topic title: Make your sound louder, especially on laptops
Posts: 2,238
dolphin_oracle
Joined: 16 Dec 2007
#1
Many complain that linux audio is too low volume by default. I know on the same hardware, audio on windows can be much louder than the audio on linux/antix.

so I did some googling, and found some info on a solution.

check out
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://alien.slackbook.org/blog/adding-an-alsa-software-pre-amp-to-fix-low-sound-levels/"
linktext was:"http://alien.slackbook.org/blog/adding- ... nd-levels/"
====================================
for the work around. I'm posting the soluntion that worked for my eeepc below for expediency. The author notes that you may need to change"type plug" to"type hw" depending on your hardware. On my screen, I had to scroll through the alsamixer window all the way to the right as the new pre-amp setting was off screen to the right. It works for me, maybe it will for you too.

PS - I didn't code this, and I don't know why it works. Your mileage may vary.

Code: Select all

pcm.!default {
      type plug
      slave.pcm"softvol"
  }

  pcm.softvol {
      type softvol
      slave {
          pcm"dmix"
      }
      control {
          name"Pre-Amp"
          card 0
      }
      min_dB -5.0
      max_dB 20.0
      resolution 6
  }
Posts: 4,164
rokytnji
Joined: 20 Feb 2009
#2
Did you add a /etc/asound.conf file D.O.?

Code: Select all

harry@biker:~$ cd /etc
harry@biker:/etc$ ls
abcde.conf              hostname         polkit-1
acpi                    hosts            ppp
adduser.conf            hosts.allow      printcap
alternatives            hosts.deny       profile
antixsnapshot.conf      icedtea-web      profile.d
antix-version           iceweasel        protocols
apm                     ifplugd          pulse
apt                     init.d           purple
ati                     initramfs-tools  python
avahi                   inittab          python2.7
avserver.conf           inputrc          rc0.d
bash.bashrc             insserv          rc1.d
bash_completion         insserv.conf     rc2.d
bash_completion.d       insserv.conf.d   rc3.d
bindresvport.blacklist  iproute2         rc4.d
blkid.tab               irssi.conf       rc5.d
blkid.tab.old           issue            rc6.d
bonobo-activation       issue.net        rc.local
ca-certificates         java-6-openjdk   rcS.d
ca-certificates.conf    jwm              request-key.conf
calendar                kbd              request-key.d
chatscripts             kernel           resolv.conf
conky                   ldap             ripit
console                 ld.so.cache      rmt
ConsoleKit              ld.so.conf       rpc
console-setup           ld.so.conf.d     rsyslog.conf
cron.d                  libao.conf       rsyslog.d
cron.daily              libaudit.conf    samba
cron.hourly             libnl-3          sane.d
cron.monthly            libpaper.d       screenrc
crontab                 libreoffice      securetty
cron.weekly             live             security
cups                    locale.alias     sensors3.conf
dbus-1                  locale.gen       sensors.d
debconf.conf            localtime        services
debian_version          logcheck         sgml
default                 login.defs       shadow
defaultdomain           logrotate.conf   shadow-
defoma                  logrotate.d      shells
deluser.conf            lsb-base         skel
dhcp                    magic            slim.conf
dhcp3                   magic.mime       slim.conf.dpkg-dist
dictionaries-common     mailcap          smbnetfs.conf
dillo                   mailcap.order    sound
dkms                    mailname         ssh
dpkg                    manpath.config   ssl
e4rat.conf              mc               sudoers
elinks                  menu             sudoers.d
emacs                   menu-methods     sudoers.dpkg-dist
environment             mime.types       sysctl.conf
esound                  mke2fs.conf      sysctl.d
ffserver.conf           modprobe.d       systemd
fonts                   modules          terminfo
foomatic                motd             timezone
fstab                   motd.tail        transmission-daemon
fstab.backup            mplayer          ts.conf
fstab.d                 mtab             ucf.conf
fuse.conf               mtools.conf      udev
gai.conf                nanorc           ufw
gamin                   ndiswrapper      uniconf.conf
gconf                   netscsid.conf    updatedb.conf
gftp                    network          usb_modeswitch.conf
ghostscript             networks         usb_modeswitch.d
gnome-vfs-2.0           newsbeuter       uswsusp.conf
gnome-vfs-mime-magic    nsswitch.conf    vga
gpm.conf                openal           vim
grep-dctrl.rc           OpenCL           wgetrc
groff                   opt              wicd
group                   pam.conf         wildmidi
group-                  pam.d            wodim.conf
grub.d                  papersize        wpa_supplicant
gshadow                 passwd           wvdial.conf
gshadow-                passwd-          X11
gtk                     pcmcia           xdg
gtk-2.0                 perl             xlock.staff
gtk-3.0                 pm               xml
hdparm.conf             pmount.allow
host.conf               pnm2ppa.conf
This is the New AntiX iso.
Posts: 903
plvera
Joined: 11 Oct 2008
#3
I added a new file asound.conf like the link said, but I can't get the plugin to show up, even after trying the substitution to"hw" as recommended.

