Re: [gentoo-user] Re: alsamixer and pulseaudio - which is at fault?

[Mick]

On Friday 30 Dec 2016 15:11:29 Corbin Bird wrote:
> On 12/30/2016 07:44 AM, Mick wrote:
> > On Friday 30 Dec 2016 12:12:17 Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
> >> On 12/30/2016 12:04 PM, Nikos Chantziaras wrote:
> >>> On 12/29/2016 03:21 PM, Mick wrote:
> >>>> Hi All,
> >>>>
> >>>> My sound has been behaving erratically for a while now, probably since
> >>>> pulseaudio started being shipped with various desktop applications.
> >>>
> >>> I had many similar issues years ago. I solved them by doing the
> >>> following:
> >>> [...]
> >>
> >> Oh, forgot to mention that I also deleted the ALSA custom configuration
> >>
> >> files:
> >>    rm ~/.asoundrc
> >>    rm /etc/asound.conf
> >>
> >> It's recommended to not have them, unless you actually need them.
> >
> > Thank you Nikos, I followed your advice above but the darn thing is still
> > not working as it should.  The interaction of pa with alsa is anything
> > but aligned with the way my brain works and with how alsa used to work.
> >
> > I've commented out the pa entries to stop it trying to restore settings as
> > you suggested.  Alsamixer settings now stick between reboots, except for
> > the first headphone which for some reason is always muted and changing it
> > won't stick for a couple of years now.  All looks great .... until I get
> > a desktop pop up warning.  Then I notice both Speaker and PCM are pegged
> > at 100% again.  :-/
> >
> > This also happens if I tweak any of the pa settings using a GUI.
> > Adjusting
> > the application settings using e.g.
> > systemsettings5/hardware/Multimedia/Audio Volume/Applications,
> > immediately resets alsamixer's Speaker and PCM bars both to 100.  I am
> > guessing when a warning pops up on the desktop it is also plugging into
> > pa and no matter what Speaker or PCM have been set at, they will be
> > pegged at 100 once more.
>
> You do need to install "media-sound/pavucontrol" and uninstall ( if
> possible ) whatever desktop GUI based mixer you are currently using ( if
> .. if .. it is based on the alsamixer and not on PulseAudio ).
>
> Changing settings in the wrong mixer just doesn't work.

Thanks Corbin, I did install pavucontrol but did not persevere with it.  When 
I first started it up it muted the master volume control, which I had to unmute 
to get my sound back.  I'll try reinstalling it tomorrow and test it more 
thoroughly.

The audio mixer I used is based on pa anyway.

-- 
Regards,
Mick