Need help to tune Audacity recording with pulse audio

[gymnart]

I use SuSE 11.4. They have switched their sound system to Pulse Audio and I'm having trouble with using Audacity.
I'm trying to capture audio coming from my sound card, NOT from the mic. This is what I'm doing: Start Audacity, push its record button, play a song. It shows that it is recording but when I play back the results, all background noise, conversation, etc, is in the recording as well as the audio from the song (and it is waaay too bass-y). If the mic is unplugged or muted, I cannot record what I hear coming from the sound card (as in what you hear from the sound card is what you get).

When I use Audacity, it seems to only be able to record from the mic. I have tried its other settings ((Multichannel Capture/PT Playback (hw0, 2); Mic Capture (hw 0, 1); ADC Capture/Standard PCM (hw 0, 0); SPDIF; Pulse; Default)) But the only one that works is the Multichannel selection, but that is using the mic to capture and that is not acceptable for what I want to do.

When I started Audacity from the command line, I see this message before it starts:

Code: Select all

ALSA lib pcm.c:2212:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.side
ALSA lib pcm.c:2212:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.surround71
ALSA lib pcm.c:2212:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.hdmi
ALSA lib pcm.c:2212:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.hdmi
ALSA lib pcm.c:2212:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.modem
ALSA lib pcm.c:2212:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.modem
ALSA lib pcm.c:2212:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.phoneline
ALSA lib pcm.c:2212:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.phoneline
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:957:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) The dmix plugin supports only playback stream
Cannot connect to server socket err = No such file or directory
Cannot connect to server socket
jack server is not running or cannot be started
Expression 'stream->playback.pcm' failed in 'src/hostapi/alsa/pa_linux_alsa.c', line: 3875
Expression 'stream->playback.pcm' failed in 'src/hostapi/alsa/pa_linux_alsa.c', line: 3875
Expression 'stream->playback.pcm' failed in 'src/hostapi/alsa/pa_linux_alsa.c', line: 3875
Expression 'stream->playback.pcm' failed in 'src/hostapi/alsa/pa_linux_alsa.c', line: 3875
Expression '*idev = open( idevName, flags )' failed in 'src/hostapi/oss/pa_unix_oss.c', line: 811
Expression 'OpenDevices( idevName, odevName, &idev, &odev )' failed in 'src/hostapi/oss/pa_unix_oss.c', line: 857
Expression 'PaOssStream_Initialize( stream, inputParameters, outputParameters, streamCallback, userData, streamFlags, ossHostApi )' failed in 'src/hostapi/oss/pa_unix_oss.c', line: 1234

I don't have Jack installed and was told that it is not necessary.

This is my hardware info:
cat /etc/modprobe.d/50-sound.conf gives:

Code: Select all

options snd slots=snd-emu10k1
# 2+Ni.trsEqNGuZ00:SB0090 Audigy Player
alias snd-card-0 snd-emu10k1

Here is the result of arecord -l:

Code: Select all

**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Audigy [SB Audigy 1 [SB0090]], device 0: emu10k1 [ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Audigy [SB Audigy 1 [SB0090]], device 1: emu10k1 mic [Mic Capture]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Audigy [SB Audigy 1 [SB0090]], device 2: emu10k1 efx [Multichannel Capture/PT Playback]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Here is the result of rpm -qa '*alsa*':

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alsa-devel-1.0.24.1-86.1.x86_64
alsamixergui-0.9.0rc1-1492.1.x86_64
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.24-6.1.x86_64
alsa-1.0.24.1-4.7.1.x86_64
alsa-plugins-pulse-32bit-1.0.24-6.1.x86_64
alsa-oss-1.0.17-32.1.x86_64
alsa-oss-32bit-1.0.17-32.1.x86_64
alsa-utils-1.0.24.2-3.1.x86_64
alsa-plugins-32bit-1.0.24-6.1.x86_64
alsa-plugins-1.0.24-6.1.x86_64
alsa-firmware-1.0.24.1-3.1.noarch

Here is the result of rpm -qa '*pulse*'

Code: Select all

libpulse-browse0-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
pulseaudio-module-lirc-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.24-6.1.x86_64
libpulse0-32bit-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
libpulse0-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
pulseaudio-module-x11-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
pulseaudio-utils-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
alsa-plugins-pulse-32bit-1.0.24-6.1.x86_64
pulseaudio-esound-compat-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
libpulse-mainloop-glib0-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
pulseaudio-module-jack-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
pulseaudio-module-bluetooth-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
pulseaudio-module-zeroconf-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64
libxine1-pulse-1.1.19-4.4.x86_64
pulseaudio-0.9.22-6.11.1.x86_64

Here is the result of /usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=f9...3e4765cf00bed0
so you can see my sound settings.

