volume reset when device plugged if set over the base level

[kiddo]

I have a logitech "USB desktop microphone", which needs to be amplified to be heard correctly. It has the minimum, "base", and "100%" volume levels in pavucontrol and gnome-volume-control 2.29.x.

"base" seems to correspond to 46%. If I set the volume to 46% or lower, when I unplug and replug the microphone, the volume will be remembered. However, if I set it >46%, it will be reset on the next time you plug it.

[kiddo]

debug log (annotated)

[kiddo]

debug log of me just moving the sliders around without unplugging/replugging

[kiddo]

screencast of the problem (at 7 secs, I unplug the device; at 10 secs I re-plug it, and its volume is reset from 100 to 46)

[kiddo]

And now, testing today again with ubuntu lucid lynx, I notice that it *sometimes* remembers the setting correctly, and sometimes doesn't. It seems completely random whether it will remember it or reset it to 62% (go figure. 62% is the new 46).

[kiddo]

Here's a proper demonstration, with explanations as I go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Irz_EgQr4

[tjwhaynes]

Another data point.

I have a Total Bithead USB sound card attached to my laptop to drive my headphones.

lsusb shows it as

Bus 001 Device 012: ID 08bb:2900 Texas Instruments Japan PCM2900 Audio Codec

Typically I leave the volume maxed out (100%) in PulseAudio and use the dial on the BitHead? to control the volume. I use the PulseAudio Volume Control for all adjustments. I use QuodLibet? for playback of music.

Now - some experiments. The laptop (Thinkpad T60p) has an internal audio card. I'll set that to 100% under "Output Devices" for clarity. The PCM2900 is attached to the dock for the laptop. That is also set to 100% under "Output Devices". QuodLibet? appears under "Playback" at 100%.

If I unplug the Bithead, playback of sounds flips over the internal audio card. The volumes for the Internal Audio and QuodLibet? remain unchanged.

Plug the Bithead back in and the Volume for the Internal Audio under "Output Devices" drops to 25%. The volume for the Bithead remains at 100%. Under the "Playback" tab, the volume for QuodLibet? now reads 25%.

This is where it gets confusing. While a song remains playing in QuodLibet?, the volume through the headphones remains unchanged. When the song changes, the volume of music heard does drop to 25%.