ unmute -> XF86AudioRaiseVolume
lowervolume: amixer -c 1 sset PCM 20- unmute -> XF86AudioLowerVolume

[Ernst Persson (ernstp)]

The volume scaling is much better if you install a newer kernel like this:
http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.34-lucid/
Not the same as in Karmic, but better than in Lucid. So hopefully this will be fixed in Maverick.

[Jeremy Foshee (jeremyfoshee)]

Hi Ernst,

If you could also please test the latest upstream kernel available that would be great. It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag. This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text. Please let us know your results.

Thanks in advance.

    [This is an automated message. Apologies if it has reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[mycroes (mycroes)]

Tested with with 2.6.35-020635rc1 from mainline kernel ppa, dB gain goes from -41,00 up to +3,00, so it at least seems to work reasonably well.
Regards,

Michael

[Adriaan van Nijendaal (adriaan-choam)]

Volume control works correctly (on my machines, at least) in Maverick Meerkat (Ubuntu 10.10 with kernel 2.6.35-22).

[Drew Snellgrove (forkinme-deactivatedaccount)]

I forgot about this bug.

Yes, The Z-10 works fine on 10.10 for me as well. Only took about four releases =)