mic device not found

[Sylvander]

1. SUCCESS!
I discovered that the ALSA sound mixer mic volume control was somehow set to low.
The Skype box for auto-adjustment of mic volume was ticked, so I unticked that and applied the change.
Now the ALSA mic volume level would stay where it was put by me, and I found I could get quite high volume whilst speaking about 6 inches from the mic, with the ALSA mic setting 2 red boxes below max.

2. "you might want to check out the ALSA documentation to set it as the default device instead of having to tell each program what to use"
(a) Where should I find the ALSA documentation?

(b) Isn't there a way that the operating system [BoxPup in this case] would auto-detect when the USB-mic+soundcard was plugged in, and auto-enable it for use.
According to Logitech [the makers of the mic], this is what aught to happen in Windows.
They don't support its use in Linux, so don't mention what can be expected in Linux.

(c) Failing (b) above, you're saying that the ALSA documentation will probably explain how to make the USB mic the default mic input device, yes?

3. Only just now I've seen your post.
"you may be hearing the input from something else"
Can't possible be so; there's only this [USB] mic connected.
And what's more I can tell that it's what is picking up my voice because as I move closer/away it gets louder/quiter.

[mikeb]

Oh good..a breakthrough in group.
default would be setup in /etc/modprobe.conf...and you could also have the modules loaded at boot there....you add and entry similar to the onboard card (near the bottom), with device ordering.
Otherwise its a udev event that needs setting up.

mike

[Sylvander]

1. "default would be setup in /etc/modprobe.conf...and you could also have the modules loaded at boot there....you add an entry similar to the onboard card (near the bottom), with device ordering."
Being a Puppy beginner, this is all beyond my level of knowledge and understanding.
Here are some of the settings included in modprobe.conf:
Lines 137 to 141:
alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss
Lines 161 to 164:
"alias snd-card-0 snd-intel8x0
alias sound-slot-0 snd-intel8x0
alias snd-card-1 snd-usb-audio
alias sound-slot-1 snd-usb-audio"
I'd need detailed instructions on what exact lines of code to add and where.
Would you like me to upload the whole file here?

2. "Otherwise its a udev event that needs setting up"
I have no idea what that means.

[mikeb]

Ok well this is close as it is

Code: Select all

"alias snd-card-0 snd-intel8x0
alias sound-slot-0 snd-intel8x0
alias snd-card-1 snd-usb-audio
alias sound-slot-1 snd-usb-audio"

should load drivers for both cards at boot with the usb as the second card...

Code: Select all

"alias snd-card-1 snd-intel8x0
alias sound-slot-1 snd-intel8x0
alias snd-card-0 snd-usb-audio
alias sound-slot-0 snd-usb-audio"

would reverse this making usb sound as default

that's about it really...I'm not 100% if the mic needs to be inserted before boot or not...something to test.

mike

[Sylvander]

1. "would reverse this making usb sound as default "
Could this have any adverse effects?
e.g.
(a) The on-board [intel] sound card is needed for audio output via the front 3.5mm headphone socket and rear line out [to the stereo speakers with amplifier], and that on-board sound also has a 3.5mm mic input socket [at the front] that mutes/disconnects the line out when the jack goes in.

(b) Would the on-board sound work fine when it's no longer the default?

(c) What's needed is that the USB mic takes focus from the on-board cards' mic input [which can still be used if necessary], but that the on-board sound out remains functioning.

[mikeb]

well I myself would leave the usb as secondary and alter the application(s) that use it otherwise you would have to alter everything else as you say.

mike

[Sylvander]

1. "I myself would leave the usb as secondary and alter the application(s) that use it"
Sounds good to me, that's what I'll do.

2. Is there an easier way to get the AlsaMixer to display the USB mic volume adjustment, than to use the alsamixer -c 1 command?
I'll probably forget the command, though I've recorded it in a text file listing common commands.

[mikeb]

Is there an easier way to get the AlsaMixer to display the USB mic volume adjustment, than to use the alsamixer -c 1 command?
I'll probably forget the command, though I've recorded it in a text file listing common commands.

good point...a mini script perhaps

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh

exec rxvt -e alsamixer -c 1

or perhaps as a menu entry depending on what window manager you use

mike

[disciple]

Isn't there a way that the operating system [BoxPup in this case] would auto-detect when the USB-mic+soundcard was plugged in, and auto-enable it for use.

