Microphone Not Working

[stonefist]

Good night. I am in dire need of assistance. I am a teacher and i am using a HP 2000 notebook that is running on Linux mint XFCE. When i use zoom, the microphone isn't working. Is there any way around this problem?

[MrEen]

Hi stonefist, and welcome to the forum.

Let's see the output of this terminal command please:

Code: Select all

pacmd list-sources

[stonefist]

Code: Select all

2 source(s) available.
  * index: 1
	name: <alsa_input.pci-0000_00_14.2.analog-stereo>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: RUNNING
	suspend cause: (none)
	priority: 9039
	volume: front-left: 14798 /  23% / -38.78 dB,   front-right: 0 /   0% / -inf dB
	        balance -1.00
	base volume: 6554 /  10% / -60.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.18 ms
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 1
	linked by: 1
	configured latency: 40.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 371.52 ms
	card: 1 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_14.2>
	module: 8
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC269VC Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC269VC Analog"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "HD-Audio Generic"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HD-Audio Generic at 0xf0440000 irq 16"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:14.2"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.2/sound/card1"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "1022"
		device.vendor.name = "Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD]"
		device.product.id = "780d"
		device.product.name = "FCH Azalia Controller"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:1"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "65536"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "32768"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		analog-input-internal-mic: Internal Microphone (priority 8900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
	active port: <analog-input-internal-mic>
    index: 3
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_14.2.analog-stereo.monitor>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: RUNNING
	suspend cause: (none)
	priority: 1030
	volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.00 ms
	max rewind: 6 KiB
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 1
	linked by: 1
	configured latency: 40.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 371.52 ms
	monitor_of: 2
	card: 1 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_14.2>
	module: 8
	properties:
		device.description = "Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		device.class = "monitor"
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "HD-Audio Generic"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HD-Audio Generic at 0xf0440000 irq 16"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:14.2"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.2/sound/card1"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "1022"
		device.vendor.name = "Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD]"
		device.product.id = "780d"
		device.product.name = "FCH Azalia Controller"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "1"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"

[MrEen]

Did the mic ever work on Linux?

Assuming you don't know if it ever worked, run pavucontrol in the terminal, go to the Input Devices tab and click on the lock icon if necessary to expose the left and right channel volume sliders. Lower the right channel all the way down, then test the mic.

[stonefist]

It is working. I want to thank you very much for your help. i will try out some more before i start school in the afternoon. Again . Thanks

[stonefist]

Afternoon. I did a test and it worked when using zoom on my wife phone but it isn't working when connecting to the school.
Is there any way the fix
can be permanent?

[MrEen]

Well, it shouldn't really have changed. You can look at pavucontrol again to confirm that.

One thing I saw here on the forum very recently was a user would have one meeting then went successfully, then the next wouldn't. I'm pretty sure shutting down Zoom after the first meeting finished solved that.

It's also possible that somehow the default input got changed. Also on pavucontrol's Input Devices tab, the check mark next to the microphone port should be "selected" or highlighted. If it isn't, the default input will be something other than the microphone which doesn't work at all in Zoom.

[stonefist]

Can anyone guide me from there?

[MrEen]

It appears to me like things are set correctly. It's a bit difficult with your theme to tell, but I assume the mute button isn't highlighted while the check mark is.

Does the mic "work" here: https://www.onlinemictest.com/

[stonefist]

the mic is working on the website but the front right does't lock, it keeps moving

[Fizz]

Do you happen to know what kernel you're running? If you're on a newer cpu, it might not be supported.

I mention because i had issues with my microphone as well, but once i moved to the 5.8 kernel, the issue was fixed. Basically, the older kernel didn't fully support my newer cpu, which handled the audio processing.

Not sure what you're on, so it may not be the issue, but i thought worth mentioning, just in case.

-Fizz

[stonefist]

I am running a hp 2000. it is an old computer. how update the Kernel ?

[MrEen]

Don't worry about the kernel. On your old hardware it isn't going to help. But Fizz's suggestion might have been the ticket on something newer.

Open Zoom and click on the cog wheel, then click on the Audio tab. Make sure the box for "Automatically adjust microphone settings" is unchecked, and this might be all solved.

[Fizz]

I am running a hp 2000. it is an old computer. how update the Kernel ?

If it's an old computer, then the kernal is probably not the issue. But just in case, open a terminal and run the following command: inxi -Fxxz The kernel will be the first line. My guess is it will be 5.4.

EDIT: MrEen beat me to it....

-Fizz

[stonefist]

I don't know if it is a bug because my wife is running Ubuntu 20. and her laptop is a Hp Probook 14