Audigy: recording level much too low (microphone)

Audigy: recording level much too low (microphone)

[Zbigniew Baniewski]

Hallo,

I've got a problem with Audigy (it's SB0230 release) soundcard: the
recording level, when taking the sound from microphone, is much too low.

I've sent a mail to "users" list, so here I'm just pointing to that mail:
http://www.mail-archive.com/alsa-user@lists.sourceforge.net/msg20235.html
...and so I won't repeat it all here.
(I made a mistake in the subject there, writing about "Audigy2")

My card is seen by 1.0.14 ALSA as ( cat /proc/asound/cards ):

0 [Audigy   ]: Audigy - Audigy 1 [Unknown]
               Audigy 1 [Unknown] (rev.3, serial:0x5a1102) at 0xc400, irq 11


As I understand, there is some variable (or register?), which controls that
recording level for microphone input - perhaps someone of the developers
could tell me, which variable is it, and which file should I search? In such
way perhaps I could fix it on my own - just by setting higher max. level, or
in similar way. But searching all that files on my own could take serious
amount of time, I'm afraid.

Or perhaps there's another way to fix it (some special settings)?
-- 
				pozdrawiam / regards

						Zbigniew Baniewski

Re: Audigy: recording level much too low (microphone)

[James Courtier-Dutton]

Zbigniew Baniewski wrote:
> Hallo,
>
> I've got a problem with Audigy (it's SB0230 release) soundcard: the
> recording level, when taking the sound from microphone, is much too low.
>
> I've sent a mail to "users" list, so here I'm just pointing to that mail:
> http://www.mail-archive.com/alsa-user@lists.sourceforge.net/msg20235.html
> ...and so I won't repeat it all here.
> (I made a mistake in the subject there, writing about "Audigy2")
>
> My card is seen by 1.0.14 ALSA as ( cat /proc/asound/cards ):
>
> 0 [Audigy   ]: Audigy - Audigy 1 [Unknown]
>                Audigy 1 [Unknown] (rev.3, serial:0x5a1102) at 0xc400, irq 11
>
>
> As I understand, there is some variable (or register?), which controls that
> recording level for microphone input - perhaps someone of the developers
> could tell me, which variable is it, and which file should I search? In such
> way perhaps I could fix it on my own - just by setting higher max. level, or
> in similar way. But searching all that files on my own could take serious
> amount of time, I'm afraid.
>
> Or perhaps there's another way to fix it (some special settings)?
>   

This requires a change to the DSP code in the driver.
Basically, the sound from the mic is a 32bit value, but the DSP only 
sends 16bits to the user, and currently the 16bits sent are the top 
16bits but most of the sound from the MIC is in the middle 16bits.
I need to modify the DSP code to add a new mixer control to provide 
amplification of the sound, so it will be possible to put the a better 
value in the 16bit value. E.g. multiply the value by 256, but have it 
variable so the user can adjust to get the levels right.
I think this approach will be better than attenuating the 24bit value so 
that it only occupies 16bits as this would merge values together.
I am not exactly sure which approach I should take as they all 
potentially loose captured information.

James

Re: Audigy: recording level much too low (microphone)

[Zbigniew Baniewski]

On Fri, Aug 10, 2007 at 07:53:27PM +0200, Peter Zubaj wrote:

> Replace 0x0000 with value you want. 0x0000 is gain value - 0x0000 is
> minimum and I think it is current default - 0 dB
> 0x0101 is 1.5 dB
> 0x0202 is 3 dB
> ....
> 0x0f0f is max - 22.5 dB
> step is 1.5 dB

Yes! Thanks a lot! :) I realize, it's a "workaround" rather than real
solution, but this made Audigy suitable for VOIP (I tried the highest value
of 0x0f0f).

I've got a feeling, it could be even set in release this way for all the
Audigy owners, until the final solution of DSP-related issues will take
place, because it doesn't seem to spoil anything (although I didn't made
much testing of all the available options yet). Or it could be switched on
by some special option: like at "configuration" stage before compilation,
or perhaps even as the additional module parameter.
-- 
				pozdrawiam / regards

						Zbigniew Baniewski