I assumed that that is happening, but what you want is for programs to automatically use it for their input... but I don't see how they could know automatically which of your two soundcards you want to use for input...

[Sylvander]

1. "a mini script perhaps"
I made that, and it works.
Not bad for someone who is new to Linux and Puppy.

2. "perhaps as a menu entry depending on what window manager you use"
How to find out the window manager?
How to make the menu entry?

3. "I don't see how they could know automatically which of your two soundcards you want to use for input"
Have a script auto-run when the mic is plugged in, that makes the necessary changes?
Then when the mic is unplugged, have another script auto-run that un-does the changes?

[mikeb]

Have a script auto-run when the mic is plugged in, that makes the necessary changes?
Then when the mic is unplugged, have another script auto-run that un-does the changes?

trouble is you cannot have the usb mic as default without making the other card secondary .

scripts are made up of what you type in the terminal ...more or less.

hmm.../root/.jwmrc....if you can decipher that

mike

[disciple]

Have a script auto-run when the mic is plugged in, that makes the necessary changes?

What if you plug two in?
Automatically changing the default sound card to whichever one was most recently installed doesn't seem like a good idea. I think it is more logical for the first sound card you set up to be the default (until you change the default), and if you want to record from a card that isn't default you need to select it.

[Sylvander]

1. "trouble is you cannot have the usb mic as default without making the other card secondary"
Would that be the only way to go?
(a) Isn't it possible to auto-specify [make configuration changes to all the appropriate files] that various programs use the USB mic for input, and the speakers on the default sound card for output?

(b) I'm thinking of stuff I read on the Logitech website, saying that Windows would auto-detect that the USB mic had been connected, then automatically make that the device used for input, whilst the default sound card would continue to be used for output.

(c) Also thinking of this here = AutoDetect-n-Copy to PenDrive.
This is a little program quickly made [by Paul Komski] in response to a problem posted at the PC-Guide...
"for a utility that could automate file copy onto a USB pen drive in response to the simple insertion of the drive into the PC".
"Just place the .exe into the folder containing the files to be copied and then insert the removable drive".
His program was designed to complete certain tasks [backup], upon insertion of a particular type of USB device [Flash Drive].
In our case it would be a different USB device inserted [a mic], and a different task [change configuration settings].

[mikeb]

Well not with alsa...something like jack could.
mike

[Sylvander]

1. "something like jack could"
What is "jack"?

[mikeb]

Jack is a daemon for making audio connections. Alsa is more limited though there is a module for connecting an input on one card to an output of another.
To use jack the package needs installing and any application that wishes to use it needs jack support compiling in...programs such as audacity and lmms have it.

mike

[thebeaky]

I managed to get the sound up with skype, but it was poor quality.
I cannot however get MHwaveedit to see the mic input.

why could this be??

thanks

[disciple]

So you did select the mic as the recording input in alsamixer?

[Sylvander]

1. "So you did select the mic as the recording input in alsamixer?"
Erm, I believe so.
I made a usbmicalsamixer script file that runs the alsamixer program displaying the USB mic sound device [only if it's connected], and if I TAB from "Playback" to "Capture" or "All", the mic is displayed as enabled and properly adjusted.
I used Skype to configure which audio devices to use for input and output within Skype.

2. So far I have used Skype in BoxPup [doesn't look as good as the Skype version in Windows] to speak [PC-to-PC] to my daughter 15 miles away in Edinburgh.
The sound was rather poor, but I suspect that is being caused by her wireless connection to the web using a USB dongle.
[Or is it bacause it's an earlier version of Skype?]
I'm connected using cable.
The volume was OK, but she said I sounded like a DALEK, and what I was hearing was broken with lots of short silences.

3. Used Skype in Win2000Pro to speak to a 71-year-old in Australia.
His fathers' father, and my wife's fathers' father were brothers born in Ayrshire in the 1870's.
The sound was good.
Plenty loud.
Had to turn down the mic and speaker volume, and could sit back from 1Ft to 3Ft from the mic and still be heard clearly.
This was with "mic boost" unticked.
He was connecting to the web using a USB dongle that communicates with a tower nearby.
He said it works better when he uses the short aerial on the dongle.

[disciple]

I was actually responding to thebeaky's complaint about being able to use Skype but not mhwaveedit.
Unless I've got confused somewhere their problem was quite different from yours, as they only have the one sound card.