pacmd list-cards vs GUI Volume Control + Analog vs IEC958

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dobromil
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Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:05 pm

pacmd list-cards vs GUI Volume Control + Analog vs IEC958

Post by dobromil »

Hello,

I was in the middle of pastying inxi -Fxz and pacmd list-cards commands when I realized that the reason of microphone not being recognised is the wrong cards configuration :lol:

Anyway, I am looking for some knowledge now. pacmd list-cards clearly shows the "profiles" of the given card which are identical to "configurations" in the GUI Volume Control:
Image

Code: Select all

3 card(s) available.
    index: 0
	name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_03.0>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 7
	properties:
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel HDMI"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel HDMI at 0xf723c000 irq 52"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:03.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.0/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "160c"
		device.product.name = "Broadwell-U Audio Controller"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "0"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	profiles:
		output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5900, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra3: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra4: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra4: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra4: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <off>
	ports:
		hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (priority 5600, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-4: HDMI / DisplayPort 5 (priority 5500, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
    index: 1
	name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 8
	properties:
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7238000 irq 53"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1b.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card1"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "9ca0"
		device.product.name = "Wildcat Point-LP High Definition Audio Controller"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "1"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	profiles:
		input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 65, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6500, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6565, available: unknown)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-stereo>
	sinks:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo/#0: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	sources:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo.monitor/#0: Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	ports:
		analog-input-internal-mic: Internal Microphone (priority 8900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-dock-mic: Dock Microphone (priority 7800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-headset-mic: Headset Microphone (priority 8800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-output-lineout: Line Out (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				
		analog-output-speaker: Speakers (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
    index: 2
	name: <alsa_card.usb-S.M.S.L_SMSL_M2-01>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 27
	properties:
		alsa.card = "2"
		alsa.card_name = "SMSL M2"
		alsa.long_card_name = "S.M.S.L SMSL M2 at usb-0000:00:14.0-1, full speed"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:14.0-usb-0:1:1.1"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb2/2-1/2-1:1.1/sound/card2"
		udev.id = "usb-S.M.S.L_SMSL_M2-01"
		device.bus = "usb"
		device.vendor.id = "262a"
		device.vendor.name = "S.M.S.L"
		device.product.id = "1029"
		device.product.name = "SMSL M2"
		device.serial = "S.M.S.L_SMSL_M2"
		device.string = "2"
		device.description = "SMSL M2"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-usb"
	profiles:
		input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 65, available: unknown)
		input:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Input (priority 55, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6500, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6565, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:iec958-stereo: Analog Stereo Output + Digital Stereo (IEC958) Input (priority 6555, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output (priority 5500, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5565, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo+input:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo Duplex (IEC958) (priority 5555, available: unknown)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo>
	sinks:
		alsa_output.usb-S.M.S.L_SMSL_M2-01.analog-stereo/#1: SMSL M2 Analog Stereo
	sources:
		alsa_output.usb-S.M.S.L_SMSL_M2-01.analog-stereo.monitor/#1: Monitor of SMSL M2 Analog Stereo
		alsa_input.usb-S.M.S.L_SMSL_M2-01.analog-stereo/#2: SMSL M2 Analog Stereo
	ports:
		analog-input-linein: Line In (priority 8100, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				
		iec958-stereo-input: Digital Input (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				
		analog-output: Analog Output (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				
		iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
1) Any way to switch between profiles using bash?
2) What would be the best "profile" or "configuration" for my USB card? Many profiles available but two reasonable are Analog Stereo Output vs Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output.
3) What is the purpose of the "monitor of Built-in Audio..." entries in the GUI Volume Control? Looks like those are "dummy" inputs. Neither HDMI card nor USB card have any input.
4) cat /proc/asound/cards shows different "addresses" and "irq" compared to the file from previous system (comparision available thanks to my previous topic on that forum), I don't know how much it matters. Anyway, what is that? Some kind of hardware "allocation"?

Any web resource for futher reading will be apreciated.


Dob
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MrEen
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Posts: 16673
Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2017 8:39 pm

Re: pacmd list-cards vs GUI Volume Control + Analog vs IEC958

Post by MrEen »

Hi dobromil,
dobromil wrote: ↑
Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:18 pm
 1) Any way to switch between profiles using bash?
Yes. What you were probably looking for in your case was this:

Code: Select all

pacmd set-card-profile alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0 output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo
dobromil wrote: ↑
Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:18 pm
 2) What would be the best "profile" or "configuration" for my USB card? Many profiles available but two reasonable are Analog Stereo Output vs Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output.
That one you just have to play with and see what works on that system. On the "normal" built-in cards, the Digital Stereo is only for a optical out connection. But USB allows Digital as well, so if it sounds better than the Analog setting, go ahead and use it. I'm guessing you won't really hear any difference.
dobromil wrote: ↑
Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:18 pm
 3) What is the purpose of the "monitor of Built-in Audio..." entries in the GUI Volume Control? Looks like those are "dummy" inputs. Neither HDMI card nor USB card have any input.
That's for recording what you're hearing on the computer. If you wanted to record the sound from a Youtube video for example, you might do so from Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo.
dobromil wrote: ↑
Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:18 pm
 4) cat /proc/asound/cards shows different "addresses" and "irq" compared to the file from previous system (comparision available thanks to my previous topic on that forum), I don't know how much it matters. Anyway, what is that? Some kind of hardware "allocation"?
The BIOS and kernel take care of that stuff. Not much you can do about it, so don't fret at all about it.
dobromil wrote: ↑
Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:18 pm
 Any web resource for futher reading will be apreciated.
There's way too many sites out there to be able to recommend anything specific. It really depends on determining what you're looking for exactly. For the most general sense, these 3 will get you a long way to understanding audio on Linux:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/PulseAudio
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ad ... chitecture
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pu ... leshooting

Hope that helps.
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dobromil
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Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:05 pm

Re: pacmd list-cards vs GUI Volume Control + Analog vs IEC958

Post by dobromil »

Many thanks, MrEen, let me dive in :D
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