PatCH0816 wrote: ⤴Sun Mar 21, 2021 7:42 pm
Does this mean, I have a stereo microphone?
It does indeed.
I'm afraid I don't know what the issue might be. It could be something simple I haven't thought of, but I'm suspecting it's more likely something quirky about the mic that the usb audio driver doesn't support properly. The only thing I can think to try at this point is run a Live ISO of some non Ubuntu based distro and see if the same problem exists. Manjaro should be a good test, or MXLinux. Even Mint's LMDE is worth a shot (feeling stupid for not thinking of that first!)
MrEen wrote: ⤴Sun Mar 21, 2021 8:06 pm
I'm afraid I don't know what the issue might be. It could be something simple I haven't thought of, but I'm suspecting it's more likely something quirky about the mic that the usb audio driver doesn't support properly. The only thing I can think to try at this point is run a Live ISO of some non Ubuntu based distro and see if the same problem exists. Manjaro should be a good test, or MXLinux. Even Mint's LMDE is worth a shot (feeling stupid for not thinking of that first!)
You're a genius, the microphone works as expected, finally! Thanks a lot for your patience, your guidance and your awesome support-attitude! I will write a short follow-up post what I did exactly.
A quick note to interested readers with the same problem and possibly for future-me:
The problem:
After I unplugged my USB-C microphone/headset (Huawei CM-Q3 directly connected to the Notebook (Running the latest and greatest linux mint version) without a hub or something) during an online meeting the microphone level remained so low, that other participants were not able to hear me properly. Even cold-starts, pulseaudio configuration-resets, etc. would not resolve this issue.
The fix:
After booting to the latest Linux Manjaro Live ISO from a USB stick the microphone suddenly worked as expected. Quick note: This procedure did not work as expected when booting to the latest Linux Mint Live ISO from a USB stick!!!
The solution:
I do not really know, why booting into Linux Manjaro Live ISO resolved the issue, but what I did observe is, that in pavucontrol (PulseAudio Volume Control) -> Tab "Output Devices" -> CM-Q3 Digital Stereo (IEC958), the port changed it's name after booting back into my linux mint installation to "Digital Ouput (S/PDIF)" -> Please note the "S/PDIF", this is the new part, which was not displayed before booting into the Linux Manjaro Live ISO. If you open the dropdown section "Advanced", the checkbox "PCM" is selected. This is also new as far as I remember.
I actually wasn't expecting it to help with the Mint installation. I was just trying to see if Ubuntu was the source of the issue.
My guess is Manjaro properly configured things and that helped Mint do the same. I assume we could have done the same manually but it's been rare that the IEC958 setting was even useful, not to mention necessary with USB audio. Most people with USB headsets found no difference in analog and IEC958 settings being used. Maybe this is something to expect more frequently now that USB-C is becoming more popular.
And thanks to you for hanging in there! This wouldn't have been solved with your stick-to-it-iveness.
I installed my first Linux Distro a few days ago and I have encountered the same issue. When I connect to my zoom meetings, my microphone audio is very low. I tried using my headphones while they were connected to bluetooth, when they were connected through aux and i also tried my laptop's built in microphone. Nothing seems to work. I have Windows 7 on a dual boot and the mic works fine on the windows.
Did you try all the suggestions from MeEen regarding the tools alsamixer and pavucontrol in this thread? If not, read each post in this thread and report your findings, so we can support you further.
Good luck in the meantime!
I tried booting into Linux Manjaro Live ISO through a USB stick. My mic worked properly in the live boot, but when I booted in Linux Mint my mic was still not working. I have not tried using pavucontrol or alsamixer yet, I will try them today. I think I have the same problem you had, but my mic settings were not saved or something like that
Last edited by Carnage on Sat May 01, 2021 12:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Here are my findings when I tried pavucontrol:
-When I am in pavucontrol it shows me that my mic works properly
-When I play music it records the music perfectly but i does not record my voice
The microphone i used in these tests is Built-in Audio Analog Stereo. Should i try using OBS Studio if this does not work?
As far as I understand, you are using headphones without an integrated microphone, so you are using the build-in microphone of your notebook. This explains perfectly, why you are able to record music from your notebook very well, but your voice is recorded very quietly. Let me explain:
The microphone is build-in your notebook and hence your mouth is normally far away from the microphone, which results in an audio recording which is very low in volume. On the other hand, if you are playing music from your built-in speakers (which are located very close to your built-in microphone and hence recorded with a nomal volume level) the recorded sound has the expected volume. From my point of view, there is everything working fine. (At least from a technical point of view)
I have two suggestions for you:
1. Go to alsamixer and pavucontrol and try to boost your internal built-in microphone level to obtain good recording results.
2. Replace your gear. Buy a headphone with an integrated microphone, which is designed for the purpose you want to use it for.
Thanks a lot for your patience, your guidance and your awesome support-attitude! I will write a short follow-up post what I did exactly.
. Alsamixer was easy to use.