Another sound problem (volume and balance)

Bug #456564 reported by Svein Tore
22
This bug affects 4 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux (Ubuntu)
Won't Fix
Undecided
Daniel T Chen
pulseaudio (Ubuntu)
Invalid
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: pulseaudio

Hi,

just upgraded to current Karmic beta. All went fine and well, but I have one issueabout the volume control - as it's working now it's almost dangerous.

When I adjust the volume slider I can max out my laptop speakers at about 15%, any higher and they are about to blow. When using a headset I can't go over 9% before the sound gets dangerously loud. When using the volume buttons on my laptop I can start at 0%, then click two times until the volume becomes so loud (12%) I don't dare go any further when wearing a headset...In Jaunty I had a much more fine-grained control.

After inspecting how the new volume control works, I see that it adjusts both the master volume and the PCM according to some algorithm. While in concept I understand this is smart in order to keep noise down, it works really terrible in my case. Imagine having a computer that if someone (or something!) sets the volume to anything above 20% and your speakers (and hearing) stand a good chance to blow.

Laptop:
Fujitsu Siemens Si1520.
lspci -v attached.
---
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.21.
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices:
 **** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: CONEXANT Analog [CONEXANT Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: sveint 3353 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: sveint 3353 F...m pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xdc240000 irq 22'
   Mixer name : 'Conexant CX20549 (Venice)'
   Components : 'HDA:14f15045,173410ad,00100100'
   Controls : 18
   Simple ctrls : 8
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Release Candidate i386 (20100419.1)
Package: alsa-base 1.0.22.1+dfsg-0ubuntu3
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=nb_NO:nb:no_NO:no:nn_NO:nn:en
 LANG=nb_NO.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.36-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Tags: lucid
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic i686
UserGroups: adm admin cdrom dialout lpadmin plugdev sambashare
dmi.bios.date: 07/21/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix
dmi.bios.version: 1.10
dmi.board.name: 10AD
dmi.board.vendor: FUJITSU
dmi.board.version: 3D22
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: FUJITSU SIEMENS
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenix:bvr1.10:bd07/21/2006:svnFUJITSUSIEMENS:pnAmiloSi1520:pvrRev1:rvnFUJITSU:rn10AD:rvr3D22:cvnFUJITSUSIEMENS:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: Amilo Si 1520
dmi.product.version: Rev 1
dmi.sys.vendor: FUJITSU SIEMENS

Revision history for this message
Svein Tore (sveint) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Daniel T Chen (crimsun) wrote : Re: [Bug 456564] Re: Volume control is "dangerous" when setting volume level

This is ultimately a linux issue, so please add a linux task to this bug.

In the meantime, you can ignore one or more elements in any stanzas.
See [Element PCM], for example, in
/usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/analog-output.conf.common. You
just need to change volume = merge to volume = ignore.

Revision history for this message
Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : Re: Volume control is "dangerous" when setting volume level

Thanks for the help, that solved the issue.

I hope, however, when thinking of new and inexperienced ubuntu users who might not know how to seek help, that this bug will be lead to reconsideration of how the volume control works...

summary: - Volume control is "dangerous" when setting volume level
+ Another sound problem (volume and balance)
Revision history for this message
Daniel T Chen (crimsun) wrote : Re: [Bug 456564] Re: Another sound problem (volume and balance)

Please see using ignore_dB=1 (passed to module-udev-detect in
/etc/pulse/default.pa) and control=foo (passed to module-alsa-sink
and/or module-alsa-source in /etc/pulse/default.pa), where foo is one
specific mixer control name.

Revision history for this message
Daniel T Chen (crimsun) wrote :

Please use apport-collect -p alsa-base 456564

Changed in pulseaudio (Ubuntu):
status: New → Invalid
Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
assignee: nobody → Daniel T Chen (crimsun)
Revision history for this message
Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : AlsaDevices.txt

apport information

tags: added: apport-collected
description: updated
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Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : AplayDevices.txt

apport information

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Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : BootDmesg.txt

apport information

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Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : Card0.Amixer.values.txt

apport information

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Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : Card0.Codecs.codec.0.txt

apport information

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Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : CurrentDmesg.txt

apport information

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Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : Dependencies.txt

apport information

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Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : PciMultimedia.txt

apport information

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Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : ProcCpuinfo.txt

apport information

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Svein Tore (sveint) wrote : UserAsoundrc.txt

apport information

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Svein Tore (sveint) wrote :

Sorry for taking a while, I got used to it so I completely forgot about the bug. I am using lucid now and I haven't encountered any major ear-blowing issues except that the volume control is very sensitive so I seldom use my PC's media keys to adjust volume as the steps are too big. Also I never push the volume slider past around 25%...

Revision history for this message
Po-Hsu Lin (cypressyew) wrote :

Closing this bug with Won't fix as this kernel / release is no longer supported.
Please feel free to open a new bug report if you're still experiencing this on a newer release (Bionic 18.04.3 / Disco 19.04)
Thanks!

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Won't Fix
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