I have done a tweak as directed on the SuSE forums for getting pulse to be able to record from the sound card (here: http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get- ... audio.html posts #4, and #5) but Audacity doesn't seem to be using this. It still uses the mic to record. I have to do this command for any sound card recording: arecord -vv -f cd test.wav (replacing the word, test, with some other name).
I'd much rather use Audacity for recording because I like to see (monitor) what I'm recording and that way I can tell if the volume is too high while I'm recording which can't be done from the command line.

[steve]

If Suse does not provide any other means for doing so, try installing the "PulseAudio Volume Control" to select which input is used by PulseAudio for recording.

[gymnart]

Yes, I have that installed too. I still have the same problems.

[steve]

If you're trying to record "sounds that are playing on your computer", then you need to set Audacity to record from the "Monitor" of the sound card that you want to record from. Put Audacity in "Pause + Record" mode, then Audacity will appear as a recording application in PulseAudio Volume control and you can set it to record from the input that you require.

It's difficult for me to be more specific as I don't know what you're looking at or what options are available.

[gymnart]

How do you set it to pause and record mode? I can't seem to find that option.
In Edit > Preferences > Recording, I see Playthough and Latency and I don't see anything about pause and record.

[steve]

How do you set it to pause and record mode?

Just click the record button, then the pause button.

[gymnart]

That did not work.
Audacity does not appear as a recording application in PulseAudio Volume control for me.

[gymnart]

as for what is available, this is from Audacity's Audio Device Info:

Default capture device number: 14
Default playback device number: 14
==============================
Device ID: 0
Device name: SB Audigy 1 [SB0090]: ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback (hw:0,0)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 2
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
==============================
Device ID: 1
Device name: SB Audigy 1 [SB0090]: Mic Capture (hw:0,1)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 2
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.064000
Low Output Latency: -1.000000
High Input Latency: 0.256000
High Output Latency: -1.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 2
Device name: SB Audigy 1 [SB0090]: Multichannel Capture/PT Playback (hw:0,2)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 16
Output channels: 0
Low Input Latency: 0.010667
Low Output Latency: -1.000000
High Input Latency: 0.042667
High Output Latency: -1.000000
Supported Rates:
==============================
Device ID: 3
Device name: SB Audigy 1 [SB0090]: Multichannel Playback (hw:0,3)
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 0
Output channels: 16
Low Input Latency: -1.000000
Low Output Latency: 0.010667
High Input Latency: -1.000000
High Output Latency: 0.042667
Supported Rates:
48000
==============================
Selected capture device: 2 - SB Audigy 1 [SB0090]: Multichannel Capture/PT Playback (hw:0,2)
Selected playback device: 0 - SB Audigy 1 [SB0090]: ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback (hw:0,0)
Supported Rates:
48000
==============================
Available mixers:
==============================
Available capture sources:
==============================
Available playback volumes:
0 - Master:0
1 - Bass:0
2 - Treble:0
3 - PCM:0
4 - PCM Center:0
5 - PCM Front:0
6 - PCM LFE:0
7 - PCM Surround:0
8 - Front:0
9 - Surround:0
10 - Center:0
11 - LFE:0
12 - Synth:0
13 - Line:0
14 - Line2:0
15 - CD:0
16 - Mic:0
17 - Phone:0
18 - IEC958 Optical:0
19 - Beep:0
20 - Aux:0
21 - Aux2:0
22 - Analog Mix:0
23 - Audigy CD:0
==============================
Capture volume is emulated
Playback volume is native
==============================

I skipped the other devices that were listed because I thought they didn't have much to do with my problem.
But I wonder why Audacity is not listed in PA's control as a recording app? It doesn't even show up when I'm playing a song. It seems to me that PA has no idea that audacity is there at all.

[steve]

I skipped the other devices that were listed because I thought they didn't have much to do with my problem.

Wasn't there a listing for:

Code: Select all

Device name: pulse
Host name: ALSA

[gymnart]

Yup:
=====================
Device ID: 13
Device name: pulse
Host name: ALSA
Input channels: 32
Output channels: 32
Low Input Latency: 0.011610
Low Output Latency: 0.011610
High Input Latency: 0.046440
High Output Latency: 0.046440
Supported Rates:
8000
9600
11025
12000
15000
16000
22050
24000
32000
44100
48000
88200
96000
192000
==============================