[Jaunty] Microphone doesn't work at all on Eee 900

The same problem also occurs when attempting to use an external microphone.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Fri, 3 Apr 2009, Marc Tardif wrote:

> [Jaunty] Microphone doesn't work at all on Eee 900

  status incomplete
  done

Please attach output from running http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-info.sh
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQFJ1+iTe9GwFciKvaMRAh+NAJ0YtI2wWKM0uuge7O3q0l0FkVeeZgCfbS8f
4G/lBjoJ/6pBCEEmux3213Q=
=kS6n
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Uploaded output of alsa-info script:

http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=c1b19f83df1a6220ccd90c288d73d0b2c2a84b67

According to upstream alsa, and the Ubuntu jaunty kernel hda code, this hardware should be supported, and the code for it was written and submitted from someone at Realtek. Have you checked the mixer for 0 levels/muted devices?

I've gone through it with last night's build and unmuted the mic, switched to front mic, and other such things and was still unable to get it to record anything. Playing sounds seems to work fine, just not recording.

There doesn't appear to be any code in alsa upstream for this hardware yet, so we're going to have to hook this one up ourselves, assuming we're not beaten to it by someone posting a patch to the alsa-dev mailing list. Can I assume this is very new, or unreleased hardware?

There is code for an EeePC 701 variant for the ALC662 codec present, and could be used by adding the module option 'eeepc-p701' to hda module options. This module option is worth trying, however since the 701 and 901 hardware variants using the ALC269 codec appear to need different implementations, I dare say this will be a similar situation. I'll need to study the code differences for the ALC269 code to see whether the same differences could be applied for the ALC662 code.

Luke

Ok at this point, I suggest trying the alsa-driver 1.0.19 tarball from www.alsa-project.org. If that doesn't change anything, try the latest alsa tarball snapshots, I think available from the same site. If you find a tarball with the change that works, I'll check the differences in the jaunty kernel eepc code and upstream alsa code, to find the fix.

Luke

Latest I could find was 1.0.19, which I tried and had the same results, still no recording.

Is this a duplicate of bug #354705 or not?

I downloaded and installed Ubuntu 9.04 Netbook Remix on my Asus Eee PC 900 on 4/21 and installed any available updates. I did not change any module settings or do anything to ALSA. I performed the following steps to get my built-in microphone to work.

- I right-clicked on the speaker icon on the panel and opened the volume control.
- I opened the Preferences and enabled Capture, Front Mic, Front Mic Boost, and Input Source.
- I set Front Mic to 100% (muted) and Front Mic Boost to 33% (unmuted) on the Playback tab.
- I set Capture to 80% (unmuted, capture) on the Recording tab.
- I chose Front Mic as the Input Source on the Options tab.

I'm not suggesting that the microphone works perfectly after performing these steps, but they made it possible for me to hear my own voice played back to me during a Skype test call. I hope this helps someone else. Many thanks to the sites that I referenced below.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EeePC/Fixes#Microphone
http://wiki.eeeuser.com/getting_ubuntu_8.04_to_work_perfectly#adjust_mixer_levels_all_models

I tried these settings on my Eee900 with sound recorder, but I still only get clicking noises, no actual recording.

Like I said, I was using Skype to test my mic. I'll try using sound recorder tonight. Are there any commands I can run or files I can upload that would help provide more information about my system?

I tested my mic using sound recorder just now, and I, too, only got clicking noises. Changing the format from .ogg to any of the other choices resulted in a clear recording of my voice.

i believe i had similar problems (http://urbanoia.net/?p=39). Is the issue with the mexer not knowing that CAPTURE is a switch as well as a control? Try using alsamixer and turning it on.

Thank you!

Enabling front mic and front mic boost and also setting capture level using alsamixer were the right advices.

Plus, I had to set "sound in" skype's sound device settings to "HDA Intel (hw:Intel,0)" not "pulse"
Skype works (video too!) now ok.

I'm on Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04 on an Eee PC 900.

I was able to fix my broken sound input strictly by point-and-clicking my way through the GUI.

I don't have the exact sequence of steps, but here is the end result:

Right-click on sound icon (upper right of screen).
Pick: Open Volume Control
(The Playback tab should be selected.)
Click Preferences button.
Enable all checkboxes.
Click Close.
Set sliders:
* Master 100% (unmuted)
* PCM 100% (unmuted)
* Front 100% (unumbed)
* Front Mic 100% (muted)
* Front Mic Boost 30% (unmuted)
* Microphone 100% (muted)
* Mic Boost 30% (unmuted)
Now click the Recording tab:
Set:
* Capture 100% (muted)
Now click the Options tab:
Set Input Source: Front Mic
(it was set to Mic, but I changed it to Front Mic)
Click Close.

