How to control SPDIF volume with master volume?

[nashimus]

I'm not able to control the volume for SPDIF (PCM) using my master volume control.

I know this is possible because I was doing this exact thing in archlinux a couple weeks ago. I just can't remember what I put in /etc/asound.conf to make it happen. I usually save solutions to my problems in my favorites, but I failed to do so with this particular issue... Also, I cannot seem to find the same article. After reading up on customizing asound.conf; I haven't found anything that looks familiar and I'v finally resigned to actually posting for help, :/ since I can't seem to figure this one out.

I'm currently running Linux Mint 14 64-bit, that was installed from the cinnamon media, but I've added MATE and and XFCE. I've decided to stick with XFCE since I like that, although that info probably isn't that relevant.

aplay -l output:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC889 Analog [ALC889 Analog]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC889 Digital [ALC889 Digital]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

When I run pavucontrol, my output device is "Built-in Audio Digital Stereo (IEC958) and the selected port is "Digital Output (S/PDIF), with PCM checked.

In the pavucontrol Configuration tab I can change my Built-in Audio Profile from "Digital Stereo (IEC 958) Output + Analog Stereo Input" to "Analog Stereo Duplex" and the master volume control does work, but only for analog output.

Current contents of /etc/asound.conf, which includes some of the stuff I've tried that doesn't work:

pcm.!default {
type hw
card 0
# mixer_device "default"
# mixer_control "Master"
}

ctl.!default {
type hw
card 0
# mixer_device "default"
# mixer_control "Master"
}


#Convert to pulse:

#pcm.pulse {
# type pulse
#}
#ctl.pulse {
# type pulse
#}
#pcm.!default {
# type pulse
#}
#ctl.!default {
# type pulse
#}

#Testing:
#pcm.!default {

# type plug
# slave {
# pcm "iec958"
# }

#}


Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I know I need to make a change in /etc/asound.conf or ~/.asoundrc but I just can't remember how to tell SPDIF/PCM to use the main mixer.

Thanks for any suggestions!

nashimus

[nashimus]

I found a way to accomplish this. Now I can control the volume of my studio monitors without getting up to adjust the volume each speaker individually! Hope this helps someone else having this unpleasant issue.

asound.conf:

Code: Select all

pcm.pulse {
    type pulse
}

ctl.pulse {
    type pulse
}

pcm.!default {
    type pulse
}

ctl.!default {
    type pulse
}

pcm.phononpulse {
  type plug
  slave.pcm {
    type pulse
  }
  hint {
    show on
    description "PulseAudio"
  }
}

Then I bound these scripts to my media keys:
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/pulseaudio_ctl/

Excerpt from vol_down (showing change in increment from 5% to 1%):

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
# Credit to Roland Latour
# http://www.freak-search.com/en/thread/4707111/q_volume_control,_xfce

# lower volume by 1%

# Find default sink
sink=$(pacmd info|grep "Default sink name"|awk '{print $4}')

# Now we need to find volume of default sink
# get line# of start of definition for default sink (plus 1, actually)
let line=$(pacmd list-sinks|grep -n $sink|sed '{s/://}'|awk '{print $1}')

# index down a bit for volume line
let line=($line + 6)
volume=$(pacmd list-sinks|awk 'NR=="'"$line"'"{print $3}'|sed '{s/%//}')

# pacmd returns volume as %, but demands setting as range: 0-65535
let volume=($volume * 65536);let volume=($volume / 100)
[b]#let volume=($volume - 3276) #5%
let volume=($volume - 655) #1%[/b]
[[ $volume -lt 0 ]] && let volume=0
pacmd set-sink-volume $sink $volume > /dev/null 2>&1


-nashimus