can't switch between internal and external mic and use "Mux" and "Mic Boost" mixer elements

[patrakov@…]

My laptop (Fujitsu Siemens S6410) has an Intel HD audio controller. Alsamixer can control whether the external or internal microphone should be used, but this is not expressed at all in the pavucontrol UI. On my desktop (based on Intel GD965SS board) that has exactly the same versions of software and also has Intel HD audio controller, pavucontrol is able to switch between various inputs.

Here are the software versions:

linux-2.6.32-gentoo-r1 pulseaudio 0.9.21 pavucontrol-0.9.10

Here is the output from "amixer -c0" on the laptop (where this bug exists):

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 11 [35%] [-30.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 11 [35%] [-30.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 252 [99%] [0.60dB]
  Front Right: Playback 252 [99%] [0.60dB]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 3 [100%]
  Front Right: 3 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Default PCM',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Beep',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 13 [42%] [7.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 13 [42%] [7.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',2
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 31
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Int Mic' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Int Mic' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',2
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Int Mic' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Int Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-34.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Int Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 2 [67%]
  Front Right: 2 [67%]

Here is the output of "amixer -c0" on the desktop (where this bug doesn't exist):

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono: Playback 21 [33%] [-32.25dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 254 [100%] [0.20dB]
  Front Right: Playback 254 [100%] [0.20dB]
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic Jack Mode',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Mic In' 'Line In'
  Item0: 'Mic In'
Simple mixer control 'Surround',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Center',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'LFE',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Side',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Line Jack Mode',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Mic In' 'Line In'
  Item0: 'Line In'
Simple mixer control 'Mic Jack Mode',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Mic In' 'Line In'
  Item0: 'Mic In'
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Default PCM',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Playback Source',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Digital Playback' 'ADAT' 'Analog Mux 1' 'Analog Mux 2' 'Analog Mux 3'
  Item0: 'Digital Playback'
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 14
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 14
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',2
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 14
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',2
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Mux',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 4
  Front Left: Capture 4 [100%] [40.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 4 [100%] [40.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Mux',1
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 4
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Mux',2
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 4
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'PC Beep',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 3
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] [-18.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Swap Center/LFE',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]

BTW, these "Mic Boost" and "Int Mic Boost" controls on the laptop and "Mux" on the desktop are also in the chain for the microphone signal, but are ignored by PulseAudio (presumably because they lack dB information). While setting them with alsamixer and saving the result is a one-off operation, they default to 0 and thus one can't get a usable recording level after a complete reinstall by pulseaudio tools alone. IMHO that's also a bug.

[coling]

Can you attach "pacmd ls" output please?

pavucontrol should give you different "Ports" on the "Output Devices" tab to allow you to pick between e.g. Internal vs External Mic.....

[patrakov@…]

output of "pacmd ls" on the laptop

[patrakov@…]

output of "pacmd ls" on the desktop, for comparison

[patrakov@…]

Do you need any additional information?

[coling]

Potential fix for the problem.

[coling]

Sorry, trac does not mail out notifications when just an attachment is left... very annoying.

Please see the above patch which I think will solve the problem on your system.

It can be applied without recompiling via:

patch /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/analog-input.conf.common < add-int-mic-input-source.patch

Then just restart PA and hopefully the extra options will appear in pavucontrol.

Can you confirm?

[patrakov@…]

Yes, this allows me to switch between Microphone 1 (external) and Microphone 2 (internal).

So the remaining part of the bug is about the "Mux", "Mic Boost" and "Int Mic Boost" mixer elements.

[coling]

Excellent I'll commit that fix shortly. Not sure about those other elements. Certainly "Mic Boost" is controlled by PA but pretty sure "Int Mic Boost" is ignored. Have a look in the "/usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/analog-input-mic.conf.common" file to see how Mic Boost is used. I'm not sure that if the mixer logic can handle mapping a boost to a particular capture device (e.g. internal vs. external).

It's probably best to ask on the mailing list about that one as it's more discussion based which is what I think this will become.

Thanks for your testing :)