Thanks for the tip though.
Posts: 2,238
dolphin_oracle
Joined: 16 Dec 2007
#4
@rok - yes i did, in /etc. and I'm using the new test iso as well.

@plvera - in my alsamixer the plugin was out of view on the window to the right. Sorry it didn't work for you.
Posts: 3
Boub
Joined: 23 Nov 2013
#5
Hi there,
Hi anticapitalista,
Hi everybody,

Newbie to AntiX. I prefered to go on with this topic instead of creating o new one. I am currently using 13.1 base on a 2001 Acer Laptop with a lot of pleasure, thanks to everybody implied. It's not a place to explain why I find this distro so nice.

So my soundcard was detected. Everything was right except the famous problem of low volume level.
And I tried to create the"asound.conf" in /etc with the code shown here first, AND with the second edition of this code shown on the blog linked here.
As a result, the Alsamixer didn't even open no more, in any case. I decided to remove the asound.conf file. Alsamixer now opens, but there is no more sound, not at all.
Please, what sould I try? I wish at least make things like they were, with the low level volume, but managing to get a normal volume level would be better obviously.
Please, forgive my approximative use of English language, and excuse me to post my first message here instead of making a presentation of myself.

Hope someone knows what happened.
Boub,
Posts: 3
Boub
Joined: 23 Nov 2013
#6
Ok,

Found why there was no more sound, not at all. In the Alsamixer, every leveller got muted when I tried to make things with the asound.conf file. If this happens to someone, cancel muting of every level by typing"m" on each of them (there should be"00" numbers below every leveller instead of"MM".)

However, the sound stays low for the moment.
Posts: 3
Boub
Joined: 23 Nov 2013
#7
Something worked for me!

I give you the tip. I find it on this page :

========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://wiki.debian.org/ALSA"
linktext was:"https://wiki.debian.org/ALSA"
====================================


It's said to MUTE the s/pdif channel.
Just did it, no more, and it worked. The sound got normal! To mute, press"m" on the selected channel.
I will do some tests to say you if the sound is not distorted (gain), but it seems that no.

Hope this will help.
Posts: 19
pcpavnz
Joined: 09 Nov 2012
#8
I did this some years back to a number of Linux distros and sure enough it worked, but it does introduce a potential fry something.

The Linux pre-amps do as they should, but if the levels are not set right, you will get audio clipping, which may not be discernible to the untrained ear on regular laptop speakers. What clipping does is to feed raw DC current to the speakers at the point of clipping, and this will damage the speakers, and potentially the transistors that produce the output. Clipping simply sounds like scratchy speakers, which are usually the result of too much power or playing too many clipped tracks at volumes above 70% of their capabilities for too long.

An easy way to discern clipping is to feed the headphones output from the Linux machine to a real stereo, the better quality the stereo, the better chance of detecting the clipping. I have the advantage of having a 32-channel mixer connected to 1400 RMS amp and matched speakers, but a regular household stereo should suffice, or a good quality car stereo with auxiliary inputs.

If you can find the point of clipping and set the preamp to just under it, you will get the best results.