[SigmaTel STAC9228] Recording problem - integrated microphone no longer available on Dell XPS 1330

[Michael Rooney]

Previously in Karmic there was bug #453966 which made the default input source the front mic jack instead of the integrated microphone, though this could be worked around / fixed by changing a switch in alsamixer.

However in Lucid the integrated microphone seems to no longer be recognized at all, and there is no such switch alsamixer switch anymore, so it seems like there is actually no way to use the integrated mic anymore.

Let me know what other info I can provide! I am happy to test dailies/PPAs as well.

ProblemType: Bug
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.21.
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: mrooney 1459 F.... pulseaudio
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xf6ffc000 irq 21'
   Mixer name : 'SigmaTel STAC9228'
   Components : 'HDA:83847616,10280209,00100402'
   Controls : 28
   Simple ctrls : 18
Date: Sun Mar 7 08:15:33 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Alpha amd64 (20100228)
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
Package: alsa-base 1.0.22.1+dfsg-0ubuntu3
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_CA.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-15.22-generic
SelectedCard: 0 Intel HDA-Intel - HDA Intel
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Title: [SigmaTel STAC9228] Recording problem
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-15-generic x86_64

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

Are you certain?

Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Digital Mic'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Digital Mic'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',2
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Digital Mic'
  Item0: 'Mic'

[Javier Jardón (jjardon)]

Yeah, confirmed here with the latest lucid packages:
0.9.22~0.9.21+stable-queue-32-g8478-0ubuntu11

Note that the microphone works without any problems in Fedora12

In sound preferences I can only choose between microphone 1 or microphone 2.
In Fedora, I have 4 options instead 2.

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

Javier, unless your codec matches precisely Michael's, you need to file a separate bug.

[Michael Rooney (mrooney)]

Ah Daniel, I see what is happening now perhaps. First, I had to press F4 in alsamixer to enable all capture options. Once there, for "Input Source" (there's also "Input Source 1" and "Input Source 2" so that's slightly confusing), I see the options specified in the enum you pasted, "Mic", "Front Mic", and "Digital Mic". Changing it to Digital Mic makes the integrated microphone work, but it seems to be a bug that this isn't available in the Sound Preferences applet. It has a "Connector" drop-down in the Input tab with "Microphone 1" and "Microphone 2" which correspond to the "Mic" and "Front Mic" options respectively, but no way to select the third "Digital Mic" option.

So, it seems like that option is for some reason missing from the Connector drop-down, and perhaps they should be named more usefully like they are in alsamixer. Also, "Digital Mic" should likely be the default for these models as it gives everyone a working recording experience. Using Front Mic as the default seems less useful as for most cases the integrated mic works fine; it would only be for more serious/professional recording that you'd want to use a different input.

What are your thoughts Daniel?

[Javier Jardón (jjardon)]

Hello,

@Michael, I followed your guide and now the microphone works. (I only changed "Input Source" to "Digital Mic")

@Daniel, seems that my hardware is a bit different:

Codec: SigmaTel STAC9228 (the same)
Vendor Id: 0x83847616 (the same)
Subsystem Id: 0x1028020a (different)
Revision Id: 0x100201 (different)

Should I file a new bug?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package alsa-utils - 1.0.22-0ubuntu3

---------------
alsa-utils (1.0.22-0ubuntu3) lucid; urgency=low

  * debian/init: Prefer built-in digital mics on newer Dells
    (LP: #533877)
 -- Daniel T Chen <email address hidden> Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:05:16 -0500

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

(Checking if I need a UserInterfaceFreeze exception prior to pulse upload)

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

No UI freeze exception required here; clearly there are other possible values for inputs, I don't think the doc team will be making assumptions about a particular input's name.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package pulseaudio - 1:0.9.22~0.9.21+stable-queue-32-g8478-0ubuntu12

---------------
pulseaudio (1:0.9.22~0.9.21+stable-queue-32-g8478-0ubuntu12) lucid; urgency=low

  * debian/pulseaudio.init: Remove udev from Required-* LSB headers
    (LP: #432301)
  * debian/patches/:
    + 0095-cve-2009-1299.patch: Fix insecure temporary file creation;
      pulled from upstream stable-queue d3efa43; CVE-2009-1299.
      (LP: #509008)
    + 0096-lp533877-handle-digmic.patch: Prefer the built-in digital
      mic on newer Dells, e.g., XPS 1330. (LP: #533877)
    + 0097-regenerate-configure.patch: Apply changes from stable-queue
      f9b31fe (gobject linking) and d3efa43 above.
 -- Daniel T Chen <email address hidden> Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:53:51 -0500

[Rocko (rockorequin)]

Cool, I now have microphone 1, microphone 2, and microphone 3. Microphone 1 seems to be the digital mic. It would be nicer if it were called digital (to match alsa) but this is a huge improvement on before.

[Raymond (superquad-vortex2)]

>> Cool, I now have microphone 1, microphone 2, and microphone 3. Microphone 1 seems to be the digital mic. It would be nicer if it were called digital (to match alsa) but this is a huge improvement on before.

Can you provide info about your hda codec ?

THe driver check Conn since one internal mic is "Analog" and the other internal mic is "Digital"
the third one is mic jack at ext front

Node 0x0c [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x400181: Stereo
  Pincap 0x00001737: IN OUT Detect Trigger ImpSense
    Vref caps: HIZ 50 GRD 80
  Pin Default 0x90a79130: [Fixed] Mic at Int N/A
    Conn = Analog, Color = Pink
    DefAssociation = 0x3, Sequence = 0x0
    Misc = NO_PRESENCE
  Pin-ctls: 0x24: IN VREF_80
  Unsolicited: tag=00, enabled=0
  Connection: 1
     0x03

Node 0x0e [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x400181: Stereo
  Pincap 0x00001737: IN OUT Detect Trigger ImpSense
    Vref caps: HIZ 50 GRD 80
  Pin Default 0x02a79130: [Jack] Mic at Ext Front
    Conn = Analog, Color = Pink
    DefAssociation = 0x3, Sequence = 0x0
    Misc = NO_PRESENCE
  Pin-ctls: 0x24: IN VREF_80
  Unsolicited: tag=03, enabled=1
  Connection: 1
     0x04

Node 0x13 [Pin Complex] wcaps 0x400001: Stereo
  Pincap 0x00000020: IN
  Pin Default 0x90a60040: [Fixed] Mic at Int N/A
    Conn = Digital, Color = Unknown
    DefAssociation = 0x4, Sequence = 0x0
  Pin-ctls: 0x20: IN

[João Miguel Lopes Moreira (jmlm-1970)]

The only solution to make microphone work is to install linux-backports-modules-alsa-generic...

Just go to:

Menu / System / Administration / Synaptic Package Manager

And search and mark for installation:

linux-backports-modules-alsa-generic

tip: if you have multiple versions click on the first and read the description which should inform what name to install...

If after the reboot and mic mute is off, still does not work, just go to terminal and type:

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

and add or change the following:

options snd-hda-intel model=auto enable=yes

Then Ctrl+X, type Y to write and exit, reboot and mic will work.

Bye and have lots of fun with Ubuntu (the best).