[SOLVED] Still Having Sound Issues

[mhumm2]

I installed a new video card (GTX-1050 ti) which has a double HDMI output that includes HD audio. My default audio source is the Motherboard built in sound. When I boot my system, there is no audio. Then I reboot once or twice and I get my audio back. Obviously I want to boot up with audio working each and every time I boot my system.

Here's the setup for all playback, not just Music:


Here's dmesg default audio:
mark@AMD-64:~$ dmesg |grep audio
[ 36.852935] snd_hda_intel 0000:04:00.1: Handle vga_switcheroo audio client
[ 37.756235] snd_hda_codec_via hdaudioC0D0: autoconfig for VT1708S: line_outs=4 (0x1c/0x19/0x22/0x23/0x0) type:line
[ 37.756238] snd_hda_codec_via hdaudioC0D0: speaker_outs=0 (0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0)
[ 37.756239] snd_hda_codec_via hdaudioC0D0: hp_outs=1 (0x1d/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0)
[ 37.756240] snd_hda_codec_via hdaudioC0D0: mono: mono_out=0x0
[ 37.756241] snd_hda_codec_via hdaudioC0D0: dig-out=0x20/0x21
[ 37.756242] snd_hda_codec_via hdaudioC0D0: inputs:
[ 37.756244] snd_hda_codec_via hdaudioC0D0: Rear Mic=0x1a
[ 37.756245] snd_hda_codec_via hdaudioC0D0: Front Mic=0x1e
[ 37.756246] snd_hda_codec_via hdaudioC0D0: Line=0x1b

dmesg HDMI audio:
mark@AMD-64:~$ dmesg |grep -i hdmi
[ 0.048901] ACPI: Added _OSI(Linux-Lenovo-NV-HDMI-Audio)
[ 37.736804] input: HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=3 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:10.0/0000:02:00.0/0000:03:00.0/0000:04:00.1/sound/card1/input9
[ 37.737070] input: HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=7 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:10.0/0000:02:00.0/0000:03:00.0/0000:04:00.1/sound/card1/input10
[ 37.737184] input: HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=8 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:10.0/0000:02:00.0/0000:03:00.0/0000:04:00.1/sound/card1/input11

I'd appreciate any suggestions.

[mhumm2]

Ok, 13 reads and not a single piece of advice. Let me restate the issue in detail. On my computer, the built in audio sounds much better than the audio out from the new gfx card. It outputs as 2.1 surround and my Altec Lansing 2.1 speaker system really sounds good. The HDMI audio, even routed through my speaker system is limited to stereo and sounds terrible; very tinny.

IMHO, I think there are too many things influencing the sound setup:

- Pulse audio volume control (plain and qt versions)
- VLC also has an audio setup that seems to affect the whole system
- Setup Settings > Multimedia

Here are some specific questions:

- What is better or easier to configure, Alsa or Pulse or Jack?

- How do I disable the audio from the gfx card if I choose to do so?

Please advise. In the mean time I'll be back doing more googling.

[Snowhog]

What does the Audio Hardware Setup tab show?

[jlittle]

Sound on Linux appears to be a black art to me. How ALSA and Pulse audio relate to each other is mysterious.

However, occasionally alsamixer, a curses programme, has revealed a problem and could fix it. The UI has confused me, but it can help to start it in an extra wide konsole.

Regards, John Little

[oshunluvr]

My nvidia sound died a few weeks back from some update or another. I've been too busy to try and figure it out.

[mhumm2]

Alright! Thank you for responding. oshunluvr - Audio Hardware Setup:



Here are all the Pulse Audio Volume Control tabs:





Jlittle, I agree with you... a "black art" is right. I've been googling for a procedure that starts from scratch (deletes all audio-related control programs, then installs the minimum set needed to obtain the desired results. Then walks the reader through the configuration of that install.

I had sound working yesterday and took all the screen shots of all the tabs. Today all the tabs match the ones I had yesterday, but no sound at all.

[mhumm2]

in dmesg order, the HDMI Hardware sound device is recognized after the build in sound device I want activated. Does the system use the last device "seen" or "recognized"? If so, how can I turn off or disable the gfx card sound output? Or... how can I disable the gfx card sound and then force the system to scan the hardware again for sound devices (enabled)?

[mhumm2]

This thread is NOT solved, but that was my only option to close this out. I don't like to have open threads if they're not active. My sound issue is still intermittent, but for the time being, it's better than it was. When it glitches, I set all the parameters to, what I know now, are the correct settings, and then I reboot the computer. 9/10 times the computer comes back up with sound; nice HD 2.1 sound from my built-in mobo audio, and not the "tinny" audio from my new HDMI gfx card. Thanks very much to all who responded. It is greatly appreciated.

[Snowhog]

I've unmarked this thread as SOLVED (as it isn't in your own words) and CLOSED it instead. If you want to have it opened again (later), just PM me.