Ubuntu
gnome-media package

Ubuntu can't record via the microphone

Asked by Brian

No sound is heard on playback with an HDA Intel internal mic.
I am newbie to Linux, read relevant articles, here are some details. But what shall I do next to record my sound?

brian@Aussie:~$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC662 Analog [ALC662 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: ALC662 Digital [ALC662 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
brian@Aussie:~$ lspci -v
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82945G/GZ/P/PL Memory Controller Hub (rev 02)
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device 5000
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
 Capabilities: <access denied>

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82945G/GZ Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device d000
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
 Memory at d1100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
 I/O ports at b000 [size=8]
 Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
 Memory at d1180000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device a002
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
 Memory at d11c0000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>

00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
 Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=01, sec-latency=0
 I/O behind bridge: 00009000-00009fff
 Capabilities: <access denied>

00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
 Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=02, sec-latency=0
 I/O behind bridge: 0000a000-0000afff
 Memory behind bridge: d0000000-d0ffffff
 Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 00000000d1000000-00000000d10fffff
 Capabilities: <access denied>

00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device 5004
 Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18
 I/O ports at b400 [size=32]

00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device 5004
 Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 19
 I/O ports at b800 [size=32]

00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device 5004
 Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 20
 I/O ports at bc00 [size=32]

00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device 5004
 Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
 I/O ports at c000 [size=32]

00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 01) (prog-if 20 [EHCI])
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device 5006
 Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18
 Memory at d11c4000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>

00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev e1) (prog-if 01 [Subtractive decode])
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
 Bus: primary=00, secondary=03, subordinate=03, sec-latency=32
 I/O behind bridge: 00008000-00008fff
 Capabilities: <access denied>

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GB/GR (ICH7 Family) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 01)
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device 5001
 Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
 Capabilities: <access denied>

00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801GB/GR/GH (ICH7 Family) SATA IDE Controller (rev 01) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP])
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device b002
 Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 19
 I/O ports at 01f0 [size=8]
 I/O ports at 03f4 [size=1]
 I/O ports at 0170 [size=8]
 I/O ports at 0374 [size=1]
 I/O ports at f000 [size=16]
 Capabilities: <access denied>

00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 01)
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device 5001
 Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 11
 I/O ports at 0500 [size=32]

02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 02)
 Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Unknown device e000
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 221
 I/O ports at a000 [size=256]
 Memory at d1010000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=4K]
 Memory at d1000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=64K]
 [virtual] Expansion ROM at d1020000 [disabled] [size=64K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>

brian@Aussie:~$ cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [Intel ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel
                      HDA Intel at 0xd11c0000 irq 16
brian@Aussie:~$ cat /proc/asound/pcm
00-01: ALC662 Digital : ALC662 Digital : playback 1
00-00: ALC662 Analog : ALC662 Analog : playback 1 : capture 1
brian@Aussie:~$ arecord --list-devices
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC662 Analog [ALC662 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

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Revision history for this message
Andre Mangan (kyphi) said : 		#1

You can make some adjustments via your volume control - the loudspeaker icon on your top panel. Right click and then select Open Volume Control.

Left click on Edit and go to Preferences. Scroll down to where microphone options are listed and place a tick next to those that you need. I suggest Microphone, Microphone Capture, Mic Boost and Mic Input Source. The close that screen.

Under Playback on the Volume Control screen there is now a slider for Microphone - slide it up to about 80%. Next, open the tab marked Switches and put a tick next to Microphone Capture and Mic Boost.

Tested successfully using Sound Recorder.

Revision history for this message
Brian (brianyu-au) said : 		#2

Hi Andre

I followed your instruction. All good until..

"....open the tab marked Switches and put a tick next to Microphone Capture and Mic Boost."

There is no such thing as "Microphone Capture and Mic Boost" to tick, but I can only tick Headphone and IEC958.?

Thanks

Brian

Revision history for this message
Andre Mangan (kyphi) said : 		#3

Did you activate the necessary boxes in Edit, Preferences?

Were there entries in that long list for microphone capture and Mic Boost?

What happens when you place a tick next to IEC958?

Also check in System -> Preferences -> Sound and use something other than Pulse Audio.

Revision history for this message
Brian (brianyu-au) said : 		#4

Sorry Andre for my late response. The issue remained unsolved.

Did you activate the necessary boxes in Edit, Preferences?
Yes

Were there entries in that long list for microphone capture and Mic Boost?
Actually, there is no such Mic Boost option, but capture option is there.

What happens when you place a tick next to IEC958?
No difference is noticed

Also check in System -> Preferences -> Sound and use something other than Pulse Audio.
I tried all such as ALSA etc, none of them can make recording work.

The ultimate purpose is to enable me to use Skype and to chat with friends, but so far no good.

Please shed me some lights on this.

Thanks

Brian

Revision history for this message
Andre Mangan (kyphi) said : 		#5

I am rather puzzled that you have entries missing in your preference list in ALSA mixer.

Are you using Hardy Heron 8.04.1 with ALSA v1.0.15 ?

When you type alsamixer into a terminal screen and scroll to the right with your arrow keys is there an entry for Mic Boos ?

Revision history for this message
Brian (brianyu-au) said : 		#6

Hi Andre

Yes it is Hardy Heron 8.04 but not sure if 8.04.1, also it is ALSA v1.0.15, as i typed alsamixer in terminal. There is no entry for Mic Boost. From left to right, I can see Master, headphone, PCM, Front, Front Mi, Line, Mic, IEC958. There is no more horizontal scroll bar.

Thanks

Brian

Revision history for this message
Andre Mangan (kyphi) said : 		#7

If you have updated since installation then most likely you are running 8.04.1.

Curious about your lack of entries in Alsa - I have 34. I also have a soundcard rather than a sound chip.

I gather that you are using a laptop with an inbuilt microphone.

Go back into "volume control" ( right click on speaker icon and choose "Open Volume Control ) and check your settings there. For example, if the slider for "Line In" is up, then under "Options" the "Mic Input Source" should read "Line In Jack".

On the right hand side of "Mic Input Source: Line In Jack" click on the up/down arrows and choose from that menu. One of these must work.

Revision history for this message
Andre Mangan (kyphi) said : 		#8

One more thing:

Have you tried plugging in an external microphone?

Revision history for this message
Yige (yigeyinfu-deactivatedaccount) said : 		#9

Open up the Synaptic Package Manager and install ubuntustudio-audio and ubuntustudio-audio plaugins.

Next, open up QAMix, go to Capture TAB and set it to MIC.

Revision history for this message
janie70 (janiecarrasco) said : 		#10

I am having the same problem. There is no Mic under Capture Tab. Also Volume Control Preferences does not have anything that says Mic or Microphone...

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask Brian for more information if necessary.

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