Internal microphone not working Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-IML

[mintushnewb]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post, so please bear with me
I installed Mint on my laptop immediately after buying it and have been hoping after each kernel and system upgrade that this problem would solve itself, but unfortunately it doesn't. I've read quite a few similar posts but none of the suggestions there helped me. The problem is quite straightforward: The internal microphone isn't working - the monitor doesn't show any activity and it produces no sound when I try to use it.

Here are some (hopefully relevant) specs:

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System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-84-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 5.0.5 wm: muffin 5.0.1 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.2 Uma base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: LENOVO product: 20RR v: Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-IML 
  serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 10 v: Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-IML 
  serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: LENOVO model: LNVNB161216 v: SDK0J40697WIN serial: <filter> 
  UEFI: LENOVO v: CQCN29WW date: 04/09/2020 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 10.0 Wh condition: 44.2/45.0 Wh (98%) volts: 15.4/N/A 
  model: SMP SR Real Battery type: Li-poly serial: <filter> 
  status: Discharging 
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i7-10510U bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Kaby Lake rev: C L2 cache: 8192 KiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx 
  bogomips: 36799 
  Speed: 800 MHz min/max: 400/4900 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 800 2: 800 
  3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 7: 800 8: 800 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics vendor: Lenovo driver: i915 v: kernel 
  bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:9b41 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: modesetting 
  alternate: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.0.3 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel vendor: Lenovo driver: sof-audio-pci bus ID: 00:1f.3 
  chip ID: 8086:02c8 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-84-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Wireless-AC 9462 driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 2000 
  bus ID: 00:14.3 chip ID: 8086:02f0 
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 295.75 GiB (62.0%) 
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: SK Hynix model: HFM512GDHTNI-87A0B 
  size: 476.94 GiB speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 serial: <filter> rev: 11010C00 
  scheme: GPT 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 467.96 GiB used: 295.75 GiB (63.2%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 40.0 C mobo: 27.8 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 

Info:
  Processes: 262 Uptime: 14m Memory: 15.36 GiB used: 3.10 GiB (20.2%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 7/9 
  Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38 

Thanks in advance!

[MrEen]

Hi mintushnewb, and welcome to the forum.

Let's get a look at your sound setup with this command:

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curl https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/raw/master/src/utils/pa-info?inline=false | bash | nc termbin.com 9999

The last line of output will have a URL pointing to the info. Pasting that URL is all I need.

I'm hoping this is going to be a simple fix, that I'll need to see the above output to help guide you to implement.

[mintushnewb]

Hi Mr Een and thanks for your reply!
Here's the URL: https://termbin.com/qwlyr
Maybe I should mention though that the output line before that was

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cat: '/sys/module/snd_soc_skl_hda_dsp/parameters/*': No such file or directory

Crossing my fingers!

[MrEen]

The issue wasn't was I was hoping for, but I did spot something that could be the cause. Here's what to try now:

In the terminal run alsamixer and when it opens press F5 to expose everything. Arrow over to the DMic1 column then press the up arrow key until that column is at 100%. Do the same for the PGA2.0 and PGA4.0 columns as well, then test your mic. The Esc key exits alsamixer when the terminal window is active.

[mintushnewb]

That unfortunately didn't change anything.
Is the internal microphone one of these devices, or perhaps it's just not listed at all?

By the way, I first had to press F5 in alsamixer in order to see the columns you mentioned.

Thanks!

[MrEen]

Yes, the Digital Microphone is your internal mic.

By the way, I first had to press F5 in alsamixer in order to see the columns you mentioned.

That's why I asked you to press it!

In the terminal run alsamixer and when it opens press F5 to expose everything. Arrow over to the DMic1 column then press the up arrow key until that column is at 100%. Do the same for the PGA2.0 and PGA4.0 columns as well, then test your mic. The Esc key exits alsamixer when the terminal window is active.

Unfortunately, I don't expect this to help, but I don't know what else to try at the moment:

You added something like options snd-hda-intel model=laptop-dmic to a file in /etc/modprobe.d (possibly alsa-base.conf.) Remove that edit, then reboot and test your mic again.

[mintushnewb]

Yes, the Digital Microphone is your internal mic.

Ah OK, thanks.

That's why I asked you to press it!

Whoops, guess I missed that!

You added something like options snd-hda-intel model=laptop-dmic to a file in /etc/modprobe.d (possibly alsa-base.conf.) Remove that edit, then reboot and test your mic again.

This was the complete contents of a file called "lenovo-fix.conf" - it may have been something someone suggested here in the forum, I don't remember anymore. Anyway, I now removed that file but the internal mic still doesn't work.

Any other suggestions?

[MrEen]

Give this a shot and see if it helps:

In the terminal enter:

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pacmd load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,7

then see if you have a new input device on pavucontrol's Input Devices tab. If so, select it then test the mic.

[mintushnewb]

I tried and the device showed up but still no sound. The sound level sticks to zero.

[MrEen]

Okay, change that last edit to this and try again:

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pacmd load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,6

[mintushnewb]

Hi, sorry for being away for a while. Your last suggestion had the same result - still no sound.
Any other ideas? Thanks!!