Now back at the main Netbook Launcher panel, go to Preferences Sound.
The Devices tab should be displayed.
Sound Events:
* Sound playback: Autodetect
Music and Movies:
* Sound playback: Autodetect
Audio Conferencing:
* Sound playback: Autodetect
* Sound capture: HDA Intel ALC662 Analog (ALSA)
Default Mixer Tracks:
* Device: Capture HDA Intel - ALC662 Analog (PulseAudio Mi...)
Click Close.

Now back at the main Netbook Launcher panel, try Sound Recorder.
Set Record as: CD Quality, Lossy (.ogg type)
Click Record. (say something) Click Stop. Click Play.
Now set Record as: Voice, Lossless (.wav type)
Click Record. (say something) Click Stop. Click Play.

In Skype:
Set Sound Devices:
* Sound In (HDA Intel (hw:Intel,0)
* Sound Out (HDA Intel (hw:Intel,0)
* Ringing (HDA Intel (hw:Intel,0)
Make a test call.

If you just installed 9.04 Netbook Remix on an Eee 900, and you compare the default settings to what I just described, please reply and post what settings were DIFFERENT. That is, reply with what you had to change. Then it would be possible to put together a simpler HOWTO.

Tried DannyB's solution and it worked for me. I was not able to keep track of what was different before and after

i think all you need to do is make sure that 'Front Mic' is selected instead of 'Mic' in the options tab.

Mic level is big problem, maybe the eeepc's onboard mic isn't very good quality. I just used skype with my wife and she hardly heard me at all. But her voice was very clear to hear for me, she was using Macbook.

Mic boost has to be set to 33% but it's very quiet. If more than 33, sound pops and cracks all the time and the noise level is too loud.

Regarding mic quality I have never evaluated objectively the microphone of my two experimental EEEs (a 701 and a 900), but while using them with Skype on the preinstalled Xandros the quality was always reported to be "good".

Now I have only Ubuntu in those machines but the built in microphone does not work satisfactorily. Hope the problem will be fixed.

FYI, using the sound recorder is part of the culprit when testing. I found that when I switched the recording format from ogg to lossless I went from clicking noises to a clean recording. This was using a 9.04 NBR install, with updates as of today, and the patched kernel debs to resolve the video issue (which can be found in this bug thread: https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/linux/+bug/349314 ). If you are using an eeepc 900, you are probably already running that patched kernel anyway. I am waiting for it to make it into the main kernel in the repository, but since it isn't a crash fix it appears to not be slated for inclusion until October.

My eee 900 works as described above only I have to remove the mic input jack. Only then will my internal mic pick up, no matter what muting settings I have and mic I have chosen. Not exactly rocket science but irritating and seemingly not a proper function. In most systems I have had, the card allows for two choices between the jack and mic when selecting input, it seems like you only have the card selection for hda input thus leaving input detection out of our hands. Am I the only one one with this issue?

The trick proposed by David Travis worked for me though looking at it it does make sense (no reason to mute Front Mic at 100 % level) ; now I can use Skype and Audacity with a microphone ; all this is not really satisfactory ; here are a few remarks :
(1) I use as proposed by David gnome-volume-control under KDE but I imagine alsa-mixer could also works as well ; however the problem is that when running gnome-volume-control in console mode if I close gnome-volume-control (Ctrl D) and repoen it all the setting is still there except that the microphon is MUTED ; we can here that there is a bug because I do no see any reason to loose some features as set in settings whichever the mixer I use ; of course re-opening a session shows the same problem : microphone is MUTED ; as here I am using a KDE session it might be due an incompatibility between KMix and gnome-volume-control but normally not except if PulseAudio is interfering here.
(2) gnome-volume-control is very confusing in Playback we have :
- Front Mic
- Front Mic Boost
- Micro
- Mic Boost
this for me is beyond my comprehension.
(3) aumix shows a record setting but even when gnome-volume-control in Record tab shows a MUTED microphone recording is still on in aumix
(4) KMix shows only playback features but there is no tab for record features where you can select a source input or a level of record as it used to do.
(5) I tried to recompile alsa 1.0.20 but without the trick proposed by David I had the same probem at to my microphone.

I am using a X2 64 bit machine.

I will pursue my tests with Gnome to check whether sond settings are kept from one session to another.
Regards.

I got an idea how to check and fix the microphones, and it worked!

1. You open youtube and chose any song that is not just instrumental. Has to be sing! Play it and minwhile..

2. You open with right button a Volume Control:

Master Volume -put at maximum VOLUME and midium BALANCE

Wave - maximum VOLUME, but A BALANCE TRY TO CHANGE WHEN A SINGER IS SINGING!!! (here was the trick in my computer!!!)

SW Synth- medium volume and medium balance

Mic Volume -medium volume and on the totaly right side balance

I had the asus eee pc900 as well mic didnt work nor external. I thought i was from abuse and never filed a report

I really doubt this is a duplicate of bug #990211 -- how did that happen?