[ALSA - driver 0000622]: snd-ens1371 hisses and garbled sound

[bugtrack@alsa-project.org]

A NOTE has been added to this issue.
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<https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/alsa-bug/view.php?id=622> 
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Reported By:                jdthood
Assigned To:                
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Project:                    ALSA - driver
Issue ID:                   622
Category:                   PCI - ens1371
Reproducibility:            always
Severity:                   major
Priority:                   normal
Status:                     new
Distribution:               
Kernel Version:             
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Date Submitted:             11-01-2004 11:29 CET
Last Modified:              11-02-2004 21:27 CET
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Summary:                    snd-ens1371 hisses and garbled sound
Description: 
Please see Debian bug
https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/alsa-bug/view.php?id=239575:

    http://bugs.debian.org/239575

The submitter writes in part:

------------------------------------------------------
Before installing [Debian] sarge I happily used the ALSA sound system on a
2.4.20 [kernel] with my SB PCI 128 soundcard. With the 2.4.24 kernel [...]
the following problems occur:
After initilization of the snd-ens1371 module a loud hiss comes out of the
speakers. The artsd fails and displays a message that it will use the null
output device. All ALSA or arts enabled apps either crash, remain in a
infinite loop  initializing or start with sound disabled.
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Another person adds:

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Sound system is working rather properly but I get continual hisses out of
my soundcard, some sound is coming out as well but is completely garbled.
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Any idea what might be wrong?
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
 jdthood - 11-02-04 21:27 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
One of the submitters added the following information.
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[Using alsa-lib 1.0.6]

Actually, I found a workaround to my problem under:
http://www.mail-archive.com/gentoo-user@gentoo.org/msg39015.html

It reads:
> I upgraded to KDE 3.2 (also had an upgrade to alsa-driver .9.8) and
afterward 
> had bad sound.  (I have a Creative PCI 128 card, or something like that,
that 
> linux identifies as an Ensoniq 5880, for which alsa uses the ens1371
card 
> drivers, whatever)
> 
> If I turned up the volume (on the speaker) I got  a lot of hiss and
static on 
> the left channel.  Even when I turned the volume in kmix all the way
down       
> (should be just silence) I would get hiss, static and whatever was
playing 
> (like a song on xmms) 
> 
> After trying a lot of complex things, the solution was pretty simple,
click 
> the little Advanced box in kmix, and uncheck the button for IEC958.
> 

That's what I did and it solved also my problem, though I would be 
pretty happy to have some explanations on the why. I tried also with 
alsamixer and (M)ute on IEC958 works as well, and the setup did survive 
an "alsactl store/restore" cycle. So it looks good for me.

So, for me, the severity can be reduced. I do still think that the 
problem needs to be fixed (for new users), or at least documented.

Cheers, Eric

Issue History
Date Modified  Username       Field                    Change              
======================================================================
11-01-04 11:29 jdthood        New Issue                                    
11-02-04 21:27 jdthood        Note Added: 0002299                          
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