Problems with ALSA and SB Audigy SE (No Sound from speakers)

jbleners · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 6 Location: Chicago, IL

I followed the documentation at www.gentoo.org/doc/en/alsa-guide.xml to set up alsa with my Soundblaste Audigy SE sound card.

1) I installed the basic ALSA and the ca0106 driver as modules.
2) I ran alsaconf with no errors. The only strange thing was that alsaconf recognized my card as a SB Audigy LS (not SE).
3) When I start alsamixer the card is recognized as CA0106, and there is nothing listed as the chip. Furthermore, there is no clear master volume for me to adjust. After turning everything I can to 70%, I still have no sound coming from my speakers.

I get the following when I run cat /proc/asound/cards:

0 [CA0106 ]: CA0106 - CA0106
Audigy SE [SB0570] at 0xb000 irq 21

So I know the system is recognizing my card.

My speakers are plugged in and not on zero volume.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can fix this problem?

Thanks,
Josh

didymos · Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 4:11 am Post subject:

Post /etc/modules.d/alsa. Also, are you using alsa-driver or the in-kernel modules? Check /var/log/dmesg for sound-related messages as well. The other thing I'm curious about is what you are using to test audio. As to the master control, that card actually doesn't have one. Don't worry about the LS/SE name thing either. The driver just uses the LS name as the SE is basically just another version of the LS card.
_________________
Thomas S. Howard

jbleners · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 6 Location: Chicago, IL

This is /etc/modules.d/alsa

# Alsa kernel modules' configuration file.

# ALSA portion
# OSS/Free portion

##
## IMPORTANT:
## You need to customise this section for your specific sound card(s)
## and then run `update-modules' command.
## Read alsa-driver's INSTALL file in /usr/share/doc for more info.
##
## ALSA portion
## alias snd-card-0 snd-interwave
## alias snd-card-1 snd-ens1371
## OSS/Free portion
## alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0
## alias sound-slot-1 snd-card-1
##

# OSS/Free portion - card #1
## OSS/Free portion - card #2
## alias sound-service-1-0 snd-mixer-oss
## alias sound-service-1-3 snd-pcm-oss
## alias sound-service-1-12 snd-pcm-oss

alias /dev/mixer snd-mixer-oss
alias /dev/dsp snd-pcm-oss
alias /dev/midi snd-seq-oss

# Set this to the correct number of cards.

# --- BEGIN: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---
# --- ALSACONF version 1.0.14rc2 ---
alias snd-card-0 snd-ca0106
alias sound-slot-0 snd-ca0106
# --- END: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---

I am using the in-kernel modules, and I am using madplay with a random mp3 to test sound.

Thanks

didymos · Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:03 am Post subject:

Alright, change /etc/modules.d/alsa to this, and run "/etc/init.d/alsasound restart":

jbleners · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 6 Location: Chicago, IL

Okay, here is what I get when I restart:
* WARNING: you are stopping a boot service.
* Storing ALSA Mixer Levels ... [ ok ]
* Killing processes using ALSA ... [ ok ]
* Unloading ALSA modules ... [ ok ]
* Loading ALSA modules ...
* Loading: snd-card-0 ... [ ok ]
* Loading: snd-seq-oss ... [ ok ]
* Loading: snd-pcm-oss ... [ ok ]
* Loading: snd-seq-midi ... [ ok ]
* Restoring Mixer Levels ... [ ok ]

Which looks fine, but still when I start madplay, I get no sound from my speakers. When the init script
runs I can hear my speakers "turn on," but when I go to use them nothing happens.
Here are my mixer settings in case I've borked something there:
Card: CA0106
Chip:
Item: IEC958
(I took out view, and after this card and chip)
Item: IEC958 Center/LFE [dB gain=-7.00, -7.00]
Item: IEC958 Front [dB gain=-7.00, -7.00]
Item: IEC958 Rear [dB gain=-7.00, -7.00]
Item: IEC958 Unknown [dB gain=-7.00, -7.00]
Item: Analog Center/LFE [dB gain=-7.00, -7.00]
Item: Analog Front [dB gain=-7.00, -7.00]
Item: Analog Rear [dB gain=-7.00, -7.00]
Item: Analog Side [dB gain=-7.00, -7.00]
Item: CAPTURE feedback [dB gain=mute, mute]
Item: Digital Capture Source [IEC958 out]
Item: Shared Mic/Line in [Line in]

Also, dmesg:

# dmesg | grep sound
# dmesg | grep snd
snd-ca0106: Model 100a Rev 00000000 Serial 100a1102
snd-ca0106: Model 100a Rev 00000000 Serial 100a1102

Thanks!

didymos · Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 4:39 pm Post subject:

OK, make sure you have nothing running that's trying to use sound, and as root, do this:

jbleners · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 6 Location: Chicago, IL

In response to:

didymos · Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:02 pm Post subject:

OK, try muting all the IEC958 stuff.
_________________
Thomas S. Howard

jbleners · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 6 Location: Chicago, IL

That worked! Thanks alot!

didymos · Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:15 pm Post subject:

Well, that's good. Sometimes, I'm not sure why, but you can leave the IEC stuff on, and it works. Other times, it won't. It's probably the fact that Creative releases a million different products with slightly revised hardware, but names them almost identically, or even identically.
_________________
Thomas S. Howard

jbleners · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2007 Posts: 6 Location: Chicago, IL

I was pretty sure it was something really, really simple since the card was showing up. I just needed help figuring out where, and the alsamixer for that card was so different than any other card.