Major sound distortion, random

[Adam Łyskawa]

Binary package hint: skype

Once every few restarts Skype sound is heavily distorted. It sounds like 3 sounds were mixed instead original one: base, lower-frequency base and noise (a brown one). Sometimes one Skype restart is enough to restore proper sound playback.

It can be easily tested using sound test and test call. Usually Skype makes a sound while logging in, it's distorted when it happens.

Skype version: 2.2.0.25 (Ubuntu)
This problem happens only in Ubuntu 11.04, kernel 2.6.38-8.
(I've tested it with 2.6.39-0, and haven't experienced the problem, but I didn't have enough time to test it)
This problem doesn't appear with Skype 2.2.0.25 installed on Linux Mint 10 or Ubuntu 10.x.

No other applications (like mplayer, totem, audacious, flash-plugin) have any problems with sound distortion. While the Skype sound output is distorted, other applications play sound without distortion in the same time.

[zwaardmeester (zwaardmeester)]

workaround:
http://www.nbuntu.cz.cc/2011/04/distortion-of-sound-in-skype-22.html

or else:
http://marcmenghin.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-fix-skype-audio-distortion.html

[sokolov (daniel-sokolov)]

I have this problem with Skyüe 2.2.0.35 on the 2.6.38-11-generic Kernel. The proposed workarounds didn't help.

[Michael Rodríguez-Torrent (mrtorrent)]

This solution worked for me: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/751265/comments/23

[Gianfranco Costamagna (costamagnagianfranco)]

Hi, a new skype version 4.1.0.20.0-0ubuntu0.12.04.2 is available, could you please try if you still have the bug with the new version?

If you still have this problem please set the status back to "new".

thanks

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for skype (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[David White (cppege-david-9ei9ny)]

I'm facing audio distortion problems on Raring 64 bit. On ubuntu login, when Skype starts, skype login sound has major crackles in the sound. This continues for all audio playback within skype thereafter.

Work around: Sound distortion problem goes away when pavucontrol is run and the volume changed from their. Problem comes back again on next ubuntu login.

[David White (cppege-david-9ei9ny)]

Further update.

The crackly sound comes back after pavucontrol is quit. After experimenting it seems that the distortion only goes away when pavucontrol is running *and* has displayed the playback tab. Opening pavucontrol in itself doesn't solve the problem, you have to click on the playback tab. The normal system sound controls under the sound notification icon do not make the problem go away.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Filip Hrbek (filip-hrbek)]

I can confirm the same behavior in Fedora 17/18, Skype 4.1.0.20, i.e. opening pavucontrol fixes the problem which reappears after closing pavucontrol. Another interesting thing is that even if I open pavucontrol, it takes some time until the problem goes away (first 2-3 playbacks still have crackles). It only concerns the "skype system sounds", the voice quality is OK on both sides.

So, it's not an ubuntu problem but Linux/PulseAudio/Skype in general.

[David White (cppege-david-9ei9ny)]

Editing /etc/pulse/daemon.conf and setting default-fragment-size-msec to 5, from 10, seems to reduce the problem.

[shankao (shankao)]

There is a new upstream skype version available (4.2.0.13) that could address this problem. Can anybody affected by it, try it, and report if it improves the situation? Thanks!